Should I use a Scanner in Graphic Design?

Question

I'm working on becoming a professional Graphic Designer, and to that end I own a tablet with a stylus to allow me to more easily and accurately control the cursor while drawing on my computer.
The stylus is still a fair amount more difficult to work with freehand though than an actual pencil and paper, and while I understand that some of that is a lack of experience with it, I don't think it will ever be as easy as the real thing.
So to help out with that I'm thinking about getting a simple high-resolution flatbed scanner so I can draw out freehand sketches on paper then scan them on the computer, and use the sketch as a base while I finish it off with the tablet.

What I'm wondering is if this is a common practice in Graphic Design, or if I might be better off just practicing my freehand with the tablet.

Answer 1

that's what I do then again I'm no pro I just use it to help with the sketch then I work with it free hand until I get it the way I wont it I have problems with poses so I get others to model for me and I take the photo and work it until it's something awesome.

Answer 2

If you want. It doesn't matter. Every artist does things differently. If you are more comfortable doing your sketch on paper, do that. If you don't care, doing it completely on the computer saves paper.



As long as your finished image is clean, how you get there is irrelevant.

Answer 3

Most scanners today let you choose Gray, RGB, or CMYK. Check your settings.