Ack, apologies for the long delays between entries...my last year of uni (and various other projects) is really taking its toll. Firstly, thanks so much for the support during the RSOM UK voting period...I'm really pleased to be one of the runner-up winners ^.^! I'm putting together the bits and bobs needed for the book/web profile at the moment. This blog entry focuses on digital art and common questions/issues that arise. If you're interested in finding out more about a certain brand, then simply google it (please don't leave a string of questions in the reply box...I'm only writing from personal experience and I do not remember the exact prices/ordering details of every software mentioned).

1) What graphic tablet should I buy?
The best Wacom that you can afford. I can't emphasise enough how important a tablet is to the output and potential quality of your work...it's arguably a higher investment than your actual computer or software. Some people get put off by the Wacom prices of over $100...but considering you might spend the same amount on an iPod or mobile phone without flinching then there's no good reason not to save up or request a tablet  as a birthday gift.

Wacom tablets come in various series (Volito, Graphire, Intuos and Cintiq) and sizes (A6, A5, A4). The "size" only denotes the area you have to draw on, so the actual tablet is usually twice as big as that. Most manga artists will only be concerned with the Graphire and Intuos series. The Intuos has a higher surface resolution than the Graphire so it's considered more "professional"...but you can achieve substantial results with either. Size is what may limit you most...the small A6 tablets (size of a mousepad) are good to colour with but almost impossible to draw freehand lineart with.

Though having said that most beginners like to start with an A6 Graphire since it's a manageable size and reasonably affordable. If, after a few years, you feel like taking your art further you should consider an A5 or A4 Intuos/Graphire.  Wacom tablets are extremely hard-wearing so it's almost certain that you'll outgrow the tablet in your artistic abilities before it actually breaks. For this reason if you're really pressed for cash you can ask around if any of your friends have a second-hand tablet to sell (note "friends"...I'm not a huge advocate of buying dodgy electronics off the internet from strangers). It doesn't matter if the installation disk is gone...you can download all the drivers from the Wacom website.

2) I finally have a tablet but my work looks awful!
A common misconception when starting CG is that you press a button and magical glossy illustrations appear before your eyes :P! If anything, CG is harder to master than any traditional media since it requires a substantial combination of physical skill and technical knowledge. The first thing you will notice with a tablet is that you have to draw without looking at your hand, which really takes a while to get used to. It's entirely different to drawing with pencil on paper. The only way past this is to practise (having a larger tablet might make things marginally easier).

If there's a certain CG illustration style that you're after it's worth researching how the artist created it. Look for factors such as subtle outlines, digital inking, soft or blocky shading. Many CGs have coloured outlines which "rounds off" the edges (some have no outlines at all and the artist simply paints in indication of contours). If you're after this style then you have to decide early on whether or how you want to ink your sketch. If you've inked using heaving fineliners then it's unlikely you'll be able to achieve a gently blended CG finish. The internet has loads of impressive CG tutorials...it's worth looking through a bunch and then picking the technique that you think suits you (don't get daunted by jargon or loads of steps...explaining CG always takes a long time but once you get the hang of it it's like riding a bike!)

3) What colouring software should I use?
The two biggies are Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter. Photoshop is a good all-rounder which lets you edit lineart, text, colours and just about anything else. Cheaper alternatives to Photoshop include PaintShopPro and GIMP. Painter is good at simulating natural media and you can get a nice variety of brushes and blends. Photoshop is fairly expensive, but the basic version of Photoshop Elements often comes pre-installed on computers or free with certain Wacom tablets. If you're at university, check if you can get Photoshop for a much cheaper student license. Similarly, you can get a basic version of Painter free with some Wacom tablets, and the full version is reasonably affordable.

But my ultimate recommendation for manga colouring is, without a doubt, the gem that is OpenCanvas. At only $40 and 5mb (!) of space, it requires a fraction of money and RAM that is needed for Photoshop or Painter. Most amazingly, I find that OpenCanvas gets you better results than the other two combined! The interface is similar to Painter, but has a much nicer palette and brush blending qualities. To get OpenCanvas, you have to download the trial from their website, and once you've paid you get a serial key to activate your trial version into the unlimited version. If you're at the official website you might as well check out the user gallery and gawp at the astounding images that have been created using OC. I daresay that many of those professional japanese illustrations that people keep uploading (ahem, illegally) into their art galleries here at TP were done with OpenCanvas.

4) Is MangaStudio any good?
Yes, it is!! But only for creating black/white screentoned artwork. MangaStudio does not support colour in any way (I've had several PMs where people seemed to assume you can create colour illustrations in MS). I use MangaStudio EX, though MangaStudio Debut seems like a fully reasonable (and very affordable) way to start. E-frontier gives you the option to upgrade from Debut to EX whenever you want so you'll only pay for the price difference...and not a new package altogether. A graphics tablet is also vital for creating screentone effects, particularly things like etching or shading.

When confronted with MangaStudio it can actually be tempting to overtone your manga...but this may lead to a muddy "greyscale" effect. Try to retain distinct areas of white and black for contrast. I find it extremely useful to keep a notebook where I write down every tone I use for recurrent areas (ie each character's hair, clothes etc) since  there's nothing more frustrating than returning to a comic and realising you can't remember the actual shade or gradation of a certain area!

5) Digital art sucks because it's too expensive...
True, many initial investments (computer, tablet, software) have eye-watering prices. But the keyword is "investment" because once bought, digital equipment will last you years and give you infinite freedom of colour and composition. A box of paints might seem cheap but you'll keep spending money replacing brushes, getting new colours, buying paper...which adds up to the same or more in the long term. And there's no way to undo mistakes so a single error can cost you hours of effort whereas there's nothing you can't undo on the computer!

Another thing to bear in mind is the "cost per use" principle which you often find in women's magazines to justify buying a ridiculously expensive handbag. Basically the more often you use something, more it's worth paying for. If you get a digital camera for several hundred dollars which you only use a few times a month, you're essentially paying $10 each time you use it. But since many artists use their tablets several times a day for years on end (the same with computers or software)...it only costs you a few pennies per use. So if you're going to spend money, spend it on something you'll use often and not some gadget that you pull out to impress your friends for a few seconds.