If yous're searching for good digital painting software, you've probably come beyond PaintTool SAI. This is a rather former digital painting and drawing programme developed in 2004 for Windows.

It is widely used past anime and manga artists, but you tin utilise PaintTool SAI for almost any kind of project.

PaintTool SAI is non a complicated program, but it does have a learning curve. Here are some tips to assist you get started on your first project.

Creating a New Canvas

PaintToolSAI creating a new canvas

You can create a new canvas past selecting File > New. And when you do, the specifications you choose matter.

You should beginning specify the width and pinnacle of your sail, which you lot tin can practice in pixels, inches, centimeters, and millimeters.

And so, you need to make sure that your resolution is fix to at least 350dpi—especially if y'all plan to impress your work.

There will too exist a couple of preset options that yous can choose from. If you want, y'all can give your new sheet a different proper name. Alternatively, you tin proper name it later when y'all save it.

Upon creating your new canvas, you should relieve your work immediately. Y'all tin practice this by clicking on File > Save or holding Ctrl + S on your keyboard.

This way, every bit you start drawing and making progress, you lot tin can simply press Ctrl + South to relieve that progress.

PaintToolSAI stabilizer tool

Since PaintTool SAI was mainly created for artists who apply a drawing pad, information technology offers the Stabilizer option.

When the stabilizer is at 0, it can exist difficult to make straight lines. But, every bit soon as you prepare this higher, y'all can create polish lines more than easily.

Take your fourth dimension and play around with this selection to find the best stabilizer level for y'all.

Go on in mind that the higher you lot set your stabilizer, the higher the delay of your pen volition exist.

Setting Upwards Your Piece of work Station

PaintTool SAI's default setup is to have everything on the left of the screen. This includes a cavalcade for your layers and a split column for all the tools.

PaintToolSAI the default setup

Some artists adopt to put ane column on the left, and the other on the right. Still, this is completely upwards to your personal preference.

Setting Up Your Preview Window

The Preview Window shows a zoomed-out version of your drawing. It is, by default, located above your layers. However, this can sometimes take up a lot of space from the layers—so it might exist easier to separate it.

If you desire to create a separated preview, click on View > New.

PaintToolSAI adding a new view

By clicking on the Maximize pick, you are able to carve up the two views. This manner, you tin can simultaneously meet your painting from a altitude as you draw.

PaintToolSAI creating your zoomed out view
PaintToolSAI color tools

At that place are a couple of ways you can play with colors, depending on what you are about comfortable with.

  • Color Cycle: Allows you to manually select the colour you lot want on the wheel.
  • RGB Slider: Lets you mix the basic colors to go the color yous want.
  • HSV Slider: The Hue and Saturation filter, which yous can also use by clicking on Filter > Hue and Saturation.
  • Color Mixer: Lets you mix up to 4 colors.
  • Swatches: Allows you lot to salvage certain color shades to use later.
  • Scratchpad: Similar to Swatches, simply instead of having to right-click to save a shade, y'all can only draw it yourself.
PaintToolSAI layer options

1 of the virtually important things y'all need to get used to in PaintTool SAI is knowing how to use layers.

Drawing everything on just one layer volition brand it incredibly difficult for you lot to correct or erase any mistakes later. Instead, you lot should separate each segment of the cartoon, such every bit color, shading, and highlights, into different layers.

To create new layers, you can simply click on the New Layer option. To delete the layer, select Delete Layer. The eye icon beside the layer allows you lot to hide or show it.

Layers let you to describe on peak of each other without affecting each of them. This means that if you lot draw on a dissimilar layer that is on acme of your line art layer (or whatever other), y'all won't need to affect the unabridged drawing.

Make sure to give your layers a name, as you lot can easily become lost and dislocated if yous accept a lot of layers without proper names.

To rename a layer, merely double-click on it. A window will pop upwards, and yous can give it a dissimilar name.

PaintToolSAI renaming your layers

There are many unlike brushes that you tin use. Which brush volition adapt your needs when drawing or painting depends on your personal style.

Keep in mind that your sketches will exist messy, just like they are when you lot draw on paper. But instead of having to advisedly outline your sketch and erase the imperfections on paper, you lot can utilize layers to practice that with a couple of clicks.

Coloring Your Line Art

Afterward you have created a clean line art, information technology's time to beginning coloring. The easiest mode to practice this is to offset by coloring each segment in a different layer with a flat base color.

One time you set up the base color, you need to effigy out where the light is coming from. This volition assist to make up one's mind where y'all should shade and highlight your drawing.

Adding a Groundwork

A painting doesn't ever demand to have a background, especially if you need an image with a transparent background.

In some cases, yous might be on the fence about whether or not to add i. In these instances, it's a good idea to split your art into layers. By doing this, y'all can see whether your drawing looks amend with or without a groundwork.

PaintTool SAI is an amazing painting and cartoon program that allows you to create professional-looking art. But, there is a bit of a learning curve when starting with PaintTool SAI.

If you're already familiar with Photoshop and other similar programs, getting used to PaintTool SAI volition exist a slice of cake. And if y'all aren't, you lot tin find plenty of online resources to assist you out.

How to Become Started With PaintTool SAI

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