Overview
Some things to keep in mind while using openCanvas to prevent crashing and optimize it’s use.
The Advantages of openCanvas (Why use it?)
oC has tons of nifty features that allow you to do a lot with the application, without making the process overly complicated or eating up a lot of resources. I have been using openCanvase since it was on version 1.1beta, and I have stuck with it ever since.
System Requirements
Despite what the specs say for this program, I have run it on a 750mhz laptop with 256mb of ram with no slow down on small images. I currently have it installed on a 1.6ghz single core Fujitsu Lifebook tablet pc with only 512mb of ram, and work on images as large as 1440*900 with over 50 layers and no lag. I’ll add some screenshots to this of that later. For right now, I just want to get the info out there for people to use. The point is, it runs really well, even on low end systems. You don’t need a supercomputer to produce fantastic images, like many other software require.
File Size
Anyone familiar with most other software is probably used to art files exploding into enormous file sizes and taking forever to load. This is not the case with openCanvas. High resolution images with many layers rarely exceed 50mb in size, and smaller images will only be a few mb. This means that your art projects won’t eat up a ton of space on your harddrive like they would in other software.
Event Files
This is, by far, the greatest feature of the openCanvas software. You don’t have to know that you are going to create a grand masterpiece the moment you start working on something. Regardless of what you do on an image, it’s saving the event file as part of your main file, anyway. This means you can start on an image and finish it without needing to fret over whether you remembered to record your session or not.
Months or years after a file has been finished, you can export the event file from the original openCanvas file (labeled .oci). I find this particularly useful when teaching my students. This means that you can create art as you normally would without having to setup a recording session as you do for other software. The event viewer allows for easy playback of the event file, and allowing the viewer to control the speed and playback if they wish to make a video of it.
Setting up oC
Some people complain that openCanvas is very limited and doesn’t offer many filters. My response has consistently been that you are lacking necessary knowledge if you are relying on filters to do the effects for you. Though oC doesn’t have a huge array of filters, it does have a number of settings that can be changed to make things easier.
Where are the settings?
Some poeple have gotten confused by this, as it is a bit different than some other programs. Settings are found under Edit – Preferences. Most of these settings are going to be fine for most people, but there are a few that I always change.
Middle Mouse Button
I have found it most useful to leave the middle mouse button as the hand tool. When zooming in to work on details, this allows you to move around that area that you are zoomed in on without having to zoom out or use the navigator for minor adjustments. This is particularly useful on larger images where moving a little bit on the navigator will take you far from where you are trying to focus.
Undos
I have nerve damage in both of my hands, so I do a very sketchy style of drawing for most things. This means that even a simple area of the sketch I’m working on can have hundreds of strokes involved in making it. I would suggest setting the number of undos to 50 if you are on a super-low-end computer, 100 for an average system (dual core, at least two gb of ram), and maxing it out if you have anything more powerful than that (which is 200 undos by the way).
While that may seem like a lot and you could always erase an area and redraw it, that’s not always an option when doing very detailed work or working in an area that’s got a lot of lines in it.
Cursors
Switching to the Cursors and Grid section of the settings window, you should set the cursor to precise and check the Brush Size and Show Cursor inside. Also set the Other Cursors to precise. While you lose the ability to see exactly what tool you are working with (a quick glance to the brushes window will still tell you), it will give you a very accurate reading of exactly where your cursor is on the screen and what area it will affect when you touch the stylus to your tablet there.
This is incredibly useful when dealing with area brushes that radiate outward from their focal point depending on how much pressure you apply, like the airbrush and eraser tools.
Anti-Aliasing
This typically won’t be a problem unless you are on a low-end system, and that is typically only a problem during playback of event files. If you are on a low-end system, you can disable anti-aliasing in the Document settings of the preference tab during playback.
Keeping oC from Crashing
openCanvas isn’t a perfect program, and no program is perfect. oC is prone to some crashing issues that can easily be avoided.
The Only Crash I’ve Ever Encountered
There is, particularly, one major issue that needs to be discussed on this front, and that is Read Access Violations. This happens when the graphics controller on your computer has done something that affects the screen resolution or settings.
Overheating
openCanvas should not be installed on computers that have frequent overheating issues of their graphics cards. If your graphics card is frequently crashing due to excessive heat, invest in a can of air and apply liberally until the heat channel is clear and the card can breath properly. Clean up dust in and around your computer. Do not put your desktop or laptop on carpet or blankets, as the loose fibers can be sucked up into the vents, clogging them and causing the overheating you are experiencing. Do not attempt to wash your graphics card or its vents with water…I shouldn’t have to say that…but let’s just say I’ve had some pretty dumb customers in the past.
Gaming
Do not play games while running openCanvas. I shouldn’t really say that, because I do it all the time, but if you are going to play games, do it windowed so that the screen’s resolution isn’t changing while you play. Likewise, do not change your screen resolution while using openCanvas.
Stability
Make sure your graphics card is stable. There are plenty of benchmarking programs out there that will test the limits of your card. What is important is not that your computer scores high on the benchmarking (though it’s always nice if it does). If your computer can chug along through the benchmark completely without crashing, even if your Intel graphics processor is screaming bloody murder for what you are forcing it to attempt to do, you should be good.
Saving
Save your progress, frequently. Again, I shouldn’t be saying this…I’ll sometimes leave an image unsaved for hours and then kick myself for it later. Saving your work will save you lots of headaches down the line.
Tips and Tricks
I have been digitally ‘arting’ and teaching art for 13 years now, and there are a number of nice features in openCanvas that have made my life much easier. In general, these will apply to other art software, as well. Here are some things to keep in mind as you work with oC.
openCanvas is just a program
It is a very nice program, designed for working on images from the ground up, but it is still just a program. You are the artist. You still need to know your basics. You still have to do the work. openCanvas won’t make you a great artist. It won’t teach you what you need to know. It’s just a tool in the arsenal of an artist for producing art.
Work in Layers
I know a lot of artists that say it’s not necessary and do everything on a single layer, but if you are still learning your art style, after particular lighting and shading effects, or just want to be able to work on a section of the image without risk of ruining a different section, work on a different layer than everything else. I personally change layers every time I am working with a different colour or effect.
Remember to label your layers, as well. Having layers can get confusing if you don’t have a way of keeping track of what is supposed to be on each layer.
Lines over Colours
When working with layers, do your linework on a transparent layer over the canvas. Then, do your colour work underneath it. This way your lines will stay crisp and clear, and you don’t have to worry about edging the colours as much. My layer structure looks something like this. Remember that by linking layers, when you make the base layer invisible, all of the subsequent layers will become invisible, too! (EDIT: It appears that linking layers has been removed from version 5. It’s something I frequently used in version 4, so I didn’t realize that it’d been taken out of this version until I tried. My layer structure is still as detailed below, though)
- Base Lines
- Hair, Highlights
- Hair, Shadows
- Hair, Base
- Skintone, Highlights
- Skintone, Shadows
- Skintone, Base
Angle of View
One thing that I had trouble with early on, coming from physical media to digital was my lack of being able to turn the tablet in any meaningful way to reach those angles I had difficulty with due to my nerve damage. There is a solution, however!
First, when working with a tablet, all ways keep it at an angle somewhat parallel with your drawing screen. Those of you with a strong sense of spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination may find this unnecessary, but I find that it helps me keep my mind focused on the drawing, rather than worrying about why my lines aren’t coming out right.
Under the navigator tab you will find angle controls. Here you can either type in an angle you wish to turn the image to, or use a slider to adjust it on the screen manually. While turning your tablet is nothing like turning a pad of paper in your hands or lap, tilting the image on the screen is exactly that. Setting the angle back to 0 will reset it back to the default view.
Pencil and Eraser Size
I tend to keep my pencil tool at .5 to .7 pixels. While this doesn’t actually fill in portions of a pixel (pixels are either filled or empty), it does give wider control of the effects of the pressure sensitivity of tablets. Lighter pressure will consistently produce crisp, thin lines, while more pressure will produce slightly thicker, heavier lines.
I keep the eraser tool slightly larger than my pencil tip, typically at 1.2 pixels. While this may not seem to have an effect in general when erasing lines, it will actually you to get some of the little striations from your linework that are faint, but will make your work appear muddy.
You can use oC like a lightboard!
It’s really simple, and I had to point it out to my fiance when she moved to digital work. If Layers are just sheets of paper, and your monitor is a lightboard, you just put a fresh sheet on top of the sketch, just like you do with physical media. Make a fresh, transparent layer on top of your sketch and ink away without worry of destroying the original underneath. This can also help you catch errors and inaccuracies that you may have missed in your sketch.
Large Images and Prework
It isn’t necessary to do your sketchwork before working on a large image on a large canvas. I will typically do my sketchwork on a smaller scale, sometimes as little as 1/5, depending on how large I’m intending to go (though on average 1/2 to 1/3), and then blow the sketch up to a larger size for inking and finishing. My lines are still sketchy as all get-out, but I don’t have to worry about a huge canvas when I’m not going to be doing detailwork on that size and scale anyway.
Adjust Your Brightness to Your Environment
It is important to maintain good eye-health as you draw. It won’t do you much good to be an artist that can’t see. At night, turn your screen brightness down to reduce eye strain. On more powerful monitors, you may need to adjust the contrast as well. Some monitors have good presets built into them for night and daytime viewing.
During the day, you may need to increase your screen brightness and contrast to combat the effects of sunlight. Make sure that your eyes don’t feel like they are hurting or stressed, and that you aren’t getting a headache as you draw. If you are experieincing either of these problems, then your screen is probably either too bright or too dim for you to see properly.
Don’t Hurt Yourself
As I’ve stated a few times during this guide, I have nerve damage in both of my hands. It’s so bad that I can’t hold physical pencils or pens long enough to sign my name, and I can’t draw for long periods of time, even with the help of a digitizing tablet. If your hands start to hurt, ache, or swell as you are drawing: STOP DRAWING! That is your body warning you that you are doing damage to it. Take a break, make a sandwich, play a game, watch a movie, listen to music; do something else. Give your hands time to relax to prevent ending up in my situation.