Well, I started with D/S and later purchased Poser 7.  I still like D/S.  I found the learning curve much steeper with Poser and not as quickly rewarding, but I'll still keep plugging away at it and maybe eventually post an all Poser image.  The other application that I use is Vue which I have found easy to use and pretty powerful,   
   I never have used D/S or Poser to turn anything into a sketch... the one time that I did I tossed the image into Corel Paint to get the effect that I was after.  The image was originally set up in DAZ...

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1431635

   I guess, I'd prefer this method of creating a sketch; however, I have seen and heard very good things about the PwSketch plug in and it is fairly inexpensive to add on.

  To FranOnTheEdge:  (great handle there)  You can use the free poser content here on this site in D/S just avoid dynamic clothing (IMO - there may be a work around I'm just not aware of) and other Poser content on other free 3D content sites like 3Dworld.  Another place to check out and get some of that much needed terrain and ideas for skies is the DAZ Artists Guild (we're a fairly helpful bunch).   

                                 Anyway, that is my buck and a quarter (inflation you know)
                                                                                             evoluzione