digital art help

[Kratenser]

One of the things that I've never been any good at is drawing. I cant hold a pencil steady, so even my stickmen look like they're having some form of stroke. I tried looking into some books but the ones i read all made the assumption you are some kind of natural artist.

From what i've researched, that is never going to change no matter what I do, but some people who i know have told me that through using software to draw rather than do it the conventional way, they can make some wonderful stuff. I've seen some of it so i can back it up.

Problem is the tutorials they sent me made the same assumption that i instantly know photoshop back to front. I can do the image manipulation stuff but thats all, i have no idea how to draw using it.

I tried looking up some online tutorials but seriously, they all wanted me to buy them. I wont hold that against the sites because hey, it must have taken time and resources to make them but even so, i'm broke from just buying Photoshop itself, i cant afford to pay for lessons.

With that in mind, does anyone here know where i could find some decent free online tutorials? I have Photoshop CS5 now, but thats all. Unless theres some other free software which you guys think is better then thats all i got for now.

Thanks,

Kratenser

(PS, What i aspire to some day! : http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Daily/2010/10-Oct/13/Dota%202%20announced/Artemis_HoTA--article_image.jpg)

 

[Hero in a half shell]

Try trawling Youtube instruction videos, there are so many photoshop tutorials out there that some of them must specifically cover drawing tips, just keep searching.

 

[McMullen]

That's going to be tough. I'm not sure video tutorials would be all that useful, and I never found books to be much better. My best advice if you really want to start is to either make friends with a Photoshop user and ask them nicely to give you a few lessons, or take a class at your local community college.

But tutorials, tutors, classes, or books, even if you find a good one, won't make you a proficient CG artist. All those will do is show you what the tools are. By far the most important thing is that you practice. Come up with goals that you don't yet know how to achieve, and work towards them.

Looking back on when I was first hired, I can say I had no idea what I was doing. It was the parade of projects that I had to figure out how to do on the fly that got me to a competent, and eventually professional, level.

Classes and tutors are best then, because they do give you projects and a limited time to complete them as you learn the tools necessary to do so. If artistic ability isn't your strong suit (it isn't mine either, I often tell people I'm more of a technician than an artist), then you have to make up for it by taking any concept given to you and finding a way to put it on the screen, and doing so in a way that looks better than whatever else is out there.

Also, even though Photoshop has 3D capabilities now, I strongly recommend that you get familiar with 3D modelling and animation software. A 3D modeller/renderer and Photoshop together are far more than the sum of their parts. Blender is free, Bryce is cheap and easy to learn. If you're going into game graphics, you'll eventually need to learn to use 3D Studio Max.

Good luck!