Tips for beginner digital artists! // Brushes, colouring & more!

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Hey everyone! I hope you found my beginner digital artist tips useful. If you have any more questions be sure to leave a comment and I or someone else can try to help!
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Find me on
◉ Patreon - / jelarts
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◉ My Website - www.jelarts.com/
‌◉ Instagram - / jelarts
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Digital art software
FireAlpaca (free) - firealpaca.com/
Medibang (free) - medibangpaint.com/en/
Krita (free) krita.org/en/
Clip Studio Paint - www.clipstudio.net/en/
Paint Tool SAI - www.systemax.jp/en/sai/
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Digital Brushes
Procreate - maxpacks.com/
Procreate - dinanorlund.gumroad.com/l/zdL...
Clip Studio Paint - SimzArt brushes / simz
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Materials & Equipment
◉ ipad 12.9 inch + apple pencil 2nd generation + procreate
◉ My Camera - amzn.to/2oKAiRx
◉ My lights - amzn.to/2SWy6Xn & amzn.to/2SyNOsD
◉ Mic - amzn.to/3e2lf1B
Some of these are amazon affiliate links, meaning I will receive a small commission from amazon - no additional cost to you.
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Music
◉ "Kawai Kitsune"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
◉ Air Hockey Saloon by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: chriszabriskie.com/vendaface/
Artist: chriszabriskie.com/

[@JelArts]

Hellooo everyone! If you want to grab a print of the dog with the scarf, it's available on my Patreon now! www.patreon.com/jelarts

[@jeskem]

When it comes to drawing programs: I always loved Krita! It's ben ages since I last did any digital art, but Krita was my go to program. I got used to it very quickly. I believe you can customize the lay-out to your preferences (e.g. if you want to have the brush menu or colour wheel in the left corner, you can put it there, if you want it on the right, you can put it there etc.).

[@pale_raven_arts5930]

I second this! I have only used krita so far tbh honest, but especially for a beginner it already has pretty good base features it runs on my laptop pretty okay as long as I don´t try to make HUUUGE drawings, you can import brushes and fonts etc., It sure does has less features than other programs no doubt, but it is free, it is customizable in it´s layout, it´s not overwhelming and I am pretty sure you can get a lot more out of it than I do if you´re brain is able to work with tutorials unlike my potato brain 🤣 (It also works rather smooth with my xp-pen drawing tablet (that wasn´t too expensive) unless I bump the cable and have to restart my laptop to get my pressure sensitivity back... but that´s on me, I also wrecked my cable BUT it is no "special" cable and can be replaced fairly easily, so I´d also say look into xp-pen tablets for digital art, they got a giant range of prices)

[@NefliteArts]

Also my recommendation o/

[@jeremyyates1026]

I was gonna mention krita as well its my go to program on pc definitely fantastic for a free program and the fact that most brushes that are compatible with photoshop work in krita as well

[@isaacterry1243]

I started off with a Huion H420 that I got for 30 bucks on Amazon and it worked amazingly! I still used it occasionally to this day even thought I have larger tablets and now an Ipad

[@JelArts]

Yep! Cheap tablets get the job done :)

[@fazara7273]

Same! I loved that little tablet!

[@ArtisticLibra]

Digital art is something I've been trying to work my way into since last year and I want to do more of it this year even if it just to plan out a non-digital piece and this video was very helpful in navigating that. I feel like VizRef isn't talked about enough, I use it to plan out concepts, an over arching color theme, or just to come up with a vision board for artwork whether it be digital or traditional. Thank you for sharing brushes as well, I love finding new ones I may want to buy at some point because the ones I already downloaded aren't enough 😂

[@amandaarts3277]

I loved this! Could you do a video in procreate where you talk through your process when do a drawing like this or one where you talk over a speed paint explaining your steps?

[@JasmineZellmer]

This is so pretty! It reminds me of the tapestry art in the Last Unicorn. As someone that does both digital and traditional, my biggest tip would be keep doing both. Often I learn something when painting that I can then apply to digital, and vice versa.

[@melaniebrunet6745]

Idk if its still ongoing but when I got myself a Wacom tablet awhile ago, it came with a 2 year trial for clip studio paint! So worth trying out if you're a beginner :) Edit: *free trial

[@JelArts]

That's pretty cool!!

[@melaniebrunet6745]

@@JelArts yeah! I'm still using it lol, although it's a great tactic cause now that I'm used to csp, I'll probably purchase it once the trial runs out

[@everythinggirl1559]

It's still happening I got my wacom in November and I am able to use clip studio paint for free for 2 years

[@ParasolMushroomStudios]

I thought clipstudio retracted the subscription thing because people were angry. Great video!

[@EmberHart]

You can buy the new csp onetime license also you will always have the old version as long as computer is compatible

[@Nanain]

I draw on Ipad - and love Procreate & the Affinity Suite by Serif, because I can import pixel art from Procreate or draw it in Affinity Designer itself, change mode and then layer with vector graphics :D Affinity is great because it's a onetime purchase, and they just released their version 2 software :)

[@driftwooddigitals2719]

Hi … great video, thanks. Just wondering how you’re digital art prints out for you? My procreate paintings look really different both printed and when I view them on other devices. Not sure if it’s a problem with the printer, or if I need to lower the screen brightness of my iPad when I’m painting. Sorry for the very dull and specific question! But anyway, for a future video idea, the whole ‘after finishing your painting painting’ process would be great Thank you so much 😊

[@JelArts]

Firstly I make sure I paint in CMYK (it can take a while to get used to this, but it really helps for things you'll be printing). Most printers use CMYK, and most drawing programs are RGB by default. If you make your canvas CMYK, you don't have to worry about converting your colours before you print. If you print a RGB file on a CMYK printer, it can often look dull, dark, or just not what you wanted. I also brighten my prints before I send them to be printed since things tend to turn out a bit darker than expected. Let me know if this answers your question! If you're printing from home, make sure the paper you're using is inkjet friendly (if your printer is inkjet).

[@ChantelleArts]

You've really covered everything, great video!!

[@JelArts]

Thanks, glad to hear it!

[@newmoonteadrop8952]

This was very helpful Tysm ! If u do a part 2 could u maybe talk about gradient maps/ curves and some of the other blending modes ? I find it all so confusing and overwhelming aha

[@therovingwriter]

There is one reason why I only use Wacom and that reason is, I know that it will work and work reliable. I was stoked to see that there's more competition in the pen tablet space but most of these companies have lost my trust by offering scummy sponsorship deals and basically paying youtubers for favorable reviews. So now I can't trust any tablet brand except the one I've been using for almost 20 years and that sucks (even if I love my Intuos pro, it sucks to pay that much money for a non-screen tablet). These brands really fucked up with their crappy marketing strategies.

[@mikkib7921]

this is so helpful, thank you!

[@sethusk]

This is so awesome. Thanks for all the great tips!

[@sarajamal799]

Nice tips and lovely colours.

[@biggerweff]

very helpful and useful video!! great tips!!!!!!!!!

[@joshuawilkins6311]

I can't wait to watch this after work! 😄

[@JelArts]

Hope you enjoy!

[@morganminx8548]

Another good free computer software is Krita, it can be confusing to use at first but don't get discouraged! Watcjing tutorials will always help. It is a lot like photoshop and clip studio paint. I really recommend it.

[@doodlesandstuff6032]

HI JelArts quick question, I'm lefthanded and I'm really struggeling finding a pendisplay with decent settings for left handed people. Do you or anyone that reads this have any tips/suggestions? I need to use photoshop for my study and thats on the laptop :( ...

[@LuchaCatDIY]

Great tips

[@The.MoNsTeRs]

Any tips is great 😭😭😭😂❤️

[@corgikun2579]

pretty good video, thanks for sharing

[@Inky_Pen7]

Plot twist the cat messed with the books and movie the inconsistencies would prove this because it doesn’t want us finding out what it really is and it’s weakness😂.

[@safaiaryu12]

These tips are great! I recently got an iPad with ProCreate and I can't figure out the sensitivity settings. Like, I would really prefer a linear scale rather than that weird square and line? I need to find a KZbin tutorial and sit down and figure it out...

[@nerdygeekyart]

KZbin is definitely the way to go with Procreate! It helped me so much when I got started. Now I help other people out when they start to use it 😄

[@lindsayb2914]

Same here lol I got some stuff around Christmas for this reason and haven’t found time to sit down and just LEARN

[@tabrot]

i wanted to ask if you have an opinion about the paperlike screenfilm? and which brushes did you use for the dog in the end of the video? and i really like your artstyle

[@joana.apples]

for an ipad? ive heard people who use it reilgiously and people who say it donesn't make much of a difference to them, i do know however that a paper like screen protector on your ipad will wear down the nib? whatever the top part of your apple pencil is called, over-time (u can get replacements pretty easily though)

[@tabrot]

@@joana.apples yeah I have a paper like screen protector now and it doesn't make a huge difference for me

[@LillyCreates]

What’s the difference between a layer on alpha lock, and a clipping mask?

[@nevisnebis1207]

With the layer on clipping mask, it’s a lot better when it comes to things that need more manipulation/work, while alpha lock is usually for simpler stuff. I tend to use alpha lock for base colors and clipping mask for rendering/detail work, if it helps

[@nerdygeekyart]

A clipping mask doesn't affect the original layer you're drawing over, so it's easier to delete or make any changes in the future.

[@JelArts]

What they said! A clipping mask involves multiple layers attached to the one below, and alpha lock only applies to the one layer

[@LillyCreates]

Okay, ty guys! :)

[@CelilasArt]

CSP will not stop the perpetual licence. you can still pay once and have the license forever. no need to take the subscription. if they bring out a major update with new functonalities that you want at all cost, then you can still get a new perpetual license. they have sales every few months where licenses are up to 50 or even 60% off. which means you can get the program for less than 50 bucks.

[@kannaredpanda]

Awsome video, but some of the information you shared regarding clip is a bit outdated. And as a heads up for people looking into sai; it does not run on vanilla Mac without something to run windows software

[@JelArts]

Yeah, I put a disclaimer before it that there's a new subscription system coming this year. What about the info was outdated so I can add a clarification in the description?

[@kannaredpanda]

@@JelArts ah apologies, I must have missed that! But at least according to their Twitter; they will not stop support on the base version of clip, and they will also have one-time a paid version for their new release, though it will need to be re-purchased if someone has the older version. I don’t think they’ve released a price for it yet, but it is expected to be more expensive than the base one.

[@JelArts]

Ooh okay, that sounds more promising then! So you can still outright buy the program and get all the updates without needing to buy a yearly "update pass" or whatever they called it?

[@kannaredpanda]

@@JelArts from what it sounded like on the post, yeah! But obviously we’ll have to wait for the official announcement to be 100%

[@fazara7273]

@@JelArts Yeh if I recall correctly their website says licenses bought since January 2022 will be upgraded for free. And ppl who have 1.0 licenses will have a discounted cost for the 2.0 version

[@pupbeat]

not a beginner necessarily but still appreciate watching this video nonetheless

[@theartdog-_-]

Did you know that you can use the 6b pencil for calligraphy? 😮🎉

[@theartdog-_-]

I completely ruined the default brushes on procreate just to try to get a certain look 😅 12:46

[@pebbleplayz6367]

Hi I’m second!❤❤love ur content!

[@JelArts]

Helloo! I'm happy to hear that :)

[@CrosbyPosts]

Only three brands i trust, in order, : Wacom, Xp-pen, and Huion.

[@fuzzydragons]

i never label my layers and then always regret it later lol

[@JelArts]

Yeah same!!

[@flintfoster8010]

Cries in ibis paint x

[@chrisalluna6733]

Hello!!!🎶

[@TeasIdeas]

I do wannt to say for tablets if you do want really proffessional programs tablets that you connect to your pc will be better! altough this is just from my experience and I do use android so I am not sure what apple products have available for art programs :)

[@Sniperka7]

I've drawing on my android for years😭

[@snailman7989]

krita is a good free software

[@Schaggar]

Hi

[@JelArts]

Hello!