Artists Cooperative

[Numinous]

I have a request for everyone here, and I think that it's fulfillment will be beneficial to many people.  I would like to request the aid of my fellow CBG members in accumulating a collection of resources which might prove useful in aiding the talent of the budding artists who populate this guild.  Resources include books, pdf's, tutorials, exercises, articles, or anything you can think of that might help cultivate artistic talent, preferably available online.  I'll edit this first post to include links to any resources people recommend.  I'd appreciate it if the provider's of a resource have had some (positive) experience with it.  Preferred topics are acting, poetry, painting, sculpture, drawing, musical endeavors, or any other things in that vein.

Programs

Gimp - Visual manipulation freeware.  Works on Windows,  Mac, and Unix*Inkscape - Drawing program, available on Windows, Mac, and Unix.[/list]

Forums

CGSociety - Forum for digital artists, includes tutorials[/list]



*I'll edit this post to hold all links provided, organized by topic.

[beejazz]

I've heard of a program called GIMP. Free and good for comics. I've been meaning to get it, and will do so when internet becomes available at home again.

[Stargate525]

I've heard of a program called GIMP. Free and good for comics. I've been meaning to get it, and will do so when internet becomes available at home again.

I use it. It's a very good program with many features. Oddly enough, there's still one thing I haven't been able to figure out how to do with it yet, draw curves ala paint.

[beejazz]

What I want it for is the layers and transparency thing. With that, I can take a scanned drawing, make white transparent, and draw stuff on a layer behind my drawing. So coloring in the lines doesn't have to be so dang hard.

[Numinous]

GIMP added to the first post.  I haven't been able to get it to function on my Mac, but apparently So-Keher has, so I said it worked in the first post.

Anyway, what I was generally looking for was advice and helpful resources, more than programs.  I remember someone posted a link to a forum for artists some time ago, but I forgot where it is.  If people provided books, forums, or websites that gave advice, like photoshop tutorials instead of a link to Photoshop, that'd be cool.  Did that make sense?

[beejazz]

I'll keep my eyes peeled....




...They do get kinda filmy otherwise.

[Stargate525]

http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/

very useful when you're trying to figure out just what the button actually DOES...

[beejazz]

Sweetness.

Also, for "serious" art, I was educated by these guys. The magnet art school I went to sent us a volunteer prof. I learned most of what I know about composition and color from them. I still suck in those two areas, but not nearly as badly.

My style is more borrowed from John Sloane.

[brainface]

I use it. It's a very good program with many features. Oddly enough, there's still one thing I haven't been able to figure out how to do with it yet, draw curves ala paint.

hexagon[/i] tool.  You could get beziers/b-splines whatever those things are called that way as well.

[Stargate525]

I use it. It's a very good program with many features. Oddly enough, there's still one thing I haven't been able to figure out how to do with it yet, draw curves ala paint.

hexagon[/i] tool.  You could get beziers/b-splines whatever those things are called that way as well.

in Ms paint you draw a straight line, then drag it into the position you want. It's both better and worse than the GImp tool, which I finally figured out yesterday.

[Master Hagortough]

the forums at cgsociety
have some good tutorials as far as anatomy sketches. I've learned a thing or two there.

I was actually thinking of getting a photodump account and scanning on stuff from my own setting , so i guess whenever i get around to doing that i'll put it on my profile, or in my sig.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Inkscape

[Numinous]

Edited to include the newest additions.  Thanks to Master Hagortough for the forum.  To reiterate, links to tutorials and artistic forums or communities will be received well and are appreciated.