Should I just go back to traditional?

[keac]

So, I went a chat with a friend of mine (remember that "realistic drawing" topic?)

I told him about my webcomics and stuff. He said I could improve and he's gonna help me ^^

He recommended me buying high-quality pencils, he recommended me Staedtler products and a Berkeley Sketchpad.

He told me something about digital drawing, he told me that I should focus more on traditional before going to digital.
So I asked, if I improved in traditional, would this apply my skills when I try drawing digitally?

'Cause traditional drawing is like drawing on a Cintiq, but I only have an Intuos.

(I drew traditionally before, but not to the extent that I am already a pro before going to the digital world)

[Jelw]

So long as you're practicing art, regardless of whether you're drawing traditionally or digital it's going to help you improve. However you have to understand there are aspects of both Traditional and digital art that really have to be practiced independently.(Like learning how to do clean digital lineart for instance, or learning how to use water colors effectively with traditional art). However learning how to shade effectively with a range of values, learning about color theory, learning how to draw perspective, etc is going to help your art as a whole regardless of whether it's digital or traditional.

[Marimo]

Hi!

I am a mixed traditional and digital comic artist, although before I started digital, I was drawing traditionally for a really long time. I definitely would say skill from traditional drawing converts to almost the same level of digital drawing for me. I myself had experienced using a bamboo fun, which I later had the fortune to upgrade into a Cintiq 13 HD.

Honestly, I think that you can practice both at the same time! Drawing digitally requires more of an acquired "feel", which can only be achieved with prolonged practice. But drawing traditionally really helps with the technical stuff in general.

In my comic, I ink traditionally, then colored using sai and photoshop after scanning it into my computer. Whatever works for you though! Best of luck~

[guilhermecahu]

I strongly recommend this site: http://ctrlpaint.com/ [Ctrl+Paint]. It has the best pro level free video library I've ever found and it's divided into 3 sections:

1. Digital painting, simplified, in which Matt Kohr explains the basics of drawing (kinda approaching traditional art);
2. Making the Switch to Digital Tools;
3. Fully Digital.

And there's a fourth section with motivational and technical videos about studying, learning, and other subjects.

Take a look there, I'm sure it'll be very helpful for you.

[Pandastrophic]

My illustrations as well as my comic is a mix of traditional and digital, I sketch with a mechanical pencil, scan, then color digitally. You improve regardless of whether your drawing traditionally or digitally, and I personally think you don't have to work on your traditional art before moving to digital, yeah some skills do carry over to digital but if you really want to focus on your digital art more then just go for it.
It kinda comes down to what you want to achieve in your art and what you enjoy working on more, if you enjoy what your doing whether it be digital, traditional or both you'll improve.

• Explore the digital art program you have (sai photoshop, etc) and experiment, look through the tools and brush settings. There are some brushes that look like a pencil and I felt more comfortable using those at the start try those.
• Look at tutorials (there are lots on Deviantart and Youtube too) on stuff like coloring, anatomy, etc

You can improve and make art regardless of how simple the art tools you use are (I don't think you need to buy a super expensive Cintiq unless you absolutely want to) I have a small Wacom Intuos and it does need a little getting use to at the start but the more you use it the more 'natural' it'd feel (hope that makes sense)

[elixiadragmire]

hmmm this is an interesting train of thought. I personally dont think you need to master one tool before the other or there's a particularly path people need to take or the right tool. It really about personal experimentation and growth. Sometimes something that works for one doesn't work for another BUT the key is to try new things.

I think the best way would to compare it to food, try all the things! at the same time or differing times, get engrossed in one and then turn back to another. AND if you think 'you suck' at a method or tool don't write it off, you learned something from it! Be open to going back and retrying it later when you feel like it.

I've learned this is how styles are formed. By playing with our art, be inspired by our favorite artist/songs/tv/movie/books, trying new tools and sometimes find a new way to use them other people didn't think of!

So have fun!

[trevormckee31]

The key is practicing, not the medium you're using. That's like saying you shouldn't try to paint until you've learned fingerpainting sufficiently. Don't listen to that sillyness. If you want to use digital, use digital.

[abbastudios]

Practice will help you improve. The tools you choose make you proficient in the use of the tool.

You can practice with a pencil of years, yet have no control when you use a brush or pastels.

[AnnaLandin]

Is drawing traditionally required to become better at drawing digitally? No.

Is drawing traditionally helpful when wanting to improve your digital drawing? Yes!

The thing about drawing traditionally is that with a pencil and sketchpad, you can draw anywhere. You can practise wherever you happen to be, and you don't have to worry about having a working computer or anything. You can just draw wherever.

And if you're worried about whether or not those traditional drawing skills will help you since you have an Intuos and not a Cintiq - don't worry, they will. Drawing on an Intuos is different than drawing on a Cintiq, yes, but what drawing traditionally does is help train your hands until your muscles remember what it's supposed to feel like to draw certain shapes, and that applies no matter what tablet you have for digital art.