Hi!
Well, for where to GET a tablet, I got mine from the Wacom website...
Wacom Technology. You can take a quiz thing to figure out which tablet is best for you since there's a few different kinds. I got a 4x6 (?) Intuos 2 and am quite happy with it. It was around 200 dollars, though there IS cheaper I believe for 100. It's pricey, but it could be worse, and if you're serious about doing digital art, then it's a good investment--though it is quite possible to get used to a mouse!
For over a year, I only had a mouse to work with and after awhile my hand got better controll over using it and I'm quite proud of some the work I did with it. Two of the art that I've done with a mouse is attached, so you can see and judge for yourself. Tablets make it EASIER but not NECESSARILY better.
The pressure sensitive, lineart, and hair are the major plusses to having a tablet (along with time-saving), but if really try, a mouse is workable. Even though I whined about having a tablet at the time, I'm a bit glad that I got used to digital art with a mouse first. It's up to you to judge if getting a tablet is worth it for you. ^_^ If the price is the problem... well, my method was puppy-dog-eying my parents and giving not-to-subtle hints about what I wanted for Christmas......
OH! I almost forgot! - Check out the Artist, Kay Allen. She does comissions for her work even now, and STILL uses a mouse. Some pretty great stuff. Check her out for further proof of my theory
Kay Allen's Art
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