Like they say, you gotta know the rules to break them. I like pushing the envelope myself, not for the sake of realism it self, but to create something that doesn't otherwise exsist. If I want to do something more abstractilly expressive I prefer using brushes pencils pastels ect. The point is that the computer is a tool, a means to an end, and as any tool you don't want to be limited by it, you want to be it's master and not vice versa. Anything that helps me get closer to what I want to achive is a welcome improvement.