Digital art tools for beginners

Every now and then I’m asked what art tools I can recommend. I certainly understand how anybody new to the field might have trouble finding the right tools. These days there is a lot of art software out there. From tiny tools that will only render you a logo, to large, multi-purpose, expensive and complex programs that can do almost anything.

They all look great on the outset and have plenty of cool features. But which tool is right for you? How much and what functionality do you need? How much are you willing to pay for it? This article will help you find answers to such questions, and hopefully save a lot of time and hassle.

Art tools

Generally there are two types of art tools: 2D and 3D. 2D tools let you paint or draw on a flat surface just like painting or drawing on a piece of paper or canvas. 3D tools are different. Here you create in three dimensions. The best way to understand how this works is to simply try it yourself.

For a beginner, it’s better to start with an inexpensive, popular tool that will teach solid fundamentals of the digital art creation process. Popular tools have larger user base, introduction books, many free tutorials and forums to turn for help.

2D painting tools

There is no point in writing much here except that sooner or later you will need one of those. If only to do minor fixes to your 3D renders. Starting with Gimp might be a good idea since it’s free and is available for Linux, Mac OS, and Windows. Photoshop and Painter are probably the most popular 2D tools among digital artists.

• GIMP - many effects and filters working in high resolution can be slow.

• Painter - targeted at digital painters; famous for its rich set of natural brushes; can be slow when working in high resolution.

• Photoshop - the most popular photo editing software on the planet; fast; many free and commercial plugins available.

All-round 3D tools

You should get one if you are serious about learning 3D art. An all-round 3D tool will teach you how to create and think in 3D. Any of these will let you do almost anything: characters, architecture, landscapes, objects, special effects, etc.

• Blender - available for many operating systems; free; documentation can be lacking in some areas; somewhat unusual interface.

• CINEMA 4D - somewhat easier to use; not nearly as feature rich as the others; flexible interface.

• Lightwave 3D - a rather unusual interface (no icons, only text buttons); famous for its high rendering production of many Hollywood movies.

• SOFTIMAGE | XSI Foundation - the low-end version of Softimage; widely used in the film, gaming and advertising industries; a limited and watermarked version available for free.

These are powerful tools that take time to learn. Master one of them and you probably won’t need to learn another one.