Durable digital writing and sketching instrument

A hand-holdable, durable digital writing and sketching device or assembly having rugged construction that houses an on-board camera with a view through an optical window of a writing surface brought in view by a user moving the device. The device is rugged, sealed, and is capable of withstanding dropping, water submersion, abrasive incursions, and resistance to chemical and fungal degradation. The optical window and optic channel to the camera is protected by a durable and replaceable light-transmitting shield that provides a sealed barrier to the environmental elements harmful to the functioning of the device. The writing and sketching device oscillates between a stowed and a deployed state. The deployed state includes the camera being in view the writing surface and the stowed state includes the camera being either masked from viewing the writing surface or aimed internally from viewing the writing surface. Other versions of the digital writing and sketching device include replaceable styli and pens that are removable and interchangeable with a sealed chamber in the device. The stylus point or pen ends are substantially in view of the on-board device camera. Signal transmissions communicated from the digital writing and sketching device convey pressures experienced by the inserted stylus or pens and are represented in proportion to a microprocessor based display that conveys changing field of view experienced by the on-board camera.