# How many of you use/have used a mouse for digital art?



## Drass (Jan 28, 2011)

I started using a mouse out of necessity, having no tablet for digital art.  I'm still using it now and I've gotten pretty good with it I think, but I'm starting to wonder if I could create art to rival a tablet with my mouse or mouse-users like me are destined to move on or be held back.  So here's my question to you all:  *do you use a mouse for your digital art? if not, have you used a mouse before?*


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## Jw (Jan 28, 2011)

Not by choice, but I did use a mouse a very long time ago, then I got a tablet within the past year. It would be hard to go back to the old ways. Many people are pretty talented, I think of Cerebus the animator dude of the "Katan" movie, he uses mouse.


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## Cheruphim_Dog (Jan 28, 2011)

I've used a mouse for probably a while. I started taking drawing seriously in '08, and mainly I scanned in sketches and then colored them with the mouse before I got a tablet at the end of 2009. A mouse is pretty tricky mainly because you don't have as much versatility due to the fact that the tablet has a pen that you use to draw. It's easier to draw with a tablet mainly because the tablet's pen gives the artist great control over their drawing, plus offers pressure-sensitivity (making the stroke thicker or thinner with pressing down with the tablet pen) than a mouse. However, with a mouse, you can use the pen tool in Photoshop, and it does have some abilities that allows you to mimic professional artwork if you use it wisely. ^^

Good luck!


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## Taralack (Jan 28, 2011)

I used to use a mouse, back before I had a tablet. My method was mainly draw/ink traditionally > scan > colour digitally. So my main method of colouring back then was cel-shading, as that's the easiest to achieve with a mouse in Photoshop. 

If you have a lot of patience you can do pixel art with a mouse.


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## Drass (Jan 28, 2011)

Cheruphim_Dog said:


> I've used a mouse for probably a while. I started taking drawing seriously in '08, and mainly I scanned in sketches and then colored them with the mouse before I got a tablet at the end of 2009. A mouse is pretty tricky mainly because you don't have as much versatility due to the fact that the tablet has a pen that you use to draw. It's easier to draw with a tablet mainly because the tablet's pen gives the artist great control over their drawing, plus offers pressure-sensitivity (making the stroke thicker or thinner with pressing down with the tablet pen) than a mouse. However, with a mouse, you can use the pen tool in Photoshop, and it does have some abilities that allows you to mimic professional artwork if you use it wisely. ^^
> 
> Good luck!



I don't have photoshop, but i have sai and it's vector layers allow me to manipulate lines and manipulate the pressure in a line to look just like a tablet can for ink.  I use pencil and my scanner for almost all my sketches as well.  I'm pretty sure i want to get a tablet in the future, this pole is more out of curiosity than anything else ^^;


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## MythrilWolf (Jan 28, 2011)

I use both. I favour the tablet much more, but I use the mouse when I feel like it or need to. Especially when using the pen tool on PS or Illustrator, I typically draw a picture traditionally with a pen or pencil, scan it in, and then use the mouse to control the pen tool so I can get smooth lines. That's typically for images that need rigid lines or perfectly curved lines, though. For the rest of the time I rely on the tablet, because I was started out a traditional artist. Anything that resembles the tools I'm most familiar with will go in favor with my style of drawing and painting like pens, pencils, and brush tools in PS. Basically I think it's best to specialize with using one tool and always get used to using others, so that you never corner yourself. For you, when a tablet breaks down, you aren't left with no way of finishing work. You would have skills with a mouse and could still continue with a project. That's a very good thing imo.


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## Kivaari (Jan 28, 2011)

Toraneko said:


> If you have a lot of patience you can do pixel art with a mouse.


Yep, I've done some pixel art with my mouse. I'm not sure I see a tablet speeding things up very much there though. I want to see how I can do with other art and the mouse, I just have to get around to doing it.


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## Vo (Jan 28, 2011)

Toraneko said:


> I used to use a mouse, back before I had a tablet. My method was mainly draw/ink traditionally > scan > colour digitally. So my main method of colouring back then was cel-shading, as that's the easiest to achieve with a mouse in Photoshop.
> 
> If you have a lot of patience you can do pixel art with a mouse.


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## Tao (Jan 29, 2011)

I used to color and do some game reskins with a mouse. It's really, really painstaking. Tablet's are easier! ^^


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## Valery91Thunder (Jan 29, 2011)

I started using a mouse for digital art back in 2006/2007/2008 (for lining and shading). Then I bought a tablet and I started using it since 2009, but I still did something with the mouse because in the fisrt period I found really hard handling its pen.
Now I can even sketch with the tablet, though I have this strange method of combining tablet with mouse, so I sketch with the tablet and at the same time zoom/pan the drawing with the mouse wheel.


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## In_Abyss (Jan 29, 2011)

I used to use a mouse years and years ago to do coloring mostly when it came to my art. But in the last few years since I've gotten the tablet I've actually alternated between the two since I wasn't used to it yet.

In recent times (since june 2010) I've gone to full-on tablet which has been very difficult to get used to but I'm slowly coming along. I only did it out of necessity since I had no scanner or any way to get my drawn art on the computer, but now I actually prefer it, although I'm not 100% good with it, yet.


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## Monster. (Jan 29, 2011)

Before I got my tablet (and when my tweeny-art was absolute nonsense that I am still embarrassed about), I used the mouse a lot; mostly for sketching and coloring, since I couldn't digitally paint just yet. I still use the mouse when I want to add smaller details, rather than mess up my settings for my tablet.


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## Royal (Jan 29, 2011)

I use a mouth and intend to continue using one.


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## Night-san (Jun 12, 2011)

I used to use a mouse. I use a tablet now. My eyes bleed looking at the stuff I drew before I had it.

I still do pixels with my mouse, though.


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## Taralack (Jun 12, 2011)

Stop necroing old threads.


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## FireFeathers (Jun 13, 2011)

I used a mouse until 2007 or 2008 or so.  Then I bought the tablet i own now and never looked back


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## Jaleeni (Jun 18, 2011)

I'm currently using a mouse and I hate it with a passion. I can't get colors right or anything else how I want it. Boy did it feel great to use a tablet at school. I wish I could have brought it home.

EDIT: Oh wow...just noticed this is an old thread. My bad. >.<


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## CannotWait (Jun 18, 2011)

I want one, especially since my scanner disappeared...


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## Zenia (Jun 18, 2011)

I use both. Tablet for sketching and shading (I outline my doodles [kinda nsfw] with it too), mouse for outlining my more serious pictures and for putting the flat colors down.

edit: dammit. didn't know this had been necro'd.


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## CAThulu (Jun 18, 2011)

I used to work for a video game company while I was in college, and I didn't have the money for a tablet.  all the digital art I did was by mouse, and I still find it useful.   

Now that I have a tablet I use both pen and mouse equally, depending on what I'm doing with the picture


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## Deo (Jun 18, 2011)

I use a mouse. Shit sucks.


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## Arshes Nei (Jun 18, 2011)

Used a mouse with my non dominant hand for years. Yes, old thread is old.


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