graphics programmes and wacom graphics tablets?
 

I don't quite know where this should be. So here goes.

I'm having a go at producing a web site and graphics seem to be a bit of a snag. Why, well I really don't know where to start, to have a go at producing images, backgrounds, etc etc.

Now I've had a look at the Gimp (version 2), but I really don't know what I'm doing, or how to use most of the tools.

Sure, I've managed to make marks on a layer, but don't understand the concepts behind layers. There are some tutorials around, but I've tried to follow some of them and end up getting stuck part of the way through.

Many of these tutorials seem to presume prior knowledge of how the app is used in the first place, but I don't have that knowledge.

I also had a dig around at PCWorld this afternoon, and spotted wacom graphics tablets. Now as I can still remember the concept of paper and pencil plus trying to draw anything with just a mouse is really quite difficult and I wondered if it's practical to use a graphics tablet under linux?

Like, for instance, driver support, usb, configuring X (as in, would this device just be seen as a different mouse ???)

Any advice on these matters is very much appreciated.

regards

John

p.s. I've even got access to Macromedias studio MX 2k4, but I'm just getting totally lost with that as well. I can see that fireworks seems to be a similar type of app to the gimp, but can't suss that out either! :(

http://gimp-savvy.com/BOOK/ have you looked at this book for the GIMP. It's readable completely online :)

Hi bigjohn, there are several wacom models known to be working here.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/sh...hp?product=186

The gimp site has several tutorials, starting in the begginer catagory.

http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/

good luck.

Thanks for the replies.

@darkleaf. no I didn't find that reference and am downloading the tar file as I type. I can't say if I'll understand any of it, but on looking at the chapter/section titles, it look's promising.

@PEACEDOG. I can't believe how stupid I was not to think of the HCL!, but that was a brilliant suggestion. I might have to sneak out and get one (as "er in doors" would flip! :eek: ). The gimp tutorials that you linked were amongst some that I'd already looked at, but unfortunately they also seem to presume that you know what the different tools are and how they can be used.

Unfortunately, I've never used a computer of any sort for an artistic aid and that's the main reason why I'm lost. I like to think that because I'm not from an IT background, my lines of thought are not overly polluted with IT/PC/Other techie type clouds. Inasfaras using something like a graphics programme should really be a logical a, b, c, d, type process, but for reasons that I don't follow, it would appear that there's more to them than that.

I even tried the easier option and had a quick go at KPaint, to see if a painting type programme might be what I needed, but it seemed so limited as to be a waste of time (i.e. I could make lines etc, but never did work out how to modify the performance of any of the tools etc).

Erm, in fact, does anyone know if there is a decent painting type prog available under linux or is it that I should (ha, in theory) be able to do all that kind of stuff with the gimp ???

regards

John

My humble opinion, the gimp is going to be your best bet for linux. I also use windows and photoshop, and paint shop pro.

That can be tough at first, this is what worked for me, bear in mind I usually have infinite patience. I simply used the tools one at a time repeatedly on an existing downloaded image. After a while the tools and their uses started to associate, in my mind anyway. Once I had that down, it was simply a matter of how I wished to use the available tools. Wish I could be more help, but, that's what worked for me. I usually have to do things the hard way, it's my rebellious nature. :D

<edit> I just had another thought, you may find something you like better here.

http://linuxshop.ru/linuxbegin/win-l...table.shtml#42</edit>

good luck.

Sure, I can see that. Though what I'm trying to produce is a montage of 2 planet images and some line drawing.

It also happens that the 2 planet images I've downloaded to try are animated .gif and I've tried various things but I don't seem to get anywhere.

As you say, it does seem very hard work just for something that should be quite basic. I've managed to start looking into the link that darkleaf posted, but the main problem with that, is that it's really written in an over complex manner and doesn't really allow me to jump around to find the bit's that I'm looking for.

But it seems infinitely better than most of the stuff I've found thus far!

I suppose I'll just have to keep plugging away. I wish I had your patience though PEACEDOG, that'd be a helpful thing to have (or maybe somewhere to go and be able to see how things like this are done!).

regards

John

If you stay on the opening page, and scroll to the bottom, the entire site is mapped out and broken up pretty well, which should aid your navigation.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for anything that looks promising, sorry I couldn't be more help.
good luck.

Found something else bigjohn, this looks to be a step by step guide. Hope this helps.

http://www.cubicdesign.com/gimp/

good luck.

Hello Bigjohn
Which tablet did you buy in the end? I was at PC World today and they had a Wacom something or other 2.
Cheers

In the end, I didn't but only because at the time I was still using gentoo.

Theres nothing wrong with gentoo, in fact I really enjoyed using it, but it does mean that if I want to learn something new, I have to learn it to the "nth" degree, so I can configure any apps manually.

I'm also VVV impatient by nature. Impatience and Linux don't go together very well!

regards

John

p.s. at the time, I was looking at the A5 sized wacom devices.