Tablets and Drawing

Let me first qualify that the tablet I'm referring to is an electronic device that allows a computer user to use a pen-like gadget called a stylus to write or draw on a tablet and have the writing or drawing be reflected on the computer. Marvelous piece of technology, isn't it? Now, that's all clear, let me get on with the actual rant.

I have a Wacom Graphire3 Tablet and I admittedly love it. It's very responsive and relatively inexpensive. I have been using it for some time now but mostly for colouring and "painting" (and by this I mean using the tablet to paint in conjunction with a painter program such as OpenCanvas or the ever-popular Corel Painter). And sometimes, I use it to draw the actual under drawing and/or virtually ink the art.

At the moment, I'm working on a Nadine (a main character in my webcomic Lovarian Adventures) image and I drew it from scratch. It's still a work in progress but you can look at the unfinished version by clicking this link here. I just finished inking the piece and I sure am relieved that bit's over. My right hand hurt like you wouldn't believe it while I was trying to finish it and I cannot for the life of me draw a straight line or a perfect curve with that hand while doing so.

It reminded me of my attempt to draw an entire page of my webcomic entirely on a tablet and it was painful to draw as well.

I guess what I'm really saying is that I've learned my lesson. I will never draw from scratch using a tablet. I'll still use it for touch ups and for colouring, sure. But never drawing or even just inking. It's just not worth the time and effort for me. It would've been a lot easier if I drew with a standard pencil and paper.

I'm also writing this down here so that I have a reminder for myself of this lesson learned. I know there are people out there that do amazing work with just tablets like my friend Ju (see here webcomic ROMB). Good on them. As for me, I'll just be sticking with pencils.