how to draw on the computer
Every designer'south idea starts on paper, then transforms through software. Learn the essential steps for turning your sketch into digital fine art.
The sketching and ideating process is an essential step in every designer and illustrator's workflow. Whether you lot're designing a new font, a poster, or a simple illustration, information technology'southward crucial to go your ideas down on paper earlier bringing information technology onto your computer.
Read on to learn five essential tips to prepare your drawings for the computer, with step-past-step instructions on how to digitize your sketches in three different creative programs: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Procreate. Plus yous'll find additional tools to take your sketches to the next level.
5 Essential Tips to Know Before Digitizing
Earlier y'all begin the journey to digitizing your artwork, let's get into some essential steps to assistance guide you along the way. These five tips volition ensure y'all always get a smoothen transition from newspaper to software.
Tip 1: Always Use Clean White Paper
No matter what you're drawing, it'south always crucial to start out with a clean white piece of paper. This ensures that your cartoon will properly scan afterwards on. Colored papers may impede the digitizing procedure.
Tip 2: Refine and Make clean Up Your Sketch
Many artists and designers prefer to loosely sketch ideas before refining them later on. In one case you've got a solid cartoon down, use a fine tip pen or marking to polish up those sketchy lines. Erasers are also your friend hither, since smudges and excess lines can often obfuscate your scans and interfere with the digitizing process.
Make clean erasers are key—muddy erasers tin muddle your drawings even more past smearing pencil pb remnants.
Tip 3: Use Tracing Newspaper to Go Over Your Drawings
To take my drawings a step farther, I like to use tracing newspaper and go over my original sketches. This blazon of paper is slightly translucent, giving you the ability to trace over your original sketches and smoothen up your designs even more.
For designers who adopt to have a detailed cartoon before moving onto the digitizing phase, this stride is an absolute must.
If possible, utilise a fine-tip marking in this stage. Since you're no longer sketching and are just tracing over the finalized cartoon, sticking with a darker pen or mark is ideal, peculiarly for scanning.
Tip 4: Experiment with Scanning Your Cartoon via Smartphone
For those who don't accept admission to a high-resolution scanner, take no fearfulness. You can reach like results using a scanning app on your smartphone.
For iPhone users, the Notes app creates high-quality scanned images. Simply open a new Note, click the photographic camera icon, and select Scan Documents. Place the sketch on an even surface with decent lighting to achieve best results. In just a few seconds, you'll take a crisp, clean scanned drawing that can instantly exist transferred to software.
For Android users, the Adobe Scan app does just the trick. Identify your drawing on an fifty-fifty surface with ample lighting to permit for an easy and high-quality scan. Select the camera icon, so go into Auto-Capture mode to initiate the scan process.
Once scanned, this image tin be touched upward in Review Manner, if needed. From there, yous can easily send your scanned sketch to creative software.
Tip 5: Browse Your Paper at a High Resolution
Scanning your drawings is the last footstep before bringing them into design software. To ensure a seamless transition from paper to software, scan your drawings at 300 PPI (pixels per inch) or more. The higher the pixels per inch, the crisper the scan will be.
A scan with a higher PPI tends to be of higher quality due to its greater pixel density. The private pixels in a 300 PPI image are drastically smaller than in a 72 PPI paradigm. Smaller pixels let for a smoother blend of color and shape.
If yous're turning your sketch into a vector image, then the pixel density isn't as important. But if you're digitizing your drawing in Photoshop, the pixel density is crucial.
Once you lot've scanned your cartoon, transfer the browse onto a wink drive for piece of cake transport to your computer.
Digitizing Your Sketch in Illustrator
Turning a drawing into a vector is 1 of my favorite techniques for bringing a drawing to life. Adobe Illustrator's vast library of tools, colors, and effects make digitizing a breeze.
Non only that, simply vectors concur a greater advantage when digitizing your artwork with its infinite scalabilities, smooth curves, and smaller file sizes.
Step one: Bring Your Scanned Prototype into Illustrator
Once y'all've scanned your image and brought it onto your desktop, become alee and create a new document within Adobe Illustrator withCommand + N. Import the scan withShift + Command + P, then hitPlaceand click on an artboard to see your drawing pop upwards within Illustrator.
Name the scanned drawing layer by double-clicking Layer 1within theLayerspanel and typing in a discussion such as "Scan," then add another layer with thefolded foursquare icon.
Exercise the aforementioned for the new layer and name it something along the lines of "Vector." This helps to differentiate the two layers and helps you track your outline progress subsequently on.
You can likewise toggle thelock iconto lock all elements of that layer, or toggle thecenter iconto turn on and off the layer visibility.
Pace two: Use the Pen Tool to Outline Cartoon
On the top layer, start drawing out the outline of your sketch with the handyPen Tool (P). You can either edit the Bezier curves equally you move along the cartoon, or map out the line and then become back and adjust the curves with the Anchor Indicate Tool (Shift + C).
To manipulate individual Bezier curves, hold downward theOption fundamental while moving the Bezier arms.
Rinse and repeat until yous've covered the entirety of your sketch. If some of your drawing contains geometric shapes, speed upward your workflow past using theShapes Toolto rapidly map out sketches.
Now that nosotros've outlined the unabridged drawing, it'southward time to add in some color.
Footstep 3: Make full in Colour
Before assigning colour to your shapes, think about what blazon of color scheme yous're going for. For my plants below, I took on a muted palette to give my blueprint that retro feel. Colour is especially of import in a design, so take some time and observe a few color palettes that work best for your composition.
Demand some color inspiration? Bank check out these FREE 25 retro palettes, 101 colour combinations, or these xx seasonal-themed palettes.
Once you lot've settled on a color scheme, import each hue into yourSwatchespanel to make color integration a breeze. With theChoice Tool (V), click on a shape, then choose from your color swatches to bring it into your pattern.
Toggle theFillandStrokecolors every bit needed withX. To switch a stroke colour to a fill up, hitShift + Ten. Continue assigning colors until you've filled out your pattern.
Take your illustration a step further by experimenting with blend modes, or by incorporating gradients, textures, brushes, or grain.
Digitizing Your Drawing in Photoshop
While the procedure of digitizing illustrations in Photoshop appears similar to Illustrator, it's drastically dissimilar. Working in a raster-based program ways your illustration will characteristic pixels and accept limits to scalability. Rather than outlining your drawing with Bezier curves, you lot tin can go over your sketch with brushes if you lot've got a tablet, or fill in those outlines with the Color Range menu.
Footstep 1: Bring Your Scanned Prototype into Photoshop
Begin by dragging your scanned drawing into the Photoshop program. You tin can either right-click on the image and select Open With > Adobe Photoshop, or drag the image on top of the Photoshop icon on your desktop or toolbar. This will open up a new document with your scanned image.
You can resize or rotate your scan as needed with the Free Transform command (Command + T). Click and elevate the corners to resize or place your cursor exterior the corners to rotate.
Step 2: Adjust Contrast and Levels
Since many drawings volition appear a little light on screen, it's important to increase the contrast and play around with the Levels and Curves.
In theLayersconsole, you can bring upward these adjustment layers by clicking on the half-filled circle iconand clicking Levels or Curves. Move the sliders to increment the intensity of white and black in your scanned drawing.
I suggest playing around with these nondestructive adjustments to encounter which ones work best for your sketch. If you're non satisfied with an adjustment, simply click the layer and hit theDeletekey.
Once y'all've adjusted the cartoon to your liking, condense the layers downward by Shift-clicking Layer 1 and each adjustment layer, then hittingControl + Eastward.
Step 3: Add Color to Lines
Now, allow's spruce up your sketch with some colors. You can perform this technique in two ways: with the help of Color Range to highlight the outlines in your drawing, or with the assist of Photoshop's brushes. If you own a tablet, you can easily go over your original sketch with raster brushes.
Before we add some color into your illustration, add a new layer past hitting the folded square iconin theLayerspanel. From here, yous tin choose to activate theBrush Tool (B)and fine-tune your brush'south appearance within theBrush Settings (F5)menu.
To go with the Color Range road, click back to your original sketch layer, then head toSelect > Colour Range and click on the white background with the eyedropper. This selects all areas of your design with white. Keep yourFuzziness downwards to around 12, and then striking OK.
Inverse the agile selection with Shift + Control + I, then activate the new layer yous but created. With theBrush Tool (B), brush over the outline with the colors of your choice. Change the castor size equally needed with [/].
Go along filling in the outlines until you've colored all aspects of your illustration. Once y'all've finished, hit Command + D to remove the marching ants option.
Step 4: Fill up in Rest of Color
Caput dorsum to the original cartoon layer and activate the Magic Wand Tool (W). Click within the remaining portions of your sketch and fill information technology in with theCastor Tool (B) on the layer above your original sketch layer. This makes sure you're not coloring directly on the original drawing. Instead, you're adding color to a separate layer.
Proceed adding color until y'all've filled out the entire sketch.
Pick Tip: When making multiple selections at a time, hold down theShift key. To remove selections, hold downwards theOption key.
Working with Sketches in Procreate
The Procreate app is a powerful application designed for cartoon, illustrating, and prototyping artwork. Information technology closely resembles the setup of Photoshop in regards to its castor library, layer modes, various effects, and raster profile. Simply, with its endless features, tools, and brushes, this digital illustration app is in a league of its own.
Procreate makes the digitizing process feel natural. With the stylus, it tracks the amounts of pressure applied and the angle it's used at, mimicking the experience of true pen and newspaper.
For an in-depth breakdown on the Procreate app, wait through this handy guide.
Step 1: Import Drawing into Procreate
Begin by importing your sketch into the Procreate plan. The image can be made by taking a photo of the analogy, or can be transferred to your iPad from an electronic mail.
I simply took a photo of the sketch, since the quality of the image doesn't thing when drawing over the original sketch. In Procreate'due south main menu, select Photo, then choose your drawing from the Camera Curlicue. Procreate will automatically create a new document containing your image.
Once y'all've imported your image, resize or rotate the prototype (every bit needed) by selecting thearrow iconat the elevation toolbar. SelectUniform, then drag the blue corners (every bit necessary) to resize the prototype. HitRotate 45 degreesto rotate your image within the document.
Pace 2: Use Brushes to Outline
This is where all the fun begins. TheBrushes menu is inarguably one of the best aspects of Procreate. Select the pigment brush icon at the top of the program to open the brush library. In that location are tons of default brushes at your finger tips—pencils, textured brushes, and more.
Before tracing over your original drawing, create a new layer by clicking the plus signin theLayerstab. Keeping your layers consistent and organized is crucial here.
For each different shape, create a new layer and rename that layer appropriately. To name your layer, click on the layer thumbnail and select Rename.
To create a unproblematic outline, I opted for theMonoline Castorin theCalligraphysection. Experiment with dissimilar brush types to come across what works best for your illustration. You tin can fine-tune the brush settings by clicking on the brush proper noun.
Click on the circle shape at the top of the plan to admission your colors. There are various ways to change colors within the Procreate app. Yous can browse through hues within theDisc,Classic,Value, andPalettestabs.
Step 3: Fill in Rest of Color
Procreate's manner of filling in color is through theColorDroptechnique. Simply activate the layer you lot'd similar to employ the active color to, so click and drag the circumvolve to the enclosed space.
If the outline is enclosed, the color drop volition fill the infinite. If the outline is partially open, the color fill will spread to the entire layer.
Rinse and repeat for the remaining shapes. To bring in some textural elements, activate theAlpha Lockcontrol within the layer thumbnail and depict with a Charcoal or other textured castor.
While Illustrator, Photoshop, and Procreate are tools and software I frequently use when digitizing my drawings, there are also additional tools that tin empower yous to take your drawings from paper to the screen.
1. InkScape
InkScape, a free vector-editing software program, is a nice option when Adobe Illustrator isn't available. Being a vector-based program, your traced designs aren't bound to the limitations of raster pixels.
2. CorelDRAW
A more than affordable option than Adobe Artistic Deject is CorelDRAW. The software program boasts vector illustration tools in addition to raster photo editing tools, much like Photoshop.
3. Vectornator
Another professional vector-based software plan is Vectornator. With its countless tools and features, you can easily take your scanned sketch to the adjacent level with Vectornator'due south Pen Tool, Shapes Tool, Brush Tool, and more.
Comprehend paradigm via GrandeDuc.
Source: https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/digitizing-art-guide
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