23 October 2012

Sketchbook Pro 6 first project


I've been wanting to start using Sketchbook Pro as my primary software for drawing and painting for several reasons, not the least of which is it's dull to be stuck in photoshop all the time. Other reasons are Sketchbook pens, brushes and pencils seem to have a more natural look to them and the interface, while missing some useful functions, is less cluttered and geared solely towards drawing and painting while Photoshop is huge, complicated and geared for photography work.

Version 6 of Sketchbook had a major drawback at first release... you couldn't rotate the canvas which is as essential in digital art as it is on paper. This is working now but there were other problems and very frustrating ones. The worst 2 I've encountered are a problem with the layers... locked layers no only would unlock themselves every time I opened the image but while I was drawing. This lead to me drawing on the reference image, not on the sketching layer. The software also crashed and lost over an hour of work. These 2 things alone forced me to redraw the image almost from the start 8 times. Happy to say I've been using "Forever Save" to keep backups of my work every 5 minutes and the crashing has stopped, but for no reason I can discover.

On the good side... if these problems go away for good, I managed to get an image I am happy with without having to think much about software and what function is where or search through long menus to find the tools I need. While this image might or not not be finished... I can't decide until I've put it away for a day or so, I am already looking forward to trying a second image.. maybe a colour one once I can come up with an idea.

(I know the image of my dog is a little goofy and hardly fine art but I like it).

6 comments:

T' said...

That's a really nice drawing! The detail on the kerchief is especially nice. You didn't fake that; took your time and it was worth it. I'm not a fan of the hatched background as it seems to lack... something. I think it's the most digital looking part of this, but I can see vast potential, especially when you use a pen and ink approach (something I remember you being really good at). Sounds like a real pain to have those particular bugs. I hope they fix them soon as you could make some really nice art with this. Well done and thanks for sharing it and your thoughts on the program!

Behemoth media said...

-*The backdrop makes it looks like a 50's postcard I've been told, but in a good way as they people saying it seem to like it... so much in fact I am doing another now of my friend Donna's dog Chester that will have it. I personally think I need to find another way to do backgrounds that i like. This has a lot of pencil elements to it like the ears, noes and tongue but I cna't get away from the pen and ink technique... too ingraine din me by now!

T' said...

Sorry if I came on kind of heavy, Vince. Didn't mean to. It's really you and the client you have to please. All I have is my opinion which is worth as much as anyone's! And I'm wrong plenty of the time, so there. :"D

Behemoth media said...

I don't know why you are apologizing! You wrote such a nice critique and I thought my response said i totally agreed with you on the background. This was for me not a client and even though the following drawing (which you saw) was for a friend who requested the same backdrop... I did one I though was much nicer. You should have been much meaner.. especially in regards to my spelling on my response! Your opinions are worth more than most and you ain't your my brother... or something... isn't that a song or something?

T' said...

I can't be mean to you, especially on art. I'm glad that I've been at least somewhat helpful. That's important to me. As for your spelling, I chalk that up to your now being French. :"D

Behemoth media said...

Between that an dyslexia I'm doomed to bad spelling, not mater what the language!