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Graphics Tablets

Liger Null

14:08 / 03.01.07

I'd like to do some artsy stuff with my computer and I've discovered that I just can't draw with a mouse. So I was wondering if some of the more technologically-minded folks out there could give me some advice on what to look for in a graphics tablet, and what brands are the best.

iamus

14:42 / 03.01.07

Wacom's the industry leader by quite a margin, I'd be going with one of them myself. I've never did a whole lot of shopping around, but that's what my old tablet was and that's what I've upgraded to on the recommendation of professionals.

I've got the Intuos3, as do pretty much all my graphicologist studiomates. It works with photoshop like a dream, beautifully sensitive and very... um..... intuitive. Does pressure, tilt and all sorts. The tablet has buttons on either side for zoom and your most often used modifier keys, but truth be told, I still stick with pen and keyboard.

Of course, if you're heammoraging money out of every orifice you could go for a Cintiq. There's one here too, and I've had a go. It's every bit as good as you'd hope, but by no means necessary for the fiscally challenged.

Kirin? Who the heck?

14:56 / 03.01.07

If you're just looking to give it a go, but don't want to make a huge investment, you could check out Wacom's Volito 2, available only in Europe, though (and sadly, it's officially Windows-only, but there's a hack for OS X, and I'm sure that the enterprising Linux folks will have whipped something up). It uses the same technology as their more expensive tablets, with the only disadvantage compared to the next one up (their smallest Graphire tablet, at more than double the price) is that you can't use the other end of the pen as a stylus. A6 may seem small (fold an A4 sheet in half along its longer side once, then again with the resultant A5-sized sheet) but I've found it to be fine for most things.

If you're outside of the EU, pretty much anything else Wacom is a good bet.

electric monk

14:57 / 03.01.07

Wacom, AFAICT, is industry standard in advertising. Personally, I love 'em. Got an older Graphire model at home and am hoping to get a nice big model at work. The lower-end models (Graphires, for example) run about $100 US. They're good starter models with decent pressure sensitivity on the pen. The problem is the tablet only has a "live area" of about 4"x6", so it takes some getting used to for drawing purposes. The larger models are pricier but more precise, and give you a larger live area to work with. Photoshop plays nice with Wacoms too. After you install your driver, there'll be an option to click so your brush tools will react to heavy or light penstrokes. I think all Wacoms come with a version of Painter Classic too, but don't quote me on that. I know the Graphires do.

electric monk

15:01 / 03.01.07

iamus, I'm green with envy. GREEN, I tells ya.

iamus

17:08 / 03.01.07

Well.... it is a nice tablet.

CameronStewart

18:57 / 03.01.07

Agreed. I have an Intuos3 as well.

My one piece of advice based on experience is to not assume that the larger tablet is the better one. I originally bought a 12x12 Wacom Intuos and found that it was too large for me to work comfortably, and ended up reducing the active area on the tablet. Eventually I replaced it with the 6x8 Intuos3.

iamus

20:13 / 03.01.07

That's true.

I have the A5 size, but I feel I would have been better off with the smaller model. Drawing with a tablet isn't as easy as drawing by hand. There's not the same weight and tactile response you get with pen(cil) and paper. To counter this, I draw from the wrist a lot more when using a tablet, with very little arm movement. A smaller tablet is better suited to this imo.

Won't be much of a problem if you're pencilling, scanning and then using the tablet to colour. But, aye, A6'd probably suit your purposes better and it's the cheaper option.

Liger Null

13:36 / 04.01.07

Thanks for the advice, folks. I recently saw the Wacom tablets at my local computer shop, so I'll probably head on up there this week to look at the models they have and see what I can afford.

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