This picture has been entirely done with my laptop touchpad in about one hour (maybe less) using the free (and open-source) software GIMP. I am sometime wondering if expensive tools (software, graphics tablet, paper, pencils, etc) are really useful for drawing acceptable stuffs. Of course, using the touchpad don't allow me to do too sophisticated artworks, yet it is possible to draw some minimalist black and white illustration like this badger trying to tame (carefully) a wild butterfly.
Category Artwork (Digital) / All
Species Badger
Size 1920 x 1080px
File Size 128.2 kB
Usually, I work in two steps : first, I draw, using graphical tablet (a small second hand Wacom PTK-440 that I bought 40€) and the software MyPaint then I use GIMP for the "compositing". Both software are opensource (and free, of course). Very rarely, I write my own MatLab scripts (running under GNU Octave) when I am looking for some very specific effect.
If I wanted to be very rigorous I would try to get a good quality screen and spent an afternoon on its calibration… yet, I am not a professional, I draw as a hobby and when, one a year, I print my artworks, to make Christmas cards, I try to do my best with my old Canon PIXMA iP-1600 from 2006.
If I wanted to be very rigorous I would try to get a good quality screen and spent an afternoon on its calibration… yet, I am not a professional, I draw as a hobby and when, one a year, I print my artworks, to make Christmas cards, I try to do my best with my old Canon PIXMA iP-1600 from 2006.
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