Pressure Sensitivity

In this tutorial you'll learn how to install the Intuos4 for Macintosh computers from the installation CD. You'll also get an overview of the functionality of the system settings.

In this video you'll see how to install the latest driver for the Wacom Intuos4 on the Windows operating system. You'll see how to adjust all the functions in the Control Panel and save these functions as files.

In this lesson you'll see how to install the Wacom tablet Intuos4 and connect it to your computer via Bluetooth. You'll also get some tips on optimizing the battery life of your tablet.

In this video we'll take a quick tour of the Wacom Control Panel so you know where everything is.

If you have never used a pen and tablet before, it may feel awkward at first. Don't worry, this video will take you through all of the difficulties and get you comfortable.

This lesson deals with the basic settings of the Grip Pen. You will learn how to change the laterality of the pen if you are left-handed.

This video looks at the different nibs provided in your pen holder, as well as the colored rings that you can use to identify pens if you have several of them.

In this video you'll see how to use the Wacom Control Panel to fine-tune the click threshold and adjust tilt sensitivity to work with the new Art Pen.

In this video you will see how to set the functions on the side switches individually. You'll see how these switches can be changed to work as a modifier keystroke, a hold key, or a multitude of other functions.

At the top of your pen is the eraser, which also has pressure sensitivity. In this video you'll see how this button maps directly to the Eraser tool in Photoshop. If you prefer you can also assign this button a custom function in the Wacom Control Panel.

Although it is constructed like a classic marker, the Art Pen is not only tilt- and pressure-sensitive, but also capable of rotation sensitivity. In this tutorial you'll learn how it works and how to use this feature in Photoshop.

In this lesson you'll get to know the Airbrush and see how you can adjust its settings in Photoshop. You'll also see why the Stylus and Touch Ring are particularly useful with the Airbrush.

In this video you'll learn about the other pens available for you to use with your tablet, including the Classic Pen, the Intuos4 Ink Pen, and the Ballpoint Pen.

In this lesson you'll learn how to set up mapping preferences and toggle between multiple monitors with your tablet. You can even set up the tablet to use only certain areas of the tablet or the monitor for mapping. You'll also see how the ExpressKeys can be adjusted to be perfect for either left-handed or right-handed use.

You'll learn the difference between the Pen and Mouse modes in this video, as well as how to switch between the two modes.

In this video you will see how to work with two monitors and jump between monitors. You will also learn how to adjust the brightness of the display (OLED).

In this video you'll see how the Control Panel settings can be assigned and arranged differently for different applications. We'll look at Photoshop and SketchBook Pro specifically.

The Wacom Tablet Utility allows you to back up or restore custom preferences and settings. These preferences can be saved and then reapplied on different machines by using the Restore button. This tutorial will walk you through the required steps.

This lesson explains why you might want to work with ExpressKeys and how to set them to suit your own particular workflow.

You can create specific ExpressKey setups for different applications, and in this video we'll look at defining ExpressKeys for Photoshop and SketchBook Pro.

ExpressKeys can also be combined to act as modifiers, providing more flexibility in the way they are assigned. You will learn how to do so in this video.

The functions of the Touch Ring can be adjusted individually for individual programs. In this lesson you will learn what features can be assigned to the Touch Ring and how you can customize it to take advantage of the latest features in Photoshop.

In this video you will learn more about the Radial menu and see how to add new functions to the menu in order to optimize your workflow. You'll also discover that you can create multiple levels of commands using submenus.

In this video, we'll get ready to work by creating a new file, setting its resolution, and choosing appropriate brush options.

We can configure some properties of the Wacom tablet to make our life easier, and that's exactly what we'll do in this video.

In this lesson we'll do some casual scribbling to get comfortable in the workspace and warm up the creative part of the brain.

Having warmed up a little, we'll now create some sketches, one of which will serve as the inspiration for the final illustration.

In this video we'll choose which sketch we want to proceed with and delete the others. Then we'll create a value study to serve as a guide to how the lighting will work in the final image.

At this point we are ready to begin our illustration proper. In this lesson we'll set up a document for the illustration and import the value study.

In this lesson we'll create a rough sketch of the whole scene based on our value study.

The star of this show is the character in the middle of the image. In this video we'll draw in all his details, from eyes, nose, and ears to hands, feet, and clothing.

Another important element of the illustration is the mushrooms that cover the ground, which we'll draw in in this lesson.

To finish our drawing, in this video we'll add the tree trunk in the top-right corner of the scene.

In this lesson we'll clean up the drawing in order to prepare it for coloring.

Before we get into the fun part of coloring, it's a good idea to create a couple masks that will be useful later in the process. That will be the focus of this lesson.

In this video we'll begin the coloring by applying several washes of color. This is something like working with watercolors.

The overall color of the illustration looks good, but it could be improved by some attention to detail. In this lesson we'll use different blend modes to refine the coloring.

The final quality of the illustration can be enhanced by making a few last adjustments. In this video we'll decrease the intensity of some parts of the image with an adjustment layer and fine-tune the color balance.

In this video, we'll look at the source images we'll be using to create the composition in this course. This is a good way for you to familiarize yourself with the materials you'll be working with.

We'll begin the process of creating our composition in this video by opening a file, copying the background layer, then deleting the original background. Then we'll transform the 2D image so it looks like part of a sphere.

If you are using Photoshop CS5 Extended, you have the option of using the 3D tools to create a 3D version of the planet that will be used in the composition. You'll see how it's done in this video.

In this video we'll add a sky to the image while also making a few changes to the planet's surface to make it look more realistic.

When painting in Photoshop, it's important to be able to easily change the hardness of your brush tip. In this video you'll learn how to do this using the keys on the Wacom pen.

The planet in our image needs an atmosphere, and in this video we'll add one by painting with white at a very low opacity.

In this video we'll add clouds to our composition by importing an image of clouds, scaling and warping it, and then selectively erasing the unwanted blue background.

We'll nondestructively refine the appearance of our clouds in this video by adding a layer mask and an adjustment layer.

To look realistic, the clouds need to cast shadows on the surface. We'll make that happen in this video by using a clipping mask and a Levels adjustment with the Multiply blend mode and a Gaussian Blur filter.

The sun is an important part of the composition, so in this video we'll paint it in, then change brushes and add some sunbeams.

In this video we'll begin the process of adding the magnifying glass by creating the handle. We'll start with a simple black rectangle, then paint a reflection on it to make it look more realistic.

A small but important detail is the base that connects the handle of the magnifying glass and the glass itself. In this video we'll add this piece and paint a reflection on it.

The last step in creating the structure of the magnifying glass is to add the round frame. We'll do so in this video by adding a black circle and masking out the parts we don't want.

In this video we'll create the background of the image that will appear within the magnifying glass, using two adjustment layers to add color and contrast.

The generator that will appear in the magnifying glass is constructed from three different source images. In this video we'll bring those images into the composition, assemble them to create the generator, and add a shadow.

To make the image inside the magnifying glass look as realistic as possible, we need to add some lens distortion. We'll accomplish that in this video by using a layer group mask with a Radial Blur filter.

To create a connection between the magnifying glass and the landscape underneath, in this video we will add some light from the glass and a shadow of the frame.

To put the finishing touches on our composition, in this video we'll use a Black & White adjustment layer to make it look less like a photograph and more like an illustration.

In this video you'll see how to best set up the Wacom control panel in Adobe Illustrator.

Symbols are a powerful tool in Illustrator, and you can use the free symbols included with the application as a starting point for your designs. In this video we'll start to build a human figure from these free symbols.

In this video we'll look at the Shape Builder tool. This tool lets you construct basic shapes using primitive circles, ellipses, and rectangles and then join them together by dragging your pen across them.

The Reshape tools can be used to reshape paths and customize shapes with your Wacom pen. In this video you'll try them out, using the Warp, Pucker, Bloat, and Wrinkle tools to give your artwork your own unique style.

The Eraser tool can be used with your Wacom pen to literally sculpt shapes, as you'll see in this video. You can also customize artwork by erasing portions of it with the eraser on your Wacom pen and use the Smooth tool to tidy up any bumps left behind.

There's no need to reinvent the wheel; you can often save time by copying and pasting elements from another image. This video shows you how, and also how to separate out just the elements you want.

This video looks at the amazing Blob Brush tool, which you can use to extend shapes, sculpt shapes, and intersect shapes with other shapes of the same color.

Isolation mode allows you to isolate objects so that you can easily select and edit particular objects or parts of objects, while automatically locking all other objects so that they are not affected by your changes. You'll see how it works in this video.

This video looks at the Symbol Sprayer, which you can use to add a large number of identical objects to the artwork at one time. Once they are created you can update them as a group or break them apart so they behave like ordinary objects.

Calligraphic brushes make strokes like those drawn with the angled point of a calligraphic pen and are drawn along the center of the path. You can use the pressure and tilt sensitivity of your pen to adjust the brush's angle. This video shows you how.

Art brushes can be used to apply textured lines (such as inky lines) evenly along a path. They can give your artwork a more hand-drawn appearance, as shown in this video.

This video looks at scatter brushes, which disperse copies of an object (such as a ladybug or a leaf) along the path.

The Bristle brushes are a great addition and add a real natural media feel to your artwork in Illustrator. In this video you'll see how to create the look and feel of painting with a real paintbrush.