Tools. Your choice

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

Here's a little chat for all creators. What are your tools of choice? I am a novelist, but I am also forced to hammer out my covers with limited talent.

For writing, I use OpenOffice. I've had it for years, and I haven't had a problem with it, except that my dictionary stopped working.

For creating my covers, I rely on two excellent free programs. I use FotoSketcher and Photoscape. Occasionally, I use a program like Paint.net or Canva.

What programs do you use, how long, and why?

[Lensing]

TextEdit for writing. It´s the standard writing app which was on my mac.

I sketch traditionally with copy paper and a red/blue pencil for sketches and pencils.

When I sketch digitally I use Autodesk Sketchbook. I sometimes do everything
in Sketchbook because I love the interface and how fast I can work with the
program.

Clip Studio Paint for coloring because the lasso fill tool works really well for
flats. The gradient maps and the filters are great. It´s easy to adjust the
hue, saturation etc. and that´s something I do a lot when I finish pages,
especially saturation filters.

I used to be a long time Photoshop user, I still love the app but I´m not willing to pay
a monthly subscription.

[CarltonIsaac]

Paper, Lead pencil, Scanner, Adobe Photoshop.
Why? Worked for me since 1991, still does.

[KevinReijnders]

• I use either MS Word for writing or a simple pencil/notebook combo.
• Photoshop is the main program, I do my entire drawing work in it, from visual development, pre-prod storyboarding to finished pages.
• I also use Blender for CG reference models, generally fro more complex backgrounds.
• MS Excel is there to keep my production organized. I employ it as a master document filled with hyper links to my work files and to facilitate direct, easy to use access to my file structure.
• Illustrator I use for specific print applications or to craft vector-based logo's. Notably, since chapter 03, I've build the Trespasser title and chapter title in Illustrator.
• Indesign, when the time comes to make a full printed version of my book, I will use indesign to craft the PDF file to sent to print.

[Leyelle]

I use Google docs for writing
for art I use MediBang paint, my Amazon Fire Tablet, and a digital pen.

I've been using those art tools for about 11 months now, it'll be one year in July. I started using the pen and tablet because they are what my mother gave me as a gift. Amazon Fire isn't the best tablet, and my pen has a weird habit of turning itself off while i'm using it, but I've still learned how to create great art with these supplies and i'm grateful for them. I started using Medibang because it's free lol. I'm only 19 and I have pretty limited resources.

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

Hi, Lensing.

When I was young, I drew with pencils, painted with acrylic, and sometimes with hot wax. Now that I'm old old, I lean more toward photography and photographic editing.

It sounds like you have some great tools for creation.

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

Hi, Carltonisaac.

Your art looks great.

I used to draw with pencils when I was young. Later, I took up color felt pens and stipling.

I seem to have lost my artistic talent with age. I have art supplies in a drawer but I'm not doing anything with them. Now, I just write mostly. My art is edited photgraphy.

I'm happy for the communication. Thanks.

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

Hi, KevinReijnders.

Wow! You sound like a professional. You also sound very organized.

I tried Blender once, but I didn't take it far enough. It would be nice to find a free version of Photoshop or an open-source alternative.

It amazes me that I am surrounded by such serious talent.

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

Hi, Leyelle.

I would very much like to have an art tablet, but groceries come first. Right?

I like the free software. I have a few of them. I use Google every day, but I haven't looked at Google Docs.

Keep up the good work. You'll probably be famous someday.

[kyupol]

• ibis paint
• stylus
• Samsung galaxy tablet (used to be moto e budget phone)

Used to be paper, pencil, eraser, scanner, Adobe photoshop, Wacom tablet.

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

Hi, kyupoi.

If the sun wipes us out, we'll all go back to pencils. If all we had were stones, we'd still rock. I'll look into ibis paint and stylus. Thanks for sharing.

[simplykit]

Here's a little chat for all creators. What are your tools of choice? I am a novelist, but I am also forced to hammer out my covers with limited talent.

For writing, I use OpenOffice. I've had it for years, and I haven't had a problem with it, except that my dictionary stopped working.

For creating my covers, I rely on two excellent free programs. I use FotoSketcher and Photoscape. Occasionally, I use a program like Paint.net or Canva.

What programs do you use, how long, and why?

cool! i just use notepad to "try" and "write" stuff! lol

tools for drawing are:

white pare
pencil
ballpoint pen

editing:

pc

programs:

corel draw
ms paint

[ThunderChicken]

I use MS word for writing and Krita for the vast majority of my drawing, though I occasionally use Paint and Paint.net to do some things just because I actually know how to do those things with those programs.

In the 1980's all of my drawings were on paper, and many still were in the 1990's. Some were black and white:

Some colour:

In the very early 1990's I got my first real computer (a 12MHz 286 with 1MB of RAM and 1MB of video RAM, which gave me a 640X480 canvas and sixteen colours to choose from). I used a program called ZSoft Paintbrush that came free with a Microsoft Mouse driver. Drew some pretty cool things with that rudimentary program, too, including this:

As ZSoft Paintbrush evolved into Microsoft Paintbrush, then MS Paint, and finally just Paint I continued using them but found them limited in function. Of course, with the evolution of the software came an evolution in hardware, namely more video RAM, which gave e 32-bt colour (16.7 million colours) and 1024X768 pixels of real estate. This tribute to Bloom County would have been drawn on MS Paint circa Windows 95 era:

Because I found MS Paint limiting I also used Jasc Paint Shop Pro.

Then I stopped drawing for a long time (over 25 years). When I started again I used Krita, which I literally found by googling "free windows art programs". I've since gotten comfortable with it.

[Leyelle]

thanks XD. and yeah, groceries come first. fire tablets are a lot cheaper than some, because they aren't really meant for art, just for reading on, but they'll still cost like 150, so it takes saving up

[jwabeasley]

I use a pencil and paper for storyboarding, then I use Daz to do any needed 3D references, especially for buildings. I use photos for pose reference when I can.

For production I use Canson watercolor paper, Faber Castell inks, and Golden Acrylics. I scan it up and do final edits with Gimp, which I wouldn't recommend for drawing but works great if all I need is a perspective transform and a contrast adjustment - which is most of what I do digitally.

[vapidink]

For writing I just use Google Docs. It's easy to keep things organized and has everything I need. Sometimes I like to plan things out with just a notebook and pen. It helps me think more clearly about the big picture, for some reason. I am picky about my pens though, I prefer needle point, black ink pens. My favorite is the Pilot Precise V5.

For art, I use CSP and I just upgraded from a Huion HS64 to a Huion Kamvas Pro 13, only because I got a very good deal on it.

[Shanny8]

I use Scrivener for my writing/script...Clip Studio to create my pages; I have [ARRR] copies of Illustrator for lettering and Photoshop that I use for final format to combine the lettering layer with the art. Yeah CSP has lettering capabilities, but nowhere near Illustrator's level.

I used to use CSP to do the pencils & inks and PS for coloring, but I nixed my subscription of PS back in 2022 and decided to do all the art on CSP...they allow you to import/convert Photoshop brushes now.

[KevinReijnders]

@sevenstarsofeightIam

I have some industry experience as well as an education in the field haha.
Though you'd be surprised how chaotic professional productions actually are!

Blender is fun, but you definitely need to have a good set of tutorials to get going. I'm lucky to have had some prior schooling in a different CG program before trying Blender, so I could easily adapt to it.

As for a free version of Photoshop, I believe Kritia is a decent open source alternative. Gimp too is one I've seen people use.

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

Hi, Simplykit.

I've used MS Paint. In my youth, I was all about pencils and pens. I once created an entire collection of pencil portraits of presidents.

Perhaps I've just grown old and lazy. I like the convenience of the computer with my extra-large screen. Writing is easy for me. I write something every morning. I guess we all take up with the tools we like and remain loyal to an extent.

Here's wishing you much success in your endeavors.

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

Hi, ThunderChicken.

I'm impressed. I've used Paint in the past and still resort to it on occasion. We have a similar history with the computer. I go all the way back to windows original. Even before that, I had one of those white computers with the built in keyboard and green screen. I had a Commodore computer with external magnetic storage. We've come a long way.

My drawing days on paper now seem idyllic. I don't think of it as idle time; we do what we do because it is a deeply rooted part of us. Thanks for sharing your story with me.