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How I Make Adoptables
4 years ago
Hello!
I thought I'd write a small journal to let you all know how I make the adoptable I publish, just so you can see what goes through my head, or possibly even use this as a small tutorial if you want to get into it :) If you've got any questions or things you want answered, feel free to ask in the comments :D
To Draw/Colour, i use Krita which is a Highly Customisable art program, for the low low price of just $0. I have it pretty customised to how I work, with numerous custom keybinds, and my sidebar setup to give me the best range of colours. Most, if not all, of the bases I use are .PSD files, which means they are designed for photoshop, however Krita can open them too. I've used Krita for about 3-4 years, and I've tried alternatives, but for me, nothing works nearly as good as Krita does. It's so expansive and customisable, and simple to use and does so much, all that for free... It's just a great tool. The main brush I use is the b)_Basic-5_Size which only changes size based on pressure level. Its opacity stays the same regardless of the pressure applied, but the size change allows me to either be really delicate and precise, or cover a large area. It also really helps with drawing tufts of fur. I do use other brushes, though, for details and special effects :)
The Tablet I use is the Huion H6S10N due to is 8000+ levels of pressure sensitivity, batteryless pen, 28 custom buttons and it's smooth scroller. Having the scroller allows zooming in and working on the canvas so much easier, as I don't need to constantly grab my mouse and use that scroll wheel. Besides, scrolling horizontally feels much better than veritcally :)
I'm pretty sure that's all for equipment, so let's move on to the process ^^
I use bases to create my adoptables. I'll get into that a little bit later in the journal. To begin with, I open the adoptable in Krita, and most of them have different ways to customise them. Different faces, expressions, horns, wings, etc. I tend to look back at my own work, or others work, to try and get what people like. If horns go well, I'll try something with horns. If wings are hot, I'll try and do one with wings. I constantly think to myself "Would I buy that?" and if the answers no, I try and change that. sometimes I'll be able to identify what I don't like, and fix it, but if I can't, I don't sell it. I will not sell something that I personally do not like.
Coming up with designs and colours can be tricky, so usually I try and have a theme, or I'll try and make something with colours I get from my Synaesthesia. I always listen to music whilst working, and sometimes I'll let the colours and shapes of the song I'm listening to bleed into the adoptable I'm making. Infact, one of my First Adoptables was made from a song. I try and do something a little different with each character, new designs, new symbols, etc. It can be tricky coming up with colours that work together, and designs that look right, but it's a process of trial and error, and then improving from there.
Usually, I'll spend anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours per character. I want to make sure everything is looking good, and is consistent. I have made mistakes, but I do what I can to fix them. If ever you notice something wrong, or need something changed with your purchase, don't hesitate to ask :)
Finding bases that work for you can be difficult. Usually, I look for reasonably thick lines, a colouring layer, a good size canvas, and customisability. I won't buy a base if two of these things are missing. Usually, there aren't colouring layers, which just makes making them take a little longer and more time consuming.
To search for bases, I like to look on this website :) I'm trying to get a bit more involved with everyone on here, and I love seeing what people make and publish here. I usually search for specific animals, or just generic terms like "base" "psd" etc. There are plenty of great people and bases out there on this website ^^
And thats about it really ^^ I can't think of anything else to say at the moment. If you have any questions, feedback or anything, feel free to comment here, note me, or ask me on discord @Pete#2000 :)
Hopefully you've enjoyed reading this, maybe learned something, or found it helpful! <3 If you want to get into making adopts, and need a helping hand, feel free to reach out to me, I don't mind :D
Have a wonderful day <3
I thought I'd write a small journal to let you all know how I make the adoptable I publish, just so you can see what goes through my head, or possibly even use this as a small tutorial if you want to get into it :) If you've got any questions or things you want answered, feel free to ask in the comments :D
Equiptment
Having the right tools for the job is important, but it's more important to work with what you're comfortable with. There's no point in having the most advanced, expensive, and top of the range tools if you don't know how to use them, or you don't feel comfortable using it. What matters is that you know what to do, and how to do it. Better art programmes, better tablets, better computers etc will not make you a better artist.To Draw/Colour, i use Krita which is a Highly Customisable art program, for the low low price of just $0. I have it pretty customised to how I work, with numerous custom keybinds, and my sidebar setup to give me the best range of colours. Most, if not all, of the bases I use are .PSD files, which means they are designed for photoshop, however Krita can open them too. I've used Krita for about 3-4 years, and I've tried alternatives, but for me, nothing works nearly as good as Krita does. It's so expansive and customisable, and simple to use and does so much, all that for free... It's just a great tool. The main brush I use is the b)_Basic-5_Size which only changes size based on pressure level. Its opacity stays the same regardless of the pressure applied, but the size change allows me to either be really delicate and precise, or cover a large area. It also really helps with drawing tufts of fur. I do use other brushes, though, for details and special effects :)
The Tablet I use is the Huion H6S10N due to is 8000+ levels of pressure sensitivity, batteryless pen, 28 custom buttons and it's smooth scroller. Having the scroller allows zooming in and working on the canvas so much easier, as I don't need to constantly grab my mouse and use that scroll wheel. Besides, scrolling horizontally feels much better than veritcally :)
I'm pretty sure that's all for equipment, so let's move on to the process ^^
The Process
I use bases to create my adoptables. I'll get into that a little bit later in the journal. To begin with, I open the adoptable in Krita, and most of them have different ways to customise them. Different faces, expressions, horns, wings, etc. I tend to look back at my own work, or others work, to try and get what people like. If horns go well, I'll try something with horns. If wings are hot, I'll try and do one with wings. I constantly think to myself "Would I buy that?" and if the answers no, I try and change that. sometimes I'll be able to identify what I don't like, and fix it, but if I can't, I don't sell it. I will not sell something that I personally do not like.
Coming up with designs and colours can be tricky, so usually I try and have a theme, or I'll try and make something with colours I get from my Synaesthesia. I always listen to music whilst working, and sometimes I'll let the colours and shapes of the song I'm listening to bleed into the adoptable I'm making. Infact, one of my First Adoptables was made from a song. I try and do something a little different with each character, new designs, new symbols, etc. It can be tricky coming up with colours that work together, and designs that look right, but it's a process of trial and error, and then improving from there.
Usually, I'll spend anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours per character. I want to make sure everything is looking good, and is consistent. I have made mistakes, but I do what I can to fix them. If ever you notice something wrong, or need something changed with your purchase, don't hesitate to ask :)
Finding Bases
Finding bases that work for you can be difficult. Usually, I look for reasonably thick lines, a colouring layer, a good size canvas, and customisability. I won't buy a base if two of these things are missing. Usually, there aren't colouring layers, which just makes making them take a little longer and more time consuming.
To search for bases, I like to look on this website :) I'm trying to get a bit more involved with everyone on here, and I love seeing what people make and publish here. I usually search for specific animals, or just generic terms like "base" "psd" etc. There are plenty of great people and bases out there on this website ^^
Closing Words
And thats about it really ^^ I can't think of anything else to say at the moment. If you have any questions, feedback or anything, feel free to comment here, note me, or ask me on discord @Pete#2000 :)
Hopefully you've enjoyed reading this, maybe learned something, or found it helpful! <3 If you want to get into making adopts, and need a helping hand, feel free to reach out to me, I don't mind :D
Have a wonderful day <3
