Gallery: My First Month of Digital Art Using Photoshop on the Acer Spin 5

This year, my big Black Friday purchase for myself was an Acer Spin 5 (affiliate link!). I deliberately didn’t want to get a gaming PC that would overheat on me and break my back, and the touchscreen seemed like more of a convenience for reading and referencing rules during tabletop games than anything. Of course, I knew I had to put the included stylus through its paces, which meant seeing how the thing did in Photoshop, which up until now I’ve mostly regarded as “the thing I make YouTube thumbnails in.”

As you can see from the extreme beginner’s gallery below, I quickly fell in love with the feeling of using Adobe’s (and someone named Kyle’s) brushes with the stylus, and I’ve kind of taken it upon myself since Thanksgiving to keep at practicing digital art, both with the Photoshop software itself and fundamental drawing skills. Most of my YouTube research to-date has been on using Photoshop rather than these artistic basics, so I guess that’s the goal for month #2…

In the meantime, check out the images below and read a bit about what I was focusing on for each.

This fire-breathing serpent was my first stab at messing around in Photoshop with different splatter brushes to get a sort of pastel effect.

This fire-breathing serpent was my first stab at messing around in Photoshop with different splatter brushes to get a sort of pastel effect.

I also have experimented with layers and gradients to create cool “echo” effects on my selfies… I have not yet hardcore facetuned myself, but that’s definitely on the list of things I want to learn for the lols.

I also have experimented with layers and gradients to create cool “echo” effects on my selfies… I have not yet hardcore facetuned myself, but that’s definitely on the list of things I want to learn for the lols.

Ok satin effects on brushes are either the sleekest thing ever or the grossest texture ever, depending on the color combination. Btw, I am loving using Hue jitter effects with the pen pressure set as a control. Super crazy and fun!

Ok satin effects on brushes are either the sleekest thing ever or the grossest texture ever, depending on the color combination. Btw, I am loving using Hue jitter effects with the pen pressure set as a control. Super crazy and fun!

This one is all-original for the structure and color, but the vibe is straight “Close Encounters” meets “2001” imo!

This one is all-original for the structure and color, but the vibe is straight “Close Encounters” meets “2001” imo!

I traced this D&D 5e art for a Deep Gnome to use in my big winter Roll20 campaign I’m playing in. Two-handed fighting, naturally!

I traced this D&D 5e art for a Deep Gnome to use in my big winter Roll20 campaign I’m playing in. Two-handed fighting, naturally!

Another Trace! That Gradient on the outline! Text! Font is “Weapon Get 2” and has been a major key for gaming-heavy vibes on my YouTube thubmnails.

Another Trace! That Gradient on the outline! Text! Font is “Weapon Get 2” and has been a major key for gaming-heavy vibes on my YouTube thubmnails.

Pikachu in the snow! I have loved Kyle’s screentones since I installed the pack and think I want to continue this comic motif in my digital art going forward.

Pikachu in the snow! I have loved Kyle’s screentones since I installed the pack and think I want to continue this comic motif in my digital art going forward.

Lol what is anatomy.. this is when I was like “i should maybe try tracing”

Lol what is anatomy.. this is when I was like “i should maybe try tracing”

I don’t have a political statement to make here, I just thought it would be funny to say “Brexit” instead of “Exit” on the sign because the impulses of the internet are constantly reverberating out of me. Everything had opacity turned down and feels…

I don’t have a political statement to make here, I just thought it would be funny to say “Brexit” instead of “Exit” on the sign because the impulses of the internet are constantly reverberating out of me. Everything had opacity turned down and feels ghostly? Also I need to understand more about what was going on with my brushes for the walls snapping to the grid…

exclusive screencap from Cyberpunk 2077 running on an Xbox 360. Please note that I drew a gorgeous lakeside forest for the background and ruined it with this android

exclusive screencap from Cyberpunk 2077 running on an Xbox 360. Please note that I drew a gorgeous lakeside forest for the background and ruined it with this android

My girlfriend’s cat is a king. Enough said.

My girlfriend’s cat is a king. Enough said.

Thanks for looking! It’s all uphill from here, skills-wise lol. Follow me on Instagram to see my art as I make it!

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