Could you show us some of your work, and tell us what tablet and software you’re using? And your level of artistic expertise (if you don’t mind)?
I just saw Corel’s Painter Essentials Software and some Graphic Tablets online and the prospect of digital painting seems intriguing.
All these graphics and tablet threads please me so!
I use a Graphire4 as a tablet and I recently bought ArtRage, which is a computer-based painting program. It is GREAT. I’m shocked at how much I enjoy it. And it was only $25. You can import photograph files into it and trace them, or just paint from scratch. The feel and likeness to actual oil-on-canvas (among other textures and paint styles) is quite amazing.
I don’t have any samples of work though since as of yet I’m mostly using it to play. I do the majority of my art in straight Photoshop although I’ve got some ideas for taking some kind-of-blah photos and importing them into ArtRage and painting over them. I think it could come out really well.
I’m in love with Photoshop so if you have questions about that, fire away!
Thanks for responding, missbunny.
Do you use Photoshop Elements? How much did your Graphire 4 cost? (assuming it’s ok to ask)
I just checked out the prices of Graphire 4’s at amazon. At those prices I’m glad you love your system!! 
Then you don’t want to hear how much I like my Wacom Intuos.
Oh yes I do, because I’ve already seen them at amazon. 
I might spring for one.
What software are you using with your Wacom? Is it compatible with Photoshop Elements 6?
Will show me some of your work? And have you got DaVinci looking over his shoulder? 
I don’t think I spent more than a hundred for my Graphire. Maybe I’m mixed up but I am SURE I didn’t pay $299! I just wouldn’t have. If I recall, the “white” was much more expensive than some other color. I have no idea why: they’re all the same.
I use the full Photoshop but I think Elements is going to be fine for most people. I do heavy retouching and manipulation so I need some of the features in the full version that are not in Elements. Plus I got PS for free, which obviously helps.
A ha, I just checked my order history and I paid $79 for the Graphire4, new not used, in Silver, on Amazon sold by Ritz Electronics. This included full versions of Photoshop Elements and Corel Painter. There’s clearly a wide range of prices for it.
Gotpasswords, I dream of the Intuous. drool
I have an Intuos 3 6 x 11 that I use with Photoshop, but it is strictly for texturing. An example of the work I’ve done with it can be found here:
I set this up for someone who was interested in seeing what his custom poker chips were going to look like in play before he actually pulled the trigger on buying them. I also designed his chips and his website (where they are linked to above). Of course, nothing in the picture is real.
On a slightly related note: I’d really like to get “Illustrator Elements” but I don’t think it exists. What’s a good vector graphics program other than Illustrator? How does Corel Draw compare? Are there any other options? I’d want something that does integrate into Photoshop well.
Also, are there any plug-ins for Photoshop 7 so that you can manipulate in RAW? I know CS2 and beyond have it standard but 7 doesn’t, and I’d rather use PS than the Nikon Capture NX software.
Euthanasiast: nice work. I don’t think anyone would know it was pixel creation if you didn’t tell people.
I use Painter and an Intuous 2 tablet for my illustrations: Tyrannosaurus rex
Hypacrosaurus
T.rex 2 (early stage) T.rex 2 (finished)
I love my Intuous!
Nice work, Cuckoorex.
Funny there should eb a thread on this topic; I got a Wacom Bamboo tablet for Christmas, with Painter Essentials and Photoshop Elements. Obviously I am still in the phase of basic learning the mechanics, it looks promising.
Somebody loves you.
I wish you years of happiness with your new toys!
And I second your compliment to Cuckoorex!!
I’ve got the Intuos 3. I was so impressed by Painter Essentials that I got Painter IX, but I still don’t feel entirely comfortable with the program. It has so many different brushes and media, and it takes a lot of playing to choose which ones you want to use. Most of my time is spent in Photoshop, which I’m a lot more familiar with.
Here’s a giraffe that I did in Painter. (I have a “wacom tablet” category label there that you can click on to see more.)
My biggest problem with Painter is that some of the transparent mediums aren’t really transparent. It’s not a problem if you’re painting on a background, but I design digital scrapbook products, and I have to be able to make clean PNG files with a transparent background. If I use the watercolor in Painter, it puts white under the transparent edges.
Check out the artists at the avalanche software blog. They do themed challenges. (I loved this one for the theme of “Wanted in the Wild West.” Some amazingly talented people there.
Oh, and I just wanted to tell you that “barn owl” was my brother’s first word. Really.
Tablet: Wacom Graphire
Coloring Program: Metacreations Painter Classic (Metacreations has since been bought out by Corel)
My Art, browse at your leisure.
I love Painter. Great for pseudo real media - and if I put more effort into it, I could probably make my works indistinguishable from the real thing.
Wonderful artwork, Helena! I’m very impressed.
What’s more, Kate is a knockout.
I bookmarked your blog and look forward to exploring it from time to time. Thanks so much.
I have no doubt that you can. Thanks for sharing, dotchan!
Helena and dotchan, that’s some really nice work.
I can’t remember if it’s the Painter Essentials or the Photoshop Elements (which came with my Graphire) that don’t work in Vista, which is the OS of my “big” computer, but since I have the full PS and at the time didn’t think I’d need Painter, I never installed either of them. But now I’m going to have to check out Painter since you said it’s so nice. I also bookmarked your blog - you have some really nice stuff in there.
Aww, thanks! We think she’s pretty cute.
Check this out. The artist’s web site has some other interesting stuff, too.
Fantastic! Extremely impressive. Thanks for the link, Malienation.
I’ve been meaning to ask…
Is it just as hard to learn to draw (even trace) with intuous vs. free hand?
Are there online intuous tutorials?
The link doesn’t work—for me, anyway.
I’ve tried www.speed-painting.com and www.speed_painting.com and neither does the job.
But I enjoyed the video at you tube.
