Traditional or Digital?

[IndigoShirtProd]

I like and use both. For sketching and developing skills and characters, I prefer traditional. For finished work I think digital is the way to go. There is so much convenience in digital art that I do that most of the time. But drawing in a sketchbook keeps me grounded and they're fun to look back on.

[Rhonder]

I'm a fan of both (especially marker, as a traditional medium) buuuut after recently completing a 70 page comic where i inked traditionally and colored digitally, boy am i super ready to move to all digital for the next one! Traditional ink is fun to work with, but slows my process down quite a bit (having to be careful not to run your hand through it before dry too much, trying not to make semi-permanent mistakes... too much, the scanning... 4 times per page for my paper size vs. My printer size, clean up in the computer before getting into the coloring). And in comics speed is essential. Soooo yeah, will be saving the traditional work for illustrations and shorter comics lol

[vothnthorvaldson]

As a reader: I prefer the look of traditional, but for an ongoing comic it generally means slower updates, so unless it is an already finished comic, I may prefer digital. For illustrations, I largely prefer traditional.

As an artist: I theoretically prefer traditional. Practically I switched to 80% digital after I almost missed my transatlantic flight because my pastels got a security officer really alarmed. I mostly draw while I'm traveling and I can't take the chance anymore. (Actually, this year I'm going to be try to bring half of each my pastel sticks abroad and let them there. But I'll put them in checked luggage. They'll likely arrive as a cloud of dust but well... I'll try...)

[skicoak]

Up until a few years ago, it was nothing but traditional but those days are long gone.

The way my commissions work, the sheer ability to change things without redoing the whole project is invaluable.

[spadedigsbutts]

THIS. We need a support group for digital artists with sweaty hands....if I were smart I would just buy a pencil grip and put it on my stylus...sadly I am not​

[ProfessorParsec]

There used to be gaming controllers with built in fans and vents to help reduce sweat. Too bad styluses are too small to incorporate that, because I know there's plenty of people who'd appreciate it.

[Azifri]

I like both, but have some personal preferences. Digital for time demanding stuff like comics, in part because Ctrl Z. Traditional for paintings that I have no rush in finishing, and also for sketching and studies; for some reason pen and paper is more effective for me when learning.

[JRHoch]

I enjoy working with paint more than anything; however, for comics I could not create the art I am currently doing without going digitally. It would be way too time consuming.

[rajillustration]

I like both a lot. I started out as mostly traditional and very fine-arty so it always feels just so good to dive back into paints and inks (my sketchbook is almost all a bic mechanical pencil and a ball point pen). But, for comics--digital all the way. It took me so long to do traditional comics and I would end up changing so much digitally to clean up scans that like...I just do it all digitally. And for most of my freelance illustration I do digital because it saves SO much time and it's all ready prim and perfect for printing.

But for most commissions I'll do traditionally because I can charge way more money. People love owning a painting, it's like a status thing. Prints they also love a whole ton but it doesn't have that same allure, youknow? But put some gold leaf on that puppy and it makes it so much more fancy.

[spadedigsbutts]

It’s true. If I could marry my gold foil pen I would.

[rajillustration]

Ya I got some iridescent rose gold/copper ink paint and it's like...damn it's so pretty and fun to use. Wish I could make prints shimmer like that out of the printer.

[spadedigsbutts]

I feel ya. I wish there was a cheaper way to get gold foil on prints where you aren’t ordering in massive bulk or paying up the wazoo it always looks so good

[spadedigsbutts]

Additional thing I just remembered: I know a few artists who make prints and then like, actually paint the gold foil part directly onto the print. It tends to look pretty good and then they can also charge more because they can put it down as “individually hand detailed” and what not...

[rajillustration]

Yeah I've seen that too! They'd have to print on some pretty heavy duty paper to keep it from warping, but it's a really smart idea. I've been tempted to try it myself the next time I do some prints.

[AmazementComics]

I prefer traditional art. For the reasons you said. Its so fun to use different tools to make your own graphics that stands out from everyone else. I feel like digital art is becoming too frequent, that's why i'm all for those creators who publish in traditional art. Plus digital art is far more time consuming when it could take you half the time to create a chapter/comic, make it look good through different programs (that aren't even digital) in traditional drawing art form.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

For just sketches that don't go any further than simply being sketches I prefer traditional. Though I'm so cheap I only use copy paper and whatever pencil is in reach.

For finished and colored images, digital. Especially for my comic. I prefer all the options available that digital provides.

[AmazementComics]

What programs do you use for digital?

[spadedigsbutts]

I use procreate! It’s only like 10 bucks and they keep adding new features. They added text and animation components this year and you can also make brushes which is pretty cool

[nathanKmcwilliams]

I use Krita and Gimp mostly. Sometimes for pixel-art I use Aseprite. (Incredibly well made program. The fill tool and gradient tools on it are amazing)

[Luminosophy]

I kinda wanna switch some of my process to traditional, but I lack a proper printer/scanner unfortunately. Reason is that I found while digital is rly good for zooming in for fine details and polishing, I find my beginning process is way faster on paper. Much easier for me to just use a ruler and grid out my perspective and buildings, thumbing in figures etc then transfer it over to digital.