Computer Graphics with Photoshop - Pros & Mice [was: The Thing That Kills Flash As A Viable Web Solution]

Author

Pros & Mice [was: The Thing That Kills Flash As A Viable Web Solution]

Clyde

2005-12-29, 6:17 pm

SpaceGirl wrote:
<snip>
>
>
> Pretty much sums it up. What professional uses Photoshop with a mouse!?
> Really ends the discussion right there ;) Buy yourself a graphics tablet
> for gods sake :P
>
<snip>

Professional what? I'm a professional photographer and I use a mouse
with Photoshop. I used to have a Wacom tablet and used it for years.
Everyone said that was the way to go. "All the pros do it that way."
Well, not necessarily.

Years ago in college, I took a class in drawing. The mutual conclusion
that my teacher and I came to was "stick to photography". i.e. I have
the eye and the creativity, but not the hand for art.

Guess what, tablets take that same hand skill. I kept frustrating
myself. For example, I would hit a spot using the Healing Brush or
Rubber Stamp and get a different result every time. That had to do with
the pressure sensitive feature of tablets. My hand couldn't get just
exactly the right amount of pressure consistently.

With a mouse I automatically got the same hit every time. I just keep my
left hand on the [ & ] keys to quickly adjust the size of the brush.

Since I only edit photographs and never "draw" or "paint" in Photoshop,
I don't need the pressure sensitive feature of a tablet. As this is the
big reason to use a tablet, I have found that a mouse works better for
me. So, I sold my tablet and lived happily ever after.

I'm sure that most professional Photoshop users have artistic hands and
would find that tablets work better for them, not all of us. Once again,
broad, sweeping statements that declare universitality are proven wrong.

Clyde

fungusamungus

2005-12-30, 6:16 pm

"Clyde" <clyde@world.comedy> wrote in message news:ApidnRxDl5pHzijeRVn-
> Funny. It looks like you didn't read my message. One thing I said was that
> I don't do anything that requires pressure sensitivity. That's why I don't
> need a tablet. So you are right, you can't do pressure without a tablet,
> but it's irrelivant for me.
>
> It does reduce one tool (not massively) in Photoshop. Then again, I'm not
> using all the tools in Photoshop anyway. There are lots of drawing and
> painting tools that aren't important to my photo editing.
>
> Tracing "when you are editing photos"?!? What are you doing tracing? I
> don't trace anything when I'm editing photos. It would seem that
> "retouching of promotional shots, gig photos etc" wouldn't require
> tracing. The only reason I can think to do tracing is in manually creating
> masks. However, that is the slowest and most painful way to make masks.
> There are many better ways to make masks.
>
> If you are doing a lot of tracing, a tablet would be a useful tool. I
> don't do tracing or need pressure sensitivity. Therefore, I have no use
> for a tablet.
>
> Clyde

I mostly avoided this thread, but the change in subject line made me read it
:)

I'd like to interject here though: I do freelance illustration, which often
includes comic books. I also covhort (sp?) with a lot of comic book
artists. I know a couple of guys who *ink* in Photoshop with only a mouse.
That even blows the "tracing" comment out of the water :] (these people are
quite good, I might add. And I'm not saying "inkers are tracers", but there
is a lot of tracing involved in inking).

Constance Pierce

2005-12-30, 6:17 pm

In article <ApidnRxDl5pHzijeRVn-sQ@comcast.com>, Clyde
<clyde@world.comedy> wrote:

> Tracing "when you are editing photos"?!? What are you doing tracing? I
> don't trace anything when I'm editing photos. It would seem that
> "retouching of promotional shots, gig photos etc" wouldn't require
> tracing. The only reason I can think to do tracing is in manually
> creating masks. However, that is the slowest and most painful way to
> make masks. There are many better ways to make masks.
>
> If you are doing a lot of tracing, a tablet would be a useful tool. I
> don't do tracing or need pressure sensitivity. Therefore, I have no use
> for a tablet.
>
> Clyde

I do a lot of photo editing for a couple of magazines that I design.
Since they typically require silhouetting, I trace the contours of the
image with the pen tool as a path (then right-clicking the path and
making it a selection) - it's easier, IMHO, to create a selection that
way as opposed to using the "automatic" feature in PS. Definitely more
than using the lasso tool or the magic wand (which if you ask me, is
not magic).

I've always hated using a mouse (haven't used one in about 10 years)
because I've found, from talking to colleagues) that it contributes to
carpal tunnel syndrome. Using a stylus is so much more intuitive -
after all, everyone knows how to use a pen or pencil. The hardest thing
to get used to, I think, is the "mapping" on your monitor. After that,
it's simple.

As for pressure levels messing with your work, you can (more often than
not) disable the pressure levels within the stylus utility/preferences.

Not to sound like I'm trying to convince you, but I just hate thinking
anyone's walking around with potential carpal tunnel problems. Too, I
have, as a result of a motorcyle accident, arthritis in my right wrist
(the one I use for drawing, editing, writing, etc) and using a mouse
was always agony - it's gotten a lot better and I can do more using a
stylus.

Just my two pennies . . .

Happy New Year!! ( :

--
Constance Pierce
principal/designer
info@pierceillus.com

"you can't polish a turd."

Constance Pierce

2005-12-30, 6:17 pm

Hey Spacegirl - sorry to bother you again, but do you have any good
(fairly basic) books on Flash that you'd recommend? I really love the
sites you gave us links to . . . and I'd love to be able to create
sites HALF as good (no use being TOO ambitious!).

It's amazingly impressive that you're able to create such awesome sites
being self-taught in Flash . . . I had totally pictured you sitting in
HOURS of classes for MONTHS, if not longer. Damn, Girl! What I'd give
to have your brain!! It seems that Flash requires such linear thinking,
I just haven't been able to wrap my brain around it. LOL

Do you have any other links you'd care to share? Which one(s) are your
fave? Which were the most fun to do? Inquiring minds GOTTA know! ( :

Happy New Year!! ( :

--
Constance Pierce
principal/designer
info@pierceillus.com

"you can't polish a turd."