Is it possible to be good at drawing with tablet and computer, but terrible when drawing with pencil and paper?

Question

My friend has always said that he's very good at drawing manga. Whenever I see him draw, however, the drawings are not very good. 

Lately he's been saying that he's only good at drawing when he draws with a tablet on the computer. He's even shown me pictures that he's drawn, pictures that are way better than the pictures I’ve seen him draw. The thing is, the pictures look like he just went onto Google Images or something and printed them out from there. (They’re a bit blurry and pixilated) Also, there was this time that this guy asked my friend if he could draw him a picture and print it out, but my friend said (very quickly) that he could only work on his laptop, and that he didn't have a printer. The whole thing seems very fishy to me.

I think he's lying about being good at drawing with a tablet, but I'm not sure whether or not to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

Can someone be really good at drawing manga on a tablet but stink when drawing by hand? Or do you think my friend is lying?

Smuag · Accepted Answer

Drawing on a tablet and drawing with pencil and paper involve two very different skill sets. When you draw with pencil and paper, you must look at what you are drawing on the paper in order to draw what you want. When you are working with a tablet, you have to look at the computer screen and the lines that show up there- you basically ignore what your hand is doing on the tablet. So yes, I would say it is possible.

HOWEVER, what I find fishy is that the artwork he prints is pixelated. If he was drawing it on his computer, he would have the option to draw 8 1/2 x 11, which is standard printer paper and probably the best for a manga-intended drawing (i like to draw manga style, and thats the size i use). If he used that option, it would not come out pixelated. It seems to me that the drawings are pixelated becuase he copies them from the internet and then expands the image to fill the page, reducing the image quality. Try googling around and see if you can find any of 'his' images that he has showed you. Or ask to see the originals on his computer.

Since you say you are friends, I would recommend that you not try and 'bust' him and make him look bad in front of everyone he has lied to. Instead, consider that he is doing this becuase he is insecure about his artistic talents. For his next birthday, you could get him a gift certificate to a local art class where he could improve his talents.

Hypogabriellecy · Answer

Hmm. Not really.

The two methods are different but the skill isn't from the device(s) used. One might have a slightly better product via tablet, but there isn't that much of a difference unless he edits (like with Photoshop, Image Editor, etc.) the drawing.

So yeah, basically, one can achieve a BETTER PRODUCT using a tablet, but he can never be BETTER with so. I'm sorry but, I also think your friend's lying. D:

Hope I helped!

Anonymous · Answer

Anythings possible if you put your mind to it!

Is it possible to be good at drawing with tablet and computer, but terrible when drawing with pencil and paper?

Trending Questions