Markers, pencil, or digital?

Computer-aided versus hand-drawn. Even though I tend to live in my own little world where this battle has been fought and won, once I step outside it's like traveling back in time. The battle rages on--what should illustrators use for their presentation drawings? Pencils, markers, or should we do everything by computer?

Below are two hand-rendered versions of the same drawing, one done in pencil, the other with marker. To be honest I like the look of both, but getting the pencil to look this good takes a physical toll--I felt like I was getting arthritis after I was done with this drawing. So pencil is definitely out. 

Color rendering by hand with Prismacolor markers.

Color rendering by hand with Prismacolor markers.

Color rendering by hand with colored pencils.

Color rendering by hand with colored pencils.

I believe it is fair to differentiate between the linework and color rendering that goes into a landscape drawing. Linework by computer is by far the superior method, no question. Linework requires a measurable, precise, technical quality which is best achieved by computer.

When it comes to color rendering there is more room for debate. Color rendering is a diagrammatic, stylistic endeavor which elicits a loose hand.

Colored rendering by hand with Prismacolor markers.

Colored rendering by hand with Prismacolor markers.

Digital color rendering using Adobe Illustrator.

Digital color rendering using Adobe Illustrator.

As for my own landscape plans, I still have not made up my mind. After creating both the digital and marker color renderings, I realized how much richer the color saturation was on on the hand-rendered version. Next time I do a color rendering by computer, I'll be a bit bolder with my colors. Hand techniques inform the digital, but in the end it will probably be computer rendering for me.