How To Get Better At Painting

Digital Painting: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide

March 6, 2019
David Belliveau
56 Comments

Fancy yourself an artist? Here's the ultimate step-by-step guide to becoming a 21st Century painter!

Do you want to be a digital artist, but don't know where to start? Perhaps you've done a Google search before, but felt overwhelmed by all the information, or intimidated by what the authors assumed you already know.

I've realized that there's not enough beginner-friendly material out there for people who want to try digital painting. That's why I've put together this comprehensive guide to explain everything you need to know to get started. From the tools, software, process, and features–this guide is everything you need to jumpstart your new hobby (or career) ASAP.

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That means if you buy something, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you, to help support the blog and allows me to continue to make free content. Thanks for your support! 🙂

Also, I've created 28-Portrait Brushes that might help you paint better – you may want to opt-in and get them. They are free!

28 '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!

Free Digital Painting Brushes for Procreate, Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint from Paintable.cc

What Is Digital Painting?

So you might already be familiar with traditional media, such as watercolor, oils, or acrylic – and now you're wondering.. "what is digital painting?"

Digital painting is a new medium that lets us create beautiful artwork, without the messiness of painting with inks or oils. It still requires many of the same skills and techniques as traditional painting (no, you can't just create art at the click of a button… yet), but it's also easier in many ways.

Instead of painting on canvas or paper, digital painting allows you to paint directly onto a computer, which has a number of amazing advantages:

It's a lot less messy, and you can do it in even the smallest spaces – as long as you've got space to set up your tablet (and possibly a computer), you're good to go!
It's a lot faster, as you don't need to wait for paints to dry
It will allow you to work faster and more creatively – you can use powerful digital tools like layers to unlock entirely new ways of working

The only things you need to get started with digital painting are a graphics tablet, and painting software of your choice.

Don't worry if you're unsure where to begin – in this guide I'll walk you through it all step-by-step.

Let's begin…

What tools do I need to get started with digital painting?

To get started with digital painting, you will need just two things: a tablet, and some painting software.

Choosing Your Hardware

There are three main categories of graphic tablets:

Graphic Tablet

Display Tablet

"All-In-One" Tablet

Graphic Tablets

These are the cheapest models, and what most artists (myself included) start out with.

They generally have just two components: a touch-pad, and a stylus (a digital pen), though fancier models will also have a number of buttons and dials along the side. Because these tablets don't have screens, you will need a laptop or computer to plug them into (usually via a USB cable)

Pros:

Cheapest option, and totally good enough to get started with
No batteries or charging necessary
No screen to get damaged

Cons:

You have to keep your eyes on the computer screen, meaning you can't watch your hands as you paint - this can take some getting used to
Require a computer

Display Tablets

Got a little extra budget? Consider investing in a display tablet!

Display tablets function like graphic tablets, but with a built-in monitor. You can draw directly onto a screen, which feels more intuitive (especially when you're used to painting on paper or canvas).

Pros:

Drawing on a screen feels more natural than a touch-pad
Allow you to work more accurately

Cons:

More expensive
May develop 'dead pixels' over time
Require a computer

"All-In-One" Tablets

These include popular tablets like the iPad Pro or Microsoft Surface Pro. The big advantage is that you won't need an extra laptop or computer to plug your tablet into – these are essentially a tablet and computer 2-in-1. This makes them very portable – you can take them with you wherever you go. The downside is that they are more expensive, and you have a very limited selection of software available to you. Important: If you choose to use an Apple iPad, you will also need a stylus with pressure sensitivity . The Apple Pencil has built in pressure sensitivity, but it only works with the iPad Pro – if you are using a regular iPad there are options like the Adonit Pixel Stylus.

Pros:

Drawing on a screen feels more natural than a touch-pad
Portable, no need to bring a laptop with you

Cons:

Fairly expensive
Limited software options

Digital Painting Software

There are a lot of different programs available for digital painting, so to make your life easier I would suggest you get one of these three:

Adobe Photoshop

Krita

Procreate

If you're using an iPad Pro, use Procreate. For all other devices, I'd recommend Adobe Photoshop or Krita.

Adobe Photoshop

Price: $9.99/month (on the Creative Cloud "Photography" Plan)

If you want to get serious about digital painting, I highly recommend Adobe Photoshop.It's the most powerful software available for painting, and because it's become the industry standard you'll find the most training & lessons on it.

> Click HERE For a Free 30-Day Trial

Krita

Price: Free!

Krita is a free and open-source alternative to Adobe Photoshop. It's not quite as powerful, though it's certainly good enough to get started if you're on a limited budget. Just be aware that you won't find as much training on it online, and if you want to one day work professionally in an in-house studio or agency, you may need to eventually switch to Adobe Photoshop.

> Click HERE to download for free

Procreate

Price: $9.99 (one-time payment)

Procreate has been taking the art world by storm in the last few years. It's very light-weight and easy to use, and while it's lacking some of Photoshops features, more are being added to it all the time. Unfortunately it's currently only available for iPad.

> Click HERE to Get Procreate

Other Software

While I recommend you stick to one of the 3 programs above, there are other options available to you. Other popular painting programs include:

Gimp (free)
Clip Studio Paint Pro ($49.99)
Art Studio Pro (macOS and iOS) ($11.99)
ArtRage ($79)
Corel Painter ($379)

Pro-Tip: At the end of the day, picking your software is a matter of preference. With enough practice you'll be able to create professional looking artwork in any software. Based on my experiences I would recommend you pick one of 3 programs I listed above, but if you'd prefer to use another app, then go for it!

Overwhelmed? Here's What I'd Recommend...

It can be easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of choices available, and get lost down a rabbit hole of trying to find the perfect set up. My advice to you is this: don't overcomplicate it! At the end of the day, the tools don't make an artist, and you won't notice a huge difference between entry-level and professional-level tablets as a beginner. Start simple! The Wacom Intuos is an inexpensive and very reliable tablet (I still use it to this day!). Pair it with Adobe Photoshop – or Krita if you're on a budget – and you're good to go!

Understanding Your Tools & Software

In this video, I'm going to walk you through the software interface, so you know how all of the tools work!

I'll be using Adobe Photoshop, but you can follow along in most software – many of the tools look & behave similarly.

Note: I've summarised some of the most important concepts from the video, but make sure to watch the video above as there are many more lessons in it!

Canvas and Documents

The very first step of digital painting is to create a new document.

In Adobe Photoshop, you can do this by going to File > New Document, or by using the keyboard shortcut CTRL/CMD + N

Depending on your version of Photoshop, you'll see a window with the following options:

The most important settings to remember are:

Width & Height: Use this to set the size of your canvas, in either Centimetres or Inches
Resolution: If you're planning to print your artwork, use 300 Pixels/Inch. If you're not planning to print it, use 72 Pixels/Inch – this will keep your file sizes smaller and make your computer run faster
Color Mode: Always start in RGB. If you want to print your artwork, you can switch this to CMYK later on.

The Software Interface

The 3 most important part of the Photoshop software interface to remember are:

The Toolbox – this contains all of the tools you'll need, like the brush, eraser, selection tools, etc.
The Options Bar – as you select tools in the toolbox, you'll see that the bar at the top of the window changes, giving you different options for each tool
Panels – you can mix and match the panels that you find most useful for your own workflow. For now, I recommend you start with the Brushes, Layers, and Color panels

Keyboard Shortcuts

To speed up your workflow, you should start to get familiar with using keyboard shortcuts.

Here are some of the most important Photoshop shortcuts to remember:

B – Select the Brush Tool
E – Select the Eraser Tool
Z – Select the Zoom Tool
M – Select the Marquee Tool
Ctrl/Cmd + T – Use the Free-Transform Tool

When you have the Brush Tool (shortcut: B) selected, there are a number of shortcuts you can access by holding the following keys:

Spacebar– Temporarily select Move Tool
Spacebar + CMD/CTRL– Temporarily select Zoom Tool
CMD/CTRL – Temporarily select Eyedropper Tool

You can download a list of other useful Photoshop keyboard shortcuts here.

Making Your First Marks:

Now that you understand the interface, let's take a look at the most important tools & concepts…

Note: I've summarised some of the most important concepts from the video, but make sure to watch the video above as there are many more lessons in it!

Layers

Layers can be one of the most useful features of digital painting, if you know how to use them.

By using layers, you can keep different elements of your painting separate. Whether it's an object, a body part, a highlight or a shadow–painting them on different layers will give you the ability to tweak each element without risking the rest of your work.

The most important thing to remember about layers is this: the order that layers are listed in your Layers panel is the order they will show up on your canvas. Layers that are higher up will be placed on top of layers underneath them. You can drag and drop layers to change their order in an instant.

More resources on using layers:

How to Use Layers: The Ultimate Guide
How to Use Layer Masks
50 Essential Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts for Using Layers

Brushes & Erasers

As in traditional media, brushes & erasers are tools used to add and remove color, respectively.

The varieties of brushes used in digital painting are unlimited. In Photoshop, a unique brush stroke can be created by simply changing the brush tip, size, softness, shape, and even the pressure applied. If you miss the texture of traditional media, you can even use brushes that are designed to look like oil or watercolor!

As for erasers, they can be configured in the same way as brushes in terms of size, shape, and softness. The only difference is that they remove color instead of adding them.

More resources on using brushes:

Download our 28 Free Essential Portrait Brushes
How to Fix 'Blurry' Digital Paintings with Hard and Soft Brushes
How to Organise Your Brushes: 7 Clever Tips & Tricks
10 Best Premium Brushes for Digital Painting
Achieving a "Traditional" Look With Texture Brushes

Blending

Blending colors is essential in creating a smooth, three-dimensional effect.

There are many ways to create a blended effect in Photoshop: soft edge brush, smudge tool, and mixer brush being the most common tools. Of course, you should choose your technique based on the effect you are trying to achieve. We suggest you start by trying out various blending tools to see for yourself what fits your process and personal painting style.

To learn more about blending, take a look at this guide we've put together for you!

Putting It All Together: Painting Your First Masterpiece!

If you've made it this far, then congrats! You're ready to start painting your very first digital masterpiece:

In this step-by-step video, you'll learn all of the most important digital painting techniques, and use them to create a prickly painting of your own! Don't forget to download the free exercise sheet above so you can follow along yourself.

Next Steps

Congratulations, you've taken the first (and most difficult) step as an artist… getting started!

I hope you've enjoyed this free guide, and I hope you're feeling fired up about digital painting! If you'd like to keep learning and improving, take a look at the following resources:

Browse our blog for more free tutorials, guides, and inspiration
Or if you'd like to really take your paintings to the next level, check out the Digital Painting Academy!

The Academy is your one-stop-shop for mastering digital painting – full of step-by-step lessons, resources, an amazing community, and even the ability to get help and support from a seasoned instructor.

It's the most affordable alternative to Art School – so come take a look!

Happy painting!

28 '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!

Free Digital Painting Brushes for Procreate, Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint from Paintable.cc

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more digital painting tips, tricks and tutorials:

Leave Your Thoughts:

56 thoughts on "Digital Painting: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide"

Kinda sad that Paint Tool Sai wasn't mentioned as one of the art programs that you could use. It's 60$ for a one time buy and I love it.

Reply
- Hi, Ravyn! Personally, I love SAI as well- it's a neat app for its one-time purchase, and very beloved by many- so I'll pass the love on regarding SAI for the future… 😉
  
  Reply
WAW, these are great
Im ready to learn digital paintings on your site

Reply
I am interested in learning how to watercolour paint digitally and wonder if this is something that is covered in the courses.

Reply
- Hi Lois, we don't cover digital watercolor specifically yet, sorry! Though there are a lot of watercolor brushes that you can download and install online, and many of the concepts are pretty similar 🙂
  
  Reply
Can i use my Dell inspiron, which is in fact touch screen, to start digital painting. Or do I hove to buy one v of those tablets?
Thanks for the content, quite helpful it was.

Reply
- Hi, Gourab! The Dell Inspirion is definitely something that some people use! While it might not be as "reliable," there are- of course- people that can get some great results with it. 🙂 Hope this helps, and good luck!
  
  Reply
Nice blog. It will surely help beginners update their knowledge. The efforts you have put in to create the posts are quite interesting. Looking forward to seeing you soon in a new post.
However, new artists may feel that they are at a loss when confronted with a wide variety of graphic drawing tablets available these days.

Reply
Hello my name is Joshua, Im in the 5th grade and im writing an essay on what i wanted to be when i grow up and i chose digital artist and this website helped me a lot with my research and now i got an A+ on my essay. Thank you so so so so much!

Reply
Hey Joshua that's awesome. I'm so glad I was able to help you achieve an A+. Congratulation

Reply
Does an (Old) Galaxy Tablet 8.0 Note and a phone Note9 with Sketchbook have a place here? If so, is my table just too old? On both tablet and phone I done have the many options I see here. I've been just playing around with these for years and I can't even get lines without seeing the pixels when drawing art or touching up photos. I thought smooth lines could be achieved only in Vector. Obviously not techie but have a lot of fun with it. Would this subscription be for me? The pixelation problem is my first concern but would love to learn this in your teachings along with everything else. Thank you much!!!

Reply
- Hi, JJ! Our classes, while focused on Photoshop, focus a lot more on techniques rather than software-specific functions. While the Digital Painting Academy starts off with a short introduction to Photoshop, after this, you can find more of what you're looking for to be translated to your platform and program of choice.
  
  From the sound of it, it looks like you are due for an upgrade, if possible for you! Above, we do have our varying options for you to look into (which can show you more if you follow those paths), for both hardware and software. And as always if you have further questions, you can ask us here or at [email protected]!
  
  Hope this helps, and good luck with your digital painting!
  
  Reply
Peu importe où on est sur la planète, on pourra jamais nier notre accent québécois ;P j'adore tes vidéos, tu rends le tout si simple ! T'as aussi beaucoup de talent!

Entk Lâche pas 🙂

Reply
- Hey Caro, et oui, on ne peut pas faire disparaître notre accent Thanks for the kind words ♥️
  
  Reply
i simply was freaking lost man
now exactly know where to start digital drawing.
feels good to find help from someone a million miles away.
thanks like a LOT

Reply
- Hi, Taha! We're so glad that you have the resource now to kick-start your journey into digital painting- that's so exciting! We are so glad to help, and would love to see what you create, sometime! Happy painting!
  
  Reply
hi i have done abit of digital drawing however i am stil beginner, and i got a normal tablet and adobe photoshop and adobe flash. which package should i purchase, i mean the website is abit confusing, it does not say where/what/how to purchase!
thank you

Reply
- Hi, Meem!
  
  Adobe flash is more tailored towards animators, but what we typically use for our videos is Adobe Photoshop. 🙂 You can purchase a package that has Photoshop here for approximately 10 USD/ month, here, under their "Photography" plan: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html
  
  Hope this helps!
  
  Reply
Very well written! It might have been useful to mention some things about styli or digital pens – like, the pen that comes with the tab may not suit everyone so there is the option of buying one separately…. several tablets support third-party pens.

Reply
- Hi, David! That's a really great point, and perhaps something in store for a future blog post! Thanks so much for sharing with us!
  
  Reply
My 12 yr old daughter is really keen to get started with digital art, specifically comic creation. Reading your piece it sounds like the Wacom Intuos hooked up to a laptop is the way to go, does the laptop need to be any certain spec before I go ahead and purchase the tablet?

Thanks so much for the info you've provided, its super helpful!

Reply
- Hi, Rachel!
  
  The non-display tablets like the Wacom Inutos are very much less demanding than, say, a tablet that acts as a second screen! Whatever specs you have should be fine, and it's more about if your laptop can handle the *software!*
  
  Photoshop is classically more demanding on computers, so a lot of folks favor SAI or Clip Studio Paint, for example! You can see the required specs on the support and info pages of the software you're interested in.
  
  Reply
Is it just me or are all the download links dead? I'm trying to dl these to my iPad but the buttons do nothing, or if I open them in another tab they lead to a 404.

Reply
- Hi, friend! Which links are giving you the errors? I tried a couple, and they worked for me! I'd be glad to help you out here, or you can email us at [email protected] for additional support. Thanks!
  
  Reply
Hi. I want to start learning digital art, but there's so much confusibg material available that one get's lost down the rabbit hole trying to figure out where to start. Could you pls do a blog on drawing vs painting vs illustration vs sketching for absolute beginners? What are all these forms of digital art and how do they differ from each other? What are the stages or steps of creating digital art? Can we use smartphones for it? I tried to google it but ended up more confused. Thank u so.

Reply
- Hi, Muhammad! Thanks so much for the suggestions! These are things that we actually cover in our Digital Painting Academy, which has a guided set of Learning Paths for even the most inexperienced beginner can learn the answers to these questions. Our goal is to prevent confusion when learning these new skills, and breaking them down so that you can understand them without all the buzz and confusion searching online would give you. It's a pretty large set of information to cover!
  
  Reply
Wacom is a definite ideal tablet but they may be outside of what you want to pay. I would recommend looking at XP-Pen Deco series tablets – https://www.xp-pen.com/series/Deco-tablet.html . Take a big one, relatively the same size as your laptop screen.

Reply
- Hi, friend! That's an excellent suggestion! We recently worked with XP-Pen as well for our One Week Portrait challenge, and gave away some as prizes! We see how so many people seem to be liking those for their display tablets more and more! 😀 We should update this guide, soon!
  
  Reply
Hi! Im interested to join. But seeing the previews it kinda look like more focused on portrait (esp the detailed portrait)? Im curious cuz im not focusing on portrait. I do some portrait but not much. Im also not in realism or semi-realism style, i saw the previews mostly kinda realism, my artstyle (that im interested to) more like 2d illustration or simple painting illustration. I wonder if the course offers variety of styles and kind of digital art, or just the same one type. Thanks!

Reply
- Hi, friend! We do focus on portraiture to a degree, but we also cover painting techniques in general. If you look around the blog, we also cover painting for other things as well. 🙂 While style is something that you'll pick up from any teacher, we do try to make the distinction between a technique used and following the preferences of the instructor. Also, if you wanted to try us out, we do offer a 30-Day Guarantee so if you don't like what you see, we'll refund you 100%, with no questions asked! Have a wonderful day!
  
  Reply
I love this so much! Now I'm drawing like a pro. Super helpful course.

Reply
- Hi, Andrea! We're so glad to hear it! 😀 Thanks for joining us, too!
  
  Reply
Hi, my daughter is 12 years old and has an Inspiroy H640p (Huion) tablet. Is this ok?
Also, I have heard she draws on SAI. Is this software ok at the moment of doing your courses? Or should she use/install any other free option such as Krita, as you mentioned in the video? Please, let me know before I enroll. I want to be sure we have all the resources needed.
Thanks!

Reply
- Hi, Yanina! Thanks for reaching out! Your daughter's tablet and SAI would be perfect to work with us in the Digital Painting Academy. 🙂 While she may have to find the locations of some tools compared to Photoshop (which we use) she should be able to use SAI well- and if either of you have any questions, you can reach out to us on our help desk at [email protected]! Hope this helps, and see you soon!
  
  Reply
I'd definitely will sign up for the Academy next year. Since I've already have Clip Studio Paint and you're teaching with Photoshop, some questions:

What important Photoshop features or functions that I should be aware of not found in other apps such as CPS?

What similar Photoshop functions can be be found on Clip Paint Studio?

How do I apply lessons you teach with Photoshop with my CPS app?

Reply
- Hi, Zaki!
  
  Though almost all of our lessons are recorded in Adobe Photoshop, the vast majority of what we teach is app-independent. We focus mainly on teaching the really important stuff – the fundamental skills of digital painting like measurement, lighting, values and form, coloring, etc – rather than specific apps or tools.
  
  As long as your program has capabilities to use brushes, layers, and layer styles (like color dodge or multiply) you should do just fine. 🙂 We also recently added Clip Studio brushes to our free brush set as well!
  
  Reply
- I was a member of the academy recently, and I was able to follow every tutorial using CSP instead of photoshop, just needed to search for the equivalences
  
  Reply
  - That's amazing! How were the classes? Are the teachers engaging?
    
    Reply
hello and thank you again for your amazing website and academy ; unfortunately the free brushes I have received is not compatible with the 2020 version of Photoshop and I got the error "Could not load the file because the file is not compatible with this version of Photoshop" can you guys do anything about that?

Reply
- Hey, Taha 🙂 To import brushes into the 2020 version of Photoshop CC go to your downloads folder, double click on the .abr file. The brushes will go straight into your Photoshop brush library. If you need more help with this, let us know at [email protected]
  
  Reply
Can you use photoshop on the iPad Pro? I'm thinking of getting one for illustrating portraits and doing your course but imagine your course would be much easier to follow if I have photoshop rather than Procreate. Are you teaching how to use the software? Do you do course on how to use Procreate? Also will your brushes work with Procreate? Thank you

Reply
- Hi, Claudia! You can indeed use Photoshop on the iPad, but it is more limited than desktop in some functions. While our brushes will work with both PS and Procreate, we do teach primarily on Photoshop's desktop version and how to use it. 🙂 This said, we do have students that follow along in Procreate as well, and the functions are typically translatable with how we teach! If you have any more questions, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] as well!
  
  Reply
I am very new to digital art…I was looking at the Microsoft Surface Pro but I am unsure of the memory size or GB's I should get…? Also which stylus is the best? All suggestions welcome!

Reply
Im a beginner with everything.
Thank for this.

Reply
- Hi, Mrvls! Welcome to Paintable, we're glad to meet you! We hope this guide helps and that you enjoy digitally painting with us!
  
  Reply
I don't have a visa card.Can I buy the course with paypal?

Reply
Hi, Chrise!

Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, we do not accept Paypal as a payment method at this time, apologies. 🙁 If you have any more questions, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we'd be glad to assist you further! Happy painting!

Reply
Can i buy monthly subscription?

Reply
- Hi, Dipak! Of course. If you're having trouble getting set up with the monthly subscription, please email us at [email protected] 🙂 Thanks!
  
  Reply
Hello.
I'm astonished you don't recommend Corel Painter. An excellent programme, and the slimmed down version, Essentials, is really cheap.
And you don't have to pay for a load of photo software you might never use.

Reply
Hi Derek,

Great point! Corel Painter is excellent software and the slimmed down version Essentials is as good as it is affordable! It is great for both beginner and advanced artist alike, we mention it under other software. Happy painting! 🙂

Reply
Hi,

I like your tutorials and style and brush you use. Its Great.

My name is Muhammad Farooq Shazli. I am a graphic designer but now an artist but I love Art. I want to know that what If I am new for drawing and sketch, what couse do you have for and how you teach for bignners? But rememmber I am 42 years old man. 🙂

Reply
- Hi Muhammad,
  
  The Digital Painting Academy is the right place for a beginner of any age! 🙂
  Our lessons are made step by step so they are easy to follow for any kind of artist with any kind of previous knowledge! You can always start with the Foundation's path when starting from the very beginning! Hope this helps and Happy painting!
  
  Reply
We are looking into inexpensive options for our daughter to get started in this. I notice this article is a few years old. Any chance you will be updating it soon or would all your recommendations be the same? I just noticed a few of your links didn't work anymore. Thanks so much for the help!

Reply
- Hello Rochelle!
  
  Thank you for your comment and your interest! All our recommendations from the blog post are the same and you can consider the article up to date!
  We will be looking into the broken links but our recommendations for the hardware also remain the same!
  
  Have a lovely day and happy painting!
  
  Reply