The digital pen is mightier than the mouse

Ninetieth Post: The digital pen is mightier than the mouse

A friend of mine recently ask if he should get a digital tablet. I explained that it depended on the medium and type of art he was going to do. The digital tablet is nice, but sometimes a good scanner is more practical for original art.

But at the site www.alpha-shade.com, the artist uses a digital tablet for all the artwork and he is using Flash for coloring. If you, the reader, use Photoshop or another paint program, a digital tablet is a good investment. Not only does it let the user draw to the screen, it is fun to do. It adds another dimension compared to drawing with only a mouse.

Sometimes a scanner is more practical, because it is easier to draw with pencil and paper than to use the tablet. The scanner is a bridge between digital and traditional art. The scanner is the method for comic book art. These like the computer itself, are just tools. The user must find the one that fits their needs.

Also the Pittsburgh Post Gazette had an article about 3 or 4 months from today’s date that featured Scott Adams, the creator of the comic strip Dilbert. He had a condition that hindered his drawing. So in order to correct the problem he started drawing with a digital tablet. The drawing tablet saved his comic strip. He was able to draw and produce more funny cartoons.