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Tablet Q&A
Questions about digital drawing tablets never go
out of fashion. Tablets are things that aspiring digital artists are eager
to learn about, and rightly so; Not all tablets are created
equal.
Please note: I am not an authority on
tablets in any way. I have not personally used all the different tablet
brands out there - and everything written on this page are just my
opinions.
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How does a tablet work?
A digital drawing tablet offers you another input
device in addition to your mouse. With the tablet you will be using a digital
pen (stylus) on a surface that represents your computer screen. The stylus
controls your screen cursor, and the tablet can read how hard you are pushing
down on the stylus. Many tablets also read the tilt angle of the stylus,
and they feed all this data into your computer and your
applications.
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Tip:
If your tablet is causing excessive cursor jitter, make sure to check for
electromagnetic interference (i.e. don't place it directly in front of a
CRT screen). Sometimes the cursor will also jitter more if you are tilting
the stylus a lot. |
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What can I use a tablet for?
Virtually anything. They are very handy for doing all sorts of graphics editing
- from retouching photos to drawing directly into the computer. They are
excellent for coloring and shading your art digitally. However, according
to my experience they cannot fully replace the good ol' pen and paper.
A big problem with using tablets, is that you lose a lot of your eye-to-hand
coordination. You are usually drawing on one surface (the tablet), while
checking your results on another (the screen). This is why they are awkward
to use for plain old drawing. You'll find yourself feeling a lot like "Bambi
on ice" when using it to draw from scratch. You will probably get a lot better
at it with experience, but chances are that you will always be way better
with pen and paper than you are with the tablet. I have used tablets for
six years now, and still my digital sketches are always a lot messier than
my "analogue" ones. You will have to undo and redraw a lot more than you
may expect. A tablet causes a bit different workflow due to this.
So what I'm saying is - the tablet is not a "miracle tool", but I think you
will find that it makes you a lot more efficient and creative when doing
digital works - as opposed to using just the mouse.
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Tip:
If the tablet surface feels too slippery to you, you can just tape a sheet
of paper onto it, and it will feel a lot more like "analogue" drawing. The
downside is that you will wear down the tip of the stylus faster (these are
usually replacable). |
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What size tablet do I
need?
That's a good question, and the answer depends
on what you will be using the tablet for. If you're going to do photo editing
with it, the smallest size will probably be sufficient. It's when you start
producing art that you may want to go up one or two notches in size.
Think about how you draw. Do you usually draw small, or do you draw big?
If you draw big you may want a bigger size tablet to get some space to move
around on. Also, if you have a big screen (19" and above), you may find that
a bigger tablet is more suitable for you.
The smallest tablets usually have an "active area" that measures around 3.5
x 4 inches. These are sufficient in many cases. They cost a lot less than
bigger tablets for one thing, so if you're an amateur artist on a budget,
it's a good size tablet to start out with. You can always upgrade when you
feel that you're starting to "outgrow" it.
The next step is the 4 x 6 inch tablets. This is a good size tablet for both
amateur and pro artists. The problem with tablets is that the price increases
exponentially with size, so these will be a lot more expensive than the smallest
ones.
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Tip:
There is a neat little trick for those of you who are limited to a small
tablet, yet wanting to reach over a dual screen. If your tablet supports
"mouse mode", enable mouse mode and drag the stylus quickly towards your
secondary screen. The mouse acceleration should propel your cursor over to
your extended desktop area, even though the tablet is mapped only to your
primary display. It's not as smooth as the "pen mode", but it works.
=) |
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What brand should I get?
This is an important question, and one that sometimes is the source of some
debate. However, there is one brand that have stood out as being ahead of
the pack for many years, and so far I haven't seen any competitors coming
even close. Of course I'm talking about Wacom.
Wacom tablets are more expensive than other brands, so people are often reluctant
to cash out for them when they don't know what to expect. But Wacom are ahead
for a reason; Their tablets are renowned for quality, precision and reliability
- unlike many of their competitors, and they do not require any batteries.
There are some brands you should definitely avoid. I have on good authority
(from several sources) that you should stay away from anything named "Aiptek"
or "Thrust". You will always be able to find good reviews online for
any tablet, but be aware that many of those were written by retailers
that are trying to peddle them. What you CAN do to find real facts,
is to ask around for opinions in art forums online. I did that, and all I
heard from the pros and semi-pros was:
"Just get a Wacom."
There are no brands that I have heard of that can match the accuracy and
reliability of the Wacoms - and while I have yet to see one negative review
about Wacom's tablets, I have seen plenty of negative remarks about almost
all other brands out there. When it comes to tablets, the saying "you get
what you pay for" seems to hold true.
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Tip:
Wacom sells used and refurbished tablets on their
website. That may be
an attractive option if you're an artist on a budget. |
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Well then, I hope that you found this helpful.
While I may seem biased to one brand, what I've told you are my honest opinions,
and I'm not getting paid by Wacom (unfortunately). =). Feel free to make
your own mind up, and good luck!
If you have any further questions, or opinions
about this text, feel free to shoot me an e-mail. =)
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