Scanner over Graphical tablet

[Dualnames]

I'm thinking of spending good 40 euros max or at least a couple to match the price, for a digitizer. But I'm wondering is it better to draw on a tablet or on pen and paper and then scan it? I know you guys are going to suggest like Wacom. But the models are relatively high in Greece, or I have to pay a lot for shipping costs.

[monkey0506]

I have never used a tablet but from a logical standpoint it would be better for the fact alone that it's less work. I guess you might have to learn how to use it, but if you think about it, with a tablet you draw something once and you're done. With the scanner route, you draw it by hand, scan it in, redraw it on the computer (or depending on how dark your ink lines were, good your scanner is, maybe only have to touch up the lines)...and then you have the task of coloring it in, etc. etc.

Like I said, never used a tablet but it seems like a lot less work that way to me.

[auriond]

I started off scanning lineart in, and then I got lazy and these days almost everything is drawn from scratch on the computer.

If Wacom is too pricey, how about starting off with something cheaper as a beginner model? There have been several threads about tablets - some of the cheaper ones would still be more affordable than a Wacom even if you factor in shipping.

[Mr Flibble]

My two cents: Bought a cheap tablet, it didn't work.

Bought a relatively old Wacom, amazing and perfect. I bought an A5 Intuos2, I decided on this because it was new enough of a model to have the features (high sample rate, tilt sensitivity, pressure levels) that I wanted, without being too expensive. At first I thought A5 would be too small, but it feels nice to work with. I would avoid A6 however, it would constrain you a bit.

Though do remember that, for a lot of pixel art, a tablet is overkill.

[Anian]

Yeah, for some pixel art, a teblet might be an overkill, cause you just need precission and that mouse offers you as well, tablet would offer stuff like impression of brush or pencil strokes that is seen in drawings. Well sketching is also easier.

Even if you had some learning curve with a tablet, why wouldn't awnser be BOTH. My problem is that often I draw something on paper but then I realise that ie a hand is just a milimeter off to the right, that is a pain to correct with an eraser (well at least if you press the pencil as I do), but with a tablet it's far easier to make your selection, therefore when you scan you can move it and move it back even. And layers, oh the magnificent layers. 
Plus you can make modifcations on the go when drawing over scanned art.
Plus use layers in ie PS to put an image you can trace over in a layer over it.
Plus basically you don't need to scan, put the drawing on the board and go over with the tablet pen.

That's at least why I'm thinking of buying it (even though I have a scanner), plan to order it next week now that I gathered the money. Too bad the market here doesn't really have an offer on old tablets, so Im forced to buy new but small.

[GarageGothic]

Personally I prefer drawing on paper, scanning and then coloring in Photoshop. But for cutscenes and other screens that don't need a great amount of detail, I'm quite happy to use a tablet since it does speed things up (Ctrl+Z doesn't wear through the paper like an eraser).

I bought a cheap A4-size Medion tablet at the supermarket back in 2002 and it's still working well enough for those rare times I use it (have to change the batteries in the pen quite often though, next time I'll make sure to get one that doesn't need them). I mainly use it, along with ArtRage, to replicate painting techniques that would be too messy/costly/time consuming to experiment with in real life. Painted this cd cover for Vel on it, and despite not being completely satisfied with it that was due to limitations to my talent and the software rather than the tablet: