by Lynda Mc Donald

Created on: August 08, 2009   Last Updated: August 09, 2009

Painting with Photoshop is a completely unique experience when compared to using traditional media.

Painting in Photoshop can be difficult for some traditional artists to get used to, but with the aid of a pen and drawing tablet, it can be made a lot easier. A drawing tablet is basically an electronic tablet that can be used with with a pen, in the place of a mouse. The tablet responds to the touch of the pen, some of the newer-models even respond to how much pressure the pens places on the surface, making the experience as close to traditional drawing and painting as possible.

Creating a painting in Photoshop is quiet simple once you know how, and get used to the process. The program has a very useful option called 'layers', so if you paint different sections on different layers, you can edit them without disturbing the rest of the image.

Photoshop is most commonly used as a photo-editing software, which can actually be a huge advantage if you choose to use it. There is a huge amount of image editing options available, from basic tinting to adding various tonal and texture qualities to your work. The program also comes equipped with a large number of brushes, which each create a different texture. If you are struggling to find a brush that suits you needs, you can easily find one online to download, and some really nice people even let you download their brushes for free.

For those artists that create artwork from reference images Photoshop also offers them the option of importing the image and editing it until it becomes their desired reference image. This is a really helpful feature, especially if you are used to working from photos, and having it right beside your blank 'canvas' is an added bonus. Also available, as you become a more advance Photoshop user, is the option of creating an original reference image from various other images. As you become more used to how the program works, you should find it easy to blend different images together.

Another advantage that digital work has over traditional media, is that you can work on it as you please. Using the layers option means you can save you work and go back to it as you like, without worrying if the particular colour of paint you mixed for the image will dry up.

If you feel uncomfortable creating a digital painting from scratch, you can always create a traditional sketch from any media of your choice, and scan it, or alternatively take a photo of it, to upload to Photoshop to use as a reference or paint directly over.

Creating digital artwork does not appeal to everyone, but I think it is something that everyone should at least try once. If you put a lot of time an effort into your digital artwork it will surely rival any traditional work you've done.

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