Hello !

I'm new to digital painting, i get my Intuos 5 from a friend and i really want tomake some digital painting ! I've found this site because i actually love heroic-fantasy, sci-fi (i play some rpg games...).

So i'm a beginner and if you have some advices it would be cool ! I know that i can't just pick up a tablet and paint a dragon :D so wherecan i start ?

Thanks !!

My advice would be.... pick up a tablet and paint a dragon!!

Show us what you can do in the sketches/WIP thread and we will help you! This community is very helpful and has a wide range of abilities and aproaches, so be prepared to listen to the advice and you will quickly see the improvement.

The best advice for anyone who wishes to improve in their art is to practice. Draw and paint (digitaly if you wish!) regularly and as often as possible. Post up your sketches and your Works In Progress and go from there.

Yeah i got my tablet and photoshop !

So let's go...
I don't know if i have to start in black and white and add the colors after or directly paint in color. I have to explore a little bit.

Hiya and welcome :)

There's no "have to" really, just mess around a bit and see what works for you. Check out the challenge threads in the wip - there you can see how others progress from a sketch of colour blob to awesomeness

Well as a suggestion I would recommend that you go here http://www.youtube.com/user/FZDSCHOOL

and watch his videos...they will give you an idea about what the software is truly capable of and kinda help you get started...but understand that these videos aren't for beginners and don't expect to get told how to draw basic elements. They are more about thought process than anything...also keep in mind that Feng doesn't do art for the sake of art...so you won't be seeing illustrations but most of what he does is used as concept art for entertainment purposes. 

Hi cyb3rpunk, welcome to the forums.

As people have already said, the best way to learn is to practice. A lot.

As for getting some tips and pointers, the workshop tab at the top of the page has some good tutorials and tips (although it is a bit of a nightmare to navigate) http://www.imaginefx.com/-2287754330326480692/Workshops.html If you feel confident enough, the challenges on these boards are a good way to learn too.

Above all, don't be afraid to ask questions. These are some of the friendliest forums I've ever encountered and most of the very talented artists here are more than happy to answer questions or offer advice.

Thank you all !