Drawing Tablet Wacom

Drawing Tablet Wacom

Cartoon Caricature Shaded Using Free Cartoon Drawing Software Pixia

As an artist, illustrator and cartoonist based in the UK, I am continually seeking to update my range of styles, be innovative and learn new drawing skills. With the introduction of digital art and the way it has taken the art world by storm (on the Internet at least) I am looking at ways I can enhance my hand-drawn traditional art images using drawing and cartooning software.

I've recently purchased a Wacom digital tablet to help draw digitally via the computer but I am reluctant to spend a lot of money on expensive corel art or photoshop drawing software. I have been looking at the drawing software that is available on the Internet for FREE. In doing so I came across Pixia cartoon and drawing software. Pixia is huge in Japan and now they have an English version.

I downloaded the Pixia software for FREE (it took just a few seconds to download) and started using it right away to shade a hand-drawn cartoon caricature of my own children. You can view the results below.

I drew this cartoon caricature by hand using a black gel pen and then shaded it using the FREE Pixia drawing software. The process was fairly simple.

I selected the icon that showed I wished to fill gaps with colour. I then selected the colour, selected the gap (by moving my mouse into the gap area and right clicking) then I went  to the paint-pot icon. The gap was then filled with the chosen colour. As well as colours Pixia has a variety of textures and allows multiple layered shading.

Below is a funky shading effect I created using the same Pixia drawing software.

This picture had already been shaded with felt-tips by hand. I wanted to see how I could use the hand-shaded and digitally shaded elements together. This is the result. A funky, modern and fairly unique cartoon caricature.

To get your Free Pixia drawing software simply visit the Pixia website.

For more cartoon drawing tips and advice and free online drawing tools visit the cartoonist forum.

About the Author

Leah Gray is an artist and writer. She creates uniuque cartoon caricatures, illustrates children's book and writes gag cartoons as well as creating a variety of unique gifts for loved ones, friends or as treat for yourself. If you want to laern more about drawing cartoons visit the cartoonist forum.

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