Software vs. Hand Rendering

I’ve always been a bit of a digital junkie. In my years at college I mainly did most of my work using photoshop and illustrator, until I found out how much I enjoyed using the printmaking facilities. One of the choices that i’m trying to decide at the moment is whether I want to go back and pursue my digital roots, or if I should keep up with the hand rendered styles i’m developing at the moment. Obviously, depending on the brief that i’m set will depend on the outcome, but i’d like to develop my digital skills along with my traditional ones.

Anyway, on with the post. I’ve been trying out a program called Sketchbook Pro, which I found out through Stephen Silver’s blog (Artist from Ren & Stimpy). I’ve only done a few images using it, but to be honest it’s brilliant. The pencil and pen effects are much better than most of the photoshop or illustrator defaults, and when using a graphics tablet it feels much more like traditional drawing on paper rather than digital. Here’s an experiment i’ve done on this using layers, and copying from a photo. I think this program is something i’m going to explore more with my work, as I find it so useful and simple to draw with.