[Galmod]

Well this is my first time here, and i was wondering which program is better to start off with when doing the basic coloring of your art...the 2 programs are obviously photoshop and painter 7. Basically im just starting out and i was wondering

[eyewoo]

If its just coloring, I'd suggest Photoshop.

If it's anything else, I'd also suggest Photoshop...
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[DrunkenMoNk]

I'd suggest Photoshop just because it is the most used application in a variety of fields, and knowledge of photoshop will make it alot easier to delve into those other fields (ie. image manipulation, color correction etc...).

If you feel restrained by it, by all means jump over to Painter but if your asking which will be more useful for you down the road I would say Photoshop.

[Storm Crow]

I agree, you should learn to use photoshop first as everyone has mentioned here it is probably the application most used in the graphic world, and therefore you will probably end up using it sooner or later.

Painter is a wonderful program as well, but like I said if you have to choose which one to use first - certainly photoshop.

[antx]

Well, I know that many people have trmendous difficulty to jump from Photoshop to Painter (including myself). The other way around would probably be easier.
Fact is that PS has a lot of useful functions that make your life much easier. Painter on the other hand is focusing on painting almost only. PS is therefor the easy way.
PS ist the better all round program but will make it hard for you to later on switch to painter (you just will miss things). But the painting abilities of painter might not leave you a choice. Starting with painter might take you longer but you don�t know what you are missing at that point . Once you are good in Painter you might not want/need to use PS anymore.

[Impaler]

Pah. I think that if someone is even remotely serious about computer art, then they would start out on MS Paint. Chances are, if you can't draw anything in Paint, then you're going to be lost in Photoshop.

There is this running misconception that Photoshop has all of these secret features that lets the layman draw masterpieces by simply waving their cursor in myriad directions across the canvas, or that it has more colors than Paint.

Don't get me wrong. Photoshop pays for itself, if you're serious. I do think, however, that too many newbies get discouraged because they set their hopes too high, only to have them dashed away when they discover that Photoshop draws pretty much like MS Paint.
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QED, sort of.

[Galmod]

Well i think that im quite good at coloring in my art, only thing i have to improve on is my shading/lighting techniques and texture techniques ( hair is a pain , but i guess i can't really say much yet as i only done 2 things so far (one in photoshop, one in painter) and photoshop is much easier to use, but then of course i like painter for the brushes I guess time and practice will tell

PS thx for the replies

[proper fuel]

impaler, ms paint..? bah, get real..
get good at painting analogally before going digital, you wont really learn how to paint with digital media... but you (should) probably know that traditional experience helps alot...

[Impaler]

I'm dead serious.

You don't give a beginning violin student a Stradivarius, do you? Of course not. They wouldn't know what to do with it. Sure, they could play the Alphabet song, and maybe Happy Birthday, but just because they're playing the best violin in the world won't make them the best violinist. Instead, you start them on a violin with a limited capability. Once they've mastered the cheapo, they can move on to the real thing.

Or, slightly more relevant, do you give beginning art students oil or gouache and say, "hey! go for it! these are the highest quality media i could get, so, you should be able to do something with it."?

It's exactly the same case with computer graphics. If someone can draw something well in MS Paint, then Photoshop should provide no problem. If I remember correctly, Craig Mullins used Macpaint when he was a younger man.

Well, shit. I hate not having a redo button. I somehow erased about half of this post by accidentally ctrl-z'ing through several paragraphs.

Nevertheless, HEY! NEWBIE! Are you considering buying or stealing Photoshop? Why don't you try MS Paint for a few weeks? If you get frustrated because you can't draw anything, don't despair! It's not your program that's keeping you back, because spending 500 bucks for Photoshop won't change a thing. Stick with Paint and learn it, or don't, and then be miserable when Photoshop sits on your hard drive, unused except for the occasional superimpose-a-squirrel-on-a-penis photo.
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QED, sort of.

[faB]

If anyone's going to use MSPaint then they might as well download one of the free paint applications! There are a few really good ones including most of the basic features of Photoshop. If my memory serves well something like Gimp, or 'project waffle' and another japanese program I dont remember.
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HOLLY SHIT IMPALER RELAX!!!
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[Snakebyte]

If Galmod was forking out the ca$h to actually by Photoshop or Painter then I would have to agree with Impaler for the most part. Starting with a Free paint program is a good start to see if this is something you really want to do. You may find that you get better results from natural media, and if you used a Freebee you will have saved money.

HOWEVER, I doubt there will be any Money involved when obtaining ether app (seeing as you already used both) so in that case just dick with Photoshop until you figure it out. It's the easier program in my opinion.
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[Galmod]

Yea i did use both of the programs, and thats because i go to a technical school...so i guess i dont work and make enough money to accually afford the pro versions of both of these programs. I dont mind being called a newbie either, THX IMPALER!

[eyewoo]

Galmod... If you are a student, you can get them for extremely low prices... At this place I found Photoshop 7 for $279. Search around a bit. There may be better pricing.
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[Lunatique]

You know, there are free paint programs that are pretty good.

Open Canvas
Gimp(Is the PC version still free?)
Dogwaffle

[liv the fish]

I downloaded Gimp for PC a few weeks ago and it was free.

Trying those freebies is a good suggestion or maybe demos (though the time limits usually don't last long enough for you to really learn anything). Once you pick one though (so I actually add to the conversation), look for a good book. Online tutorials can be helpful, but for my preference, they're not focused enough. I always start with a nice book then hit the internet to pick up odds and ends. Plus, there isn't a big selection of digital painting/coloring books unless its for Painter, so some internet scouring is probably in order eventually.

Oh, I got my education in Graphi Arts from a CC (sort of along the lines of a Technical School) but if yours is going to be anything like mine, you'll still need to do some self-educating on the side.

Good luck with it,
Brian
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[Tomasis]

I think that working in painter is a lot easier than photoshop .. is it very strange doesnt it? maybe because that I work much with traditional media
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[Pat]

Bah! You're all digital pussies! Real digital painters program their own tools.

Honestly, it all comes down to personal taste. Get your mits on all the demos and give them a twirl; one will grab you as more useful. Go with that. Just keep in mind that no one program is the holy grail of digital art. They've all got something unique to bring to the table.

-Pat