I switched from a mouse to a tablet for my art about 4 months ago and the difference is insane.

I was doing all my linework with a regular mouse for years, and my stuff always looked a bit stiff and digital. The lines were too perfect, you know? I finally caved and got a basic Wacom Intuos. The first week was rough, my hand was all over the place. But after sticking with it for a month, my line quality completely changed. My sketches got way more fluid and natural looking. I can actually put some weight and feeling into a stroke now instead of just clicking points. It feels like drawing on paper, which lets me focus on the art and not fighting the tool. Has anyone else made a switch like that and had it totally change their style?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthony_sullivan722d ago

I used a mouse for my first year of digital art and my lines always looked so robotic. My anatomy sketches had these weirdly stiff joints and perfect curves that just felt off. Switching to a tablet was like learning to draw all over again, but now my characters actually have some flow to their poses. It’s crazy how much the tool itself was holding back the natural feel of the sketch.

averym8221d ago

Oh man, that makes total sense. I read this article once that said using a mouse forces your whole arm to move from the shoulder, so you lose all the tiny wrist and finger motions that give drawings that loose, sketchy feel. It's like trying to write with a brick. Honestly, the jump to a tablet must have been such a relief for getting those natural curves.