Back to School Art Space Makeover
School is back in for the fall, my friends! One of the most exciting perks to a new academic year is unwrapping brand-new tools to help you succeed, am I right? Team Paintable has put together 17 must-haves that will boost your new semester. Not […]
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Finished Projects from the Illustration From Imagination Spring 2022 Class
Well Done, IFI Class of 2022! This week marks the graduation of over 150 Illustration From Imagination students, and I’m so proud of the improvement in artwork that I’ve seen this year! Teaching such an inspiring group of artists is a privilege that keeps me […]
Announcement Festive 4th of July Themed Gifts & Goodies for Your Holiday
4th of July gifts and goodies for a festive holiday! Summer is upon us! And that means sunny days, watermelon, and some relaxed time off for the U.S.A.’s birthday. Team Paintable is taking the opportunity to celebrate with family and friends by getting out […]
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Stunning Student Masterpieces – Illustration From Imagination Class of June 2020
Over the past 7 weeks, our Illustration From Imagination students have worked so hard to push themselves out of their comfort zones and challenge their creative limits. For many of our students, it’s been a challenging ride, but that makes it so much more rewarding! […]
AnnouncementOver the past 7 weeks, our Illustration From Imagination students have worked so hard to push themselves out of their comfort zones and challenge their creative limits. 
For many of our students, it’s been a challenging ride, but that makes it so much more rewarding! They’ve massively leveled up their painting skills and learned practical skills like thumbnailing before starting a project and getting the composition just right, but they’ve also made some crucial mindset shifts to get past the fears of “not being good enough” and the resistance that sets in when they don’t know where to start. 
These are vital skills for all successful professional painters, and that’s why Illustration From Imagination immediately puts our graduates at an advantage when it comes to pursuing a career doing something they truly love and look forward to every single day.
A huge congratulations is in order! 
Every lesson in Illustration From Imagination is geared toward one final goal: to follow a brief set by a fictional client (Paintable Productions! 
) and create a killer portfolio piece: a beautiful movie poster.
Our students have loved working alongside the IFI community, getting valuable feedback from their peers (and from me), and seeing each others’ progress and final artwork…
But it wouldn’t be fair to keep all of their stunning paintings to ourselves, would it? 
Scroll down for a sample of the incredible final artworks.
Want to see more? Check out the whole graduating class of June 2020 here. 
And if you want to learn more about what it’s like to participate in Illustration From Imagination, or sign up for the next round, here’s all the info.
The post Stunning Student Masterpieces – Illustration From Imagination Class of June 2020 appeared first on Paintable.
A Good Dose of Ko-fi to Start Your Artistic Career
Looking for a great way to start earning an income with your digital artwork? When you want to be a professional illustrator, or even just get your art in front of more eyes, one of the smartest things you can do is build your own […]
ResourcesLooking for a great way to start earning an income with your digital artwork?
When you want to be a professional illustrator, or even just get your art in front of more eyes, one of the smartest things you can do is build your own tribe. This is a group of fans who love to stay updated on your latest pieces, get a sneak peek at a work in progress, or simply say hello and thank you for inspiring them today! And if you’re looking to earn an income from your digital art, when you have this sort of community, earning becomes so much easier.
Keep reading till the end of this post for a great Ko-fi bonus we have for you!
Recently, I came across a FREE online platform that offers an easy, low-pressure way to start making an income from your art.
It’s called Ko-fi (like the beverage 
, not the wrestler!). The concept is really simple, you showcase your art and invite fans to leave you a donation (roughly the price of a coffee) and message to support your work. It’s like a cross between a tip-jar and a simplified crowdfunding campaign.
How does Ko-fi work?
It took me about 10 minutes to get set up on Ko-fi, super easy.
First you claim your page. If you’re looking to accept money, you can connect your page to PayPal, and then other payment methods if you like. Personalize your page with your best artwork, add a bio, a goal, and a video if you like.
Then you can create a gallery of your art (finished pieces, works in progress etc) and also add videos, blog posts and audio clips to help fans get to know you too.
Once it looks just how you want it, share your page link everywhere! 
Your fans then visit your Ko-fi page, see what you’ve been up to, and can “buy you a coffee”, which means sending you a small contribution. 
You can also unlock paid Ko-fi Gold features like subscriptions (getting monthly support from your subscribers), commissions, and additional ways to personalize your page.
Here’s how the Paintable Ko-fi page is looking so far:
Why do artists love Ko-fi?
When someone likes your work, they can donate a “coffee” (or a hot chocolate, a cup of tea, a beer, or even a cupcake!). Payments are made directly between fans and artists and no fees are taken by Ko-fi.
One of the best things about Ko-fi is its community. From your page, you can write updates to your fans and followers, and if you don’t have any yet, start posting anyway — you might even get featured on their website (this is also great place to find inspiration and the perfect place to find new artists to follow)!
Many creators use Ko-fi to set up fundraising goals so that fans can contribute to something specific, whether that’s buying a new tablet (maybe you have your eye on the new Wacom One), an iPad Pro, or a new desk for your home studio! 
Every month, $1.2m is donated to artists through Ko-fi. These payments are being made directly between fans and artists, with no fees being taken by Ko-fi. Since Ko-fi launched, it’s helped creators receive over $23 million to fund their coffee-fueled painting sessions and creative passions. 
While it’s completely free to set up your profile, update your gallery, interact with fans and artists, and accept donations (with no cap or fees!), Ko-fi’s paid Gold membership adds great things, allowing artists to accept commissions and monthly donations, create private updates that can only be unlocked with a one-off or monthly donation (perfect for sneak peeks, tutorials, progress shots, and close-ups)!
Artists Killing It on Ko-fi!
Mandy Jacek, an illustrator and artist, uses Ko-fi to fund her own passion project: a comic called “WANDER”. The Ko-fi community helped her build a new office space at home, and upgrade her Cintiq tablet! She was also featured in Ko-fi’s blog, allowing her to reach even more new fans!
Mona (Monarobot), an artists from Chiapas Mexico, gives her Ko-fi fans exclusive early access to her new projects and behind-the-scenes content using Ko-fi Gold. She’s received over 5000 “snacks” from her fan so far! 
And Noonie, a Brazilian self-taught artist living in Japan, says: “Thanks to my Ko‑fi supporters I can now work full-time on what I love most in my life: art. Thank you for making this possible, I will be eternally grateful 
”
Top tips for getting the most out of Ko-fi
If you’re thinking about setting up a Ko-fi profile and posting your art, but you’re not sure where to start, check out our top three tips for getting the most out of Ko-Fi.
1. Post often
Share your page, images and content regularly on socials to engage your fans! If you don’t have anything new to share, ask for opinions – like what subject they want to tackle next.
2. Start small
Some artist and creators make a decent ‘4 figure’ monthly income on Ko-fi, but from what we’ve seen most are using it to fund creative expenses and make a side income. Ko-fi is a great opportunity to build your tribe and get to know and reward the people who are backing you.
3. Be a fan
The more you give, the more you get. We’re all in this fun, creative ride together, and it’s so much better if you do it with friends! Don’t forget that Ko-fi is also a goldmine of creative inspiration, so if you see a piece of art that makes you smile or say, “Wow!”, consider buying the artist a coffee or leaving a friendly note on their page.
How to get started with Ko-fi
Want to see what it’s all about? Head on over to Ko-fi to claim your page and start sharing your art.
If you’re interested in getting the extras like changing up the coffee for something more “you”, or setting up commissions and unlocking all of the other perks of a Gold membership, you can check that out too. Get 10% off annual Ko-fi Gold memberships for life! Just for being part of the Paintable community.).
Are you a member of the Digital Painting Academy? Jump inside the member’s area for a link to get 25% off of Ko-fi Gold!
The post A Good Dose of Ko-fi to Start Your Artistic Career appeared first on Paintable.
Fast-track Your Learning by Building A Painting Habit
Are you ready to get serious about building your digital painting talent? BE A BETTER ARTIST BY FEBRUARY 2023 Join David and the Paintable Tribe community for 5 minutes every day in January to level up! Join the Challenge on Discord We know that building […]
ResourcesAre you ready to get serious about building your digital painting talent?
BE A BETTER ARTIST BY FEBRUARY 2023
Join David and the Paintable Tribe community for 5 minutes every day in January to level up!
We know that building any skill and developing any talent means putting in many hours of the activity. I’ve worked with some digital art students that will spend entire afternoons once or twice a month, working on their illustration, and become frustrated because they’re not progressing as quickly as they’d like.
It’s when they commit to a regular, consistent habit of developing their skills, that their progress really takes off!
That’s the key I’m sharing with you today:
When it comes to developing your digital painting skills, the frequency of your art sessions is more important than the amount of time you spend at each sitting!
And I have a tool for you to build your own habit! 
In this video, I show you:
- What exactly “building a digital painting habit” looks like
- How much time is actually needed at each sitting for you to see progress
- The 3 steps to take to build your own painting habit
I’ve also added a downloadable worksheet that I actually use when I get serious about building (or re-building) my own habits.
Watch the video below: 
You can download this free PDF of the X Effect sheet right below, and use it for your first 30 habit-building days!
Give it a good 30 days to make your new schedule a solid habit. Then, leave a comment below and let me know if you’re having more fun, and seeing better progress in your skill development!
The post Fast-track Your Learning by Building A Painting Habit appeared first on Paintable.
Photoshop vs Procreate for Digital Painting
Itching to know what it’s like to switch from a Wacom tablet with Photoshop to an iPad Pro with Procreate? I’m shaking things up in a big way today! In all of my tutorials and course modules so far, I’ve been teaching you using Photoshop […]
ResourcesItching to know what it’s like to switch from a Wacom tablet with Photoshop to an iPad Pro with Procreate?
I’m shaking things up in a big way today!
In all of my tutorials and course modules so far, I’ve been teaching you using Photoshop on a Wacom tablet with a MacBook. I’ve been dying to try out Procreate on an iPad Pro, so I can give you tips and tricks using those tools. And today, I’m bringing you along as I get started!
In this video, I unbox my new 12.9 inch iPad Pro, and give you my first impression of the Procreate app.
While working on the same illustration using the same process on both setups, I give you my thoughts on:
- What it’s like to work on an iPad after years of using a Wacom tablet and MacBook.
- What are the big differences between the 2 hardware setups
- Comparing the feel of the Wacom pen vs the Apple pen
- The plusses and minuses I’ve experienced using Photoshop vs Procreate
- The biggest difficulties I’ve seen as a professional artist working on the iPad
- Is the Procreate app powerful enough for professional work as an illustrator?
Let’s get into it!
If you’re getting started with Procreate, rather than starting with a portrait like I did, I recommend starting with a smaller illustration like in the Ultimate Beginners Guide here.
And if you’d like to set up your workspace like mine, here’s what I’m using:
I’d love to hear your first impressions of Procreate! What did you find most difficult to get used to, and what are your favorite tips for using it? Put it in the comments below!
I’ve also prepared a gift for you – here it is:
10 ‘MUST HAVE’ BRUSHES FOR PAINTING
Free Download:
-
Flowing & life-like hair -
Freckles & beauty spots -
Stubbles & beards of all sizes -
Realistic skin textures -
ABR Brushes (Photoshop & Procreate) -
SUT Brushes (Clip Studio Paint)
Designed to Paint Incredible Portrait Details!
The post Photoshop vs Procreate for Digital Painting appeared first on Paintable.
