Drawing Tablet
polycounter lvl 17
Hello peoples,
Alright, I'm growing both tired and frustrated when it comes to using a mouse for digital drawing/painting/etc. Having looked over these forums for a very long time and being inspired by so many works from here I can't count them all, I figured this would be a wonderful place to ask for some assistance when it comes to buying a drawing tablet. I asked a single user who let me know most people run with Wacom tablets, did some searching on them.
I'd like a 12x12 tablet, I've got some personal things when it comes to working with something much smaller. Well anyways I went and looked around, came up with this as an example to check with people: http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=495647
I realize it's costly enough, but I want to make sure I get one of good quality. And of course I don't want to get screwed over by those wanks who offer only the tablet, and not the pen/mouse and what not. So I ask you good peoples assistance in maybe finding one. Is the one I've linked decent enough you think? Going for a 12x12 looks like Intuos 2---if anyone knows of a good one/place to get one please let me know, I trust you peoples enough. Hopefully after some practice with it I'll be able to regularly post works here myself. Using a mouse can work decently enough...but it's awfully time consuming and doesn't give near the feeling of freedom I'd enjoy with a pen in my hand.
Thanks guys, for any help and references I can get.
Alright, I'm growing both tired and frustrated when it comes to using a mouse for digital drawing/painting/etc. Having looked over these forums for a very long time and being inspired by so many works from here I can't count them all, I figured this would be a wonderful place to ask for some assistance when it comes to buying a drawing tablet. I asked a single user who let me know most people run with Wacom tablets, did some searching on them.
I'd like a 12x12 tablet, I've got some personal things when it comes to working with something much smaller. Well anyways I went and looked around, came up with this as an example to check with people: http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=495647
I realize it's costly enough, but I want to make sure I get one of good quality. And of course I don't want to get screwed over by those wanks who offer only the tablet, and not the pen/mouse and what not. So I ask you good peoples assistance in maybe finding one. Is the one I've linked decent enough you think? Going for a 12x12 looks like Intuos 2---if anyone knows of a good one/place to get one please let me know, I trust you peoples enough. Hopefully after some practice with it I'll be able to regularly post works here myself. Using a mouse can work decently enough...but it's awfully time consuming and doesn't give near the feeling of freedom I'd enjoy with a pen in my hand.
Thanks guys, for any help and references I can get.
Replies
I started with a 9x12 which was great. It ended up a bit big and tired out my arm on long hauls. I'm using a much smaller one now, and it's been perfect for years. If you're drawing concept a lot, I'd lean towards a large size though.
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That's what I was thinking, I really enjoy and intend to do a lot of concept art, and I know sometimes in my sketch books I can get rather large. Figured I'd get a 12x12 if for no other reason the possibility of needing it as such a size. Any comments on the link I'd posted up? Seem decent enough to buy? I'd like to purchase one this weekend, the sooner the better.
also - just a warning, i have one of those, too - the case of the 1212 is nearly 40 millimeters thick, twice as much as that of a 0912 or smaller models. and of course if you are going for the normal setup of having the keyboard squeezed between tablet and monitor, this will be inconvenient, because the keyboard will be too far back and too low-profile in comparison to the tablet.
0912 is the perfect size, imho. 1212 is a nice tablet, no complaints. but it's large and very thick. i put the keyboard on the tablet and shrunk the active area to the dimensions of the 0912. now it's more convenient and the aspect ratio matches very well.
Graphire A6 - particularly nice tablet but too "glassy" for most people to draw with. Quite nice tablet to get started on, and handy for browsing the net / using windows etc. I recently gave this one to my girlfriend so she can doodle.
Intuos 1 - A4 oversize (12x12) - we had this at my old company and it was a bastard to use. That's about all I can say, I don't see how anyone could use it for anything.
Intuos 2 A5 - Lovely pad that served me for a few years, belonged to my company but I regularly took it home. Perfect drawing texture on the pad. Minus points were the pens buttons had a habit of falling out and the tracking was kinda "gloopy". I found larger tablets to have better tracking.
Cheapest: Graphire A6 - This is the model with the pen stand built in, and the cheapest in the range. Again, very good for beginners, and will suit someone for a while, before they want to move to something with more room.
Intuos 3 A4 - The best you can get, without a screen built in. I must say that I didn't use the side buttons much, and because my screen isn't 4:3 I got very little use out of the whole thing... BUT BY GOD THIS WAS A DREAM TO USE!!!
Intuos 3 A5WIDE - Eventually I sold that huge one, because it really was just too cumbersome to lug around with my laptop, couldn't use it well on my lap, and hardly fit on my desk, so I got the widescreen version. Finally, I have a keeper. The Hugeness of it wares off after a while and using the tablet for day to day tasks is fine. You can map different applications to use different ratios of the tablet, but after a while that just freaks out programs like photoshop if you do too much alt-tabbing.
My advice: save up for the Intuos 3. Get the A6, it'll suit you well for a long, then when you think you need something with a big more leg room, sell it and get the next one up.
I have a 9x12 Intuos2 (I started out on a 4x5 graphire) and I love it.
I'm still using my 4x5 Graphire. I really want a 6x8 Intuos though. If you're just starting out and dont have much cash, a small Graphire will work for quite a while.
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Same here, first generation graphire 4x5, works great for most everything drawing-wise. The small area actually helps me with some of the larger strokes, since I don't have to move my arm so much (and there's zooming in for the rest), though I do have some problems using it for menus, which I therefore don't do much. Can't comment on how it works for modeling, since I'm quite happy with a mouse there. I do want to get an intuos 6x8 sometime though, as much for the extra buttons as additional tablet space. I don't think the Graphires are compatable with the other pen types either, but I've never successfully convinced myself I need them anyway.
Anyone manage to find anything when it comes to a USB 9x12 Intuos2? I've come up with nothing in my searches---however, the 9x12 Intuos3 on the Wacom website is within my price range as well. Is there anything wrong with the Intuos3 as opposed to Intuos2?
my view on the intuos3:
seems somewhat less durable than it's predecessors, i found that the case emitted creaking noises all the time when i was leaning on it. my older tablets don't show this.
people report that the pen nibs and the overlay surface don't last as long as in the older models (i have my pen nibs in use for four years now - still fine, tablet surface just recently began to show signs of use), also the case collects fingerprints big time. the new sidebuttons seem like a cool idea at first but these are uncomfortable (wacom has already promised improved buttons - for their next tablet though) and get in the way if you rest your palms on the tablet while typing.
i briefly worked with intuos3 and had to turn them off completely, including all the scrollstrips, because i operated them all the time unintentionally.
build quality... hmmm, my intuos3 is being RMA'ed at the moment. broken pen, straight out of factory, need i say more?
maybe i'm an epileptic, unable to control my own arms -
but maybe, just maybe the intuos3 is not a step forward in some areas.
the problem is though that intuos2 0912 has been out of production for a while. you might still be able to find it (ebay, wacom refurbished program) but who knows.
until very recently they were sellling the intuos 1212, because they had no comparable intuos3 model. this has now changed, so most likely even the model you were looking at originally will vanish.
The Intuos 3 has buttons on the sides that you can use for zooming and other programable functions. You don't look away because you press them with your free hand.
I am jealous of the guys with the 21' Cintiques here at ES.
I ran a search for a USB Intuos2 9x12 and was unable to find one. Searched Wacom's site, and all they've got is Intuos3. I'll take your advice for a 9x12 as opposed to a 12x12, I understand how the ratio could've screwed me up.
Anyone manage to find anything when it comes to a USB 9x12 Intuos2? I've come up with nothing in my searches---however, the 9x12 Intuos3 on the Wacom website is within my price range as well. Is there anything wrong with the Intuos3 as opposed to Intuos2?
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