Jump to content

Humble Bundle Painting Bundle

Larry Shelby

By Larry Shelby
in Deals

 Share

Recommended Posts

Larry Shelby

Larry Shelby

Posted
Posted

Check it out here...never heard of the company, but someone
might find it interesting and worth it
$20 gets you everything

https://www.humblebundle.com/software/natural-digital-painting-kit-software?linkID=&mcID=102:5e55972d23c7a1485954dfe0:ot:585c61ecf7bb513ff1c2affe:1&utm_source=Humble+Bundle+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020_02_26_naturaldigitalpaintingkitwithrebelle3_softwarebundle&linkID=&utm_content=hero_image

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mettelus

mettelus

Posted
Posted

I picked up Flame Painter 4 during the holidays, which comes with 3 of the 6 brushes (all I have with it), and it is pretty useful. It works similarly to PhotoShop in that it works with layers that can be saved/opened back and forth with PhotoShop (or automatically if you have PhotoShop CC via their Flame Painter Connect). The brushes are probably the most intuitive I have seen, and was the only one I could find readily that does realistic flames. The add-ons for that alone are $19.99 each (minimum).

Amberlight 2 looks interesting. That teaser made me wonder if there is enough control of the generation to use for video composites. One of the scenes in that teaser video ended on almost a phoenix.

Rebelle 3 is probably beyond me, but it did remind me of one of the most impressive paintings I ever saw... some kid won an art contest with a watercolor of an elderly man's face probably 30 years ago now. It had so much detail in it that it looked like a photograph, even including the pores in the man's nose. I just gawked at that thinking, "Seriously? I didn't think you could get this precision with water colors." I only ever thought of water colors as the little plastic blue box kits we had as kids. The teaser video is more achievable for me (I remember dripping water everywhere when I tried it too ?).

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mettelus

mettelus

Posted
Posted (edited)

Edit: After looking at that again, it reads as a "plugin for PhotoShop."

The file types Flame Painter saves are fpa (flamepainter), psd, png, jpg, bmp, and tif.  The actual connector program is very specific and sort of funny... Flame Painter 3 will connect to Photoshop CS 5+ (IIRC), but Flame Painter 4 only connects to Photoshop CC.  The connector only mentions "PhotoShop" that I saw, and it shows up as a menu item similar to Studio One<->Notion (both apps need to be open). I am not sure how useful it truly is, since a guy demoing it said to remember to save before using it or you could inadvertantly mess up layers. After I saw that, I wasn't as excited about it. Saving/exiting, then launching/opening won't get that issue. For either program, it is best to create a new layer to work on.

Edited by mettelus
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mesh

Mesh

Posted
Posted

I'm thinking of getting this for my children as they love art/painting etc... do I also need to purchase Photoshop or any other software to use    this? 

Really don't want to    get into a subscription plan or  buy into an expensive system just for this....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Brian Walton

Brian Walton

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, Mesh said:

I'm thinking of getting this for my children as they love art/painting etc... do I also need to purchase Photoshop or any other software to use    this? 

Really don't want to    get into a subscription plan or  buy into an expensive system just for this....

No extra software needed.  But how much they love it might depend on the interfaces you have.

Touch screen computer?  Drawing tablet?  Otherwise you are controlling via a mouse.  That might be fine, but does have a different experience.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Larry Shelby

Larry Shelby

Posted
  • Author
Posted
20 minutes ago, Mesh said:

Ah yeah, good point...it's a mouse. I'm guessing not as effective as a touchscreen?

Do you still think it's worth getting? Possibly later, I may upgrade to a touchscreen.

the best input for doing "Art" is a Graphics Tablet...and they can be had
relatively cheaply...
 

  • Like 1
  • Great Idea 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
sarine

sarine

Posted
Posted (edited)

You can get an older iPad (Pro) and Apple Pencil relatively cheap. I would recommend them over anything else for everyone except the person who doesn't need recommendations (e.g. a professional who already knows what they or their company needs / requires), but especially for kids. Just be aware of Apple Pencil compatibility (1st or 2nd gen.) if you go with iPad.

The experience on a tablet computer and apps is so much faster, more immediate and more fun when the interfaces are designed around touch input and seamless hands-on experience.

iPad Pros have a laminated display which reduce the "parallax" (i.e. the offset between the stylus tip and pixels on screen) to a minimum.

The latency on at least the newest iPad Pros is better than Wacoms.

Also, you can use an iPad similarly to e.g. a Wacom drawing tablet via wifi or USB on both Mac and Windows. Software support varies, but technically pressure sensitivity should work. It's probably not as good as Wacoms as such, and Wacom has rotation sensing which Apple Pencil lacks (and most people don't need).

 

Edited by sarine
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Brian Walton

Brian Walton

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Mesh said:

Ah yeah, good point...it's a mouse. I'm guessing not as effective as a touchscreen?

Do you still think it's worth getting? Possibly later, I may upgrade to a touchscreen.

I think it is more  of a quesiton how your kids work and interact with electronics.

Us adults have used a mouse as an input device so long it is natural.

Kids used to real pen and paper, or touch screens it can feel like a disconnect.

You could try downloading a demo to see how they react to what you have now.

2 minutes ago, sarine said:

You can get an older iPad (Pro) and Apple Pencil relatively cheap. I would recommend them over anything else for everyone except the person who doesn't need recommendations (e.g. a professional who already knows what they or their company needs / requires), but especially for kids. Just be aware of Apple Pencil compatibility (1st or 2nd gen.) if you go with iPad.

The experience on a tablet computer and apps is so much faster, more immediate and more fun when the interfaces are designed around touch input and seamless hands-on experience.

iPad Pros have a laminated display which reduce the "parallax" (i.e. the offset between the stylus tip and pixels on screen) to a minimum.

The latency on at least the newest iPad Pros is better than Wacoms.

Also, you can use an iPad similarly to e.g. a Wacom drawing tablet via wifi or USB on both Mac and Windows. Software support varies, but technically pressure sensitivity should work. It's probably not as good as Wacoms as such, and Wacom has rotation sensing which Apple Pencil lacks (and most people don't need).

 

even old ipads are pretty expensive.  You can get a used Wacom for like $25-30. , which then hooks up to a real computer with real applications .

I agree that for kids, drawing on the same surface is the most intuitive, but that is also pretty costly.  (also add in the cost of the apps).  That stupid pencil is also insanely priced from what I've seen (even gen 1)

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mesh

Mesh

Posted
Posted

Thanks for  all the useful info!!

I'm currently checking out reviews   on inexpensive Graphics Tables as I'd like for them to get the experience in using this, but don't want to spend an arm & a leg for it.   The iPad (like Brian said) are too much for me ATM .  The tablets with screens are also not feasible  for a beginning project.  

   Wacom  seems to be the popular brand. Any thoughts on the  Huion H610 Pro Graphic Drawing Tablet?  or    other recommendations? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Larry Shelby

Larry Shelby

Posted
  • Author
Posted
4 minutes ago, Mesh said:

Thanks for  all the useful info!!

I'm currently checking out reviews   on inexpensive Graphics Tables as I'd like for them to get the experience in using this, but don't want to spend an arm & a leg for it.   The iPad (like Brian said) are too much for me ATM .  The tablets with screens are also not feasible  for a beginning project.  

   Wacom  seems to be the popular brand. Any thoughts on the  Huion H610 Pro Graphic Drawing Tablet?  or    other recommendations? 

$59.99 for the Huion H1060+ at TomTop

https://www.tomtop.com/p-os0175.html

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Brian Walton

Brian Walton

Posted
Posted (edited)
52 minutes ago, Mesh said:

Thanks for  all the useful info!!

I'm currently checking out reviews   on inexpensive Graphics Tables as I'd like for them to get the experience in using this, but don't want to spend an arm & a leg for it.   The iPad (like Brian said) are too much for me ATM .  The tablets with screens are also not feasible  for a beginning project.  

   Wacom  seems to be the popular brand. Any thoughts on the  Huion H610 Pro Graphic Drawing Tablet?  or    other recommendations? 

Never used a Huion , but have heard decent things.

I'd personally consdier something like this:   https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wacom-Intuos-Draw-CTL490DW-Digital-Drawing-And-Graphics-Tablet-White-GRADE-A/293320044238?hash=item444b3caece:g:MhwAAOSwIAJcDtAj

 

Or this  (gains  Bluetooth connection), and comes with some software.  

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VS3S9RT/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07VS3S9RT&pd_rd_w=AFw2j&pf_rd_p=45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b&pd_rd_wg=z46KN&pf_rd_r=JMCV7MV21WZV49GQ3KSQ&pd_rd_r=db3d634e-5073-499b-bae3-871da03702df&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyMDkxNFpWWFdGTVlFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjYxNTMzMlg5VUpFTEhVSlJNUiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDU3Njc1MjdWUVZMWlVETlBWNiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

They are the smaller size, but I know full time pros that can actually use them for commercial grade art.    (i.e. they are good enough).  

 

(Also the Wacom doesn't need "power" for the pen, which I think the Huion does)

Edited by Brian Walton
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mettelus

mettelus

Posted
Posted (edited)

Quick feedback - The activation portion of the purchase can be streamlined greatly by entering the activation codes all on the same page one after the other. Then link your email/account and get the registration codes all at once. After one-offing the first two, I checked that and you can do them all (just copy/paste, add code, repeat).

Flame Painter 4 - That is linked to your email account, so I didn't get another copy (thought I would be giving that away). The only extra particle set is the elastic over the generic Flame Painter, but it it does include a bunch more brush tips. It is a bit of a pain to install them, since it seems you need to be on that particle system, then File->Import Brushes... and drill into the appropriate folders downloaded (you can highlight the first, shift-click the last and import an entire folder this way). I forgot to mention the "flowing" brushes earlier, which are nice to emulate fabrics. "Elastic" is basically linking the brush contact points to the center, so has most use in things that are radially focused (stars, glimmers, etc.). Linear and Fuzzy particle systems are not included.

Amberlight 2 I have not gotten to do much with, but defaults to a generic setup (the first in the teaser video). I simply added a key frame at slide 36, moved some of the fields and let it render out. However, each frame took roughly 10-15 seconds to render (on an overclocked i7-8700K), so that stuck out like a sore thumb... I need to revisit this since the default may be a little overzealous for what I was envisioning. It seems to be more motion-based rendering of particle fields to create video effect, and that default setup had some pretty populated fields.

Rebelle 3 requires the papers (the downloaded zip files) dragged/dropped onto the GUI, then restart the application, and they are then available. That application is probably the most realistic paint application I have ever seen. The colors actually leech into the paper and stay wet (unless you dry them), so the color diffuses to concentrate at the edge, and new colors will bleed... very realistic to real-time use of water colors. I didn't delve into it too deeply, but time can be your friend or enemy using this based on your point of view/input method. You do have control over the water content in the brush, and the "dry" tool shifts the picture so that all wet spots have a cyan layer over them. Brush tip controls replicate Photoshop... [ decreases tip size, ] increases tip size.

A quick comment regarding input from above... Rebelle is also layer based (same as Flame Painter), so for "speed and precision" purposes, I default to scanning pencil sketches as the base layer into programs like these. That layer often is ultimately removed, but a real pencil and real paper (and real eraser!) tends to work for me the best for the sketch phase. Even with touch/stylus I never seem to get the same results in an application. For the painting part, applications have the advantage, since undo beats anything you can do with a real painting, especially water color that bleeds realistically like Rebelle does.

Quick edit: Forgot to check, but Rebelle also allows you to save as Photoshop (psd) files, so there is nothing preventing you from saving/opening files between Rebelle, Flame Painter, and Photoshop.

Also... Rebelle is not only water color... it also does acrylic, pastel, pencil, ink pen, marker, and air brush. Pastels and the paper texture is another nice realism it has.

Edited by mettelus
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...