Seeking advice on a Wacom/Cintiq etc. tablet purchase

Haggar

Haggar

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Hey all,

I'm considering getting a Wacom tablet for art (cartooning/illustration) but have no experience with them. I have an art degree but in traditional art. Currently I'm scanning my illustrations into Photoshop then coloring them that way.

I was hoping to spend $300 or less, and I'd really prefer a wireless model. I was looking at the Bamboo line.

Any advice on models, sizes etc. would be greatly appreciated.
 
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I don't know much about Wacom tablets, but I've heard that a lot of people are picking up the uDraw THQ tablets for PS3 at Best Buy for $9.99 or less and using those tablets on PC instead of picking up Wacom tablets
 
[quote name='Scorch']I don't know much about Wacom tablets, but I've heard that a lot of people are picking up the uDraw THQ tablets for PS3 at Best Buy for $9.99 or less and using those tablets on PC instead of picking up Wacom tablets[/QUOTE]

um you might want to look into that situation scorch.

The guy who made the driver for it just got it to work in mouse emulator mode...will he develop it further ? I don't know..but for now it's buggy. :(

It all depends on how big your budget is? I bought one for 100 bucks that was like a 4x6 draw space. It was neat until I started getting cramps in my hand for drawing in a small area.
 
I don't have any experience with a Bamboo, but I'd really recommend the Intuos line. I've been using an Intuos 3 for about 6 years now. The increased pressure sensitivity between the two lines might not be noticeable, but I think the tilt-sensitivity and shortcuts and pen buttons are really useful. I don't think the Bamboo line even has an eraser at the end of the pen.

The Intuos 5 is out, and I've heard mixe things about it. As someone's first tablet, it would probably be very impressive, but a lot of people aren't big fans. Its surface texture is very much like paper, which might be a nice feature for you. On the downside, it causes the pen nibs to wear down more quickly, so you'll have to replace them a bit more often (a few extras are included in the box). Its USB cord also tends to get kinked up, but you can buy a wireless adapter for about $40 more.

I also have a Cintiq 12WX that is pretty neat. It's a more portable version of the above posted video. It has a ton of cords, which is probably something you aren't into, but it is really fun to work on. Oddly enough, after using my Cintiq, I felt more comfortable working on the Intuos.
 
I forgot about Cintiq. Thanks for reminding me. Thanks so much for all the input so far. That 24" HD is awesome. I'm seriously going to look into it more. It's out of my budget, so it would take a little while, but i'm not in an rush.

I didn't even think to search to see if there was an existing thread, because I just assumed no one would be talking about this topic on CAG. LOL. Sorry.
 
If you'd like to try one out on the cheap:

Monoprice has cheap and apparently decent tablets though I've never used one personally - you can search google and I think you'll find lots of info on them:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10841

Ebay has lots of used decent Wacoms as well as off brand tablets. I have a very, very old graphire that I got new and never really got use to it. Then I picked up a 12x9 Medion (sold at Aldi) off ebay for dirt cheap and still couldn't get in to it. I just don't do much drawing on a computer. I sketch on my ipad some and I'll probably get a Surface pro or even a Cintiq when they get cheap enough on down the line and probably won't use it much either!
 
[quote name='Haggar']Sorry.[/QUOTE]

No problem! I hope my post didn't come off as a scolding.

I'm hoping to snag one of the Yiynovas once they come back in stock.

I do have a friend that picked up a Cintiq and says it is amazing, and that he's actually mad he didn't drop the cash years ago.
 
[quote name='Strell']No problem! I hope my post didn't come off as a scolding.
[/QUOTE]

No, not at all. And I appreciate the link to the other thread. Lots of info and at this stage I'm really just looking to read up on about as much as I possibly can.
 
Strell said:
Small discussion going on about this over here. Wacoms these days can be had pretty cheap, or at last cheap compared to when I got mine 7 years ago.
Click to expand...
Hey I remember this discussion! : P

I too am still debating myself as to what to do.

I have been looking for older 20+ Cintiq models on craigslist and such for cheap but have had no luck. I thought if I could nab one fo the price of the MSP19U it would be a good deal.

I am contemplating the Cintiq13HD now because $1,000 is my limit in my head for a new tablet though I really would love to have more space to work with seeing as I tend to draw quite large.

I really wish they had better Student Discounts places. I am starting up my Masters in Animation now and would love to be able to utilize my student status and get a good chunk off of a Cintiq but I have not been able to find any discounts at all in the US for Cintiqs.

 
Only tangentially relaed - but hey - it's also video game related!

I recently tried this for fun - and it works great and is a blast. Sure it's no cintiq but the precision is surprisingly good. Also - no pressure sensitivy. I'm using it with an old 19" monitor taken off the stand and layed at an angle on a desk.

http://www.uweschmidt.org/wiimote-whiteboard

 
Don't even think about using the PS3 Udraw tablet on your computer.  I made that mistake.  The driver is shit and there is no pressure sensitivity. 

 
Since you say you have no experience with a tablet (traditional one) yet, be aware that there is a learning curve. I do a lot of art and graphic design stuff and I very very rarely use my tablet. It always feels like its fucking with my lines, being too sensitive or not sensitive enough. I could draw something the way I want it to look easily on a piece of paper, but it will never come out looking right on a tablet.

I do find it to be useful for very specific lines (long feathery strokes for hair, grass, "swooshes", etc), but beyond that I'm much more comfortable zooming way in and using a mouse.

So, be aware that you could end up feeling the same way before you drop a ton of money on one of these things!

On the flipside, I got to use a Cintiq for a semester in college and it was almost perfect. Worth the slight difference of sliding along a screen rather than having the resistance of paper in the accuracy and amount of time it saved vs scanning in work and redoing the lines with the pen tool.

 
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