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

It is widely used by anime and manga artists, only y'all tin use PaintTool SAI for almost any kind of project.

PaintTool SAI is not a complicated programme, but information technology does take a learning curve. Here are some tips to help you go started on your first project.

Creating a New Canvas

PaintToolSAI creating a new canvas

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

You lot should first specify the width and pinnacle of your sheet, which y'all tin can do in pixels, inches, centimeters, and millimeters.

Then, you need to make certain that your resolution is set to at least 350dpi—particularly if you plan to print your work.

In that location will also be a couple of preset options that you lot can choose from. If you lot want, you can give your new sail a different proper name. Alternatively, you can name information technology later when yous save information technology.

Upon creating your new canvas, you should save your work immediately. You lot can exercise this by clicking on File > Save or holding Ctrl + S on your keyboard.

This way, as you commencement cartoon and making progress, you lot can simply press Ctrl + Southward to salvage that progress.

PaintToolSAI stabilizer tool

Since PaintTool SAI was mainly created for artists who use a drawing pad, it offers the Stabilizer option.

When the stabilizer is at 0, information technology can be difficult to make straight lines. But, as soon as you set this higher, yous can create smooth lines more easily.

Take your time and play around with this selection to find the best stabilizer level for you.

Keep in mind that the college yous set your stabilizer, the higher the delay of your pen will be.

Setting Up Your Piece of work Station

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

PaintToolSAI the default setup

Some artists adopt to put one column on the left, and the other on the right. However, this is completely up to your personal preference.

Setting Up Your Preview Window

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

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

PaintToolSAI adding a new view

Past clicking on the Maximize pick, yous are able to carve up the two views. This fashion, yous can simultaneously run across your painting from a distance as you describe.

PaintToolSAI creating your zoomed out view
PaintToolSAI color tools

There are a couple of ways you tin play with colors, depending on what you are most comfy with.

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

1 of the most important things you need to become used to in PaintTool SAI is knowing how to use layers.

Drawing everything on only i layer will make information technology incredibly difficult for you lot to correct or erase whatsoever mistakes later. Instead, you lot should separate each segment of the drawing, such as color, shading, and highlights, into unlike layers.

To create new layers, you can but click on the New Layer pick. To delete the layer, select Delete Layer. The middle icon beside the layer allows you to hide or evidence it.

Layers allow you to draw on top of each other without affecting each of them. This means that if y'all depict on a different layer that is on top of your line art layer (or any other), you lot won't need to affect the entire drawing.

Make sure to give your layers a name, every bit y'all can easily get lost and confused if y'all have a lot of layers without proper names.

To rename a layer, simply double-click on it. A window will pop up, and y'all can give it a dissimilar proper noun.

PaintToolSAI renaming your layers

There are many different brushes that you can use. Which brush will suit your needs when drawing or painting depends on your personal style.

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

Coloring Your Line Art

Afterwards y'all have created a clean line art, it's time to offset coloring. The easiest way to practise this is to start by coloring each segment in a different layer with a flat base color.

In one case y'all ready the base of operations color, you demand to figure out where the light is coming from. This will help to determine where you should shade and highlight your cartoon.

Adding a Background

A painting doesn't always need to have a groundwork, specially if you need an image with a transparent background.

In some cases, you might be on the fence almost whether or not to add one. In these instances, it's a practiced idea to separate your art into layers. Past doing this, you tin run across whether your cartoon looks better with or without a groundwork.

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

If y'all're already familiar with Photoshop and other like programs, getting used to PaintTool SAI will be a piece of cake. And if you aren't, you tin discover plenty of online resources to assist y'all out.

How to Get Started With PaintTool SAI

If yous're new to digital fine art, PaintTool SAI is a great tool to get started with. It's complimentary, easy to use, and comes with an array of features.

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