Hey, all! I'm really more of a traditional art person. I sew, sketch, and paint with acrylics and watercolors. Unfortunately, those require a decent amount of continuous time, clean space, and money for materials that I'm likely not going to have much of for a while. I've been thinking that it might be fun to try my hand at some computer-based art, but I have no experience with it. I'm thrilled if I can draw a straight line in MSPaint. So I'm looking for advice--for someone with little experience the graphic arts, what kind of decent equipment and software is around for the financially challenged?

Two things that are wonderful for beginners.

PaintTool SAI (approximately $60 which is better than $200 for photoshop) Wacom Intuos Art Small Tablet (around $100 at bestbuy)

That's what I suggest :)

How is sai compared to ps aside from the price? And I'll likely be buying a used tab off of ebay or something akin, so it doesn't have to be dirt cheap, since I'll probably be getting it for a low price anyways. Any other tab recommendations?

I feel it's easier for beginners since it has a stabilizer which is huge for me. My hand shakes so my lines would look really jagged and terrible without it. The stabilizer smooths the lines automatically.

Wacom Bamboo is cheaper and I hear it's a good starter tablet as well :)

Good to know, since I can't draw a straight line with a pencil stuck between two rulers! And as long as the price is under 200, I'm open to any decent tab suggestions. What's the difference between the two Wacoms?

as far as I know, I just know one is cheaper.

The only difference between the Bamboo and Intuos tablets would be their claims of pressure sensitivity (which, according the the opinions of most owners of both products, isn't really noticeable), the size and the weight/feel. If you want something on the lower end I'd suggest not even bothering with one of the cheaper Intuos tablets. You'd pay the same price for a smaller tablet with a slightly nicer pen you'll have to sacrifice a finger for to replace the nib. Good Bamboo tablets go for around $80 or less on Amazon.

As for art programs, PaintTool SAI is decent but definitely not the best/the only program with a stabilizer. Both Krita and MyPaint are excellent free programs that may suit your needs. There's countless more though these are just the ones I've had experience working with.

SAI 100% for me. The stabilizer is great for my shaky hands and I feel like it is very easy to understand. Photoshop is just so confusing to me even though I've been drawing for years. It takes a long time to get used to it.

Tablet wise, I agree with the statements about the Wacom tablets. The Intuos Pen is very cheap--probably around $70. You can get an older bamboo tablet as well, they are pretty dang durable. And personally I like the pen on the older Bamboo Splash a lot better than the newer Intuos tablets; they feel like they are made a lot better.

I agree with the statements about tablets. Wacom has the best made tablets on the market right now, and Wacom Bamboo tablets are best for beginners. Intuos and Intuos Pro tablets are nice as well, and a little more on the professional side. I would keep in mind how you draw on paper, since I've found if you're not used to drawing in small spaces a small-sized tablet wouldn't be the best fit for you. But if you're looking for something affordable and wouldn't mind the change from large paper to a small drawing space, definitely get a small tablet. However, I recommend getting a medium or a large-sized tablet. Also, as weird as this sounds, keep in mind what pen size you're comfortable with. I discovered recently that I've been getting wrist pain because I've been drawing with the larger pen that my Intuos 4 tablet came with. I was able to order a smaller, older styled pen through Amazon so that should fix my issue. Just a small thing to be aware of!

As far as programs go, I use Photoshop only for graphic art. It's not the best drawing program haha. Paint Tool SAI isn't a bad program, but it lacks a lot of basic functions that other programs come with, such as a text tool. My favorite program right now is Clip Studio Paint. It goes on sale for 15 dollars every once and a while and is worth the wait in my opinion! c: As far as free programs, I've heard FireAlpaca and MyPaint are both pretty good.

Do the older wacoms also have a good rep and do most come with a pen or is it something I'll likely have to buy separately anyways? Also, software compared to Gimp? (gimp's the closest thing to graphic art I've done)

All drawing tablets come with a pen. c: My issue is just my small-sized hands vs the larger, heavier pen that came with my tablet. My hand couldn't handle the strain of the pen. Older Wacoms have a pretty good rep, yes! I have a friend that has a Wacom that's about seven or more years old at this point and she still likes it, plus it runs great. Some older tablets just have lower pressure sensitivity levels than newer tablets.

I haven't tried Gimp in years, but it's not the best free art software now that better, more professional free art programs have come out. I believe it's now pretty outdated.