DaniDraws.com

I’ve started up an account and have officially joined the YouTube madness!

This will allow you to view my videos right within the DaniDraws.com website. You will also be able to share them more easily through email or by posting them to your own blogs.

I will still keep the original Quicktime files available on the website, or you can also subscribe to the videos in iTunes. I hope you enjoy this new feature!

Here’s my YouTube channel link: http://youtube.com/profile?user=DaniDraws

And here’s some YouTube links to the videos I’ve already posted:

#1 Painting the Witch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HNhHjA6×80

#2 Happy Thanksgiving: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pzKK6310N0

#3 Bake Sale Drawing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNewD7dNVAg

#4 Portrait in Orange: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YGWLnq667U

#5 Watercolor Pumpkins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBR-dvQA2-I

#6 Mustache Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb1tHlYTtRM

#7 Painting Test: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkAeiF2mAr0

#8 Painting a Hero: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HNjZziI4xA

Every artist faces criticism. In art school, it’s from teachers and classmates. As a professional, it comes from art directors. We illustrators, artists, and designers all have to learn how to face a critique in a polite and professional manner. The success of our careers depends on it. So with this article, I would like you all to take a moment and consider what kind of person you are when your art is being judged.

So why watch American Idol? People face criticism on this show every week in the form of Randy, Paula, and Simon. The contestants react to their judgment in a variety of ways, and this greatly affects who wins the heart of the American people. What kind of contestant would you be? Would you make it the next round?

(more…)

Here is a further explanation for the process behind my Hero video I posted earlier. I was specifically trying to make a more traditional image with this piece. My digital process here mimics how I make an oil painting.

(more…)

This is a head study that I painted in Photoshop in an attempt to create a more traditional painterly image. You’ll probably recognize this guy if you watch the TV show Heroes.

I’ve done something a bit different for this video than I’ve done previously. Here, I’ve recorded my entire screen so you can see what I am doing in Photoshop. I’ve also encoded this video at a larger size so you can see it better. I hope you like the changes. Enjoy!

Find notes for this video at DaniDraws.com.

Video: “Painting a Hero” (Quicktime, 3:20, 1.1 MB)

If you are a painter, and you are trying to transition to the computer, it will be necessary for you to get a tablet. It’s the best way to translate your traditional skills to the digital world. A mouse will simply not do it for you.

When it comes to digital drawing tablets, Wacom is pretty much the authority. If you are just starting out and are trying to decide which tablet to buy, here’s a quick guide to the products they provide and how to get started once you’ve bought one.

(more…)