Tech Your Experience with Drawing Tablets

[Ignitedstar]

This morning, my sister bought me a drawing tablet (a Wacom Bamboo Splash, specifically) and let me use her copy of Manga Studio 5 because she saw that I was interested in drawing digital. I want to go multimedia for future projects (i.e. start on paper, finish digital) when I get to that skill level.


I've only been drawing a tad more seriously since last September, and I've gotten pretty decent in that amount of time. I'm brand new at this tablet thing and it feels like I have to learn how to draw all over again. Seems natural as I've been looking around that this is how a lot of people felt. Any one have tips or suggestions for a first timer?


Also, what kind of tablet do you use and what do you think about it? If I end up really liking this (which I have no doubt once I get the experience), I want to know what how I should invest in tablets in the future.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

This morning, my sister bought me a drawing tablet (a Wacom Bamboo Splash, specifically) and let me use her copy of Manga Studio 5 because she saw that I was interested in drawing digital. I want to go multimedia for future projects (i.e. start on paper, finish digital) when I get to that skill level.
I've only been drawing a tad more seriously since last September, and I've gotten pretty decent in that amount of time. I'm brand new at this tablet thing and it feels like I have to learn how to draw all over again. Seems natural as I've been looking around that this is how a lot of people felt. Any one have tips or suggestions for a first timer?


Also, what kind of tablet do you use and what do you think about it? If I end up really liking this (which I have no doubt once I get the experience), I want to know what how I should invest in tables in the future.

Do let us know how you like it in the long run.


I have a little bit of experience but that because certain labs/classes in school have them for designing/drawing. I personally don't own any tablets anymore and it has been a while since I've used one.

 

[Lord-Leafar]

Starting to work on tablet after working the traditional way is always an adjustment process, you feel that all your skill on paper translates poorly into the screen, but it will get there eventually. Something you might need to look to help you smooth the process, are your tablet settings. Play around with them until they give you the feel you're most comfortable with. If you're not sure what settings to go with, take a look at some tutorials online and try some settings other people use on their own tablets, experiment a little bit until you find the one that fits you.


Another thing that in my experience made a big difference was the software I was using. The program Sketchbook Pro allowed me to translate my skill on paper much more closely when working digitally, even more so than Photoshop, so now I only use Sketchbook Pro for drawing and inking linearts, and photoshop for coloring and post production.


What I'm aiming for in a near future, for when I have enough money, is to get myself a Cintiq tablet. Take a look at the different models and you'll see what I'm talking about. Drawing directly onto the screen should allow you to close that gap between eye-hand coordination that most people seem to experience when working with traditional tablets. I have a friend that owns one, and he tells me that it's just the best to work with, not only will you be able to draw better, but faster.

 

[HumanPlus]

Well when i started drawing on a tablet it was on a small sized Bamboo as well. To get used to manipulating the pen i simply used it as a replacement for a mouse for a while. If you do that it doesn't take long for the pen to feel natural. Playing some 2d games with the tablet is hard but rewarding in that aspect as well for giving you a good feel of it.


If you want something cheap and effective go for the Monopice tablets in the future. They have almost as good a feel to them as a Wacom Intuos but way, way cheaper with the small downside that the pen needs batteries. All who enjoy drawing digitally have wet dreams about the Cintiq but the price makes it unreachable for poor people like me, it's ridiculously expensive.


Well when it comes to software, the Manga Studio you have gotten is really good. It sadly have some problems with the colouring being not too great. For that, most who use it convert the file over to Photoshop to colour their lineart. Another cheap alternative would be Easy Paint Tool Sai. I personally use Photoshop when i draw, a friend had a legal (well i hope it was legal) file he shared with me once.

 

[KyoDemer]

I have a Wacom intuos 4 tablet that is very well used.


Something I have learned is keep the tablet roughly parallel to the desk's edge. I had a bad habit of rotating the tablet much like I do a piece of paper when I draw.


Rotate the stylus. this seems pointless and silly but it saves the tablet surface and increases the life of the nib. The styles I have is original and I have never needed to replace the nib. However, the tablet surface is scratched from use.


As for the software. I can confirm with a little bit of hammering with a virtual monkey wrench, GIMP will accept tablet inputs. (Even then, it is fussy and will not recognize the tablet on the first start up. Close GIMP completely and restart GIMP and the tablet works.) I have tried Photoshop without any success, Paint Tool Sai worked well enough but was jarring for me. I have not tried Manga Studio so....

 

[Ignitedstar]

I am necroing this thread (it's nearly a year old), but it's still relevant. I want to hear experiences from others, after all of the merging and stuff.

 

[Egolegume]

Personally I've had the same Bamboo Fun (wacom) medium sized tablet for at least 7 years (I think that is about right). I love this thing and when I went to replace it I didn't like the other version. So I just stuck to the original I had.


As a casual digital artist who uses her tablet here and there I think a Bamboo Fun (wacom) is perfect.


I mean you don't need to sink a hella ton of money into a tablet to get something good.

 

[El Phantasmo]

I have one of the Bamboo's that I got when I first got with my SO as I wanted to learn her digital art mastery to maybe improve my ... scribblings (They're really poor I don't mind admitting - basically glorified stick men!) but I only used it a few times. It's good from what I recall, just something I didn't stick with.


My SO has a Intuos though and is very nifty with her art though she's not done much in the last couple of years as she's full-time mother to our son who, whilst lovely and amazing, is a handfull like any toddler is! She loves it though and has mentioned before the difference between traditional mediums vs digital and transferring the skills. Like with anything new it just takes some time and practice.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

I've got the same tablet as you, @Ignitedstar , and I've had it for quite some time, but only now have started getting into it. I noticed that it's not exactly very good when it comes to leaning your hand on it, or maybe that's just me. When I lean my hand on it, or hold the pen slightly sideways, it glitches and the brush stops. So I kind of feel like I have to hold it straight up sometimes. I'm still not used to using tablets though and have trouble drawing a straight line. I really want to try and get good at it so I can expand my skills and do digital art.


If I decide to do art a lot more seriously then I do now, I'd want an Intuos. I saw an artist use that and she even let me try, and it was really nice. But really, any tablet can be good if you get good at using it. It's really hard to get used too.

 

[JKami12]

I'm not much of an artist, so I'm not sure how much of my opinion holds. But my first and only digital tablet so far has been the Wacom Bamboo Pen tablet (an old black colored model). Trying to use it originally was challenging but after awhile I got used to using it, and it eventually became the main tool I used for digitizing artwork and working with graphics. I used it so much when I tried to simple stuff with a mouse I had issues. xD


Wacom seems to be one of the best makers of graphic tablets. I plan on getting a newer one once I can afford it. One of the cool things I liked about it was if it was set up right, it would switch between pencil/brush and erasers by flipping the stylus around like a regular pencil. The tips last quite a bit but that's probably because I didn't use it as much as an experienced artist would have. The pressure sensitivity is nice too. One quirk about it was the size, I wanted a bigger size to reduce the screen/workspace ratio. It was probably the smallest size tablet you could get from them at the time.

 

[Ignitedstar]

Seeing that post...


It's been almost two years since this thread got started, but it took me about last autumn to really get down and be serious about using the drawing tablet. If I go from utter crap (and it truly was) when I first started to stuff like this that I posted recently on my DeviantArt:

I think my progress speaks for itself.

 

[Anarchy]

I'm pretty decent when it comes to pen and paper, but all skills go out the window when I use a drawing tablet. My lines become thick and shaky, which is weird since I don't do that when I normally draw. (:'()

 

[JKami12]

I think it's the whole hand-eye thing... I draw much better with a pencil on paper than digitally with a tablet. It could be a completed different story though if the tablet had an interactive screen.


That looks good Ignited! You did all that on a tablet?

 

[gooberethics]

Wow, you really did get the hang of it! Your work looks great!


I really love drawing traditionally. I tried a drawing tablet once, and just never got the hang of it. I probably should have given it more time! I just couldn't get past not looking at my hand/pen while drawing!

 

[Ignitedstar]

I'm pretty decent when it comes to pen and paper, but all skills go out the window when I use a drawing tablet. My lines become thick and shaky, which is weird since I don't do that when I normally draw. (:'()

I have this problem as well. I still have this problem. I hate it. It discouraged for me the longest time. I frequently redraw lines if I believe what I've drawn looks too shaky.

 

[Shadowmancer]

I love my tablet. I have an intuos 3....I believe... U_U shame on me for not knowing anymore.


I think the biggest adjustment for me was finding a comfortable position to draw, but other than that I was able to pick it up rather quick. Though, I did get spoiled when I could undo lines I didn't like, because, when I went back to pen and paper I subconsciously tried to undo my mistakes.... However, it is my happiest, most worthwhile investment.


I will say that I love Corel and Photoshop. I've used Sai, but just momentarily - not enough to get a good grasp of the program. Corel is geared toward more free and open slate creating where as Photoshop is, well, originally for photos.

 

[Ozmic]

Woah! Post resurrection! :hhhehehe:


I've been using a tablet for some time now. I started off with a really crappy Wacom that was like... the size of a CD case, bumped up to an (old as sin) 2007 Bamboo, then eventually upgraded to the Intuos Pro last year.


I still scribble on pen and paper, but I much prefer using my tablet now - despite the HUGE learning curve I've had to deal with the first time AND every time I've upgraded.


I'm not a professional by any means, more of an amateur for certain, but I still get the weird lines after all these years. I don't think it can really be helped. Hell, I spend most of my time redrawing everything because my hand derps out at the last minute of any detailed spot on a drawing. =P


For a long time, I mainly used Photoshop and Flash. Flash is great for doodling silly things (see my avatar for an example), but Photoshop obviously has more control. Custom brushes were a must, of course, so after the last time of losing all of my presets in Photoshop after a system crash I wanted to try something new.


I found Sketchbook Pro and used an older version for a long time. Recently got the newer version for a trial (subscription services bother me) and I really enjoy it. It gives a much more pencil on paper sort of feel than Photoshop has ever given me.


I did try Manga Studio 5, which I loved, but managed to lose my product key so my time with it was short. (Yay, system crashes!)


- - -


Rambling words aside, I can't talk enough about some of the newer tablets for usability. My Pro also works as a touchpad, so it's a fantastic tool for drawing and photo editing alike. That, coupled with the increased performance and sensitivity made it worth spending $300+.


(I'll shut up now. ^^)