How to Start Painting Digitally with Painter and Wacom

February 27, 2019

You’ve seen them standing there with their easels on windswept cliffs and windswept beaches and windswept botanical gardens, quietly capturing the scene with their paints. And you want to be them. Heck, who doesn’t. Or perhaps you are them (we envy you, windswept painter person!) But often the reality of painting (messy paints, awaiting the correct natural light, lack of a windswept beach) can stop even the most passionate painter in their tracks.

If you’re a painter (or aspiring painter) with a vision in your mind and a paintbrush for a heart (call 911, if this is literally the case) but something keeps getting between you and the canvas, technology is here to help. Combining a Wacom tablet or display with Painter software allows painters of all stripes to create when the inspiration strikes.

But how does one capture the muse digitally? We asked the team at Painter to round up their best tutorials so you can get your digital paintbrush primed to capture the windswept landscapes of your dreams.

Read on for their favorite tutorials.

Getting to Know Painter 2019

This series of tutorials by Painter Master Elite Cher Pendarvis will introduce you to the Painter interface and tools, and teach you the basics of working with color and layers. Learn how to get started with photo art and freehand sketching, and fine-tune your painting with effects. Already an experienced Painter user? Explore the new features and enhancements in Painter 2019 with our What’s New tutorial series.

How to Set Up your Painter Canvas

Learn about the various options when setting up your Painter canvas: dimensions, color background, paper type, and recommended resolution for print or web.

Reviewing the Painter Toolbox

Do you know what’s in your toolbox? Painter Master Elite Cher Pendarvis reviews each of the tools in the Painter toolbox and what they can be used for.

Getting to Know Painter Brushes

Get a look at Painter’s Brush Selector library, its categories and variants, and learn how to configure Brush Tracking to optimize for your stylus.

Working with Color in Painter

Painter Master Elite Cher Pendarvis introduces you to the various color tools for selecting, adjusting, sampling, cloning and mixing color in Painter.

Understanding Painter Layers

Painter Master Elite Cher Pendarvis discusses the Layers panel and how layers can be used to organize your paintings and experiment with different effects.

Property Bar and Shortcuts

Learn how to adjust the settings of each tool using the Property Bar, and get some helpful keyboard shortcuts to speed up your painting workflow.

Painting your First Photo

Learn how to paint your first photo with the tools in the Photo Art palette for cloning, auto-painting and restoring some of the photographic details.

Freehand Sketching from a Reference Image

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to set up a reference image for freehand sketching, and how to use the various tools in the Reference Image panel.

Fine-tuning your Painting with Effects

Painter Master Elite Cher Pendarvis shows you how to apply lighting and surface texture to your canvas to add that extra flair to your painting.

Related posts:

Shop the Wacom eStore*

When you shop on the Wacom eStore you get access to discounts, financing, extended warranties, and our industry-leading customer support team.

Connect with Wacom on Social

Who's your favorite Pokémon? 💦🍃🔥⚡⁣
⁣
Some nostalgic friends for #FridayFanart with amazing art by @philipsue_art. If beautiful landscapes, process videos, and art tips are your thing, Philip's page is the place to visit!⁣
⁣
#MadewithWacom #digitalart #animation #art #artprocess #fanart #pokemon #pikachu
6090 26
Digital kitchen time! 
Here's the last of @patrick_4d's digital burger tip series. We hope you tried making your own burger or at least went out and got one for sustenance 🍔🍔🍔
Thank you Patrick for making us the most delicious digital burger we could have wished for. 
#wacomwantsaburger
583 16
This is a reminder for you to embrace your geek side! 🚀

For those who spend hours designing a new skin for their character, creating 3D models of their favourite video game or programming special effects for movies.
Your art makes us proud!

How are you going to celebrate? 👇

#GeekPrideDay #Geek #ArtistsLife
846 5
Tag your other half. ✨💕⁣
⁣
We had to share the love with @yuyo.psd's heartwarming illustration. 🫶⁣
If you like the flow and colors of Yuyo's design, make sure you check out their page for more colorful artwork! 💜⁣
#MadewithWacom #digitalart #illustration #art #graphicdesign
693 8
From concept to reality, @pixebo’s home office is brought to life to create a cozy place to sit down with their Wacom Cintiq and get to work! ✨✍️

#WacomWorkspace #digitalart #homeoffice #deskgoals #wfh
1721 13
Discover the technology behind #CintiqPro24 🚀⁣
⁣
The #WacomProPen2 provides state-of-the-art creative pen technology, meaning every stroke, every move of your hand is followed with unerring accuracy. 💫⁣
⁣
Want to discover how it feels to draw with it? Check the link in bio!⁣
⁣
#Cintiqpro24 #CreativeProfessionals #CintiqPro
708 14
Colorful creative portrait by artist @valerie.loves.colors to start off your week. 🌈☀️🍃⁣
Valerie finds that people and colors give her the most inspiration. She points out that everyone is unique and vibrant in their own way, much like the color spectrum! 🎨⁣
⁣
#MadewithWacom #abstractart #digitalart #art #portrait #illustration
473 6
The importance of taking breaks ❤️

We’ve seen absolutely identified with the words of @ms.shortyj 💫 Taking care of yourself will help you grow as an artist.

Stopping is not quitting, is just taking a pause of the path to get another perspective 😉

What other things help you when you feel this way? Share it in the comments!

#Artistslife #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
1284 18
If you could design your dream workspace, how would it look like? 🚀⁣
⁣
Tell us in the comments what are your must-haves! 👇⁣
⁣
#WacomWorkspace #ArtistWorkspace
634 14
Don't mind us, we're out here dreaming of @patrick_4d's Wacom burger this weekend. Check out these juicy tips he shares to help you create the best looking digital burger ever! #wacomwantsaburger 
Are you participating in our burger challenge? Visit the link in our bio for more details and a chance to win some cool Wacom prizes.
737 11
Serene moment in time. 😌🌊 Slice of life shot and retouched by photographer @ashrafularefin. ⁣
#MadewithWacom #photography #streetphotography #OldDhaka
536 5