Does a digital pen replacement a real pen?

When I teach younger art students (18-21yrs), given the choice, they'd reach for their iPad to draw and complete an entire comic or illustration. Recently, I asked one student who said that they don't draw with natural media anymore, it's always digital now. Is drawing digitally the evolution to drawing with natural media? Can a digital pen replace a real pen?

I still see digital tools is as just one set of tools among many that I can choose from to complete an illustration. Just like, I can choose to cook a cook chicken in a microwave or a convection oven. Both will do the job, but with different outcomes. I've tried it. The microwave version tastes..."microwavy". The oven one tastes and smells better. But if I'd only grown up with microwaved chicken, I may not know the difference. And perhaps that's why most art students just stick with digital media. There is a difference. I don't think the comic I did above would look as organic and spontaneous if I did it on Procreate.

I'd choose to use digital media if I need things to be super precise and hyper neat. A computer is great for precision and control. But if I wanted something loose and free, I'd use real paints, pens, pencils instead of digital versions of natural media. I can control natural media better with experience, but there is also some lost of control due to how ink flows and accidental movements. But I'm perhaps that is that secret ingredient for a loose and free drawing- the lost of control. Also, by using a real pen and ink, I notice that my drawing look more organic. The textures are often a lot richer. Not so much, when I use a digital pen.

So in the comic above, it was a busy day, I didn't really have time to do it. But I wanted to draw this out before Toby turned 3 years. And I did. Now, that has come and gone so quickly. I used a Ranga fountain pen with a broad nib. If the line was wonky, I just had to keep going and make it work. No undos. My mind keeps its focus to make the next line look right. A real pen does that for me - keeps my focus up because I need to get it right the first time. (I can amend it by sticking a paper over and drawing again. Or editing it digitally later. But generally, I feel more compelled to get it right the first time.)

With this wet fountain pen, I could also do a smudge with the wet ink before it dries. I'd smudge it with my finger which isn't a precision tool. Sometimes oops! it goes off target. A great way to lose control. It generally falls within a general area and that works well enough for a loose and free drawing or personal diary comic.

I did the colouring digitally on a separate occasion. Using Photoshop, I had to reduce the precision and increase the lost of control. (I've mentioned this before). I used my mouse to lasso the areas I wanted coloured and then dropped colours into them. This way, it looks like transparent layer of screen print ink layered atop each other.

By using a half natural and half digital media process, I feel it gives the artwork enough of that lost of control, and allows it to have that organic loose feel. So my lines are almost always with a a real pencil, pen or brush. Sure, I do vector graphics and digital lines for certain client work that does not need that organic feel and I need to rush it out, but overall, I do find that using natural media, or at least just the lines with a real pen, gives me a more satisfying result. And the funny thing is that, I often complete it quicker. So, no, I don't think digital tools are the replacement for natural ones. They give different results.

If you are a young artist who is always drawing digitally, try doing the work with natural media, or at least just the lines with a real pen. See how it makes you feel and think as you are drawing. See if the art looks different from digital art. Yes, these is learning curve. It won't look good at first. Also, you will have to take a picture with a camera or scan it. But we can't let laziness stop us from making better art.