Questions for the Episode Artists and Editors

Audacious_Writer · February 23, 2021, 12:08am

I think I may have put the optional tags in the wrong category, but Idk

This thread is similar to my last thread where I had questions about story planning, but the difference is that now it has to do with art. Why did I make this thread, you ask? Well, maybe I wanted to try drawing some episode (or normal) digital art (or editing) myself, but Idk where to start.

Tags: @PropertyofNae @Rosalinda.Episode @Frey @HellQueen @hibiscusgravy @aria_writes @schittwriter @MiyakoMiyu @lostintranslation @epy.neha @KiimChi @M_H_C_Episode @mdrawzz @Youngbl00d

To all the people I tagged, I hope you can answer these questions :

How did you get into drawing and or editing?
Would you say that you’ve become good at it by now?
How long have you been drawing and or editing?
What app do you use to draw and or edit and why?
(For artists unless you’ve made an outline before or have an answer yourself) This may sound like a dumb question, but what do y’all hold outline contests for?
(May be a dumb question) What do you use hair PNGs for?
Do y’all have any threads on tutorials on how to edit or draw? Or maybe you can give me some basic tips yourself?
Where does your inspiration for your art come from?
For any background artists, how long does it take for you to make 1 background?
Which style of drawing or editing do you prefer? INK or Limelight?
(May be a dumb question too since this does regard Episode, but) Have y’all ever only made edits of Episode-related things like characters and backgrounds? Can y’all draw (in any style) or edit on paper too?
Do you give your art away for others to use in their story, or do you prefer to rather share it and not let anyone else use it?

That’s all the questions I have! I know that may have been too much for me to ask, but I’m thinking of trying a new hobby, and I want to see if making Episode art (or really, any kind) can be my new hobby or not! And if you want your tag removed, let me know!

M_H_C_Episode · February 23, 2021, 12:32am

Editing = I did my first edit around December I think & I wanted to try something new since I’d seen so many amazing edits in the forums and on Instagram so I wanted to try it.
Drawing = I started my Animal Art on January 19th 2021 & that started because one of my close friends lost her cat in a traffic collision right outside her house and I drew a memorial art for her.
Animal Art? Yes!
Realistic Humans? No Way At All!
Cartoonish/Animated Humans? Yes-Ish!
Edits? Yes-Ish!
Custom Poses? No!
Drawing = Since December 25th 2020
Editing = Since December 05th 2020
Edits = My Laptop’s ‘Snip Tool’ along with a website ‘remove bg’ along with an online app ‘BeFunky: Photo Editor’.
Many reasons, sometimes just for the fun of it.
Sometimes to celebrate something (For Instagram it could be a celebration of so many followers).
& more…
It makes drawing it hair so much easier since it’s done for u and so u don’t have to then spend ages doing it yourself.
That would depend on what your looking to do. Realistic art/Semi-Realistic art/Non-Realistic art/Animal Art/Edits/Custom Poses.
Animal Art = The idea of helping people either by giving them a way to remember their passed pets.
Edits = The idea that it can help everyone, yourself included. As well as some can look great when used in stories.
I wouldn’t know but @FlowerGriefer would know the answer to that since she makes truly amazing backgrounds!
Limelight all the way!
I never draw or edit on paper since I dislike using paper for art or edits.
Yes I do give it away in requests or giveaways.

If u have any more questions feel free to ask me, I’d be very happy to help u where I can (:

MiyakoMiyu · February 23, 2021, 12:37am

Thank you so much for the tag!

How did you get into drawing and or editing?

I started when I found out you could make art on Episode. I got into it because I was inspired by a ton of different artists and editors here on this forum

Would you say that you’ve become good at it by now?

I would think so. It’s only been a little less than a year, but I think I’ve come a long way

How long have you been drawing and or editing?

A little less than a year.

What app do you use to draw and or edit and why?

Procreate & Pixlr.

Procreate: Extremely high quality and a one-time purchase. Highly reccommend.
Pixlr: Includes both Advanced and Playful “flavours” to try out and experiment with. It’s a really nice editor for overlays and what not.

Do y’all have any threads on tutorials on how to edit or draw? Or maybe you can give me some basic tips yourself?

I don’t neccessarily have any tutorials on how to edit/draw, however I can list some tips:

Use layers to your advantage, and take advantage of the layer settings.
Pay attention to detail, if something about your artpiece or edit feels empty, chances are that it’s missing something.
You will NOT get better overnight. Good art/editing takes time. This goes for everything.

Where does your inspiration for your art come from?

Other artists Other times it’s Pinterest and day-to-day life.

Which style of drawing or editing do you prefer? INK or Limelight?

When it comes to drawing I prefer INK, when it comes to editing I prefer Limelight.

(May be a dumb question too since this does regard Episode, but) Have y’all ever only made edits of Episode-related things like characters and backgrounds? Can y’all draw (in any style) or edit on paper too?

Edit-wise, only Episode characters. I usually draw in my own style when it’s traditional art (on paper) and I tend to stray away from the Episode art style.

Do you give your art away for others to use in their story, or do you prefer to rather share it and not let anyone else use it?

Unless I specifically make art for someone with the intent of giving it for them to use, then I usually make it for show, and not for anyone to use. It’s bound to change in the future, though

KylieJay · February 23, 2021, 12:50am

I started editing first so I could make covers for my stories. I had no idea the forums and art shops existed until March of last year when I was asked to add my forums username in my Magicka entry so then I made an account here and created my own shop soon after!

I can’t keep my shop open for more than a couple hours every couple months so I think I am

I’ve been an artist my whole life, i didn’t get into digital artwork until March of last year.

Magic eraser, ibispaint, procreate, PicsArt .

Magic eraser for erasing backgrounds.
Ibispaint is amazing for starting out. I learned to draw better with this app, it has so many helpful tools and I use this for a lot of my tutorials. I use procreate mostly now, but I like using ibis for making my custom poses.
Procreate is $10 absolutely well spent. My art has improved tremendously and the possibilities with my art are endless with this app.
I use PicsArt for adding effects, stickers and other random stuff. I also use PicsArt a lot when making backgrounds.

I held one and it was so much fun! It was great seeing the creativity people had with my outlines, and creating prizes for the winners is my favorite part!

I never used these before but I think it may be for tracing the hairs for an outline.

I have this thread here on editing/drawing hair. I also have a YouTube Channel where I post Episode Art related videos once a month. I have an editing/drawing school coming soon, in which my first video will be posted this Friday.
My biggest tip would be to add deep enough shadows. Too often I see images looking flat because deep enough tones aren’t added to the face/body.
But definitely have fun with it! Art is fun and you should be proud of it no matter what you do

I’m not really sure…sometimes ideas just pop into my head and I try and go from there! Other times I’ll look online at other people’s artwork and color usage for inspiration.

I make backgrounds occasionally for my stories, they can be found here in my Google Drive, but I’m not as good as I’d like to be lol it takes me quite a while to get a couple variations (including overlays) of my backgrounds, I’d say at least 2 hours. But again, I’m not as good or skilled with this.

No preference, I love all styles equally

Each style has their own perks in my opinion. If I’m doing a drawing only for myself, I take the outcome I want into consideration. If I want a more cartoonish looking character, or if I want to do hard shading, I use ink as a base. If I want to try realistic and soft shading, then I’ll use Limelight.

Edits; yes. Drawings; no. I’ve been practicing drawing realistic images to hopefully open commissions. I also draw/paint landscapes, lettering and other decorative things in real life. As of right now, I don’t have a particular “style” other than hyper realistic eyes, and extreme glowing/glittering highlights in skin and hair.

Since I take requests, that’s obviously for the requester to use. I will not use it, and If I shared I will mention the person who requested it. However if I make something for myself, I ask that no one uses it. If someone likes what I made and they want one for themselves, they’re more than welcome to ask and I will be more than welcome to help if I have the time for it

PropertyofNae · February 23, 2021, 1:02am

When I was new to forums a lot of the first friends I made kinda coaxed me drawing. Editing was just something I did to test it out.

Kinda, I mean of course I could improve A LOT but I’m much more comfortable with my style. I still can’t draw animals, side profiles, or freehand certain things but I’m getting better.

Maybe 2-3 years now.

IbisPaint X and PicsArt. These were the only apps I really understood. I used Medibang but it was extremely difficult for me.

To give away prizes or if I really like an outline I do it just because.

I’ve never used one but I guess it’s way easier instead of drawing hair.

Hasn’t been updated in a while but I have some old tutorials here

So this might sound dumb as hell but besides boredom or just something to distract me I do it because I have a really complex goal for my own appearance and I like to draw characters and just get the feel of their personality and story. If I can’t dress the way I like I’d at least like to install that side of me into a piece I’ll be happy to look back at.

Ink, I started drawing it first and Limelight just isn’t for me I guess. My style is more cartoony than the slight realistic nature of LL. I’ve edited in LL every now and then though and it’s not half bad.

No, I draw on paper or whatever I get my hands on besides digital art but sometimes i get frustrated by my inability to draw simple things

A Few Older Drawings

When I have time yes I do take requests even though I take forever to finish them. Sometimes I feel like only doing art for myself because I wouldn’t be letting people down or have to worry about someone getting upset if I reject their request.

Youngbl00d · February 23, 2021, 1:28am

thanks for the tag :))

I saw some people around the forums do it, and I was bored. Thought I should give it a shot.

No, I still feel like I have a long way to go, but I’ve made good improvements compared to when I started

For about 9 months I believe

I use IbisPaintX because the layout is simple yet gets the job done. That’s my main program for editing. I also use VSCO and polarr for filters to make it more aesthetically pleasing

I have an Insta post on how I make custom poses, nothing on the threads tho. My tip would be to use filters when you can. It helps blend the art/edit with the BG and makes it look prettier and sensible lol

Music always and sometimes just random stuff my friends and I did.

LL bc there’s more hair/clothes options I can choose from

Mainly Episode, but I used to edit pictures for my photography club which shares some similarities to Episode Editing

I do trades and requests whenever I have time. However, I find that stressful and daunting at some times, so not as much.

schittwriter · February 23, 2021, 1:32am

Well I started when I was a child but I grew up with a my dad being a huge critique-r, so I never saw anything I did as good enough no matter how much others seemed to like what I did.

Hah. No.

All of my life, so 21 years.

ArtStudio was super user friendly so I used that for quite some time after years and years of traditional art on paper and canvas. In more recent times, I’ve been using Procreate and I love it. It has so many features and it just makes everything so easy and costs is so much less because I don’t need to pay for media to create with. I also delve into 3D modeling too to save time, so I can create my own backgrounds and overlays for my stories AND artworks and I can even render my own poses if I feel the need to.

Eh, honestly I just like to see other people change it up a bit and see how they each come up with their own way of making it. It’s pleasantly surprising to see how much art can differ from person to person even with using the same outline.

I’ve only done it once I think, years ago? Honestly I couldn’t bring myself to do it again because I like to do it myself and hair PNGs from others just don’t fit what I want.

I don’t actually. I have tried a few times and the recordings always failed lmao so I gave up.

My stories and video games.

I don’t draw backgrounds anymore (but technically speaking I used to paint backgrounds), but I render them using a 3D program on my pc and it could take anywhere from 10 minutes to over 4 hours for one render.

I used to prefer ink, but now I only work with LL.

Recent unfinished edit I’ll probably never post on my IG cuz I don’t like it and a section of a pic of the same character done with realism that I also don’t like and just snatched from my carrd because I don’t have the actual full image on my phone anymore.

Recent updated cover.

Really old project back in high school that I did with various HB pencils.

Old freehand painting (in an old room too 💀) of the Fallen from Destiny (which was one of my fav games because I loved Bungie).

I like to edit the most because it’s the easiest and the most relevant to my stories, but yes, I can draw and paint on paper and canvas. My “style” varies depending on what I want. I do anime and realism the most outside of Episode edits. I’ve also done animals in the past, particularly wolves and dogs, but I also used to draw motorcycles and cars… so a bit of everything really. I’ve even drawn out imaginary sci-fi planes and whatnot.

Most of my stuff is old because I honestly view art as a chore more than a hobby or passion. I literally might only do one actual artwork every 1-2 maybe even 3 years.

My backgrounds are on my Patreon so others can use them for a patronage fee, but as far as art goes — I don’t take commissions for now because I’m slow and I prefer to be freelance, but if I do, I’ll only take commissions for realism or semi-realism and my prices will reflect that. I also only make edits for myself and my friends.

Rosalinda.Episode · February 23, 2021, 1:41am

Audacious_Writer:

How did you get into drawing and or editing?

I was editing Episode backgrounds and making them into new ones because I was gonna publish a story back then and I wanted unique & custom backgrounds only for the story I thought I would publish.

Would you say that you’ve become good at it by now?

I’d say I’m okay, not the best but getting there!

How long have you been drawing and or editing?
Years! 5-6 years!

What app do you use to draw and or edit and why?

Procreate & Ibis I’m always bouncing from all to app because Ibis is easier and I’m used to it but I get inspired by Instagram Episode artists who use Procreate and I try it, also because I have purchased brush sets there that I can’t put on Ibis!

(For artists unless you’ve made an outline before or have an answer yourself) This may sound like a dumb question, but what do y’all hold outline contests for?

For me, because I want to see all the artists creativeness and I want to see who enters!

(May be a dumb question) What do you use hair PNGs for?

I think if you want to add it to a edit!

Do y’all have any threads on tutorials on how to edit or draw? Or maybe you can give me some basic tips yourself?

I know a few artists who have help threads, I don’t have a official tutorial but I recommend practicing and taking small steps at first!

Where does your inspiration for your art come from?

Sometimes I think about it, and sometimes it comes from meaningful places in my heart!

For any background artists, how long does it take for you to make 1 background?

I used to edit backgrounds so a entire day sometimes 3-4 days depending on motivation!

Which style of drawing or editing do you prefer? INK or Limelight?

Both!

(May be a dumb question too since this does regard Episode, but) Have y’all ever only made edits of Episode-related things like characters and backgrounds? Can y’all draw (in any style) or edit on paper too?

I’ve tried drawing on paper but I started on Episode, so I’d say only Episode right now!

Do you give your art away for others to use in their story, or do you prefer to rather share it and not let anyone else use it?

Both, I take requests so that’s like giving it away for authors to use in stories and sometimes when it’s not a request or even too when it is, I prefer no one uses it (unless it’s a request and in that case the only person I want to use it is the person who asked for it) for any purpose because it seems rude to me.

Thanks for the tag btw!

Youngbl00d · February 23, 2021, 1:53am

your art is so beautiful !

schittwriter · February 23, 2021, 1:58am

Thank you.

Audacious_Writer · February 23, 2021, 2:01am

I love the different styles of art @schittwriter

schittwriter · February 23, 2021, 2:07am

Thank you. I feel like most of my answers were more pessimistic and depressing tho !fnkdndkdjdknsmrj, sorry.

athenamae · February 23, 2021, 2:18am

I don’t really know. I guess one day I just decided to start editing.

Definitely not. I still have so much improvement I need to make before I would consider myself “good” at editing. Right now, I would say that I’m okay.

Hmm, I can’t exactly remember. I tried to do some art back in 2018 when I was new to the community (I failed miserably). But I don’t think I really got into editing until the summer of last year.

I use Autodesk Sketchbook because it’s what I know how to use. I’ve attempted to use Gimp a few times, but the program is really confusing to me.

I don’t have any tutorials at the moment, but a tip for editing would be to just be patient. It takes time to learn how to do custom hair, poses, clothes, etc. Experimentation is key. And the wonderful thing about editing is that if you mess up, you can just hit the undo button.

Everywhere. Songs, movies, TV shows, everyday activities. You name it, I’ve probably been inspired by it.

I exclusively make limelight edits.

Sort of. I’m okay at doing still life drawings. But portraits are a big no.

I take edit requests for covers and splashes, so I’m fine with people using my work in their stories. But only if I have made it for them and they credit me.

Audacious_Writer · February 23, 2021, 2:27am

Pessimistic? Now way. I’m looking at everyone’s answers, and doing Episode art honestly sounds like fun! But I need to figure out where I’m gonna start if I’m gonna make this a new hobby.

Frey · February 23, 2021, 3:23am

Thank you for tagging!

How did you get into drawing and or editing? Editing was actually something I discovered on my own. I saw some great edited covers in some stories and I was like hey they look simple I can create them too! And that’s how it started. As for drawing, everytime I looked at a story with a drawn cover I’d think that the person who created this cover must be doing…idk what actually lol…i didn’t even know about digital art before joining episode so hope you get me haha
How I got into it–> After joining forums
Would you say that you’ve become good at it.
by now? Not really, I still suck at some of the basic things, outlimes too. But for the world, maybe.
How long have you been drawing and or editing? Editing- Probably an year, Drawing- Also an year
What app do you use to draw and or edit and why? ibis paint x, it’s the most user-friendly app that I’ve ever come across! Trust me, if you use an android or even ipad, you wouldn’t regret using this. Krita, iArtbook and Procreate (only on iphone devices) are great too but not so easy to learn or figure out plus, procreate costs money.
(For artists unless you’ve made an outline before or have an answer yourself) This may sound like a dumb question, but what do y’all hold outline contests for?

Frst, I just like to see how different people color in my outlines, And second, third and fourth, FUN FUN FUN.

(May be a dumb question) What do you use hair PNGs for?

I have never, so idk

Do y’all have any threads on tutorials on how to edit or draw? Or maybe you can give me some basic tips yourself?

The one you bumped a while ago lol, I’ll update it soon!

Where does your inspiration for your art come from?

Seeing others’ art usually, @Theebee2004’s

For any background artists, how long does it take for you to make 1 background?

3 hours max?

Which style of drawing or editing do you prefer? INK or Limelight?

Ink

(May be a dumb question too since this does regard Episode, but) Have y’all ever only made edits of Episode-related things like characters and backgrounds? Can y’all draw (in any style) or edit on paper too?

I’ve my one style so nope I’ve doing traditional aet before I even come across Episode

Do you give your art away for others to use in their story, or do you prefer to rather share it and not let anyone else use it?

I take requests and trades, sometimes. Also, I’ve been thinking of taking commissions cos I’m kinda confident with my non-episode art style now

lostintranslation · February 23, 2021, 4:42am

Thanks for the tag. I’m honored.

How did you get into drawing and or editing?

I started drawing traditionally when I was 14. I picked up a drawing tablet this past summer because I was bored during quarantine and left my sketchbook on the other side of the world in my dorm room. (I’m an international student.)

Would you say that you’ve become good at it by now?

There’s always room for improvement.

How long have you been drawing and or editing?

Nearly 7 years traditionally. Since June 2020 digitally. Editing since December.

What app do you use to draw and or edit and why?

Krita! It’s free and was designed by artists for broke artists who can’t afford anything. It’s super adaptable and I can use it on my phone. (I can’t use Ibis. It ends badly.)

(For artists unless you’ve made an outline before or have an answer yourself) This may sound like a dumb question, but what do y’all hold outline contests for?

I tried to host one OC and no one entered because my instagram following is small. (But I’m grateful to every follower I have.) I wanted to host it to get more exposure for my account/boredom/I ran out of models.

(May be a dumb question) What do you use hair PNGs for?

I don’t. I draw all of my own hair.

Do y’all have any threads on tutorials on how to edit or draw? Or maybe you can give me some basic tips yourself?

Just take your time. Practice makes perfect. Don’t trace. Find some references and try to study individual features. If you want more, feel free to message me. I don’t bite.

Where does your inspiration for your art come from?

Pinterest, my dark mind, random comments. Random places–sort of the same as writing?

For any background artists, how long does it take for you to make 1 background?

I charge $30 for commissioned drawn backgrounds WHEN I have my background commissions open because they take so long that they’re not worth it. I basically only make them for myself anymore. Edited backgrounds are easy. They take up to an hour.

Which style of drawing or editing do you prefer? INK or Limelight?

Drawing: Ink or semi-realistic.
Editing: LL

(May be a dumb question too since this does regard Episode, but) Have y’all ever only made edits of Episode-related things like characters and backgrounds? Can y’all draw (in any style) or edit on paper too?

I only edit in Episode style.
Drawing, as mentioned before, I started drawing traditionally when I was 14. My preferred style is semi-realistic. I started on paper, so yes, I can draw on paper, too.

Do you give your art away for others to use in their story, or do you prefer to rather share it and not let anyone else use it?

Edits are always free. My requests are actually unofficially open right now.
Episode-style drawing I only do for myself and my friends. I don’t take requests of any sort. It takes too long. I do on occasion take trades.
Semi-realism I charge for when I let other people use it. All of these are styles take hours, but semi-realism takes upward of 24 hours for me to complete one piece. On occasion, I’ll make someone a piece in this style as a gift or as a favor to a friend, but that’s about it.
No one can use the art piece other than the person the art piece is intended for. No one wants to have art they’ve requested or paid for stolen and I like making money off of my work.

Audacious_Writer · February 23, 2021, 4:09pm

Crap, I forgot to ask y’all:

Do you draw or edit using your finger or some type of stylus?

@Rosalinda.Episode @PropertyofNae @lostintranslation @Youngbl00d @M_H_C_Episode @athenamae

(Sorry for tagging again, I’m just curious! I drew my first bad IbisPaint drawing with my finger!)

M_H_C_Episode · February 23, 2021, 9:35pm

When doing my style (animal art), it depends what device I use (:

If I use my phone (Samsung A40), then I use my finger BUT if I use my IPad (Tab S6 Lite), then I have a stylus pencilly thing

I don’t mind being tagged multiple times so don’t worry about it

PropertyofNae · February 23, 2021, 9:36pm

I’ve always used my fingers and sometimes they get really sore if I don’t take a break and just binge a piece I think a stylus would help but I’m too accustomed to using my fingers.

Rosalinda.Episode · February 23, 2021, 10:09pm

Fingers! I sometimes use a stylus but I prefer fingers!