Does anyone know of any good/the best free drawing programs? Total beginner here.

I just started drawing around a week ago, these are the ONLY two drawings I have:

Thanks for sharing your drawings. :) I like them both

I think gimp is free. That one is commonly used. You can usually find some copy of SAI somewhere. <.< >.> Sumopaint is a browser one that is decent given that is in the browser. I would be careful with doing digital drawing if you don't have a tablet. It is time consuming and generally comes out a lot worse than drawing by hand.

Not sure if you plan to just draw for fun, or more intensely, but drawing from life is always the best. (Not that I usually do xD) There's also a lot of good refs. online to use. I personally suggest using references; it will help you improve much quicker. I would beware of references that are drawn by others though, while they can be used to learn about something like shading, a photo would be more accurate.

I have tips as well if you would like them.

Thank you, any help is appreciated <3

As for digital drawing I just want to try my hand at it, if I could scan(the photos up there are web cam not scans) my drawings then color them in that's really the only reason I want to try something with a program. I will look at all programs you have listed.

I am mostly going to start drawing as a hobby, I have always envied others drawings so I decided to to start drawing. And the two pictures up there is what I have made so far, I made ALLOT of mistakes on them but I just used shading and such to cover them up(like the mouth and one eye of the first drawing and the hair in the 2nd one)

As for the life thing... I have had made *coughs* "drawings"(stick figures and REALLY ugly round faces(dont ask)) of some certain things and I hope to, when I get a little better at drawing, revise them into what I really want to draw.

Any and all tips are welcomed, as I a super newbie to drawing I need any help I can find.

Thanks again for the help :)

Edit: I might add that your art is beautiful :O

Coloring on the computer sounds like a good way to go. Hope it works out. c: And thank you for the compliment ^_^///)~

Hehe, the one-eye is a classic. I think everyone has done that. xD But on the same note perhaps it's just me, but I personally prefer seeing mistakes instead of covering them up. It helps me see what I've done wrong for the next time.

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Here's some tips and tricks based on your drawings above. I didn't put too many. If you have anything you are curious about, feel free to ask. Oh, I'd also like to know if the below are useful at all. If not, that's completely okay~~ c; so don't feel nervous/pressured that you have to say yes.

(1) Ears~ You forgot ears on your drawings. D: While each part doesn't have to be perfect, it is good to have all of the parts. I think it will help face shape a bit more as well as a bonus.

(2) A trick for lips. Light usually hits lips more on the bottom than the top, so we are usually used to seeing a darker upper lip and a lighter lower lip. So if you adjust your shading to be heavier on the upper lip and very slight on the lower the form of the lips will be more apparent.



(3) Tip for volume in Hair: roots and near the shoulders. For roots, the easiest image for me to think of is that of marilyn monroe, as she has that one big curl in the front. Even if you can't see the roots, the hair is still arched like the curl there. For near the shoulders, Longer hair always looks more flowy when it interacts with the shoulders. Generally scooping there like as if hair hit the floor.

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I didnt forget ears, the hair is just in front of them XD

Oh! Thats helpful about the lips! I tend to have problems with them >.<

Thats a good tip for the hair as well, thank you :)

Ooh. For the ears, or rather for the 2nd picture, the hair should cover more of the left side of the face (her right). As the ear is actually supposed to be in that area, but somehow the face got slightly elongated there. That would balance it out more. That's the only reason why I thought such. The hair correctly covers everywhere else. Yeah the lip trick is actually quite easy which is nice considering how difficult so many other things are with drawing aha. Hair is a bit more difficult sadly. :(

hmm I see what you mean, thank you :)

sometimes it's hard to see things when you've been working on them for so long. Hope I didn't pry too much though. >.< I think since you're just beginning no need to focus on the technical stuff too much, just have fun with it.

No, I really appreciate the tips :) Thanks again :3

Aw *****. First time I tried to post this, internet went out. Second time, I apparently had the window open too long or something, and when I tried to post it, it closed saying something was wrong. Third time, I accidently closed this tab instead of the one I was trying to close. Let's just hope the fourth time works, otherwise I'm just going to give up.

So, let's try this again.

Recommended drawing program; Photoshop. Below is the url to the site where you can get to a free download of an earlier version of it, adobe photoshop cs2. It's the one I'm using, but it doesn't have all the tricks/shortcuts of the later versions.

http://www.redmondpie.com/download-adobe-photoshop-cs2-for-free-legally-while-you-still-can/

Tips for drawing, if you want them.

Shading; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dqGkHWC5IU
Head angles; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EPNYWeEf1U
Eyes (structure); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6-bCgRmcko
Eyes (step-by-step); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6-bCgRmcko
Lips; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0vWyKyYv4o
Nose; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb1WrQp2EAI
Ears; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncfm_3UnLKE

Edit; Ah ha! I did it! It finally posted.