Art Help - Currently shading and coloring

Super excited but frightened, as this will be the first time I have ever gray-scaled anything with my tablet!!!

Don't steal me!!!! 

Suggestions? I'm scared I'll mess this up!

-Feather

Last edited on 2018-10-24 at 19:31:42 by 💜 Feathered Gold 💜

<sup>Depends how you want to greyscale it. After my final lines/sketch and the base being drawn, I use two methods depending on the purpose of the greyscale. My usual method uses separate layers, one for dark and one for light shades. I start off with a general placement of shadows, large fuzzy brush on a low opacity and then add more details, reducing the fuzziness and increasing opacity the smaller the brush is. I also sometimes put the most fine details on another layer in case I need to edit a weaker shadow. Repeat the process with light shading. Then I usually set the layers to soft light, overlay and hard light for shadows, mess around with opacity because sometimes I have strong shades and sometimes I do weaker shadows so layer opacities aren't always the same. Sometimes I'll add a general dark and light layer where I cover the horse in white and black, where the shadows and lights are stongest, blur it and then change to overlay and 50% opacity to make it pop a little more. This method I usually use if the base is intended for recolours by someone else. 

If I don't feel like using layers, I use the same method as above for shading/light but on one layer (I duplicate the grey base in case I mess up). I also colour pick between shades to smooth out. I quite like doing it this way as I feel like I can get more detail out of it, but it makes it very difficult to use it for recolours in a layer format unless you feel like editing the greyscale every time for colours. I've been recommended to use a tanscale over a greyscale for single layer greyscales especially for recolouring but have yet to try it properly.</sup> 

some examples: layered - coloured  | flat - coloured

I can't afford Photoshop and I'm currently working on downloading GIMP. I've been using Microsoft Paint for my drawings. :3

Please help! I'm so confused and frustrated!!!! :(

^{The process works in gimp also... look up tutorials for more advice.} 

 I don't have any advice in the grayscaling department, since I'm still pretty much a beginner in art, but can I just say that is really good for Microsoft Paint. :o

I bought a tablet back in August and have been practicing my drawings. 😊

I just downloaded GIMP and am struggling to figure it out; as some of the icons aren't the same as the tutorial shows!

Ugh! I for the life of me cannot figure out how or what do I need to do to get the sketch lines to quit squiggling, which looks  like marching ants. I didn't select the tail, so I have no idea of how to get it to knock it off, otherwise I can't finish coloring the tail. :/

Last edited on 2018-10-24 at 19:58:57 by 💜 Feathered Gold 💜

Does GIMP have a stabiliser? This makes the lines smoother and easier to draw, at least on Firealpaca :)

I'll look around for that tonight. 😊

<sup>Deselect in any program is usually Ctrl + D or Edit/Selection + Deselect. You might want to check out some gimp tutorials and do some practice/unsaved messing around to fully understand where all your tools are before attempting to make any final art. 

Also, check your brush settings and make sure it's set up for your tablet, sometimes it automatically selects the settings and sometimes you have to do it manually. Look up how to set up your tablet in gimp if you haven't already and make sure it looks right, might be cause of the squiggly lines.</sup> 

Last edited on 2018-10-25 at 09:39:36 by maplɛ