Okay everyone. Here are some things I've discovered since I first got my tablet:
1 (And this may be the most important one of all of them!). DO NOT unplug the tablet from your computer when your computer is asleep. If you do, your computer will have to RESTART and you will potentially lose whatever you were working on it you did not save it before your computer went to sleep. I made this mistake twice. The first time I didn't lose anything, but the second time I wasn't so lucky. I lost most of the work I had done on a contest entry - and it was looking pretty darn good if I do say so myself! Luckily I had saved the undersketch of it just in case, so I don't have to start all over again.
2. If you have Gimp, USE LAYERS! They take some getting used to, but after I used them for the first time about a week ago, I've used them in all of my major drawings and even some doodles. My works use three layers: One is the undersketch (preliminary drawing, I guess you could say). Two is the layer for ALL COLORS. Some people may want to use different layers for different colors. This to me sounds like it would be an unnecessary hassle. The third and top layer is the outline. After the outline is all done and before I add color, I go to the undersketch and erase it all so I don't get confused. If you save your art as .jpg files, the layers will be condensed into one neat layer.
3. SAVE YOUR DRAWINGS! This builds off of the first rule, because you never know when the power may go out (if you're using a desktop) or when you may run out of battery (if you're using a laptop). God knows how many people have lost stories and artwork because they didn't remember to save, and something happened to their computer, and yadayadayada. So. Save your work, and if you want to be super safe, back it up on a flash drive or send it to yourself in an email. Uploading it to Photobucket works too.
4. Become familiar with the shortcut CONTROL + Z. This is the Windows shortcut for "undo," and if you use Gimp (and probably any other art software), it lets you undo all the way to the beginning. MS Paint, on the other hand, only lets you undo three moves.
This will be updated if:
- I learn more from my tablet
- Other people have other things to add
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A collection of things I bothered to write down. Read at your own risk.
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