# When sketching, do you use a tablet, or pencil/paper?



## SageMerric (Feb 19, 2015)

I tend to notice that even though I doodle every now and then on my tablet, my art never seems to look as good when i'm sketching on paper. After that I just scan/line/color/finish with my tablet. I really want to learn how to sketch properly on my tablet but its just to darn hard for some reason. Especially since sketching on paper then scanning so so time consuming.

So what do you use when sketching? Paper or tablet?


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## Maugryph (Feb 19, 2015)

Honestly. Paper is still the best thing to sketch with. You become more bold if you sketch in ink but pencil is great.


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## Knuxstar (Feb 19, 2015)

Paper I don't own a tablet  and try sketching on the 3ds curse u art academy....


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## SkyeLegs (Feb 19, 2015)

Paper, always. Unless it's one of the fancy tablets with a screen, I can't draw or do line work on them very well at all. I usually sketch in pencil, ink with a dip pen, scan and only colour with the tablet.


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## xofrats (Feb 19, 2015)

Most of the time I sketch with my tablet. I switched from paper to tablet because I didn't have room for a ton of paper and now I'm used to it.


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## Antumbra (Feb 19, 2015)

xofrats said:


> Most of the time I sketch with my tablet. I switched from paper to tablet because I didn't have room for a ton of paper and now I'm used to it.



I sketch on my tablet for the same reason.  INFINITE RESOURCES!

Still like doing paper occasionally, nothing beats the control you can have with it.


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## VÃ¦r (Feb 19, 2015)

I'm a pencil and paper kind of guy. My tablet work is pretty shoddy.


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## JavaLeen (Feb 19, 2015)

I used to do not only my sketch but my lineart too on paper but as of late I'm stubbornly sticking to tablet all the way because I want to grow more secure in my digital strokes. I have great tools for linearting on paper which I have yet to encounter again in SAI or photoshop but the digital is calling to me and I'm set on answering its call, embracing it and making it mine. >:3


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## rjbartrop (Feb 19, 2015)

I still like to do my thinking with pencil and paper, and I buy a big  block of printer paper for that.


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## Blekarotva (Feb 19, 2015)

Both. It took me a few months to learn to sketch on my tablet and even more to like how the sketches came out. It was easier when I started experimenting with brushes that imitate the pencil look/texture, however I prefer how my pencil sketch look over my digital ones.


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## Centradragon (Feb 23, 2015)

I like doing both! The only personal drawback I've found with pencil is that my sketches end up so tiny â€” hard to draw bold when there's a real possibility of running out of space. ;(


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## Keka_Moe (Feb 23, 2015)

I usually do both, a lot of drawings that I have created is usually traditionally doodles, that gets scanned to be outlined digitally & colored. But other times, it is digitally sketch and then outline/colored. Either way, I use these methods back and forth.


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## Blekarotva (Feb 23, 2015)

Centradragon said:


> I like doing both! The only personal drawback I've found with pencil is that my sketches end up so tiny â€” hard to draw bold when there's a real possibility of running out of space. ;(



what size of paper do you draw on? When I fear I will run out of space I use a 57x37 sheets, and if I feel I'll need more space I get the 100x70cm type. Don't ask me about scanning the later :I
I've been looking to buy one of those huge paper roll that have about 50mts but so far I haven't come across a decent weight, only really thin paper :C


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## PurryFurry (Feb 28, 2015)

Both.  But mostly my tablet.  I had an animation professor who swore to us that sketching on paper was better, but I've found that I can do just as well with the tablet now after some practice.


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## Catilda Lily (Feb 28, 2015)

Both, well kind of. My laptop has a touch screen so I sometimes sketch on there. I usually use paper though. I don't have a scanner anymore so I just take a picture with my phone and then do the outline from there on my laptop.


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## Terror-Run (Feb 28, 2015)

Tablet. or if I start sketching on paper then 99% I'll finish it on paper.  I never transfer between mediums sorta


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## Skairin (Mar 6, 2015)

Chrysocyon said:


> Paper, always. Unless it's one of the fancy tablets with a screen, I can't draw or do line work on them very well at all. I usually sketch in pencil, ink with a dip pen, scan and only colour with the tablet.



I think you're talking about the Cintiq, I actually find them really annoying. The pen is always 3mm removed from the actual drawing surface because it's a screen, and the overheating hurts your wrists after a while. -_- Went back to my old sapphire after just a few days (that's a 10year old tablet in case anyone's wondering). After that broke, I've been using the Intuos 4 and it's not let me down.

Generally I find I have more control with pencil/paper, but when producing digital art for work (game art etc), I find the translation from paper to computer to be one, very time-consuming and annoying, and two, sets the draft in too early.

There are benefits to both, but if you're drawing a lot of commissions/doing digital work professionally I'd recommend you practice getting used to going straight to tablet to save you time. It also means you can change an image's layout several times until you're happy with it, and makes saving draft previews for customers a much faster process. Not to mention drafts with tablet look more professional than a scan or photograph to begin with (and the final product will end up more like the approved sketch/draft).

Ultimately your own choice, but my recommendation is get used to tableting, it's a digital world :3


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## galaxy-meow (Mar 6, 2015)

Paper, because it's more convenient. The "tablet" I use is a Thinkpad, so I have to turn it on whenever I want to use it. I have a Bamboo, but I've been spoiled with drawing directly on the screen that it's hard for me to go back.
It's just easier to find scrap paper and sketch. I also draw differently when I do digital, I've noticed. I'm not sure what it is.


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## RailRide (Mar 7, 2015)

My pics almost always start with pencil on paper. My track record with straight-to-digital is spotty, and while I know it's a matter of practice (the second and third pieces came out better than the first, but I still see issues with them) I have enough personal projects backed up that I don't want to devote a whole lot of time to switching mediums. 

As is stands, I can actually digitally re-draw significant portions of a scanned image--just that starting an image _completely_ digitally...doesn't quite produce results or time-savings that make up for not having to scan pencils. (I should probably lay some of the blame on not using the applications I have that can perform canvas-rotate)

When working on paper, I always make sure the composition fits the available space (i.e. _very_ lightly sketching stick figures and blocking in any surrounding objects) before actually beginning pencils, so if something doesn't fit, I'm not at the "point-of-can't-start-over". Which is kind of important since my pencils tend to get sharp enough to almost serve as inks by the time I'm done with them.

---PCJ


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## -Sliqq- (Mar 7, 2015)

No. 2 Pencil & looseleaf paper. The struggle is real.


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## Suid (Mar 15, 2015)

I used to do ALOT of pencil sketching, but it now feels so cumbersome now that I'm acquainted with my Wacom. 
Now, my sketch space doesn't house any serious sketches, just concepts and relics.


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## Zenia (Mar 15, 2015)

I am purely digital. I like the ease of resizing a thing that I accidentally drew too big/small but like the look of, or moving something, or rotating something. It helps. I can sketch pretty fast on my tablet.


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## Ieono (Mar 16, 2015)

I've been wanting to become purely digital as well. I really wish I could order a tablet out here, so I could get started actually improving my abilities and making gnarly digital art...


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## foussiremix (Mar 16, 2015)

Pencil and paper.
what i only need


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## Floogle (Mar 18, 2015)

I use both, though I find sketching on tablet a good way to hone your skills with one.


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## Mintys (Mar 22, 2015)

It just depends.

If I'm already at the computer I'll open ms paint and sketch it out, flip side if I'm in another room I'll just track down my sketch book.


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## SacrificAbominat (Mar 23, 2015)

I've had fun working with more traditional materials such as charcoal and pencil on paper, but since I finished college I've moved towards Photoshop and my pen and tablet a bit more. Honestly either method of sketching is good for me. I'd rather save a the money on materials, and make it easier to post my work online in the long run.


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## X_Joshi_X (Mar 23, 2015)

Im gonna buy a tablet the next days :3
Its easier to get into drawing and correct your drawings


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## CrazyTundraWolf (Mar 23, 2015)

Traditional drawing over iPad but I find it easier to use a computer programming so I can erase my mistakes , upload the art easier ,colour quicker , ect


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## OrangeWolfenNetwork (Mar 25, 2015)

It honestly depends for me. 

If I'm at home usually I'll do everything in digital media on my tablet. 

However, I also do life drawing for work/portfolio so those do get scanned in and digital enhanced later. Every once in a while I'll doodle on paper at home, but not to often. I find it a hassle trying to scan in a sketch and clean it up. I prefer using layers from the start, less work.

I know plenty of people who can't stand to start sketch work digitally. So its to each their own style I guess.


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## jojo218 (Mar 30, 2015)

Graphic tablet all the way, from scratch to finished artworks.

because i'm too broke to buy art supplies and to complicate things more i'm living in a shoebox-sized flat---
 so keeping art supplies or even having a proper desk to draw on is a no-no.


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## WolfNightV4X1 (Mar 31, 2015)

I would go purely digital out of convenience...drawing is twice the work when you have to draw on paper, then scan, then rework in digital.  So I've taken to dabbling in both, I practice sketches in digital frequently now, but I still have some paper drawings I want to scan then render digitally


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## KneeFingers (Mar 31, 2015)

I sketch with my tablet when I'm in my room and plan on turning the thing into a finished piece. Being able to completely erase mistakes, resize/move parts, and have reference pictures right on the canvas makes the end result of my sketches turn out nicer. The problem is that I'm out of my room a lot, but I always carry a paper sketchbook with me. Most of my doodles go there, although I rarely finish those.


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## Senpai-Fish (Apr 1, 2015)

Currently I'm a paper and pencil type of gal for all my art, from sketching to coloring.  I want to learn to use a tablet so badly though, because my access to a scanner is sporadic at best (mine is broken, and I don't want to keep asking my sister to scan it at her fiance's for me).  But I enjoy the look of paper sketches very much.  Something about the scratchy lines just appeals to me when I'm attempting more realistic drawings.


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## Charrio (Apr 1, 2015)

On my tablet mostly, I really need to draw more on paper tho. 
I have been getting lazy since the tablet has a undo button and paper doesn't


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## Sylox (Apr 4, 2015)

I use paper, since I have no idea what a tablet is. Are you referring to an iPad?


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## Biochemiphy (Apr 4, 2015)

Sylox said:


> I use paper, *since I have no idea what a tablet is.* Are you referring to an iPad?


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## Charrio (Apr 4, 2015)

Oh didn't mention what I use, 
WACOM Graphire4

It's literally over a decade and a half old now and other then the stylus wearing down its perfect. 
BTW you can get replacement styluses by ordering a used WACOM and canibalizing it for the stylus, it's actually cheaper quite a bit cheaper then a new stylus for 
a ancient tablet.


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## Sylox (Apr 4, 2015)

Biochemiphy said:


>



Ohh okay.


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## Victor-933 (Apr 4, 2015)

For the vast majority of my art career it was paper and pencil. Then I got hold of one of these. It's a Tablet PC, a laptop with a Wacom digitizer in the screen. A damn good machine, especially for $150. I added a gig of ram to mine to bring it up to 1.5GB (because one slot requires dismantling most of the machine to reach it) and installed an SSD.

For some reason it's able to run games like Doom 3 and UT2K4 despite not even meeting the minimum requirements.

Anyway, back on topic. I use this thing exclusively for art now. Everything from the first sketch to final shading is done on here. I never just 'doodle', though; when I sit down to draw something I intend for it to become a finished piece. I was the same way on pencil and paper though so make of that what you will.


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## Charrio (Apr 4, 2015)

Victor-933 said:


> For the vast majority of my art career it was paper and pencil. Then I got hold of one of these. It's a Tablet PC, a laptop with a Wacom digitizer in the screen. A damn good machine, especially for $150. I added a gig of ram to mine to bring it up to 1.5GB (because one slot requires dismantling most of the machine to reach it) and installed an SSD.
> 
> For some reason it's able to run games like Doom 3 and UT2K4 despite not even meeting the minimum requirements.
> 
> Anyway, back on topic. I use this thing exclusively for art now. Everything from the first sketch to final shading is done on here. I never just 'doodle', though; when I sit down to draw something I intend for it to become a finished piece. I was the same way on pencil and paper though so make of that what you will.



That tablet looks like it kicks ass, where did you find it?


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## Biochemiphy (Apr 4, 2015)

Sylox said:


> Ohh okay.



<3 ~


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## Victor-933 (Apr 4, 2015)

Charrio said:


> That tablet looks like it kicks ass, where did you find it?



It's called an HP TC1100 and they're on Ebay quite a bit. They're over ten years old though, so keep that in mind.


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## Maugryph (Apr 4, 2015)

both. Its best to balance them out.


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## Meggyc (Apr 5, 2015)

When I was younger I used to prefer digital art. It just seemed easier, both to draw and to share with others. At one point though, I discovered that I really enjoyed penciling and inking (especially inking) traditionally. It's what I prefer, though I'd like to try more purely digital art. On the same hand, I would like to try to draw more purely traditional art. My art is basically a compromise of the two.


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## Charrio (Apr 5, 2015)

Meggyc said:


> When I was younger I used to prefer digital art. It just seemed easier, both to draw and to share with others. At one point though, I discovered that I really enjoyed penciling and inking (especially inking) traditionally. It's what I prefer, though I'd like to try more purely digital art. On the same hand, I would like to try to draw more purely traditional art. My art is basically a compromise of the two.



I love traditional art, but found as I aged my hands became more shakey. 
It's actually quite noticeable when inking so I went Digital as my tool, I can undo and the programs can help steady my hands.


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## Meggyc (Apr 5, 2015)

Charrio said:


> I love traditional art, but found as I aged my hands became more shakey.
> It's actually quite noticeable when inking so I went Digital as my tool, I can undo and the programs can help steady my hands.



That's a good point too and where digital art has the big advantage over traditional art.

Sometimes though, even mistakes can be endearing. I can't remember the source of this so it may be all wrong, but heard a story one time where someone complimented Charles Schulz on his art style and how difficult it would be to replicate, but the wobbly lines in his later comic strips were due to tremors or his advanced age.

Anyway, it's nice to at least have that choice over traditional or digital.


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