OK, gotta chime in, too. I use what was referred to above as Photosnub every day for my job. I get to toot my own horn here and say I'm good at it, so I'm comfortable using it to do extensive postwork on my images - texturing blanks walls, pipes, adding lighting effects, defects and embellishments, etc.

Whatever I want. Why? Because it's what I want for MY images. Little touches that as Arcas pointed out would usually take up huge amounts of time in either sculpting or rendering times when I can do it in 5 minutes - and there's a little touch that no 3D program I use can give - MINE.

I am not an artist, I am not a painter, I'm a computer tech, I do 3d because it amuses me, and I'm one of those people who's brains are wired up for 3d geometry, the people who can get a sofa up the stairs WITHOUT getting stuck half way or ripping the wallpaper off because we can figure the correct translates and rotates in our heads.

Good for you. I think we DO understand. You are much more comfortable using DS' tools to create your images from start to finish - you are not comfortable with doing postwork since you don't have any formal training (it seems) in either drawing/painting or Photoshop (or Painter, CorelDraw, or PhotoPaint for that matter). That's just fine - it's what you like to do.

The argument about telling a silversmith to use playdoh... That's an out-of-the-blue nonsensical argument - no one would.

And that's the point of this debate - NO ONE can tell you how to conceptualize, start, create, and finish whatever image you come up with, or dictate what you use in the process. Nor can they tell you that your methods are inappropriate.

The ONLY time your methds are dictated are usually when it's in the form of a contest where they expressly forbid anything other than straight out of the software render.

If someone is not good at (or comfortable/practiced with) using certain programs, or certain methods, those who are/do shouldn't be looked down upon, or made to feel their creations are less worthy.