Questions for Tablet Users

[Janik]

Hi there, this questions goes out to anyone who uses/has used a graphics tablet:

I'm looking into getting a (probably) Wacom tablet for drawing backgrounds and goofing around with some of these awesome paint programs like Corel Painter. I'm by no means a professional artist; in fact I think the tablet could help me learn some techniques and media.

Anyway, the Wacom Graphire 4, in 6x8" size (I think that's A5) runs about the same price as the smaller Intuos 3, in the 4"x5" (A6) size. The intuos has tilt sensitivity, and more resolution, and more buttons - but a smaller active area.

So my questions are:

1 - How important is the tilt information? Do you use it regularly, or is it just a 'nice' feature with no real application?

2 - Is 4"x5" too small? If you own a similar-sized tablet, do you wish you had a larger one; or conversely if you have a 6x8", do you feel you could have gotten along with a smaller area?


Thanks!
P.S. I did search the archives for tablet advice but found nothing specifically on tilt, I know it comes up often but thanks for answering anyway!

[InCreator]

2 - Is 4"x5" too small? If you own a similar-sized tablet, do you wish you had a larger one; or conversely if you have a 6x8", do you feel you could have gotten along with a smaller area?

The smaller, the easier to use, I guess. My tablet is A4 format and I'd prefer a smaller one.

[Ubel]

I have A5 (edit: no wait... A6 ) and I'd prefer a bigger one. Would you like to change Inc?

I think choosing the size depends on personal preferences. I myself am used to use bigger tablets, so I don't really like my current tablet very much. But of course it usually mostly depends on money.

[Al_Ninio]

The smaller the better for me as well (A6).
It really depends on how you draw on paper, though.
If you draw with long, wide strokes then perhaps a bigger one is better for you.

[scotch]

A5 is perfect, A4 is too big, I have an A6, and it is acceptable.  Wacom tablets have a lot of precision, you're saving your hands some effort by getting something smaller.  I use a Graphire 2, it has no tilt sensitivity, I've only once used a tablet that had tilt sensitivity, couldn't say if it's worth paying much more for, but the graphire tablets are pretty good value.

[esper]

If you are not a professional artist... or yea verily, that spectacular of an artist... and aren't going to be using your art in any worthwhile format (ie. if you're just dicking around) you shouldn't buy a Wacom. I got a 6X8 Manhattan graphics tablet on EBay for only 60 bucks, and it works spectacularly for me.

[loominous]

1 - How important is the tilt information? Do you use it regularly, or is it just a 'nice' feature with no real application?

Since you're planning on using Painter, I'd say it's pretty important. To take full advantage of many of the brushes, especially medias like oil, you'll need it, though you can get by without. If it's only for goofing around though, and you suspect that you'll mostly be using programs like Photoshop, it's rather redundant.

2 - Is 4"x5" too small? If you own a similar-sized tablet, do you wish you had a larger one; or conversely if you have a 6x8", do you feel you could have gotten along with a smaller area?

The advantages of larger tablets in my experience are that 1) you'll be utilizing your elbow more rather than your wrist, usually resulting in better strokes, as well as making your arm posture less static, 2) you'll have to zoom in and out less often 3) lets you maintain a good overview of the image while you work on smaller areas which otherwise would require zooming.

Smaller tablets on the other hand are 1) cheaper, 2) easier to use in other programs, since you won't have to move your arm as much to get across the screen, 3) easier to fit on a table.

My advice would be to go with one as large as you can afford, though not A3, which is just a real pain using, and the size which would be most practical in your working enviroment.

I don't have any experience with other brands than wacom, but I can't imagine that the difference is significant. Better check a couple of user reviews though to see whether there's any quality problems so you won't have to bother with pen replacements and such.

[magintz]

Yea, I'm happy with my A5 Wacom Volito. Remember that all wacoms have a relative screen aspect ratio so size doesn't really matter, and thickness of brush all depends on pressure of the pen. The only reason you really need anything bigger than a5 is if you plan to use the tablet for a lot of tracing.

[Chicky]

on another note is anyone interested in selling a graphics tablet? Would prefer wacom.

[Janik]

Thanks for your comments! From the different opinions it seems that the choice of size is a very personal thing - I recently got a second monitor so it looks like, for me, 6x8 would be best.

1 - How important is the tilt information? Do you use it regularly, or is it just a 'nice' feature with no real application?

Since you're planning on using Painter, I'd say it's pretty important. To take full advantage of many of the brushes, especially medias like oil, you'll need it, though you can get by without. If it's only for goofing around though, and you suspect that you'll mostly be using programs like Photoshop, it's rather redundant.

Could you elaborate a bit more on that? I saw from demo videos that the tilt matters for the airbrush, where you can tilt and spray in a particular direction on the canvas. But for the oils, I just don't see what it does. I'm thinking that the brush size will be determined by pressure, not tilt...

[loominous]

Could you elaborate a bit more on that? I saw from demo videos that the tilt matters for the airbrush, where you can tilt and spray in a particular direction on the canvas. But for the oils, I just don't see what it does. I'm thinking that the brush size will be determined by pressure, not tilt...

Painter sets out to emulate natural media, whereas photoshop use artificial brushes, and while these are often based on natural counterparts, they are rarely convincing, and don't really try to be.

Since most natural media works differently if they're tilted or not, Painter does its best to emulate this. While there are brushes in Photoshop that do the same, they are quite rare, and my impression is that it's even more rare that people actually use them. Photoshop people in general tend to use different techniques than Painter types, utilizing the computer capacity to speed up the workflow and perform computer unique tasks, while you're pretty much stuck with traditional techniques in Painter.

So if you're accustomed to traditional media, you'll probably like Painter better and end up using the tilt function.

[Chicky]

Another question, i just got myself an extremely cheap (£15) wacom A5 tablet but it's got the old ps/2 and paralell. I'm not going to have to many problems with this in windows xp am i? And does it really lack any of the features of the newer usb tablets?

Either way it was only £15 posted so doesnt really matter if its shite.

[TheYak]

ps/2 and paralell?  Not serial?   I'm using a Serial Intuos 12x18 in WinXP SP2 with no problems.  In fact, it's less finicky about being detected than my USB tablet was.   The only real difference is in delay, which seems more due to how bogged the computer is and the tablet's limitation than the interfacing option.  Can't say I've had any worse response with a Serial port tablet than USB.

Tilt's a lot of fun, but I don't ever use it since I've never used media in real life that tilting makes much difference with.  My real media tends to be mechanical pencils or inks.

[Chicky]

Ack, serial. Yeah that's what  i meant. Thanks for the reply yakspit.