Do you want to be a digital artist, but don’t know where to start? Perhaps you’ve done a Google search before, but felt overwhelmed by all the information, or intimidated by what the authors assumed you already know.
I’ve realized that there’s not enough beginner-friendly material out there for people who want to try digital painting. That’s why I’ve put together this comprehensive guide to explain everything you need to know to get started. From the tools, software, process, and features–this guide is everything you need to jumpstart your new hobby (or career) ASAP.
Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That means if you buy something, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you, to help support the blog and allows me to continue to make free content. Thanks for your support! 🙂
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Also, I’ve created 28-Portrait Brushes that might help you paint better – you may want to opt-in and get them. They are free!
So you might already be familiar with traditional media, such as watercolor, oils, or acrylic – and now you’re wondering.. “what is digital painting?”
Digital painting is a new medium that lets us create beautiful artwork, without the messiness of painting with inks or oils. It still requires many of the same skills and techniques as traditional painting (no, you can’t just create art at the click of a button… yet), but it’s also easier in many ways.
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Instead of painting on canvas or paper, digital painting allows you to paint directly onto a computer, which has a number of amazing advantages:
They generally have just two components: a touch-pad, and a stylus (a digital pen), though fancier models will also have a number of buttons and dials along the side. Because these tablets don’t have screens, you will need a laptop or computer to plug them into (usually via a USB cable)
Pro-Tip: I would recommend you get a tablet that has a drawing area of at least 6″ x 3.7″. You’ll need this to create fluid, dynamic strokes.
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Display tablets function like graphic tablets, but with a built-in monitor. You can draw directly onto a screen, which feels more intuitive (especially when you’re used to painting on paper or canvas).
These include popular tablets like the iPad Pro or Microsoft Surface Pro. The big advantage is that you won’t need an extra laptop or computer to plug your tablet into – these are essentially a tablet and computer 2-in-1. This makes them very portable – you can take them with you wherever you go. The downside is that they are more expensive, and you have a very limited selection of software available to you.
Important: If you choose to use an Apple iPad, you will also need a stylus with pressure sensitivity . The Apple Pencil has built in pressure sensitivity, but it only works with the iPad Pro – if you are using a regular iPad there are options like the Adonit Pixel Stylus.
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There are a lot of different programs available for digital painting, so to make your life easier I would suggest you get one of these three:
If you want to get serious about digital painting, I highly recommend Adobe Photoshop. It’s the most powerful software available for painting, and because it’s become the industry standard you’ll find the most training & lessons on it.
Krita is a free and open-source alternative to Adobe Photoshop. It’s not quite as powerful, though it’s certainly good enough to get started if you’re on a limited budget. Just be aware that you won’t find as much training on it online, and if you want to one day work professionally in an in-house studio or agency, you may need to eventually switch to Adobe Photoshop.
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Procreate has been taking the art world by storm in the last few years. It’s very light-weight and easy to use, and while it’s lacking some of Photoshops features, more are being added to it all the time. Unfortunately it’s currently only available for iPad.
While I recommend you stick to one of the 3 programs above, there are other options available to you. Other popular painting programs include:
Pro-Tip: At the end of the day, picking your software is a matter of preference. With enough practice you’ll be able to create professional looking artwork in any software. Based on my experiences I would recommend you pick one of 3 programs I listed above, but if you’d prefer to use another app, then go for it!
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It can be easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of choices available, and get lost down a rabbit hole of trying to find the perfect set up.
My advice to you is this: don’t overcomplicate it! At the end of the day, the tools don’t make an artist, and you won’t notice a huge difference between entry-level and professional-level tablets as a beginner.
Start simple! The Wacom Intuos is an inexpensive and very reliable tablet (I still use it to this day!). Pair it with Adobe Photoshop
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Note: I’ve summarised some of the most important concepts from the video, but make sure to watch the video above as there are many more lessons in it!
In Adobe Photoshop, you can do this by going to File > New Document, or by using the keyboard shortcut CTRL/CMD + N
When you have the Brush Tool (shortcut: B) selected, there are a number of shortcuts you can access by holding the following keys:
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By using layers, you can keep different elements of your painting separate. Whether it’s an object, a body part, a highlight or a shadow–painting them on different layers will give you the ability to tweak each element without risking the rest of your work.
The most important thing to remember about layers is this: the order that layers are listed in your Layers panel is the order they will show up on your canvas. Layers that are higher up will be placed on top of layers underneath them. You can drag and drop layers to change their order in an instant.
The varieties of brushes used in digital painting are unlimited. In Photoshop, a unique brush stroke can be created by simply changing the brush tip, size, softness, shape, and even the pressure applied. If you miss the texture of traditional media, you can even use brushes that are designed to look like oil or watercolor!
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As for erasers, they can be configured in the same way as brushes in terms of size, shape, and softness. The only difference is that they remove color instead of adding them.
There are many ways to create a blended effect in Photoshop: soft edge brush, smudge tool, and mixer brush being the most common tools. Of course, you should choose your technique based on the effect you are trying to achieve. We suggest you start by trying out various blending tools to see for yourself what fits your process and personal painting style.
In this step-by-step video, you’ll learn all of the most important digital painting techniques, and use them to create a prickly painting of your own! Don’t forget to download the free exercise sheet above so you can follow along yourself.
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I hope you’ve enjoyed this free guide, and I hope you’re feeling fired up about digital painting! If you’d like to keep learning and improving, take a look at the following resources:
The Academy is your one-stop-shop for mastering digital painting – full of step-by-step lessons, resources, an amazing community, and even the ability to get help and support from a seasoned instructor.
Get instant access to the learning paths, live events, and private community that have helped 9000+ artists like you master digital painting, fast!This article was co-authored by Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. 's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.
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If you’re a digital artist, you can’t display or sell your work without printing it out. Ensuring that your work looks professional when you print it out is important for your reputation as an artist. First, prepare your art for printing. You should adjust the resolution, sharpness, and contrast of the image to make it as professional-looking as possible. The right materials will help your artwork look professional, too. Pigment-based inks and good quality paper used in a professional printer will give your digital art a professional look.
This article was co-authored by Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. 's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 100, 158 times.
You can print your beautiful digital art right at home if you want to display or sell it. It’s important to export your art in the highest quality to make sure you don’t lose any detail. Export it as a JPEG or TIF file in the highest resolution you can. If
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