Lesson video

Hello, my name is Miss Badru.

I hope that you are all doing well.

I'm really looking forward to teaching and learning with you today.

Our learning outcome for this lesson is: "I can create a digital drawing using layers, pressure sensitivity, and tonal variation to produce a refined still life image." Our keywords for this lesson are: "layer," "opacity," and "pressure sensitivity." Let's explore each keyword in turn and find out what they mean.

Layer: a distinct section within a digital canvas, used to organize elements of an artwork.

Opacity: the degree to which a layer or brush stroke is see-through.

And pressure sensitivity: how tablet pen pressure affects line thickness or opacity.

So those are our keywords for this lesson: "layer," "opacity," and "pressure sensitivity." Our lesson outline is "Drawing skills: digital drawing," and we have two learning cycles.

So let's begin with the first one: basic digital tools.

How do digital tools change the drawing process? Pause here for a moment and make a note of your initial responses to this question, and resume when you're ready.

Alex and Sofia are discussing how digital tools change the drawing process.

So, Alex says, "Digital drawing allows artists to undo their mistakes instantly, making it easier than traditional materials." "Quickly undoing mistakes can be helpful, but it might also stop artists from experimenting with their process and discovering new techniques." Each art tool, material, and technique comes with its own challenges and opportunities.

In digital art, specific elements or layers can be created, edited, and manipulated with a high degree of control.

However, there can also be a steeper learning curve with some digital drawing software, and some artists prefer the tactile nature of traditional materials.

Think of layers like transparent sheets.

Each layer can hold different parts of your drawing, such as lines, shading, or background effects, without affecting the others.

So we start with our top layer, a circle in pink.

We have a middle layer, which is our blue rectangle.

And we have a bottom layer, as indicated by our yellow triangle.

Each layer in the stack can be moved, reordered, or edited without affecting the other layers in the stack.

This makes editing easier and allows for more creative flexibility.

Okay, let's have a check-in here for understanding.

What is a main benefit of making a digital drawing compared to a traditional material? Is it A, it makes your artwork heavier? Or B, it makes the image smaller in file size? Or C, it allows you to draw without needing a stylus? Or D, it allows artists to work on specific elements with a high degree of control? So pause for a moment here and think about your answer, and we'll resume together again shortly.

Okay, which one did you choose? The correct answer is D.

The main benefit of making a digital drawing is it allows artists to work on specific elements with a high degree of control.

It's helpful to familiarize yourself with the digital drawing software you are using before making an artwork.

Settings and icons may be slightly different, but there will be some similarities amongst them.

Your layers panel, brush size and opacity, brush type and settings, and a color wheel.

Explore the possibilities within your digital software by: adding a new layer and moving its position in the stack, changing your brush size settings, brush sensitivity, and opacity, selecting different colors.

Drawing with a stylus on a tablet screen allows you to experiment with pressure sensitivity.

A stylus responds to how hard you press, creating thinner lines with a light touch and thicker lines with more pressure, mimicking the feeling of traditional drawing.

If pressure sensitivity has not been set up with your brush, check the settings to see if it can be used with your setup.

Let's have a check-in here for understanding with the following question.

What does pressure sensitivity affect in most digital drawing tools? Is it A, the brightness of your screen? B, the speed of your computer? C, the thickness of the line? D, the number of layers you can use? So pause here for a moment and think about your answer to this question, and we'll resume together again shortly.

Okay, let's take a look.

And the correct answer is C, the thickness of the line.

Okay, so let's bring our attention to task A, looking at basic digital tools.

Create a simple digital drawing using basic digital tools.

You should: use a single basic brush.

Create a clear outline of a still life scene, image, or object.

Use zoom for detail.

Keep your strokes confident and controlled.

Pause the video here to undertake and complete this task, and resume when you are ready.

Okay, let's come together and look at feedback for task A, in which you were asked to create a simple digital drawing using basic digital tools.

You might have created something like this.

And Laura says, "I made this sketch of an oak tree by using a digital brush set to a pencil style.

I used a rough outline for the leaves and added some details on the bark of the tree trunk." Okay, so let's move on now to our second learning cycle, which is: developing a digital drawing.

Digital tools enable artists to experiment with drawing in new and novel ways.

Shantell Martin works in line-based drawing, often digitally projected and scaled up, combining drawing with performance and technology.

Casey Reas is a co-creator of the digital software Processing, which uses coding languages to create generative drawing systems. Sougwen Chung works collaboratively with AI and robotics to create hybrid drawings, challenging the limits of technical digital artmaking.

Just as with traditional drawing, artistic principles in digital art guide how effective an image looks.

For instance, adding tone and details will create depth and realism.

In digital art, you can apply tone on a new layer, so it can be adjusted or removed without affecting your outlines.

By using separate layers, you can control and edit specific sections of your image.

You can change the opacity of your brush or change the opacity of an entire layer in the layers panel.

Lower opacity allows tones to blend softly, while higher opacity gives stronger, more defined marks.

Adjusting this helps you control how subtle or bold the contrast between your tones are.

Blending tools merge tones and hues seamlessly, turning harsh edges into seamless transitions.

So, blending selectively, overblending can make an image look flat or unrealistic.

Refer back to the subjects you are drawing.

Consider where the light source is and if there are soft or hard shadows.

Realistic textures, such as rough wood grains or smooth glass reflections, can be suggested using varied brush types or patterns.

More experimental effects can be created by combining different brush types, pressure sensitivity settings, and opacities.

Many artists combine traditional and digital processes to create innovative artworks.

Hieu Nguyen, aka 'kelogsloops,' creates surreal fantasy and dream-like characters by combining watercolor painting with digital landscapes.

Rachel Rossin is a painter and digital artist who merges oil painting with VR environments to create immersive digital worlds.

William Kentridge combines stop-motion animation with traditional hand drawing, bridging analog and digital storytelling.

Avoid using too many digital effects or filters.

Rely on your artistic and observational drawing skills.

The digital tools should enhance your work, not overpower it.

Digital drawing offers artists new ways to explore visual ideas and control their creative process.

You might use it to create an observational drawing or work in more experimental and abstract ways by manipulating effects or changing settings.

The tools change, but the artistic principles remain the same.

Look through the brush types available in your software for pencil, charcoal, and ink-style brushes.

Laura says, "I rendered the tree in a realistic style by using a combination of pencil and charcoal-style brushes set to different opacities in a separate layer." Use the color wheel or gradient map tools to adjust and change the colors in your digital drawing.

So Laura says, "After shading the tree in a realistic style, I used the gradient map tool to color the drawing with autumnal hues." So just pause here for a moment and look at the transition from the base layers of black-and-white work, and then these autumnal colors added.

Okay, let's have a check-in here for understanding.

Is the following statement true or false? "Digital drawing doesn't require the same skills as traditional drawing." Is this statement true or false? So pause for a moment here and think about your answer and why.

We'll connect together again shortly.

Let's take a look.

The answer is false.

And why might this be? Core skills like proportion, tone, and composition still apply.

Digital tools simply offer new ways to achieve them.

Okay, let's bring our focus and attention to task B in developing a digital drawing.

And your task is to develop your digital drawing from task A using layers.

You should: divide it into two halves using layers.

Add shading and texture on one side to aim for a realistic style.

Experiment with different brushes, settings, and effects to create a dynamic, expressive style on the other side.

Okay, so pause the video here whilst you undertake this practical task, and resume when you are ready.

Okay.

Let's come together for our feedback with regards to task B.

You were tasked to develop your digital drawing from task A using layers.

You might have created something like this.

So let's take a look at Laura's response: "I rendered one half of my tree drawing in a realistic style through tone, shading, and texture.

On the other side, I experimented with color palettes and used different effects to show two sides of digital drawing." We have now arrived at our summary for "Drawing Skills: Digital Drawing." Digital drawing software applications provide different techniques for artists and designers.

Layers can be used to organize, edit, and refine sections of a digital artwork, such as their opacity.

Brush settings and pressure sensitivity can affect mark-making capabilities.

Brush settings and pressure sensitivity can affect mark-making capabilities.

Artistic principles such as composition and proportion can be applied in a digital medium.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this lesson and started to explore digital drawing.

I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Take care.

Until next time, bye for now.