Hey everyone...

I have a quick question: do you find it easier to draw on a pen tablet rather than on paper?

Also, do you think tablet model really matters?

I ask this because I have a cheapy Wacom Pen Tablet (it is one of their older models (no eraser, 512 pressure levels, small surface area, not an intuos)), and I find it hard to adapt to digital artwork...

I can draw well on paper, but when it comes to drawing in Photoshop, even a good line can be difficult.

Any tips? I always told myself I need to practice more with it to adapt, but so far there has been no luck...


EDIT: I want to know if I should buy a better model at this point; I want to make fan-art for League and enter that "New S3 Items" contest...

Try Paint tool SAI for linework; it has a smoothing feature that no other (to my knowledge) has.

As for paper vs tablet, I find it easier to draw on paper in some ways, but ultimately the tablet would give me better results (due to layers).

I have no problems with my Wacom Intuos 5. It's the most expensive one out there, but you get what you pay for. It was my first drawing tablet and it instantly felt natural.

This is my Advice, it would be wise to invest in a tablet since its kinda a industry standard. What I would recommend as a cheap alternative is to buy an older version of Wacom (MUST BE WACOM other tablets i've found to be pretty awful (including tablet laptops)). I would recommend a wacom 3 (got a new one on craigslist for 80$). For me Wacom 4-5 are pretty much just adding a little more bells a whistles (they say increased sensitivity but i can't seem to feel the difference).

As for how it feels when I use a wacom tablet:

At first i was super skeptical since since I was more of a pen and paper artist, but then I started practicing it a lot more in my free time...

Now it has gotten so bad that when i draw on pen and paper i'm annoyed that my hand is blocking my view.

PS. REMEMBER REMEMBER to have you Wacom driver updated and in addition
when using brushes go to Window > Brush >Transfer >Opacity Jitter (make sure to turn it on as Pen Pressure) (same goes for Shape Dynamics for size Jitter). It'll make your life a whole heck of a lot more easier.

If there is any issue or problems feel free to MSG me on lol and i'll give you my skype.

Have a good one and GL!

I wrote like a whole 4 paragraphs explaining my views and tips and then internet crashed. So heres the synopsis-

Sai is lighter than photoshop and makes it more smooth to draw with a lower end processor. But lacks the good masks, colors, mixing, layer use, filters, addons and warping capability of photoshop.

Watch your aspect ratio, especially if you have multiple monitors and a tablet that jumps around the screen. (AkA if you have a 16 9 tablet and two 16 9 monitors the total is 32-9, making horizontal movement twice as slow, and vertical moment normal speed)

And I like to sketch with paper, but the tablet is just too good of an opportunity to use the great resources digital drawing has (AkA you never can lose progress, only gain it) , and I use my tablet for actual portfolio pieces and work I would show people.

You will notice a slight difference when you first start using a tablet. But I find it nicer than using pencil and paper.

Also for programs for drawing, I use paint tool sai. I just love how smooth the lineart comes out and the variety of options i have when coloring.

I do prefer tablet over traditional for many reasons.

I cannot color to save my life if it's on paper but I don't have to worry about that
Mistakes in general, don't have to worry about nasty eraser lines or smudges
It saves money on supplies!

But going back to traditional doesnt hurt once in a while, I find it often helps me to improve, even if it does feel funny at times.

On a tablet, you can modify your work endless amounts of time. On paper, if you want to change and erase something, you end up dirtying your drawing if you repeat this process many times.

After working for a period of time with a lead pencil on paper, you end up dirtying your hand and artwork with lead and leave smudges everywhere (unless you stick something between your hand and the sheet of paper).

With software, you have access to different tools and resources you wouldn't have otherwise elsewhere.

Thanks everyone for these replies, they helped a very lot actually...