Help me choose a graphics tablet

Change the title. Tablet means iPad. You've got a number of views and no replies. Add the word "graphic" so no one is confused.

 

Grab a Wacom Bamboo or Intuos Small.
From there you will learn the features you like and would like.

I use an Wacom Intuos Pro Large for web design work.

 

Tablets from Monoprice are surprisingly good these days, and very competitive with Wacom's offerings. We have a couple people in the office using them professionally, and loving them.

If you like to draw small, a Wacom Bamboo is a good choice. If you like to draw from the shoulder, go Monoprice and get a big tablet.

If drawing is your primary job, then the 13" Wacom Cintiq is awesome, and can be paired with the Intuos in a multiple-monitor set-up.

 

Also check out Ray Frenden's graphics tablets reviews, he checks out alternatives as well as Wacoms:
http://frenden.com/tagged/review

I bought a Huion 610 for less than $60 based on his reviews, and I love it, it's just so smooth to draw with. It's actually an upgrade from my older Wacom Bamboo 4" x 6" tablet, pressure-wise, etc. and cost less.

 

I have a Wacom bamboo Pen and touch which is great for me and has some basic pressure control however I have the small and it is a bit too small sometimes if I change it I would get a medium. My dad has just bought a intuos pro large which is brilliant! Has lots of asssignable buttons and 2041 pressures (I think)

Cheers

 

I've never used that model; I don't have the knowledge to answer if that one will work for you. I'd guess that it would certainly be a great start into the world of art tablets.

I use the touch quite a bit. To zoom, pan, ect. It is very natural. I don't think it is absolutely necessary, but certainly nice to have.

 

It depends on the type of artist you are. Bigger tablet for shoulder ( experienced ) artists, smaller for wrist ( starting out ) artists.

Any tablet would work. I'd suggest getting a less expensive one to start. That way you will not waste money when you decide art is too hard. ( kidding! ). Mostly so that you will know which features you need or don't need. After your first tablet, you'll be able to say, I need one a little bit bigger, that has better pen angle sensing, easier zoom/pan, ect.

You can pick up Photoshop CS6 right now ( before they stop selling them ) and as a student, you might be able to get a HUGE discount. The current Photoshop CC has a monthly charge that I personally think is outrageous. I'm going to hold onto my CS6E for at least two years. Then maybe I'll switch back to gimp.

 

What you are asking: even the lowest Bamboo can do that. However, getting more pressure levels at Intuos grade & a better pressure curve is better for you in the long run. Touch and a ton of programmable buttons are terrific but not totally necessary.

What you should also be thinking about is the software you want to use with your tablet. Based on the video, consider Manga Studio 5 or the equivalent Clip Studio Paint (the same developers, features, also a trial version). MS5 & Clip Studio have a far better brush engine than Photoshop, etc., the experience of using either of these with a digital tablet and a $5 set of Frenden brushes is like drawing in real life. But if you use those, definitely think of getting a tablet with 2048 levels.

Also, expect a bit of adjustment in the beginning. You have to get used to looking at your monitor while drawing and not at your hands & tablet. ---Unless you consider getting a pricier digital tablet monitor like a Wacom Cintiq where you draw directly on the monitor.

(Which brings up another thing, Frenden just reviewed the 19" Monoprice digital tablet monitor, under $400, decent review, and not too much more than an Intuos tablet.)

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What 960design said! Getting a less expensive tablet to try out in the beginning is a very good idea. If you decide you need something bigger, more features, you can always the sell it or use it as a secondary mobile tablet.

 

Yes there is the Wacom Cintiq range and I'm sure there are others from other manufacturers, though they tend to cost a lot.

I'm only an amateur and just use an old Wacom Graphire Bluetooth occasionally for image editing/fixing and sketching so other people may have better advice. However I would probably find using a tablet combined with a screen a bit annoying due to smudges on the screen, and covering up parts of the screen with my hand/pen such as information windows and for pixel work the area under the pen.

 

Yes, those are called digital tablet monitors. They can also be used as secondary computer monitors. The top of the line is Wacom Cintiq, starting from the 19" they are $2,000 and on up. Wacom just introduced smaller mobile options 10" and 13" and they are hugely expensive too.

Ray Frenden has reviewed other brands and recommended the Yiynova 19" MSP19U ($569) in the recent past. Here's a very good review:
http://frenden.com/post/38693256477/yiynovamsp19u

Monoprice just released a 19" tablet monitor this month --also with a UC Logic digitizer for only $389 (!) which is better than the Yiynova. The screen isn't as good as the Cintiq though, but for $389 this thing is pretty damned good. Compare to the price of a larger Wacom Intuos tablet --which is not a monitor, and costs more.
Review here: http://frenden.com/tagged/review

Now, regarding your question about drawing on a digital graphics tablet in your lap or flat on your desk while looking at another screen --yes, it's a little weird at first. But put in some time with it over a couple days and you will get used to it, you'll surprise yourself.

I started with a 4x6" Bamboo on a 21" iMac and the proportions of the 4x6 just weren't right to begin with, horizontal tracking was a tiny bit annoying because the width was compressed. Plus I quickly felt that 4x6 was too cramped. I'm not a from-the shoulder-drawer digitally, real brushes are another matter. I use my wrist & elbow while drawing digitally. Like I said earlier, I got a Huion (or Turcom or Tursion ---they're really the same, see Amazon) 6 x 10" and the size is perfect for my 21" iMac & the way I draw. I tested it for only 15 minutes before I packed away the Bamboo, it was so much better immediately. I never had to look down and get adjusted.

I've never used a digital graphics monitor, (not yet! ) I'm thinking of getting the 19" Monoprice. But I have some of the same concerns as Dark Dragoon about the graphics monitors. I'm not crazy about drawing on an iPad because of the glare and my suddenly seemingly ginormous hands getting in the way. I've also had to do a lot work in the past few years using a light box, --same thing, frustration because it seems like my hand is always in the way, or the glare is tiresome. For only $389, I'm willing to try out the Monoprice though.
Another thing I worry about is color calibration, seems like the graphics monitors aren't as accurate.

Read the reviews, consider the way you draw now, consider the software you'll be using with a digital tablet. Maybe consider getting your feet wet first with a less expensive alternative first. If you want to work with graphics software, a digital tablet will make drawing & painting easier.

 

That Wacom Intuos is comparable in size to my first tablet, a Wacom Bamboo, it's the same working area, less than 4" x 6", you'll get the same horizontal compression. You may find it a little cramped.

Check out this tablet on Amazon UK for less money plus more than twice as large working area, and read the reviews:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Huion-ExpressKey-USB-Graphic-Tablet/dp/B00DKRLAFY/ref=cm_rdp_product

 

Tablet does not mean iPad

This was my first thought when I saw the title.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/arti...979_Apple_Graphics_Tablet_vs._2010_Apple_iPad

 

Whoa! Thanks for linking the article --fascinating! So YOU own that cool Apple Graphics tablet, it must have looked like it came from the future back in 1979. It still looks really good.