Contrary to popular belief, painting with a computer, is not just pushing a few buttons and getting the results you want. The image does not magically appear on your screen. You have to build a painting in much the same way you do on canvas or paper. The first step to becoming a successful computer artist is learning how to manipulate the painting software so that you can achieve the desired results. Just like learning to paint on canvas you have to relearn how to mix color, how to draw with a cordless drawing pen on a tablet and how to adjust the myriad of brushes and textures at your command. Once these tasks are mastered you can get down to the task of being creative. 

In these few lines of text and illustrations I will try to make comparisons between painting on a computer and more traditional methods. 

Like its traditional counterpart painting with a computer requires that you plan in advance as closely as you can what the end result should be in case you arrive there by accident. Every one does this in a different manner I usually paint the image in my head from start to finish. I have gotten very good at this over the years and I find that it facilitates swiftness in execution of the piece and adds to the spontaneity. Sorry I can't explain how I do this I don't know. 
 

The next step is to prepare the painting surface. Traditional methods require that you build a stretcher frame and stretch some canvas over the surface primed with gesso. On a computer a dialog box appears when you press new and asks you for a size and resolution.( Now this part is easier than wrestling with a piece of canvas and a wood frame!) 

Traditional methods require that you make a sketch of what you are about to paint on your canvas. This is usually achieved with the use of a pencil or some other drawing implement. The amount of detail in the sketch is dictated by the amount of detail you want to achieve in your painting. On the computer you use a cordless drawing pen and tablet. You select what you want the pen to be, in this case a 2B pencil, then you sketch on the tablet the same way you would draw on the canvas. Each line you draw on the tablet is recreated on the computer screen. You continue to draw in this manner until your sketch is completed.

Now the fun begins! Traditionally you would mix your colors on a wood or glass pallet with the desired painting implement,then apply the color to the canvas where you want it. On a computer you pick up your cordless drawing pen select what type of brush you want it to be, then you select or mix the color you want from a color pallet on your screen and apply it to your electronic canvas where you want it. You know this sounds mighty familiar and it is. Todays painting software is designed with a lot of input from professional artists and so imitates as closely as possible more traditional methods of painting. When you use it to paint with you will quickly discover how natural it is to use.

After you have applied all of your colors to the electronic canvas in the order you planned in step #1 you should see your masterpiece emerge. How successful you are in achieving this depends solely on how skillful you are at using the available tools. The only real difference between painting in this fashion and more traditional methods is where the image is placed. It's on a computer screen. I can't hang this on my wall! To the rescue a computer artists best friend a high resolution color printer with this mammalian you can output your work to real canvas or fine paper and frame it just like a traditional painting.

From the afore mentioned comparison of painting with a computer as opposed to more traditional means one question might arise WHY? Why not just use traditional oil instead of learning a new technique like this. The answer is simple Why learn to paint with watercolor when you can paint with oil why learn any new mediums for that matter the reason is in the results. These mediums all yield  quite different results.