There are a lot of really great computer programs for art, cameras, scanners, and other tools out there... and I just can't afford most of them. That's not as hopeless as it used to seem. I used to think the lack of money for top-of-the-line tools was going to prevent me from being able to do much.
I was mistaken. I was missing a few facts when I reached that conclusion. Okay... I was wrong.
It has taken me some time to put together the tools I use, so if you're starting from scratch and don't have at least a few hundred dollars to spend, don't try to buy everything at once. You just may not need to spend as much as you once feared.
Here are the tools I use...
Adobe Photoshop CS : Yes, I use the one from 2003. I've been using it since 2007, and before that I was using Photoshop 5.0... from 1998. This may not work for everyone. There are some things new in each release that may be truly vital to what another artist does. For what I do, though, it can take several releases before changes become significant enough that it's worth upgrading.
If you just can't get Photoshop at all, GIMP is free. I tried it at one time, and the results were so good that I figured if I was getting the same results either way, I may as well just keep using Photoshop since I'm already comfortable with it. If I didn't have Photoshop, GIMP would be my choice.
ArtRage : I picked this program up for about ten bucks in a local store and wasn't expecting much out of it. It just didn't seem complex enough to do much with, and why else would they be selling it for only ten bucks? It turned out to be one of my favorite programs! I've never become super comfortable with the interface, but that's probably because I only use the program for certain types of projects. (I still end up using Photoshop more frequently.) If the Corel Painter programs aren't a financial option for you, ArtRage has great features for digital painting. It's beginner friendly, and they aren't the same features you'd find in Corel's products (I wouldn't call one a substitute for the other... just a different tool), but I've also seen some amazing work done with ArtRage. Most things I do that look like they were done on paper were actually done with this program.
Corel Painter Essentials : This is the hobbyist version of Corel Painter. I use it in cases where neither Photoshop nor ArtRage is the right program for the job, and usually that means as some sort of "finishing up" after using one of those two programs for the bulk of the work. The results are great, and I think my biggest problem with the program may actually be that I'm trying to figure out how to do things that I'd be better off using Corel Painter for. And I certainly love their magazine!
Wacom Bamboo Fun : I will use this tablet until I have enough money to buy a different Wacom! I cannot say enough about how wonderful a Wacom tablet is! They make several models that can go a lot further in functionality (The Cintiq makes me drool!) but also cost a lot more. I'd say the Bamboo Fun is better than trying to draw by holding down your mouse button and dragging, but that's really just an insult to how much better than that it is. It's a very natural drawing experience, and I didn't even have trouble adjusting to looking at my screen while using the stylus on the tablet. I thought I would... the idea of not looking where I'm "drawing" was just so weird to me until I plugged it in.
The medium sized Bamboo Fun can still run over one hundred dollars, depending on where you get it, but I just wouldn't advise going with a cheaper tablet from another company. I've seen tablets that retail for thirty to fifty dollars, but lack many features of the Wacom tablets. Features like whatever it is that makes the Wacom only need to plug into your USB port and then not need any kind of extra power source for the pen and mouse. (Not your regular mouse... it comes with a mouse. Which you could replace your regular mouse with and do everything with the tablet, really.) These other tablets pushed the "wireless pen and mouse" thing, but you had to put batteries in them. Depending on how much you use it, or how fast it sucks the life out of the batteries, you might end up spending more that way in the long run.
If you want to get a tablet and could get your hands on someone's Wacom just to try it out, do so. Then if you can only come up with the money to buy a medium sized Bamboo Fun, that should keep you comfortably going until you can upgrade.
One more tool...
Google : Or whatever search engine you like. Some books and magazines are so helpful I end up buying them, but I wouldn't be able to keep that up for long if I needed to buy something every time I needed a tutorial or reference material. Most things I need can be found for free by simply searching for "how to" do this or that, or using Image Search for reference pictures. If you suddenly can't figure out how high up on the walls you should draw the windows for this castle you've spent the last 16 hours drawing, there are plenty of pictures out there to give you an idea of what would look best. It might be a little more difficult to get artistic nudes without getting... let's call them "entertainment nudes", but you're in the privacy of your own home and you are drawing people with no clothes on, after all!
The best tools available just aren't a reality for everyone. But that doesn't mean you have to use crappy tools, or go without. The really good news is, digital art doesn't consume supplies! You don't have to keep going back for more paper, more canvas, more paints, more pencils. Make your financial investments wisely, and they'll stretch a long way.
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