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Journal Updated: May 2015

It use to be, in ye olden times, it was difficult to break into the digital art field without some serious cash. Everyone insisted you needed Intuo (but you settled for a 4 x5 Graphire) and Photoshop or Painter was the way to go (which you pirated because you didn't have $500+ lying around). Having a computer that could run a resource heavy program like Photoshop was often difficult too (you dealt with it).

That was then, this is now. Breaking into the Digital Art field is a whole lot easier AND cheaper.

Method 1: "The Work With What You Have" Method

I know people are telling you to get a tablet and that you absolutely MUST use Photoshop. But did you know that just having access to a mouse and a scanner you can make digital art? (Heck, you don't even need the scanner if it comes down to it.) This is called VECTOR ART . Vector programs allow you "draw" lines and then manipulate them afterward. You can make a straight line and then make it thinner, thicker, curve it this way or that. Whatever you want!

INKSCAPE is a FREE vector art program that is cross-platform. This means it works with Windows, Mac, and Linux. Typically what you'd do is draw something on a piece of paper and then scan it and load it into InkScape, where you'd "draw" lines over the picture (this is called inking). You can also try your hand at creating art without a hand-drawn picture as reference! The nifty thing about vector art is it looks incredibly clean and can be easily made larger or smaller without any quality loss.

Method 2: "The Buy It Used or Find it Free!" Method

Did you know with just $100 you can get a tablet AND a great art program?! It's true!

It's really easy to find Wacom Tablets that are used or refurbished for under $100. You can also get new tablets from "alternative" companies. Models Monoprice 10594 , Huion H610 , or the Ugee M708 are all under $65 and are comparable to Intuo Pros.

And why buy an art program when you can just get it free? No, I don't mean pirate it! I mean all the fantastic LEGALLY FREE programs available. The top one being Krita , then GIMP (or the Gimp Paint Studio ), and other programs like MyPaint , Artrage 2 , FireAlpaca , Sketchbook Copic Edition , or the incredibly ancient openCanvas 1.1 . With programs like Krita and GIMP, it's really difficult to see the need to pirate a program like Photoshop.

Method 3: "The Buy it Cheap and New" Method

If you've got more than $100 lying around (maybe you've got generous parents or have a job), you end up with a lot more options. For instance, you can get the Huion H610 Pro or even try for a Cintiq alternative . You can also aim for a band spankin' new Wacom tablet or maybe buy a higher end used/refurbished Wacom tablet (as mentioned in Method 2).

For under $50 you can get programs like Manga Studio 5 and Art Rage 4 . Or for a bit more you can get openCanvas , AutoDesk's SketchBook , CorelDRAW Home & Student, or Photoshop Elements . If you really want to splurge, I recommend getting Manga Studio EX 5 . (MS5 is a great illustration program, but EX 5 has a lot of extras that speed up drawing and making comics.) Also, Frenden makes some of THE BEST brushes for Manga Studio and Photoshop out there and it's totally worth getting them.

One Last Thought....

Most of these programs will work reasonably well on mid-level computers from the Windows Vista era and up. However, do keep in mind that computers don't age gracefully: they fill up with programs that hog resources or their hardware becomes obsolete. A computer that's slow due to a cluttered OS may need to be put back to Factory Settings or have a fresh OS install. If you've got a very very old computer (we're talking Windows XP era type of thing), you're going to run into problems.. Sometimes you can breath new life into computers by installing a new OS like Lubuntu , Puppy Linux , or Linux Mint , but no promises. If the hardware is too old, then it's just too old and that's that.

If you've got a very old computer, you might want to consider investing in a new computer. Now before you have a heart attack, keep in mind you can get a very nice computer for dirt-cheap right now. For instance, for under $500 you can get a decent 15.6" laptop or a desktop with a monitor . People tend to graviate towards laptops because of the portability factor (phones really press upon us the "take it every where" mentality) but in terms of longevity, desktop computers last longer due to the ability to upgrade down the road. So if you want a computer that'll last, it's better to buy a desktop. (But always go for what fits your lifestyle best!)

I hope this journal has helped you! With all these options, you can see why you don't need to break-the-bank to be a digital artist. You can also see why there's absolutely NO reason to pirate art programs any more. The free options are just so many and so varied, taking the illegal path is completely unnecessary.