"The smallest little bit of encouragement can go a long way."

FAQ~

Check my profile for trade/request options.

I do movie-realted graphics and I blank out screencaps every now and then.

I'm self taught. Been doing stuff like this since Winter 2010 when I was about 12. 

Use and abuse my blanks, I really don't care.

And if you're curious why my renders have different types of outlines every now and then:
I've been experimenting with styles. I love pixels, but they look so unprofessional, but they are way easier to work with. Smooth lines look fantastic and professional when colored right, and I always have trouble with cleanly coloring with smooth lines. Thus my renders switch between the two every now and then. However, with the pixel outlines, I've adopted a trick learned from Exile, which is to make the outlines blend with the character then blur the finished image to really place the character into the picture.

Currently using a mixture of Photoshop CS5, Paint.NET, Wacom Bamboo CTH-670 Tablet, and MS Paint.

Wall of Must-See Images

The History/Learn From My Experience

I started with Microsoft Paint where I worked pixel by pixel for many hours (up to 8 on some images) with a mouse. Did that for about a year or so.

I downloaded Gimp 2.6 on accident instead of Paint.NET, and hadn't realized it for a while. I quickly jumped from Gimp to Paint.NET and that's when things got really easy. I saved up and got a $40 pen tablet (Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch Tablet) and ventured into drawing canines (on Balto Source) although I quickly gave up on drawing for myself and just rendered for a long time (which may have really helped me in the end, because it helped me find a style I liked, while still having "training wheels" of tracing over figures.)

Somewhere along the way, I got Photoshop Creative Suite 5 Extended. I didn't use it for a while because I didn't understand any of the tools. It took me a year and a half to sit down and just learn it. My drawings and renders were still done solely on Paint.NET at the time.

The great thing about Paint.NET is it is free, and has really simple tools compared to Gimp (although Gimp has very nice filters and commands that Paint.NET doesn't have). However, whatever Paint.NET lacks, Gimp can make up for easily for people that don't have the money for CS5.

My simple "cheap" tablet eventually died. I was very sad, but after three years or so of some serious wear and tear, it needed to be upgraded. In the Summer of 2014, my mom allowed me to get a Wacom Bamboo Create Tablet (CTH-670) and I loved it since the day I opened the box. Around the same time the new tablet arrived I decided to try Paint Tool SAI. And I adored It. However, it was only a trial version so I didn't have it longer than a month. But those smooth lines it gave me were fantastic. If you want to be a digital artist but don't have the money for Photoshop, Paint Tool SAI is the way to go (it's like $50 per license, which is a landslide cheaper than the newest Photoshop).

There's also a lot more programs out there to try. Heck, I still use Microsoft Paint! (Usually for minor things). I haven't tried FireAlpaca, Pixlr or the Online Sketcher. What I think is the best free editing program is Paint.NET, however earlier versions of Photoshop Creative Suite are available. 

I love you all, remember that.