[Black Dragon]

I don't have many tips... but what the hey...

Computer Art
-When computer inking and/or coloring, it is IMMENSELY important that you scan BIG!! If you don't, your lines will have that jagged look to them and you may not have the cleanest fills. The best way to ensure that you scan large is to set your scanner's 'Color mode' to 'Color (Photos)'. Also, when outlining, this allows you to use a bigger pencil point, which helps get rid of extra jagged-ness.

-Use layers! Layers are an artist's best friend. When you scan your image (big, remember, big), automatically add a new layer on top and start outlining on that new layer. That way, it becomes a hell of a lot easier to fill (You won't get any of those stupid little unfilled pixels)!

-Format! Format is another important thing to consider. Save your initial image as a bitmap, as that way your coloring won't get all gross. Never save as JPEG, it's a horrible format for detailed pics as it blurrs everything. The best two to use are .PNG and .GIF.

-Shading... ah yes. This is the hardest part of any kind of art that you do. Shading is very important. It adds life and shape to your art, believe me. What you want to do is either use opposite tones, (Ex. tan-purple) or just a darker or lighter shade of the color you are enhancing. Study your objects before you shade if you must!

Pencil Sketching
-Shading... again. Yes, shading is even more important if you wish to do a black-and-white picture. As this is the area I'm most comfortable with, I think I can go a bit into detail. Shading here doesn't mean showing differences in color. It means showing where the light hits you subject. Do be afraid to be drastic! The more difference there is bewteen a shadowed part and a highlighted part the better your image will look!

-Sketch the outline. Sometimes it is better to just use rough lines to map out where your subject will be before you actually draw them. Most of the time, I do not use this step, but if I do, I usually draw their skeleton, simplified: Their skull, backbone, tail, and limbs. Sometimes it can help a great deal.

-Proportion. This is a killer to a lot of artists (including myself. If I reject a piece of mine, it's due to this). Step back, hold your picture from a distance. Make sure a certain part of the body isn't too lage or small. If drawing a creature of your own creation or if you're having trouble, think about the creature itself. If the creature is wild or is on its feet a lot, it's limb muscles are going to be well-developed, as this is how it is in a lot of real animals: wild cats, dogs, horses. Using bigger looks more realistic than using thinner. Say your character is anthro. Alright, then, will they be active or not? Take that into consideration for your proportion. Will they be smart? Then make the skull larger. So many things are taken into consideration for proportion.

-Sketch lightly!! This will help you erase things with ease and it will make the picture look neater. If you are planning on just doing pencil-shading, then go back and darken the lines when you're finished.


Colored Pencil Use
-Texture. Very important. This depends on the artist and what they are looking for/what they are most comfortable with. I personally can't stand to use drawing paper, as it smears and bleh! I use printer paper. It gives my subjects a very 3-dimensional look. However, for those that are used to drawing paper, a switch probably wouldn't be beneficial.

-Contrast. Don't be afraid to have dramatic contrasts.