hmm...I dunno an exact moment or anything. I'd asked for a tablet and got one for my birthday when I was much younger. Like 15 or somethin'. Just been using a tablet ever since, I upgraded to a better one more recently, but it didn't change the artwork so much as my work flow. Really any tablet will do, as long as you have one with pressure sensitivity. n_n And the photoshop model isn't really of consequence either. I use CS3, though very talented people can do a LOT with Elements, and/or other older versions.