Class project/homework ideas are provided in the final video segment of the class, so be sure to check that out! Here's a rundown of projects I recommend to help you best get started with digital painting:

0) Choose with app(s) you'd like to get started with

This choice may well be dictated by your budget. This class covers three apps, all with different levels of financial commitment. It may help to watch a few chapters of this class (and/or the painting demonstrations at the end) to get a sense of which app may be best for you.

Note: If you'd like to include Photoshop in your trials (the most expensive app,) be sure to download its free trial from Adobe's website, which is fully functional for 30 days!

1) Modify your app of choice's default user interface, and make it your own

Particular to users of Photoshop and Krita (Procreate's interface cannot be customized much.)
- Start moving windows around, and get used to some of the common types of windows, as outlined in the class (Tools bar, Brushes, Layers, Color Picker.)
- Get used to the notion of losing a window, and calling it back up. (hint: Knowing where everything is will help prevent frustration when actually creating art later on. Think of it like cooking in an organized kitchen!)
- Feel free to start with my advice on which windows to have on-screen, and save a custom interface that you can always call up.

2) Play around with digital painting brushes

This is a critical area to experiment in before trying to paint anything finished. If you are relatively new to the digital painting realm, you need to get a sense of how brushes respond to the input from your tablet. It will feel very odd at first (particularly for those coming from traditional art mediums!) So remove the pressure of creating art, and simply paint random, abstract colors and strokes on a blank canvas.
Be sure to try making marks with different tools - primarily the brush tool and the smudge tool. Make notes on the following:
- The look each tool gives
- The look and feel of brushes that have lots of texture vs. brushes without texture
- The speed of each brushstroke (this will depend on your computer's power, along with brush/canvas size)
- How controllable a brush is, vs its uncontrolled texture or variety (hint: controllable brushes make for better drawing tools, while uncontrolled brushes can help with texture.)
- Is your custom user interface working for you, or is it unclear or getting in the way?

3) Modify and make your own brushes

Once you have a handle on how different brushes look and feel, try going into each app's brush editor and making modifications.
- See if you can take a 'plain' brush and spice it up with texture and randomness (note: this is not to say texture and randomness makes a brush better! See project #2.)
- Take a very textured/scatter-y brush and make it more controllable by removing some of its variables
- Save your brush for later use!

Extra: Install and try out my custom brushpack (note: for Photoshop and Procreate only.) Find brushpack file attached here. Follow the directions in the 'Brushes' section of the class. For Procreate users who want to import brushes using the Dropbox method, the link is:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xx5k1vpmtzunai7/MarcoBucci_Brushpack.abr?dl=0

4) Paint something!

Now that you have built some familiarity with these new digital tools, let loose and paint! I recommend not trying to create some intensive portfolio piece straight away; instead, get started with something familiar to you - something you can already draw easily. A face? Character? An item sitting on your desk? Choosing a familiar or simple subject will allow you to free up valuable headspace you'll need for the task of managing the software. I've seen many students get frustrated with digital media because they cannot get it to do what they envision. For this reason I advise holding off on those portfolio pieces until a little later, once you've gotten your feet wet!

Jeff Levitch

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