Just a few years ago, being a painter meant loose paper sheets and some lead pencils. But with technology taking over most things in the world today, a lot has changed even in the art industry. Digital drawings are now accessible on the internet.
However, just like any skills, you need to be up-to-date with your painting knowledge. You don’t want you to end up having a sad-looking digital piece of art work-no siree! Sometime back, the mention of art and knowledge meant enrollment to an expensive art school. While this still stands as an option, there are many digital drawing books that you can read.
Nothing can replace the convenience of being able to take your skills a notch higher from the comfort of your home. And a few tips from professionals will definitely fast-forward your learning giving you a better chance of improving your skills faster.
1. Sketching from the Imagination: An Insight into Creative Drawing
This book is all about teaching artists the concept that lies behind every great masterpiece. Therefore, there are 50 featured talented artists both digital and traditional who showcase their art pieces. From the sketching process to the complete piece of art. The artists also give tips and insights about their approach.
With a wide range of styles, you will be able to pick up new approaches and tips that you wouldn’t have thought of before. That said, this is the ideal book for a digital painter looking into improving their creativity and artwork structure.
2. Beginner’s Guide to Digital Painting in Photoshop
This is another digital drawing book that best suits beginner artists. If are looking for an all-round introduction to digital painting in Photoshop or just want to improve your existing skills, you will love this book.
The author lays out the foundations of digital painting as well as how to work with the many Photoshop tools. You will also love the many actionable tips mentioned the author mentions along the way. For instance; how you can use matte painting as a base.
3. Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter
This book is not necessarily for digital painters as it gives great insights to artists of all mediums. In the book, you will learn the full theory of how lighting affects color with a few examples.
You can either schedule a sit-down and read this book from cover to cover or use it as a manual from time to time. My favorite thing is that the book gives very actionable tips hence making everything feel more approachable.
4. Beginners Guide to Digital Painting in Photoshop: Characters
Are you looking for a book that could help you learn new skills in artistry? Look no further as this is just the book for you. It contains a collection of tutorials from the world’s best artists.
Mostly, this book focuses on character design in terms of depiction of emotion, design of the costumes as well as the character anatomy. That said, this book best suits intermediate or advanced digital painters looking into improving their skills.
5. Digital Painting Techniques: Practical Techniques of Digital Art Masters
This is the book for you if you want to discover some tips, tricks, and techniques that work for matte painters, concept artists, and animators. The book is more a compilation of tutorials from 25 talented digital painters. There is a lot of imagery in there as each of these artists explain their techniques for building admirable pieces of art. Each of the artists brings new insights and skills to the table that are very useful for both intermediate and advanced digital painters.
6. Digital Painting for the Complete Beginner
This book teaches digital painters the basics about the technique of laying down painting strikes on the painting tablet. In each chapter, there are plenty of illustrations that help give you better insight into the lesson.
This book is ideal for someone who is making the switch from traditional to digital painting. The concepts in this book are easily understood to someone who already has experience in artistry.
Final Verdict
Unlike traditional drawings, the digital ones have proven to tag along so many advantages. First of all, it is a beautiful medium that gives artists the chance to experiment with their skills without having to worry about mistakes. Also, you can have access to many digital tools that make it possible for you to create the best artwork every time.