Hi
First off I have searched the forums and found some general thoughts on the hole digital drawing part. I still think this topic could hold its own thread.
Second this is not about if digital drawing is art or not, for me art is a word used about constalations I dont understand

So come one out and share your pros and cons about starting to learn to draw on a computer rather than with pen and paper.

I already have a tablet and use photoshop daily, for photography work. The reason I whant to learn to draw is because I know a lot of the best retouchers have a strong drawing/painting knowlegde. I guess the qualitys I would like to aqurie from drawing is much of the visual understanding of things. There by making it easyer to know how to fake things right (hope that made sence to you too).

My end goal is digital work, so should I still go out and start out with pen and papir, for me it sounds like double work?

I'm a digital painter as well as a traditional painter & I think I would advise you to learn to draw with paper & pencil first (or along with drawing digitally.) The reason I would suggest that is because you really need a good basis in traditional drawing even if you're only going to use it in a digital manner.

You can carry a paper & pencil with you everywhere but it's difficult to carry around even a notebook computer with the tablet! A good deal of drawing is done with a sponteneity (sp?) that I don't believe you can really learn with a tablet.

You know my suggestions are probably valid because I love working digitally! But, coming from a background where I learned both methods, I feel that I have the ability to see both sides & know the limitations and the advantages of both methods. And, I just think you'll be much better equipped if you learn to draw traditionally as well as digitally.

J

I have to agree with J-Lynn. A good grounding in a traditional methodology works best before you can transfer those skills digitally. Sure you can try on a tablet to learn how to draw but you won't get the same feel for the medium and how it operates. Part of the joy of drawing traditionally is the process ad the feel of paper and pencil or paints.

Digital work is great and I have a tablet too, but rarely use it just because I'm too busy drawing on paper.

Digital drawing does use the same mediums in the software that you use and you can achieve great results, but it leaves you handicapped if that is your sole method of learning to draw.

Thanks for your comments. Ill stick to paper as a start. I guess this will leave me focusing on learning and then leaving digital for playing until i get better
Thanks again ill do double work

I like pencil and paper because it's portable. I can carry a pencil in my pocket and a drawing pad just about anywhere.

Isn't digital just another artistic media, just like pencil, pastels, paints, etc.
It seems to me that there is a basic set of skills common to all media, learning to see your subject, shading, color, highlights, etc
then
beyond that, each media has its own techniques and behaviors that you need to learn.

My two cents.

Well, I don't see why you have to do "double the work". To me it depends on what you want to do... Do you want to be able to pick up a paper or what ever else is handy to create a cool drawing? or do you just want to make "cool" drawings on the computer and that's it?

To me, you can use what ever tools you like. There are some people who draw great with a graphite pencil, but if you hand them a piece of charcoal, they are lost. Granted, if their fundamentals are good, then it will only take a little time for them to get accustomed to the new medium and produce good drawings in no time at all. I don't see why you can't start with a tablet first. After all, it's just hand-eye coordination. It might actually help your hand to eye coordination, because you aren't really drawing directly, but you're mind actually has to compensate for the difference in size of the monitor and the distance of your hand to the screen. I personally love to draw "organically" and would love to pick up anything that makes a mark and draw something amazing. For example, draw someone's portrait on a napkin using ketchup as the paint and maybe a french fry as the pencil? For me, digital drawing allows for too much "cheating", where the "artist" just takes a photograph (usually someone else took) and traces and uses the color picker to choose the colors. However, it's extremely easy and fast to create and distribute images and this makes it a great tool to learn color and composition. You can move things around and arrange things easily.

Anyway, if you are concerned with great pictures. I would suggest learning color theory, and fundamentals of good composition and lighting. Those apply to any medium you choose to use. Pick up some good books and study the masters.

Draw "organically" because it's fun, and portable, great practice, and it will impress your friends but If you want to be the best digital retoucher out there, don't delay, start using the medium that you will be ultimately using. Why delay, the sooner you start the sooner you will master it.

I hope I made sense. It all just came out like some sort of exorcism