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Lenny · 16th June 2007, 04:28 PM

EDIT: I've highlighted the most useful paragraph red.

Be warned that I'm rattling searches into Google whilst answering, to give the illusion that I know all about it.

If you want to model in 3D, then you can download, for free, Google SketchUp. Whilst it may not be the most advanced of programs (certaintly nothing as advanced as the professional programs like Maya and 3DS Max), it is quick to learn, easy to use, and the end product can be very good. It's also a very good precursor to the multi-thousand pound programs (Maya, 3DS Max) should you decide that you want to learn how to model.

Google SketchUp - Home

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Pretty patterns with fractals. Let's see.

Fractals seem to be a very mathematical and scientific form of digital art, and look rather pretty.

I haven't a clue about these, so I'll skip over them, if I may.

Fractal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Painting and/or drawing, maybe with a graphics tablet.

You can do this in anything - Microsoft Paint, Macromedia Fireworks, Adobe Photoshop, whoever makes PaintShop Pro these days, Corel drawing programs, anything.

Paint, of course, comes free with every Windows PC. Fireworks, Photoshop, PaintShop Pro and any others need to be bought, but it is safe to assume that trial versions of each can be downloaded - the latest versions of Fireworks and Photoshop, for example, are available as trial downloads on the Adobe website.

As for the graphics tablet, well, you can spend thousands of pounds on a gigantic, widescreen, easel type tablet that doubles as a screen, or you can spend twenty quid on a smaller one (this, for example, which looks suspiciously like my own: Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK ). If you're right-handed, then a mouse may suffice unless you really get into it and want to be able to draw more accurately, in which case you'll buy a more expensive graphics tablet. If you're left-handed, such as I, then using a mouse to draw can be a right pain in the backside, and so a graphics tablet, even a cheap one, is a great little thing to buy.

Oh, there are also some more advanced Paint programs out there, which are free, and offer a lot more than the basic Paint program that comes with the PC. One such program is Paint.NET: Paint.NET - Free Photo Editing Software for Windows . It does need the .NET 1.1 Framework installed before you can use it, though.

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Something I forgot to mention - animation.

Right now I'm actually playing around in Macromedia Flash (the latest version of which is available as a trial on the Adobe site), and drawing some characters for an animation a friend has asked me to make. You don't have to use Flash, though, or, in fact, a proper animation package to do this. You can just as easily draw each individual frame in something like Paint, and put them together in Windows Movie Maker to create an animated video.

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Anyway, the short answer to your question - for something like illustrative artwork, the programs like Fireworks and Photoshop, and even Paint.NET should be perfect.

Of course, the more you get into it, the more you might decide that you want a program that does more, in which case you'll have to start shelling out the cash.

By the way, here's the Wikipedia entry on Digital Art - Digital art - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . Some of the links at the bottom of the pages might take you to sites where there is more detail, and maybe even links to programs.

There are also sites like deviantART: where ART meets application! which are specialised Artsy places, that may be able to help further.

16th June 2007, 04:28 PM	#4 (permalink)
Lenny Resident Untanned Guy Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Vatican City Posts: 1,932	Re: Digital Art Beginner EDIT: I've highlighted the most useful paragraph red. Be warned that I'm rattling searches into Google whilst answering, to give the illusion that I know all about it. If you want to model in 3D, then you can download, for free, Google SketchUp. Whilst it may not be the most advanced of programs (certaintly nothing as advanced as the professional programs like Maya and 3DS Max), it is quick to learn, easy to use, and the end product can be very good. It's also a very good precursor to the multi-thousand pound programs (Maya, 3DS Max) should you decide that you want to learn how to model. Google SketchUp - Home --- Pretty patterns with fractals. Let's see. Fractals seem to be a very mathematical and scientific form of digital art, and look rather pretty. I haven't a clue about these, so I'll skip over them, if I may. Fractal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia --- Painting and/or drawing, maybe with a graphics tablet. You can do this in anything - Microsoft Paint, Macromedia Fireworks, Adobe Photoshop, whoever makes PaintShop Pro these days, Corel drawing programs, anything. Paint, of course, comes free with every Windows PC. Fireworks, Photoshop, PaintShop Pro and any others need to be bought, but it is safe to assume that trial versions of each can be downloaded - the latest versions of Fireworks and Photoshop, for example, are available as trial downloads on the Adobe website. As for the graphics tablet, well, you can spend thousands of pounds on a gigantic, widescreen, easel type tablet that doubles as a screen, or you can spend twenty quid on a smaller one (this, for example, which looks suspiciously like my own: Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK ). If you're right-handed, then a mouse may suffice unless you really get into it and want to be able to draw more accurately, in which case you'll buy a more expensive graphics tablet. If you're left-handed, such as I, then using a mouse to draw can be a right pain in the backside, and so a graphics tablet, even a cheap one, is a great little thing to buy. Oh, there are also some more advanced Paint programs out there, which are free, and offer a lot more than the basic Paint program that comes with the PC. One such program is Paint.NET: Paint.NET - Free Photo Editing Software for Windows . It does need the .NET 1.1 Framework installed before you can use it, though. --- Something I forgot to mention - animation. Right now I'm actually playing around in Macromedia Flash (the latest version of which is available as a trial on the Adobe site), and drawing some characters for an animation a friend has asked me to make. You don't have to use Flash, though, or, in fact, a proper animation package to do this. You can just as easily draw each individual frame in something like Paint, and put them together in Windows Movie Maker to create an animated video. --- Anyway, the short answer to your question - for something like illustrative artwork, the programs like Fireworks and Photoshop, and even Paint.NET should be perfect. Of course, the more you get into it, the more you might decide that you want a program that does more, in which case you'll have to start shelling out the cash. By the way, here's the Wikipedia entry on Digital Art - Digital art - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . Some of the links at the bottom of the pages might take you to sites where there is more detail, and maybe even links to programs. There are also sites like deviantART: where ART meets application! which are specialised Artsy places, that may be able to help further.