The CG Program

Brianhjh · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:15 am Post subject:

These names seem so alien to me...

Because I already use real mediums quite often,

Gouache is teh win :wub:

I'm thinking of investing on Painter, or Open Canvas, I really need to learn how to CG Sad

What programs do you use / Recommend?
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Fae · Forum Stalker Joined: 20 Aug 2004 Posts: 1045

I reccomend Photoshop, becuase it's simple, yet there is so many things you can do with it...the only problem is...it's a bit pricy...

Brianhjh · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:36 am Post subject:

so is painter

but painter has an educational version which is 70% cheaper, but I don't know if Photoshop has that.

EDIT: I do have photoshop CS...

>>Thanks Dad, for generously pirating that... <_<

>>Arr. that's a good lad, go on Cg'ing, ARR.

But I never used it to draw pictures, I only made avatars and signatures with it, and scan, and resize...

Photoshop looked impossible to use if you wanted to paint right on the computer, not just fill in the black lines... but that's just me.
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fallenangel · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:37 am Post subject:

If you decide on photoshop, go with Elements II. Only around $100 (vs $500+) and has all the features you'd need without all the ones of full photoshop that you'd never use (additional filters and various features for print).

You can download the first version of Open Canvas for free to see if you like it. Painter is best if you want to duplicate the effects of real media.

PSP....meh.

MSPaint... Laughing

Pixel art and very time consuming pieces, but it is free I suppose...

Pixel art programs are all of the above. ;)

You left off the GIMP. It's free and very similar to photoshop.
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Paru · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:47 pm Post subject:

Funny, I bought Photoshop Elements 2 for about $45 at Target.

It's a great program, and lots of fun to toy around with.
(I'm actually more comfortable with just using MS Paint. But that's just me.)

Edit: Yay, 666 posts! Laughing

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Fayore · Moderator Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 6195

[quote]Photoshop looked impossible to use if you wanted to paint right on the computer, not just fill in the black lines... but that's just me.[/quote]
I'm not familiar with PS, but couldn't you just create a raster layer on top of the background layer (the drawing, I presume), use the paintbrush tool and set its opacity to somewhere between 10-40? Then you just colour it, and you can tweak the layer settings to get a nice effect.
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fallenangel · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 2:33 pm Post subject:

Any CG program is capable of coloring/painting directly on the computer, they all just take practice. Using photoshop is a completely different technique than Painter's brush settings. Photoshop is by nature (and name Laughing

) a photo editing program, but a lot of people prefer it for CG'ing because some of those features work really well for drawing too. Linda Bergkvist draws directly on the computer in photoshop. And certainly does more than fill in black lines. Very Happy

What effect are you going for? Like what style of CG? Most of the programs have very similar features (aside from MSPaint), the results just look different. Open Canvas has the watercolor brush that can look more painterly. Photoshop usually looks a bit shiny/smooth/plasticy without a lot of work and practice. Painter can mimic real media really well. Just depends on what style you want.
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"I care about people as much as I care about lawn furniture" - Dexter/Michael C. Hall

Brianhjh · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 2:52 pm Post subject:

What I want... -_-

something that's easy to use and looks like traditional medium, I hate that artificial look of most computer graphics.

something that I wouldn't have to change my coloring style with:

http://www.fanart-central.net/user_thumb.p...hp?aid=Brianhjh
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[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Brianhjh/emesprani151.gif[/img] "Sarah's future makes me sad." - Benk

fallenangel · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 2:57 pm Post subject:

Don't get photoshop then. You [i]can[/i] duplicate traditional media, but it's hard. Painter is probably what you're looking for. You'll still have to practice to get the hang of how all the brushes work, but it's probably closest to what you're looking for. You can probably find a trial to download and see if you dig it.
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"I care about people as much as I care about lawn furniture" - Dexter/Michael C. Hall

Rindi_chan · Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:01 pm Post subject:

I like using Photoshop because I could never really get the hang of all the brushes in Painter, and also because my art is more cartoony and doesn't benefit terribly from a 'real medium' treatment. o_o; For what you want to do, Painter is the way to go. My sister can do amazing things with that program - I don't know how she does it. XD

1_4lvl · Member Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Posts: 87

I use photoshop CS2 when I actualy CG something. A few months ago, my mum got a wacom tablet, and I've been trying to learn, but it's hard and no where near as fun compared to painting and colored pencil work.

My painting teacher is lending me a copy of Coral Draw2 sometime, which, from what I've seen, is one of the best programs out there for coloring work. He says it actuly high quality than photoshop, and less confusing. Plus, it works with my pressure sensitive tablet, so I can mimik brush effects more easily.

Can't wait...But for now, I'm happy with photoshop.

Susue-chan_Hiei · Very bored Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 234

I don't have an of that, I got something called mircosoft picture it, but it will do until my friend gets the money for breaking my photoshop. she use it to much and stepped on the disc.

BrokenButterfly · Rookie Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 33

I use MS Paint to draw, but I also have PSP and am getting PS.

I am not used to drawing in either (PSP or PS) so I don't use them for that. I am a photomanuplater so that is what I use them for.

Susue, is the programe you talking about called, Mircosoft Picture [b]It[/b]. or just Mircosoft Picture? Because I also have the programme Mircosoft Picture, and you can't CG in it, juts edit pictures. (just wondering it it is the same programme)

I have only ever used, Photoshop(all versions), PaintshopPro, and MS paint. I haven't heard of the other ones like, Paint Brush, Painter. I have heard of Open Canvas though, from others using it, never seen or used it before though.

fallenangel · Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:10 pm Post subject:

[quote]My painting teacher is lending me a copy of Coral Draw2 sometime, which, from what I've seen, is one of the best programs out there for coloring work. He says it actuly high quality than photoshop, and less confusing. Plus, it works with my pressure sensitive tablet, so I can mimik brush effects more easily.
[/quote]

You mean Corel Draw? I have Corel Draw 8, and it's a vector program (primarily, I don't use it much). Are the older versions raster, or are there raster tools in it as well as the vector ones? Most any graphic program will work with a pressure sensitive tablet, and you can change what the pressure controls as well. With the exception of the really basic ones like MSPaint.
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"I care about people as much as I care about lawn furniture" - Dexter/Michael C. Hall

Brianhjh · Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:26 pm Post subject:

Hey, there's pretty good chart

ADOBE (American) VS COREL (Canadian)

Photoshop CS VS Painter

Photoshop Elements VS Paintshop Pro

Illustrator VS Draw
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River_Phoenix · Very bored Joined: 26 Jul 2005 Posts: 135

pencil and paper, thats all i need . . . .

Brianhjh · Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 12:51 pm Post subject:

I've decided Smile

I'm gonna save 140$ to buy the Painter IX educational edition, I think if I actually buy it, I'll be more kin to practice with it and milk it all its worth. I want to try Open Canvas too though...

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[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Brianhjh/emesprani151.gif[/img] "Sarah's future makes me sad." - Benk