Designer Challenge - snowman

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Designer Challenge - snowman

For this challenge, let's make an original snowman. It can be a doodle, clipart, realistic, etc., etc. Then return here to show off your creation. (By showing your creations, you are inspiring others). Once you have shown your unique creation, you are free to add your creation to your kits.

Hand-drawn in Photoshop.

Oh my goodness!! Amanda, that snowman is gorgeous!!

Thanks, Gina. I like the textures on yours. One of those "I'd probably touch the monitor to feel it without thinking" ones. smiley

Do you use a tablet to draw? If so, which tablet? (I have one but I seldom, almost never, use it).

I do, actually. As a joke, I first drew a (very bad, looked like a two-year-old did it) snowman with my mouse, and joked with my 12-year-old that it was the final version.

I have a Wacom Intuos BT M, which I got earlier this year to replace the old Intuos 2 that finally died (the stylus stopped responding, and it was almost as expensive to replace just that stylus as it would be to purchase a much newer version of the tablet). I've got a lot of practice with tablets, as I've had one since 2002 or 2003 (don't recall when I initially bought the Intuos 2). Wacom is the brand I usually recommend, as I'm most familiar with it and have no complaints, but I know there are other brands that might have a better price point for beginners and work just as well.

I do find it very handy to use, even when making digital scrapbooking materials (I'm primarily a freelance illustrator). I use it to hand-draw elements (like this snowman, the mug and marshmallows and things from my January blog train kit, the hearts from my Fall in Love kit, the fleur-de-lis from my Ren Faire kit, and the outlines for the characters in my Jack and Jill kit), I use it with the Quick Mask tool for extracting elements, and I've used it to make more basic patterns when I need a more fluid control over things than I can manage with a mouse. The mouse is for precision, the tablet is for an organic feel to things.

Which tablet do you have?

I have the Wacom Intuos but have never mastered it. Maybe I'm too old and set in my ways.. LOL. In Illustrator, I draw with my mouse but it's a little more complicated in PS. I am forever looking at newer and better tablets but I don't want to invest in something that I wont use.

Don't. I don't know how old your Intuos is, but it can't be any older than my old one that finally died, and that was still working well enough up until the stylus broke.

I find what helped to get used to it was to just take time to draw in Photoshop frequently, starting with small things. It may help to trace the outlines of things to give you a guide. The biggest thing, to me, is just getting past that disconnect of not looking at your hand while drawing, but rather the monitor.

And you're never too old to learn. smiley

Enjoying the tablet talk. I recently got a Wacom. Still practicing. Made a chipboard snowman.

Fantastic snowman Robin. I really love the watercolor. It's such a great texture.

The watercolor really works well, Robin. smiley

Is it bad that I've had a drawing tablet for a couple of years now and I haven't used it at all?!? Yikes! I gotta get that out and try it, huh?

Lisel, it's no worse than the fact that I've had two of them and still haven't learned to use it. smiley

LOL. I had one for 5 years and never learned, I gave it away and bought a new one a few months ago. Same story.

smiley

That's my story too. I'm pretty sure it's been longer than 5 years though and I'm not sure what I did with it but I bought a new one.. maybe a year or so ago.

Love the scarf and earmuffs, Gina. smiley How'd you do that texture?

This snowman is actually several years old. I just updated him (her) by adding the ice & snow style by Elif Sahin.

The scarf and earmuff were created with a scatter brush I created (years ago). If I can locate my brush, I'll share it. I used the same brush technique for making garland, wreaths and a few Christmas trees.

This brush is very old but should still work. Just pick a color and drape your garland (or make earmuffs and scarves).

Very nice. Thanks Gina!

Almost looks like a Christmas cookie! Love it!

Thank you Gina! I was admiring that wreath just today!!!!

Wow! Gina, thankyou for sharing your brush with us. It looks great.

If you create something with the brush, let me know. I'd love to see what everyone makes.

OK I made a snowman mask, but can't remember how to upload it into the forum. There was a tutorial on it that I read a while back but I couldn't find it tonight and I am too tired to keep looking. The PS ID # is 229040. I'll try again tomorrow.

Love the discussion about tablets- I m sooooo tempted to get a new one, but I never used my old one... sound familiar??? heeheehee

I have a Wacom tablet and they are brilliant, but I haven’t used it for years because I hardly ever get a chance to spend any decent amount of time at my computer. (Two kids, and I don’t like them going in my office.)
I’ve only been able to come back to designing now that the iPad software is so good. I have an Apple Pencil and very happy with it. So from my perspective, I’d say skip the graphics tablet and use an Apple Pencil (Procreate app is fantastic for drawing). I’m guessing that’s cheaper too, but maybe only if you already have an iPad that can use the Apple Pencil. Not sure what Wacom tablets cost now.

Santa brought me an ipad pro and apple pencil.

Do you know where I can find some good tutorials for procreate?

Many thanks, Gina, for the challenge. There is a whole army of cuteness in this thread. Such gorgeous snowmen, lovely!
I was in a bit of a funk with these but now I got two snowmen.

Thank you for your brush Gina... I've been away but am getting back into things....
am loving all your snowmen in here smiley

I'm in a Facebook Group that's pretty useful: https://www.facebook.com/groups/allipadart/ I use Affinity Photo on the iPad and the iPad is WAY better than any table to draw, IMO! smiley Good luck!

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