Last Poster #6

[AngryHobbit]

I don't think I could ever draw anything more complicated than a very disfigured dog with that thing.

 

[dvcochran]

I need a drawing software. Any of you guys have a good idea what I should look for?
and probably a tablet/2in1 to go with it....

Drawing like AutoCad or like Adobe?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I need a drawing software. Any of you guys have a good idea what I should look for?
and probably a tablet/2in1 to go with it....

When you say "drawing", do you mean vector graphics (like Illustrator) or raster (like Photoshop)? There's some blurring of the lines now at Adobe, but I can recommend some lower-cost options (some free) to look at, depending what you want to do with it.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I don't think I could ever draw anything more complicated than a very disfigured dog with that thing.

I could draw stairs. 2-d stairs. Hella good.

 

[Xue Sheng]

all of our production folks use Adobe Creative Cloud Products, but then they don't have to buy them either.

There are other drawing programs out there that I have heard are good, I shall heave to ask my youngest what those are because she deals with them. The software I deal with is all enterprise stuff

 

[AngryHobbit]

While we are on the subject of drawing, some new stuff from the Office Gallery.

 

[granfire]

If I knew, I wouldn't need to ask.
Basically I need to cross the gap between art and technical imaging.
The problem is, I haven't picked up a pencil in years (10 almost to the day)

and it seems like a good time right now, since I do need to upgrade the hardware as well.

Not sure if I am saying this the right way, operating on only 2 cups of coffee, 4 oatmeal cookies, and not enough sleep...time for a nap

What do you need it for? Drafting? Sketching?

Drawing like AutoCad or like Adobe?

When you say "drawing", do you mean vector graphics (like Illustrator) or raster (like Photoshop)? There's some blurring of the lines now at Adobe, but I can recommend some lower-cost options (some free) to look at, depending what you want to do with it.

all of our production folks use Adobe Creative Cloud Products, but then they don't have to buy them either.

There are other drawing programs out there that I have heard are good, I shall heave to ask my youngest what those are because she deals with them. The software I deal with is all enterprise stuff

 

[Steve]

Adobe is pretty much the standard, but the problem is it's like trying to learn to drive in a formula 1 car. That said, because it's thw standard, there arw a lot of great tutorials online, free and foe a small fee. Lynda.com is an excellent paid site for training on all kinds of things, and can take you from beginner to expert.

 

[AngryHobbit]

If I knew, I wouldn't need to ask.
Basically I need to cross the gap between art and technical imaging.
The problem is, I haven't picked up a pencil in years (10 almost to the day)

and it seems like a good time right now, since I do need to upgrade the hardware as well.

Not sure if I am saying this the right way, operating on only 2 cups of coffee, 4 oatmeal cookies, and not enough sleep...time for a nap

I use GIMP and Irfanview for image manipulation and PowerPoint for book cover design, but I do all my illustrating, the physical drawing, by hand - with pens and pencils - then scan the images in, maybe adjust colors, maybe add some things (like sparkles for children's books), and pop them into the document.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I use GIMP, too. It's the defacto standard for LINUX systems.

 

[dvcochran]

If I knew, I wouldn't need to ask.
Basically I need to cross the gap between art and technical imaging.
The problem is, I haven't picked up a pencil in years (10 almost to the day)

and it seems like a good time right now, since I do need to upgrade the hardware as well.

Not sure if I am saying this the right way, operating on only 2 cups of coffee, 4 oatmeal cookies, and not enough sleep...time for a nap

So, I will stick with the same question, are you needing to do creative "arts" drawing or technical drawing like blueprints. I think most any current drawing software will do either unless you need a great deal of detail and precision.

 

[granfire]

So, I will stick with the same question, are you needing to do creative "arts" drawing or technical drawing like blueprints. I think most any current drawing software will do either unless you need a great deal of detail and precision.

as I said. it intersects, as far as I can see.
You know, create a doll with a pretty face, and hash out how the joints work at the same time.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

If I knew, I wouldn't need to ask.
Basically I need to cross the gap between art and technical imaging.
The problem is, I haven't picked up a pencil in years (10 almost to the day)

and it seems like a good time right now, since I do need to upgrade the hardware as well.

Not sure if I am saying this the right way, operating on only 2 cups of coffee, 4 oatmeal cookies, and not enough sleep...time for a nap

Okay, so here's what I'll share. All the following are alternatives to Adobe products. I learned graphic design/manipulation ages ago before Adobe was the standard for anything but image editing (Photoshop), and have long used non-Adobe alternatives because they are less expensive, and I prefer to be legal.

• Line drawing: Inkscape. This is free, and can handle basic line drawing (vector). This kind of software is good for drawing logos and such, and less useful for making artwork (for most people).
• Image editing/painting: The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program, I think). This is also free, and is Photoshop-like. You'd be able to paint/draw freehand with this if you have a drawing tablet or pen to use, and it's quite good for image editing.
• A bit of both, plus page layout: Magix Designer Pro. This is mostly set up around page layout and line drawing (quite similar to Aldus Freehand capability, if you're familiar with that old program). It also has limited image editing capability. This would be more likely to be useful in designing flyers, posters, and web pages.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Adobe is pretty much the standard, but the problem is it's like trying to learn to drive in a formula 1 car. That said, because it's thw standard, there arw a lot of great tutorials online, free and foe a small fee. Lynda.com is an excellent paid site for training on all kinds of things, and can take you from beginner to expert.

And if you're not going to use it frequently, I think they still have a monthly subscription you can turn on and off. It's expensive (compared to other options) if you subscribe all the time, but not bad if you only need it 3 months out of the year.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

as I said. it intersects, as far as I can see.
You know, create a doll with a pretty face, and hash out how the joints work at the same time.

Unfortunately, in computer terms, those are two different items. Freehand drawing/painting/sketching is best handled in "raster" formats - those store the image as pixels at a specific resolution. Logos and shapes are best handled in "vector" formats - those store the image as a series of lines, identified by coordinates, with fills where useful, and are resolution-agnostic.

 

[granfire]

this is a good starting point.
I remember GIMP. (I couldn't do a ting with it, before Youtube was the education center of the known world)
I will have to check out Inkscape.

Okay, so here's what I'll share. All the following are alternatives to Adobe products. I learned graphic design/manipulation ages ago before Adobe was the standard for anything but image editing (Photoshop), and have long used non-Adobe alternatives because they are less expensive, and I prefer to be legal.

• Line drawing: Inkscape. This is free, and can handle basic line drawing (vector). This kind of software is good for drawing logos and such, and less useful for making artwork (for most people).
• Image editing/painting: The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program, I think). This is also free, and is Photoshop-like. You'd be able to paint/draw freehand with this if you have a drawing tablet or pen to use, and it's quite good for image editing.
• A bit of both, plus page layout: Magix Designer Pro. This is mostly set up around page layout and line drawing (quite similar to Aldus Freehand capability, if you're familiar with that old program). It also has limited image editing capability. This would be more likely to be useful in designing flyers, posters, and web pages.

 

[dvcochran]

as I said. it intersects, as far as I can see.
You know, create a doll with a pretty face, and hash out how the joints work at the same time.

If it is something you are going to build or more importantly have produced I would advocate for an AutoCad type product. There are some free sources out there which I can't imagine have the sophistication of true AutoCad but you may not need it. There is a learning curve, especially if you have no drafting experience.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Welcome to the 2nd day of Spring in the Adirondacks.....its snowing.....

 

[seasoned]

Welcome to the 2nd day of Spring in the Adirondacks.....its snowing.....

Sorry to hear that. This is really good news for the ..........

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Welcome to the 2nd day of Spring in the Adirondacks.....its snowing.....

There's nothing like that first Spring snow. Life reborn, that is.