Been doing digital art for somethin like 10-15 years, here, haha... not the best, but I can certainly give tips about what I do know! Whatcha need tips on, and what program(s) you usin? If you use Paint Tool SAI to do your sketches and especially line art, it has a lil thing that helps you stabilise the brush to make nice smooth lines. If you have or get ahold of it and wanna use that, I can explain that to ya.

Big thing to keep in mind, it really takes a lot of adjusting to get used to using the tablet! When I first started sketching with my tablet, it took loads of practice to make anything look decent...so part of it 'course is just gettin used to using the tablet at all until it feels natural...same way a normal pen/pencil would. Just adjusting to a new tool...muscle memory for a new thing.

And yeah, you did a really good job what with not being used to the tablet! My early attempts with the tablet weren't nearly this good! XD But now I have to do all my work digitally, coz I'm so used to it!


...Long comment...sorry bout that. But yeah, more than happy to give advice!

I don't at all mind long comments... Especially when they are awesome and helpful ^.^

I did this on Open Canvas... I don't really know much of anything about the programs, but I could certainly look into Paint Tool SAI. Something to smooth out the lines would be really nice.

I need to keep working with my tablet, but I just get so flustered...

But man, being able to erase mistakes in coloring and line art would be amazing! There's just so much you can do with digital work...

I used OpenCanvas before I started using SAI...they both make better lines than Photoshop in that you can make the brush more sharp-outlined and 'clean' looking, and the tablet is more responsive... I still colour in Photoshop, though...just because I can't do the smudge tool trick I use for fur in either of the other programs. A lot of people successfully colour things in SAI, though. It's probably the best all-around program, since it's what I see everyone using these days. I just love Photoshop's smudge tool. XD

The pen really does take some getting used to, though. When I first started with using a tablet pen, I'd previously been doing all of my sketching and inking on actual paper, then really simple colour with the mouse... and at first I couldn't get it to cooperate at all, since I was used to looking down when drawing too.
You just figure out in your head that the area on your tablet corresponds to what you can see on your screen...and in that way, you can coordinate the movements of the pen to what you see on a screen. It's a muscle memory sort of thing, just like how you have to practice hand-eye coordination to draw on paper, or the way you learn to type. Once you've practiced enough to get good with it, it stops being a problem because your brain automatically stores it and lets you focus on what you're actually drawing.
In case you wonder WTF I'm talking about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_memory

Sorry, I got all SCIENCE!! for a moment, but maybe that makes sense. The angle, height, and tilt at which your tablet sits while you're drawing on it can make a big difference too...in SAI you can rotate the canvas around in the program while you're working too.

Feel free to IM me (if you got AIM) or note me or whatever if you ever want me to help with techniques and brush settings and whatnot. I know Photoshop inside and out, OpenCanvas pretty good, and SAI more than enough to use it even though I'm still learning...and I'm always willing to help! :D

I don't consider myself to be all that talented with it myself, but I can share what I know, just need to know the program you're using

Open Canvas is what I used to sketch this one.

I'm not really familiar with Open Canvas, so I don't really know what can all be done with it, if it's like SAI or Illustrator then it likely has an auto smooth function somewhere
getting used to a tablet takes some time, best thing to do is find a comfortable working position, it really helps with hand stability, for example, I used to always do my sketches in a sketchbook on my bed, so when I got my tablet I used it in my lap instead of on a table or desk because that's what I was used to,
I started with Photoshop using a mouse, Photoshop takes a lot of patience to use for making lines, but it's nice for coloring, has a lot of different brushes and texture filters, but I wouldn't use it if you want to stay simple and not spend a lot of time figuring things out
if you want I can look into Open Canvas and figure out how it all works, it would just take a little while since I'm stuck using public computers at this point in time

That makes you 1000% better with a tablet than I am! I have to use a pen-based computer because I have to look at what I'm drawing. <=)

Oh, the pen based computers are nice! Is that the one where you draw directly onto the computer itself? I would love to have something like that, because looking at what I'm drawing is something that really helps me.

That's what I have! It's a Fujitsu Stylistic 3400 and it's how I keep up with creating my webcomic. You can draw and write with the stylus right on the screen. :(

That sounds -really- cool.

Yer pwan back fwyerd. :P

SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH! XD *hugs*

My point-proving ended up being awful.

Also... I WUV YER FAAAAACE

I wuv yer face tew. :D

Well thank you! I think this was mainly luck. Lol.

She looks good. Nice work doing it digitally.