Hello everyone! I'm Velika (19, f , student), and I'm 'new' around here! I've actually been lurking for about a year and a half and have loved every little update to the hub.
I'm currently studying animation at University and figured it was about time I started making some art for the hub!
Thing is... I'm struggling. I've done rough sketches in Photoshop, but then I can never get smooth lines, due to the program not really being made for that.

What do you guys use? I've been interested in using Illustrator or PaintToolSai, but haven't really made a decision yet and just decided to ask the professional grade artists on the hub!
I hope I'm not being too annoying by asking, I just want to contribute a bit... :/
Thanks for your help guys and keep up the good work. ^U^

In my humble opinion, I'd say Illustrator. As it's vector-based art, I've always found it easy to create smooth lines and the like of high quality. Just my preference though.

I'm not professional artist, but I use PainToolSai. My more talented friends use it too. In Sai u can use stabiler option dor more smooth lines.
Look forward for your works :)

This.
Sai has a stabilizer feature that makes it quite a bit easier for smoother lines. BUT! The higher the stabilizer is set, the slower your strokes are... which is weird.

Also, Photoshop not for smooth lines? I... what? I mean... What?
That makes no sense.

But I'm curious, are you slow or fast with your strokes? If you're slow, consider making quicker strokes. They are FAR more likely to be smooth. It's odd, but that's how it is.

Also, you'll get better lines/strokes if you bring your hand TOWARD you instead of away from you for stroke direction. So canvas rotation is a really big bonus. XD

But anyway, Sai isn't bad at all. I have a legit copy I can give you if you wanted. I bought it a couple years ago XD

I will also recommend Manga Studio. It's what I've been using lately, and I find it better than Sai [although I do miss the stabilizer XD]

Let me just paste my <<krita.org/|Krita>> recommendation.
To quote the Krita Website:


For vector art, there is <<inkscape.org/en/|Inkscape>>, which is also free, but not as good.

I hope this is helpful, I'm not an artist myself.

I do fast strokes, but I'm not especially accurate :P

how is the situation with your art?

This MIGHT help...
forum.runtimedna.com/show...2-Vector-line-help-please

I'd say... try all of them, then decide. *_*
I personally use mainly Manga Studio now, but most of my art here has been made with a combination of Paint Tool SAI, Photoshop, Illustrator.
Photoshop has all the cool effects but its brushes aren't the best, and as already stated, no stabilizer.
SAI has limited effect tools but awesome brushes and a good stabilizer.
Manga Studio is like SAI, but with looots of PS like effects and good stuff like perspective rulers or symmetry rulers.
Illustrator is good for awesome vector art. A bit more technical and tricky than freehand drawing, but you can make super good art once you learn to use it properly.

This is a problem I had... I think you should look at techniques in programs to solve it and not programs that solve it. Its not that using the right tool won't help, but drawing the right way will make it so you can make even a cheap tool produce reasonable results. A few videos I watched showed people zooming in very close to an image and drawing a large long line from there (in a raster illustrator). If you've ever worked with a scratch board its is kind of like that with an undo button. Its definitely worth hitting a few Youtube's though.

As for programs I have used: Photoshop, Corel Painter, Corel Draw, Flexisign, Gimp, Illustrator, Inkscape, Sketchbook pro. I have barely touched Krita and Xara's tools, both of which look promising, and Calligra, which does not. I've also had the displeasure of using FontForge. I have a lot of opinions, ask about a specific one. I will say that starting out, Photoshop, Gimp, Illustrator and Inkscape will give you a strong skillset and position from which to evaluate other programs.

Hey Velika! I'm new here too! (I lurked for a while too eheh) You're studying animation in University? So do I! :D Which university do you go to?

Also, for my lines I'm using photoshops but it takes a long time to make them there. While Illustrator is more professional for a program, Paint Tool Sai will offer more options for drawings. It's easier to paint for sure on Paint Tool Sai :P! Also there's a Line Stabilizer on Sai too that can help you with your lines. I'd say try both! If you have a mac like me however, Sai won't have pen pressure from the tablet which is a huge bummer :O.

I think there's a Line Stabilizer add-on on Photoshop too that you can download if you have a PC called Lazy Nezumi. Apprently it's good too.

Idk if that helps :P

Not a software tip, but a general drawing tip:
I find a lot of newer artists working on tablets often draw mostly with their wrists since they have such a small area to work with.
Drawing lines using mostly your wrist will tend to give shakier lines. Drawing lines using your shoulder and elbow tend to provide longer and smoother results.

I'll throw in my 2 cents as well I guess, I'm also doing some animation at school among many other things.

I use an intuos4 tablet, if youre a beginner get one of the cheaper wacom tablets, usually between $70-$150 but if you plan on going pro with it, or using it a lot intuos pro series is for you.

Second, photoshop is an amazing tool for literally everything, except drawing crisp lines, BUT i recommend you still learn the ins and outs of it as much as you can because it can touch up your final image beautifully, I always put my art into photoshop when I'm done to make adjustments and edits that make the picture look waaaaaay better.

NOW YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION on crisp lines, I used to use SAI, and i still recommend it to newer artists because it super simple and super powerful with its stabilizer. But if you are confident I just moved to clip studio which has great tools like perspective rulers that guide your lines to be straight and follow perspective, repeating pattern overlays, better deform and tonal adjustments, 3d reference models you can put in and pose live on canvas, AND STABILIZERS. It also can apparently edit your rough lines to be smooth after you draw them too, but i have yet to touch any tool like that .

I dont think illustrator is a program you should be interested in unless youre using a mouse and making vectors and logos. But in the end check out all the programs and see what works for you if youre not sure.

Its a different workflow but I don't quite agree with that opinion.
<<www.iwallfinder.com/files...d-series-of-women-530.jpg| I have seen some damn fine illustration work with vector graphics.>> It requires different training but you can get some good results with it.

I'm not saying illustrator is a bad program I'm just saying the tools OP would prefer are probably not in illustrator. Assuming what OP wants to do is simple illustrations of people and depending on the art style, it would be a lot faster and easier to learn drawing on pixel based art programs. I used Illustrator for a short while so I know it to some degree but most people in the industry including myself use pixel based software for digital illustration work.