I’ve spent countless hours of my precious life watching videos, reading blog posts, and generally researching digital painting techniques. I’m compiling all of the best information here in this blog post so that I might save someone else all those same hours. 🙂

This post will be continually updated as I find new and/or better information. For example, I still have not found anyone who can make me understand the elusive art of turning blobs into beautiful fully-rendered paintings.

I watch, it seems like a simple premise, and then I just can’t seem to put it into practice lol. Maybe I’m too impatient. I DIGRESS.

Digital Painting Programs

Either purchase Photoshop or download Krita (a free & open source program). Both make equally beautiful paintings. Remember: practice is more important than equipment.

Brushes

Get yourself some free Photoshop brushes:

• The Loish Brush Set
• Steve Ahn’s Photoshop Brush for Storyboard and Drawing

Or purchase Kyle T Webster’s popular brush sets.

Get yourself some (obviously) free Krita brushes:

• Krita brushes
• Sara Tepes video on her brush settings

Digital Painting Tutorials & Tips

Lighting

• Lighting tips from Sara Tepes
• And more lighting tips from Sara Tepes

Coloring

• Digital coloring process by Dayna D
  • How to use the clipping layers she talks about
• How to color better with LavenderTowne

Inking

• Digital inking tips from LavenderTowne

YouTubers to Follow

Sara Tepes because she is a lovely & talented digital painter (who uses Krita).
LavenderTowne because she has a quirky, comic-y style and a soothing voice.

Lastly, if you have anything to add or an artist I might include here, please comment below! I hope this saved you some time or brought you a little inspiration. As always, please follow me on social media for my daily art adventures, and subscribe to the newsletter for shop promo codes and other special offers. Thanks for reading!