Im not actually sure on how to phrase the question, but here it goes

Ive beeen thinking on buying one, but im not sure if it could actually make my life easier by doing so(without actually buying and trying it out first). Originally i ink pages then scan them then try to color in photoshop( i hate cleaning up sketches, such a drag). For those of you guys who made the switch, would you recommend using a drawing tablet for inking works compared to the traditional way im doing things? Is there any disadvantages i should watch out for?

I switched to a tablet about a year and a half ago and I'm totally hooked. Originally, I would ink, scan, clean, and then color with a mouse, which took ages.

Now I never ink by hand if I can help it. I scan the sketch and ink on photoshop at about 600dpi and a size three paintbrush. Once you resize, the smoothness of the lines is really nice, plus it's easy to erase and redo a botched portion of the line. You have more control. Variations in line thickness is also easy. No more buying tons of pens!

Coloring also takes a fraction of the time because, again, there's more control.

There are a few disadvantages, sure. I started out with a cheap wacom graphire tablet that died after a few months. ( after I'd become dependent. ;__; ) There are also some driver issues I've noticed that involve restarting photoshop to fix. ( sometimes restarting the whole compy. ugh. ) But those are few and far between.

I use a graphire 4x5 now and it's been great so far.
Hope that was a bit helpful.

Just expect a bit of a learning curve, it's very different drawing on the screen as it is to drawing with paper. I usually only color with my tablet- I find it too uncomfortable to draw or ink on-screen. It must be my eye-hand coordination, but I just end up with drawings I'm happier with when I do the beginning by hand.

Drawing on a tablet will change how you do your comics like you would never believe. Yes, like everyone said, there is a learning curve, but it aint a steep one.

The main use I suggest it for is coloring. Inking your sketch with a tablet is very difficult, mainly because you cannot rotate your page. And as for drawing it in directly with the tablet, that aint easy. Its better to do your lineart by hand and save the tablet for special effects/coloring.

And providing you take care of it, a wacom tablet will last you a VERY long time.

Now, the catch to this all is, do you really NEED a tablet? Some people like using a mouse better or some other technique. And because of the cost of a tablet, it may be best to get a cheap one to start out with, just to see if you like it. Then if you decide you MUST have one, upgrade to a better version.

.: equinox :.

Even though I have a tablet, I still ink traditionally, I don't know why, but I can never make my lines non-edgy and they still always seem a little bit sketch, for some reason I never really liked inking on the computer, it always seemed... ugly to me (When I do it, not other people's). And also, you don't really have to clean up on the computer manually all you have to do are a few buttons really. If you have photoshop do this

Layers > Levels > Adjustments

Start setting the adjustment level to the left until it looks clean, if it starts kind of erasing some of your lineart, don't worry about it yet.

Afterwards, duplicate that layer, set it on multiply and keep duplicating the multiplied layer until it is dark enough for you to be satisfied.

Works for me, I'm a traditional person, except when i NEED to color nice. :3 It makes coloring hell of a lot easier, I can tell yo uthat.

I'm with those that do the sketching and inking by hand, then coloring using the tablet. It's a fairly long process still, but not as long as it could be otherwise.

I did try to do art completely with the tablet, but I've always been so bad at drawing straight lines, let alone clean lines, so I gave up and went back to doing by hand. It took me a few months longer before I figured out what to use my tablet for....completely coloring.

The process I go through (to my fathers dislike) is: sketch, ink, scan...I scan in grayscale because the black and white picks up such annoying details. So, due to the grayscale, I highlight the main lines and layer it all at once (layer copy) and filter it with dark stroke so it's all nice and black. Then I go one to start layering and coloring the details in. Long process, but it's worth it in the end. The tablet helps make it even better because the mouse is just far difficult.

That's my process. You can figure out for yourself how to use the tablet for your advantage, and it really depends on what style is comfy with ya.

Just so you know, the tablet is muuuch easier to use compared to the freakin mouse.

I don't know about using a tablet for illustration purposes, but for animation is pure fun. I've always loved animation but without a tablet is all work and no play. This is the last one I've done using the tablet: http://www.drunkduck.com/the_simple_comic/index.php?p=77979

I just got my tablet from home yesterday, so I'm actually working on a new page for CS right now. :D

It's so much easier to vary your line intensity, your opacities with color, and subtle lighting with a tablet.

Like everyone has said, though, there is a learning curve, and also, buying an expensive tablet won't make you a good artist. Practicing with it, however, will. :D

I use tablet. I almost always do my lineart on the computer cuz my pencil art is too messy.

I use a tablet for my whole comic.

The only reason is because if I scan it, I will have a different size for every comic, because I must scan it in a certain way.

Oh well. It saves a lot of traditional materials, anyway.

I do it the same way as DancingChaos.

I oringally used to scan in my pages and then ink it on the comptuer, but then my scanner died on me!

with lots of pratice.. you can draw directly into your comptuer and it'll be the same as on paper! ^_^
and I use tons of layers when coloring, doing backgrounds too, etc.

I just love my wacom tablet, and it's lasted me a loooooonnnggg time. proably because I like to take exemetely good care of my stuff. some of the stuff that I brought ages ago, even clothes, still looks like it's in mint condition.

I have a wacom tablet but it's been so long since the last time I've used it. I barely use it since the lousy Photoshop can't keep up with my awsome speed *Shot* because the memory sucks *Shot*... and I usually use mouse since I don't have to pick up and put the tablet on my lap every time I need to use it. *Shot*

I want the larger desk back.

...Anyone got suggestions for using the tablet besides using it for art-related stuff, alternative mouse, stabbing, and playing House of the Dead II?

Dan, I would recommed that you save up money for extra RAM and a good memory card. there's some really great ones out there for cheap, if you know where to look.
with any luck, you could just put your photoshop stuff on the second new memory card.. and aided by the RAM, it'll be able to keep up with your speed.

I'm 14. I'm broke. My parents refuse to do anything to the computer. I'll probably have to wait until I'm 17-18 before I can do anything about it.

well, there's chores for you right? you could still save up, and tell your parents that you'd pay for it with YOUR money. they can hardly argue with that, right?

Actually, they can.

I use a tablet for coloring things, which is incredibly useful. I'm no good at inking and drawing with it though. You really can't beat the pencil.