Here’s a list of frequently asked questions about my art. I hope you find them interesting and / or helpful.
Since when do you draw?
I’ve always been interested in drawing as a kid, but I really started investing more time when I was 13 years old. It was arround that time that I got my own PC in my room. I stumbled upon a community about manga drawing that was called mangaka. I was so impressed by the images there that I began posting my own drawings, getting critiques, looking up tutorials and so on. A year later I got my first tablet from my birthday money. At that point I would spend all my free-time on painting (and playing World of Warcraft).
What tips would you give beginner artists to improve?
- Concentrate on learning one thing at a time.
- Not only learn by repetition but also by understanding the fundamentals. Try to add different types of trainings to your art workout, like painting from photos, master artists and real-life.
- Never give up. (It’s old I know.)
What do you do to improve?
I try to do a life drawing once a week, usually portrait or figure drawing. When I cannot find a session, I use what I have at home.
I always carry around a sketchbook. During commutes I try to sketch as much as I can. Usually that’s the time when I draw from memory.
Other than that I tend to sketch and work with photo references as often as I can.
What programs do you use?
I primarily use Photoshop for all my digital drawings and editings. I have tried other programs, but they usually just don’t have the same options that I have gotten used to. However, there are some other nice programs out there that are really good at special things like mimicking real paint or supporting line drawings. They are definitely worth to check out.
On my iPad I use ProCreate (for characters) and Heavypaint ( for landscape and stilllife paintings).
Also I love using Blender for 3D blockouts that I use to help me nail the perspective & lighting.
What drawing tablet do you use?
I use a Wacom Intuos pro medium. My first tablet was a Wacom bamboo which lasted me 10 years, when I decided to go for a bigger tablet. I’ve never had any complaints with them, so I would recommend them again.
What paint and brushes do you recommend?
Generally, if you just want to try a traditional medium out and you’re not sure if you’ll want to continue, you could always ask a friend to lend you some paint and brushes. For most traditional mediums you’ll need to invest a little to get started. But if you’re looking to buy, here’s my list of brands I prefer:
For acrylics paint I recommend Lukas which isn’t too expensive and Liquitex if it can be a little bit pricier. The more pigments the colours, the less product you’ll need, so investing a little bit more might be worthwhile in the long run. I have tried discounter paint from the supermarket, which is fine, but you’ll not be able to mix colours and still get bright results, because they use a lot of fillers. However, you can get them and still use them as foundation, even if you get better paints later, so it’s always a good idea to get cheap ones if you’re not sure about if you want to continue with it.
For watercolours I use Schmincke and Winsor & Newton. I haven’t tried many others, but these I enjoy drawing with. I prefer the tubed colors over the pots.
For oil, I’m not willing to recommend brands yet since I’m still experimenting myself.
Thank you for reading! If you have any more questions, feel free to send a message.