Create Better Illustrations using Computers
illustration by Art by Lønfeldt
With the number of Internet users at peak, it'd be straight up foolish not to make use of this wonderful resource. But you need to be careful(!), for every piece of information on every website is not reliable.
So, Hootenanny has come to your rescue. In this article we're going to talk about what software we can use to create illustrations from scratch, what websites you should consult when you're struck and how to make your already existing pieces of art better.
So, let's get started from the top! What's the first thing you need to create any sort of art? Inspiration.
Pinterest and inspiration go hand in hand. If you need some inspiration, you need to be on Pinterest; if you need to be on Pinterest you need to be inspiring.
On the plus side, Pinterest is also a social medium, you can collect pins and create boards out of them. Cool stuff.
So at this point you probably have an idea of what you want to create, it's best to make a rough draft on a paper first—or on your iPad, if you're that fancy—and then turn to your computer to actually make the thing.
Now you have two options, you can either scan your draft to your computer—i.e. if you have a scanner—or you can sketch directly into the software of your choice.
Before going on to how you can use those apps, here's a list of our favorites. Even though Adobe Illustrator seems to be the go-to app for everything-illustrations, it's not very affordable. So here are the alternatives we use:
Gravit Designer
Pros
Good for beginners.
Can work with vectors.
Can merge shapes in different ways to create all sorts of objects.
Can also be used for presentations, and everything front-end.
Inkscape
Pros
Open Source
Has a huge variety of tools, its meant to be used by professionals.
Works best with vectors.
And here are the best-rn websites you can use to learn more about these tools and be creative.
Further reading:
The next step is publishing your art online so that people can see it, which can help you spread the word or let people know about your art.
The first thing that needs to be decided first is that weather you want to release your photos for public use or not. If not,, you should also consider adding a watermark on your image... though this is not a necessity but this is a good way of keeping your images from being stolen.
Coming to the point, you can publish your art on the following platforms for people to see.
Behance
This website is every artists go to website to showcase their work. The plus side? Your Behance profile can also work as your portfolio.
Once you get used to it's interface you can honestly use this instead of Pinterest after a point of time.
Instagram, the social media platform for pictures. It's the best place to share any sort of pictures and we can also tag the photos into categories!
Moreover, you can go on and follow other artists too and grow your circle and maybe find some clients too!
Also, if you are an artist and have something to share with us, don't hesitate!
Finally! Don't forget to follow us at:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hootenannyonline/
