Digital Art for Beginners - Unleash Your Creativity from Udemy

In this course you will learn how to jump into the exciting world of Digital Art. Becoming a Digital Artist has so many advantages and I will share them with you in this course. It can seem confusing at first but I assure you by the end of this course you will have a much better understanding of how to proceed and avoid some costly mistakes.

Here is a breakdown of the course content -

Section 1 - Introduction to the Course

This section contains the introduction video explaining the course.

Section 2 - Choosing the Right Art Program or App

In this section you will learn about some of the most popular art programs on the market. I will cover their strengths and weaknesses for Digital Artists. The art programs I will be covering in this section are Sketchbook Pro, Clip Studio Paint, the Procreate app, Adobe Photoshop, and Krita. This should be you a good knowledge of what is out there and what to look for when getting started in Digital Drawing and Painting.

Section 3 - Various Drawing Devices

In this section you will learn about the primary devices that I use to create my Digital Art every day. Again, we will talk about their strengths and weaknesses. The devices I cover in this course are the Wacom Intuos 4 Medium Tablet, the Wacom Cintiq 22HD, and the iPad Pro with Apple Pencil 12.9" 128Gig.

Section 4 - Drawing and Painting

In this section you will learn how to use these devices more efficiently. We will work together through some various practice activities. Then we will draw a creature design with the Intuos Tablet. This way I can show you that the tablet is fully capable of creating quality artwork. It just takes a little practice like anything else. Then we will work through a Digital Painting on the iPad Pro. This excercise will teach you to focus on basic forms, plane changes, and simple painting techniques.

Digital Art is extremely exciting since your options are truly limitless. A lot of artists will tell you that traditional art is better than digital art and some will say the opposite. I am here to tell you that they both go hand in hand. You should never stop creating one or the other. Digital Art tools are meant to assist the artist not replace what they already know.

In this course I will show you how to use the tools to improve upon what you already know. I will share some of the greatest assets that Digital Artists have at their disposal. Things like Liquify, Free Transform, Selection Tools, Layers and Groups, Perspective Guides, Custom Brushes, Masking Options, and the list goes on. Some tools are specific to certain software while others have been adopted by all of the major design programs. You will learn how to jump into each software and look for what you need first to get started.

You will also learn about some of the most popular devices and how to use them. This doesn't mean they are the best devices since there are so many to choose from. You will learn about the basic functionality of them and how to allow yourself time to understand them. We will talk about the Pros and Cons of each and exercises to improve your hand eye coordination.

I would love to know what you think of this course so please leave an honest review. This will allow me to update the course with new content that will improve the overall experience for every student.

Please submit your questions in the Q+A Section so that I can help you with any problems you are having. You can always submit your digital artwork here for review.

Sincerely,

Robert A. Marzullo

Ram Studios Comics

What's inside

Learning objectives

Digital art fundamentals
Basic understanding of various art programs
Basic understanding of various drawing devices

How to draw with digital art tools
How to paint with digital art tools

Digital art fundamentals
Basic understanding of various art programs
Basic understanding of various drawing devices
How to draw with digital art tools
How to paint with digital art tools

Syllabus

Introduction

In this video you will learn what to expect from this course content.

In this section we will go over some of the most popular art programs so that you can have a better idea of what to expect. We will cover Sketchbook Pro, Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, Adobe Photoshop

In this lesson you will learn the benefits of using Sketchbook Pro for your Digital Drawing Program.

In this lesson you will learn why Clip Studio Paint is one of the most powerful and versatile options for creating almost any form of Digital Art. It comes with a ton of powerful options for any artist.

In this lesson you will learn why the app Procreate has become one of my absolute favorite ways to create my digital art. I will share some of the amazing tools and benefits that Procreate and the iPad Pro / Apple Pencil offers.

In this lesson we will talk about some of the major benefits of using Adobe Photoshop for your digital art creation.

In this lesson you will learn about some of the things that easily transfer to a new art program. I will demonstrate with a program I have never used. We will take a look at Krita and see how much we can understand at a first glance.

In this lesson you will learn about some of the strengths and weakness of working with the Wacom Intuos tablets. They are a great tablet to start with when jumping into the world of Digital Art. ( Art files are attached to this lesson as a ZIP file. )

In this lesson you will learn how to adjust the driver settings of this type of tablet and what options can have major impacts on your drawing and painting process.

In this lesson you will learn about the Pros and Cons of using the Wacom Intuos 4 tablet.

This is Part 2 of the Pros and Cons of the Wacom Intuos 4.

In this lesson you will learn about some of the strengths and weaknesses of using a device like the Wacom Cintiq 22 HD.

In this lesson you will learn about the benefits of using the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil for your Digital Art.

In this lesson you will work along side me as we perform a practice activity. This activity will help to strengthen your hand eye coordination when using the Intuos 4 Tablet or similar device. ( The template for the warm up is attached to this lesson as well as the custom brushes for Clip Studio Paint. )

In this lesson I will show you how I sketch using the Intuos 4 Tablet. We will develop a creature concept.

In this lesson we will continue to draw our creature design concept using the Wacom Intuos 4 tablet.

In this lesson you will learn how to blend digital paint with a soft edge brush.

In this lesson you will learn how to blend Digital Paint with a hard edge brush.

In this lesson you will learn how to create texture by using the Droplet Brush. If you are using a different software then you must use a stipple brush and vary the size of the dots as you paint to get a similar effect.

In this lesson you will learn how to apply Digital Paint and create imperfections to the surface.

In this lesson you will learn how to enhance the existing paint work by using Blending Modes.

In this lesson you will learn how to sketch in the Procreate app. We will draw a basic rock formation for our painting activity.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Provides a basic understanding of various art programs like Sketchbook Pro, Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, and Krita, which are widely used in the industry

Explores the strengths and weaknesses of different drawing devices, such as Wacom Intuos tablets, Cintiq displays, and iPad Pro, which helps learners make informed decisions

Teaches how to use digital art tools efficiently through practice activities, including drawing a creature design and digital painting, which builds a strong foundation

Covers fundamental digital art techniques like using layers, selection tools, and perspective guides, which are essential for creating digital artwork

Requires learners to acquire a Wacom Intuos 4 Medium Tablet, the Wacom Cintiq 22HD, and the iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, which may pose a barrier to some students

Features lessons on specific software, such as Sketchbook Pro and Clip Studio Paint, which may require learners to acquire subscriptions to those software packages

Reviews summary

Beginner guide to digital art tools

According to students, this course is a solid starting point for beginners entering the world of digital art. Many learners found the sections covering different software and hardware options particularly helpful for making informed decisions before purchasing tools. Students appreciated the clear instruction and engaging style of the instructor. However, some reviewers felt the practical drawing and painting sections lacked depth and assumed a basic understanding of art fundamentals, suggesting the course is more focused on teaching how to use digital tools rather than teaching digital drawing techniques from scratch. Overall, it's seen as a great introduction to the landscape of digital art tools but may require supplementary learning for art fundamentals.

Helpful for getting used to devices.

"The practical exercises were fun and helpful for getting used to my new tablet."

"The hands-on drawing and painting demos were particularly useful."

"...the practical drawing section was useful for getting a feel for working on a tablet..."

"The exercises are practical and build confidence."

"The hands-on parts were good practice."

Ideal starting point for new artists.

"This course is exactly what I needed to get started with digital art."

"Good for beginners..."

"Perfect course if you are just starting out."

"This course is a gem for newcomers!"

"I would recommend this for anyone completely new to the digital art scene."

Excellent guide to choosing tools.

"I particularly liked the sections on choosing software and devices - it saved me a lot of research time and potential mistakes."

"A solid introduction. Covers the basics well, especially the overviews of different software options."

"Absolutely fantastic! ... discussion on different art programs and hardware. It helped me make an informed decision before investing in equipment."

"Perfect course if you are just starting out. It demystifies the overwhelming world of digital art software and hardware."

"Good overview of the landscape (software and hardware)."

Doesn't cover art fundamentals deeply.

"...I felt like they could have gone into a bit more depth on technique, maybe showing more step-by-step workflows."

"...didn't cover fundamental art concepts, assuming you already knew them. It's more about 'how to use digital tools' than 'how to draw digitally'."

"...as others have mentioned, it doesn't teach drawing fundamentals, which might be a drawback for some beginners."

"...the actual 'drawing and painting' section was less detailed than I expected. It shows you *how* to do the specific exercises, but not much about the underlying principles."

"I felt the course was great for tool basics but didn't help me much with the actual artistic process beyond following demos."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Digital Art for Beginners - Unleash Your Creativity with these activities:

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

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Learn the fundamentals of visual storytelling and comic book creation to improve your digital art skills.

View The Cartoonists Club: a Graphic Novel on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Understanding Comics'.
Read the book, paying attention to the concepts of panel layout and visual language.
Reflect on how these concepts can be applied to your digital art.

Practice Basic Drawing Fundamentals

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Reinforce your understanding of fundamental drawing skills to improve your digital art.

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Gather drawing materials (paper, pencils, etc.).
Practice basic shapes, lines, and shading techniques.
Focus on improving line quality and control.

Digital Art Software Comparison Chart

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Solidify your understanding of different digital art programs by creating a comparison chart.

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Choose 3-5 digital art programs to compare.
Research the features, pros, and cons of each program.
Create a chart summarizing your findings.

Four other activities

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Brush Control Exercises

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Improve your brush control in your chosen digital art program through focused exercises.

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Open your digital art program.
Practice drawing straight lines, curves, and circles with varying brush sizes and pressures.
Experiment with different brush settings to understand their effects.

Create a Digital Portrait

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Apply your digital art skills by creating a portrait of a person or character.

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Choose a reference image for your portrait.
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the face.
Add details, shading, and highlights to create depth and realism.

Digital Painting Tutorial

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Deepen your understanding of digital painting techniques by creating a tutorial for others.

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Choose a specific digital painting technique to teach.
Create a step-by-step guide with clear instructions and visuals.
Share your tutorial online or with other students.

Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter

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Improve your understanding of color and light to enhance the realism of your digital paintings.

View Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara (Calla Editions) on Amazon

Show steps

Obtain a copy of 'Color and Light'.
Study the chapters on color mixing and light sources.
Experiment with applying these concepts to your digital art.

Career center

Learners who complete Digital Art for Beginners - Unleash Your Creativity will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Digital Painter

A digital painter uses digital tools to create paintings. This course helps develop skills in digital painting through hands-on exercises using programs like Procreate and Photoshop. The course covers essential techniques such as blending, creating textures, and applying digital paint, which are fundamental to digital painting. This course is helpful as it shares many tools used by digital artists in their daily workflow.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Painter

Comic Book Artist

A comic book artist creates the artwork for comic books and graphic novels. This course helps you learn to use digital art programs such as Clip Studio Paint and Procreate, which are widely used in the comic book industry. The course provides a chance to practice drawing and painting techniques, including character design, which are essential skills for comic book artists. The course also covers devices such as the Wacom Cintiq and iPad Pro, which are popular among comic book artists. If you are interested in becoming a comic book artist, this course may be useful because it also shares assets to help you on your path.

See salaries and explore the career path for Comic Book Artist

Concept Artist

A concept artist creates visual representations of ideas for use in media. This course helps you explore digital art programs like Sketchbook Pro, Clip Studio Paint, and Procreate, which are essential tools for concept artists. The course demonstrates how to use tablets such as Wacom Intuos and Cintiq, plus the iPad Pro, to create concept art. Learning to draw creature designs and paint digitally on the iPad Pro builds a foundation for creating compelling visuals. This course may be useful because it shows you how to start from the beginning and shares some assets used by digital artists.

See salaries and explore the career path for Concept Artist

Game Artist

A game artist creates visual assets for video games, including characters, environments, and props. This course helps you to begin to learn the fundamentals of digital art, which you can use to create high-quality game assets. The course introduces you to popular art programs like Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint, which are widely used in the game industry. You can also learn to use different drawing devices like Wacom tablets and the iPad Pro. The course helps you to explore techniques in drawing and painting digitally, which are valuable for creating game art. This course shares some assets used by digital artists.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Artist

Mobile Game Artist

A mobile game artist specializes in creating visual assets optimized for mobile games. This course may be useful, as it introduces you to creating digital art on the iPad Pro with Procreate, which is a popular setup for mobile game art creation. The course covers digital painting techniques and the use of layers and groups, which are valuable for creating detailed and optimized assets for mobile games. This course can help you avoid costly mistakes by teaching you the fundamentals of digital art.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mobile Game Artist

Illustrator

An illustrator creates images for books, magazines, and other media. This course may be useful for budding illustrators because it covers various art programs and devices used in digital illustration. The course helps you to gain familiarity with programs like Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint and Procreate. By working on drawing and painting exercises, you develop your skills in digital illustration. This course is a start to learning to use digital tools to improve your art.

See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator

Storyboard Artist

A storyboard artist creates visual panels that outline the narrative of a film, television show, or commercial. This course may be useful as it gives you an opportunity to learn to draw digitally and create visual narratives through the use of devices, such as the Wacom Intuos tablet. The course allows one to learn the basics by drawing a creature concept. The course also introduces digital art programs, such as Sketchbook Pro, which are used for digital storyboarding. Learning the digital tools in this course may be valuable for a storyboard artist.

See salaries and explore the career path for Storyboard Artist

Animator

An animator creates moving images for films, television, and video games. This course may be useful for animators because learning to create digital art is a valuable skill in animation. You will be able to use the various art programs such as Clip Studio Paint and Procreate. The course also introduces different drawing devices like Wacom tablets and the iPad Pro, which you can use for creating animation assets. This course explores some tools used by animators in their daily pipeline.

See salaries and explore the career path for Animator

Texture Artist

A texture artist creates the textures that are applied to 3D models in video games, film, and animation. This course may be useful as it covers essential techniques for creating digital art, including how to create textures using tools like the Droplet Brush. The course explores various digital painting techniques and the use of different art programs and devices, which can be applied to creating detailed and realistic textures. You will also begin to learn programs such as Procreate, Clip Studio Paint, and Photoshop.

See salaries and explore the career path for Texture Artist

Motion Graphics Designer

A motion graphics designer creates animated graphics and visual effects for various media. This course is helpful because it introduces you to the fundamentals of digital art, which are valuable for creating visually appealing motion graphics. Learning to use art programs like Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint can help you create assets and textures for motion graphics projects. The course covers essential drawing and painting techniques that can be applied to motion graphics design. This course may be useful to learn the necessary tools to use on the job.

See salaries and explore the career path for Motion Graphics Designer

Graphic Designer

A graphic designer creates visual concepts for marketing materials and branding. This course may be useful by introducing you to popular digital art programs and their strengths. The course gives an introduction to software such as Photoshop, and Procreate. Learning about tools such as Liquify, free transform and layers is useful to graphic design. Understanding these programs and tools through this course provides a beginning to a career in graphic design.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic Designer

Digital Sculptor

A digital sculptor creates 3D models using specialized software. This course may be useful, as the knowledge of digital art fundamentals enhances the ability to create detailed and visually appealing sculptures. This course helps in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of digital art tools and how they can assist in the sculpting process. Learning to leverage digital painting techniques and programs like Procreate and Photoshop may be useful to enhance digital sculptures with textures and details.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Sculptor

Web Designer

A web designer plans, creates, and codes internet sites and webpages, many of which need graphic content. This course may be useful for aspiring web designers, as it introduces the use of programs and devices to create such content. Learning the foundations of digital art, the course helps one learn and use art programs like Sketchbook Pro, Clip Studio Paint, and Procreate. It can also help web designers by displaying many of the tricks that digital artists use daily.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Medical Illustrator

A medical illustrator requires a graduate degree and creates visuals to help record and disseminate medical and biological knowledge. The course may be useful for medical illustrators, as digital art programs can be used to create medical visualizations. You will be able to use the programs and devices taught in the course to create art. The introduction to Sketchbook Pro, Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, Adobe Photoshop and Krita may be useful to kickstart their career.

See salaries and explore the career path for Medical Illustrator

Forensic Artist

Though forensic artists often work with traditional media, this course may be useful because forensic artists also use digital programs to create visuals to help law enforcement with identification, or for use in a courtroom. You will be able to use the programs and devices taught in the course to create art. The introduction to Sketchbook Pro, Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, Adobe Photoshop and Krita may be useful for a career in forensic art.

See salaries and explore the career path for Forensic Artist

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Digital Art for Beginners - Unleash Your Creativity.

Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara

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Explores the principles of color and light in painting, providing a comprehensive understanding of how they affect the appearance of objects. It covers topics such as color mixing, light sources, and atmospheric perspective. While geared towards realist painters, the concepts discussed are applicable to digital art as well. This book will help students create more realistic and visually appealing digital paintings.

Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara (Calla Editions)

Hardcover

The Cartoonists Club: a Graphic Novel

Save

Seminal work on the theory and history of comics. It provides a deep dive into visual storytelling, panel layout, and the language of comics. It's highly relevant for digital artists as it helps them understand the fundamentals of visual communication, which are essential for creating compelling digital art, especially in sequential art forms.

The Cartoonists Club: a Graphic Novel

Paperback

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The Cartoonists Club: a Graphic Novel

Kindle Edition

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Digital Art for Beginners - Unleash Your Creativity

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Beginner guide to digital art tools

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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