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I got a Wacom tablet – A5 Graphire about a year ago. I love the idea of being able to paint in Painter or ArtRage with the feel of a pencil or brush without the mess of real painting. I see online some amazing work done in these programs and yet when I try to control a Wacom tablet it just doesn’t work. I can paint reasonably in the traditional manner, but with a Wacom I don’t seem to be able to make the pen go where I want. If I set the pen to soft feel I like the fluidity but I make marks even when the pen doesn’t touch the surface, if I set the pen to firm control I don’t make marks when don’t want to, but the fluidity is lost.
Is it just a case of practice, do I have the wrong type of Wacom tablet? I would love to be able to design and illustrate with a Wacom but for not I will have to stick with a cumbersome mouse. I would love to hear any tips you have.
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I bought a wacom tablet about a year ago (A5 size) and I have to say that since using it, I now can’t go back to a mouse.
There was a learnining curve but the more you practice the easier it gets!
Try using a Wacom Intuos, they are better in handling. And if you are used to work on A4, you should try one in A4.
Thanks for the tips Jason and Dirk
I’m thinking of buying one and I too worry how will I get used to draw with wacom. I never even tried it.
I was exactly the same, but got a wacom bamboo 1st gen which is perfect for me for some reason, its a lot smaller than the intuous, and a widescreen proportion so i can traverse the screen easily, and works in a slightly different way from the intuous (no tilt though), so the hovering porblem that sometimes occurs doesn’t exist.
Within 20 minutes I was never going back to a mouse, and i had been a real tablet hater. But with the Bamboo, my productivity through an increase in speed of work, caused by the input change has shot through the roof, and any legacy RSI has dissapeared.
Hi Mike
I was wondering about the bamboo, I could really do with finding some where you I can try one out. What size is the wacom bamboo 1st gen?
just go here:
http://www.wacom-europe.com/bamboo/
its now called just the bamboo, it cost me about £70 ( i now have two one at work one at home – still cheaper than one intuos), its about 20cm square for the unit and postcard size for the tablet. and ways nothing, at the cost I would risk it or get one on amazon and return if your not happy
Thanks Mike
I have used a number of wacom tablets to date (starting with Graphire 1 A6 to Intuos 3 A4) and here’s what I can say:
Most Graphires didn’t work for me, pressure control is hard to get used to (this might be your case). Soft is sometimes not soft at all, and you got to push really hard to get hard pressure effect, etc.
This is much better with Intuoses, even with an old version 1 A4 which I still own. Intous 3 is great, has lots of additional features, so you might want to try it.
As for drawing – yes, it takes some practice even if you’re really good on paper or canvas. I had to doodle for about an hour daily to get the feel of the instrument, and I can say it began to work for me only after a week or so. So my advice is just begin doodling whatever comes to mind, but just do it every day – and life will get much better.
Also, I found out that I can’t really use the tablet all the time – for example it’s really hard to use it when slicing HTML. Too much switching from photoshop to typing, and I type with my both hands. But when it comes to drawing something, working on photos – I vote for tablets, they can definitely increase your productivity.
While we’re on the subject of tablets has anyone seen the
Cintiq 12WX by Wacom? These are tablet pc’s designed to draw right onto the screen.
Personally I was wondering if they are worth the investment or is it just best to stick to the drawing tablets?
Hi Nobs Tutorial,
Thanks for your input – looks like the bamboo or Intuos might be better for me.
Hi Jason,
I was having a look online at those Cintiq too, they look like they could be good to use, but at £800 I think I will wait a year or two until the price comes down.
I’ve been using my wacom graphire tablet for years. They do take a bit of getting used to. My main problem was the texture of the tablet just felt strange to draw on. I put a sheet of paper over the top of the tablet and it feels much more natural to me. My graphire is ancient (probably about 6 or 7 years old), so I think the texture on the newer models might be a bit different. I’m hoping for a Bamboo this Christmas!
Hi Ebee
I will have to try putting paper over the tablet to see if that helps. Thanks for the tip.
I had an intuos, but found that the size difference between the tablet and monitor were a lot to overcome. I was ok with it, but still found myself going back to traditional media. I took the plunge and got a Cintiq.
It is so much better because you are always working at actual size working directly on the screen, and the monitor can be rotated like paper (something I would instinctively do on the intuos to disaterous results).
I have an old tablet and hate it for drawing. Anytime I try to draw a rounded cirlce or a curve (when sketching) it completely botches. I’ve tried the new fancy ones too and just could not get the hang of it. If I need to sketch directly into the computer, I use my old pc tablet which works perfectly and obeys your every pencil stroke.
I’ve been drawing a comic strip that I post online, and switching to the intuos has helped me immensely. At first I did cover it with paper but now I’ve gotten used to the slickness. Sometimes I have to make many stabs at getting the exact line I want, but I’m a perfectionist and with one hand on command Z and the other on the pen, things go very quickly now.
Good luck to you, I think it is just a matter of practice.
Hi Tara
I’m on my second Wacom tablet. The first one was a tiny A5 and I hated it. I felt like my hand was no longer responding to my brain.
I have another A4 one now, (sorry, can’t remember which Wacom version – probably the cheapest A4 one anyway) and it’s absolutely brilliant. I use it for Photoshop and Painter but just use the mouse for web design in Dreamweaver and Illustrator.
So maybe size does matter …
I have an older graphire at home and an older intuos at home and love them both – if I use a mouse for more than ten minutes my fingers start to cramp.
However, I just got a bamboo for my new laptop and I LOVE IT. I kind of want to marry it. It feels like paper ( I never liked putting paper on top of the tablet); it’s nice and compact; and pretty and works beautifully.
I’ve never had a problem with the pen inking before touching the tablet, though. Maybe lower the sensitivity and instead change your brush in the software?
HI Chris, thanks for leting us know about the Cintiq, looks like its worth a look (when the price comes down a bit)
Hi Scott, strange that your old tablet works better than your new one – is that a Wacom too?
Hi Eli, the intuous sound like it may be a better tablet than the graphire, glad to hear you get on so well.
Hi Jennifer, the problem for me with the graphire seems to be the sensitivity, I have even tried what Gayle set and altered the brush instead. Maybe its a mixture o things the size of the tablet, the type and perhaps a little bit of me the user
Hi Gayle, I fancy trying out the new bamboo I think I might ask for one of the small ones for Christmas and if I like the feel of it upgrade to a large one later. I’ve tried altering the brush in the software but still no joy, it doesn’t make a mark of the tablet but feels really strained for drawing.
Tara – thanks for stopping by and pointing out this discussion. I am seriously considering a Bamboo Fun and all the comments here are very helpful.
I too, struggle with using a tablet. I started to try my hand at an online comic, but but takes so long to learn how to use the table thing that I’ve gone back to using the mouse. For whatever reason I have a hard time getting my head around the idea of drawing on a tablet.
You’re not alone Tara…
I prefer the Intuous line of tablets. They are 2 times more sensitive to pressure than the graphire tablets. The Intuous line also has 2 times the resolution.
You can compare them here…
http://www.wacom.com/bambootablet/compare.cfm
You might also try different tips or “nibs” for the pens. I prefer the stroke version because it give the pen a softer feel.
http://direct.wacom.com/stores/5/Intuos_C65.cfm
What great timing for this thread! I’ve been thinking about buying a Wacom tablet (maybe after Christmas) but I don’t really know where to start. I watch Bert Monroy’s podcast in awe, as he’s faster with a tablet than most people are with a mouse. But I know realistically, that won’t be me.
I’ll get one and experience the same frustrations you have Tara… but all the suggestions for which one are helpful. Now I have a starting point.
Try “hiding” your mouse away and ONLY use the Wacom Tab for EVERTHING for two weeks. You will get used to it and never go back, I used to be a retoucher and some of the other retouchers use the tablet not just for working but everything they do on the computer.
I tried a Wacom a couple of years ago because I thought it was going to be much faster and easier than drawing with my mouse.
I immediately realised you can’t hit the ground running with these things and thought it was probably similar to when I had to learn how to draw with a mouse; ie a learning curve.
But then I thought “Pah, I haven’t got time to learn this” and sent it back to the shop
It’s all very well saying put your mouse away for two weeks but I don’t think my clients would appreciate my attempts at drawing with the Wacom during those two weeks
lol….I’d have to learn at the same time as relying on my mouse still…ho hum, maybe one day.
Amanda
I have indeed used a wacom tablet. In fact it was at my university sitting lonesomely on a desk, no one wanting to use it, no one wanting to know what it does. So I decided to give it a try. Its a Cintiq 20SWX, a pretty expensive thing if you ask me, and definitely not something a student could afford.
But yes, my experience with it was not too good. the first hour or so was confusing as it had been my first time, but we all know the more we use something the easier and better it feels. I did warm up to it by the end, however i just felt that there was a slight time lag every time i tried to draw something, i’d put the pen on the screen and it would draw that but stop only after I’ve lifted the pen, and not always at the right place either.
Perhaps I was doing it wrong, who knows, I havn’t used it since, I think its sooooooo much easier sketching on paper and you feel so free too.
But i have seen the works of illustrators (who all happen to use a wacom tablet) and i just wonder… is that really true?
And yes it’s still sitting lonesomely in the corner…wanting to be used.
I read a few people say good about the bamboo…I said “meh, I’ll bite and try it.” I went to Best buy and got the smallest one. I’ll be damned, it’s awesome. It really does conform to my style…albeit, small.
So kudos to bamboo
Hi everyone – thanks for all your input on his one.
Just think of it as a mart mouse… I’ve switched to a tablet almost 10 years ago… I was getting a lot of pain in my arm and was getting close to carper tunnel syndrome. the switch was urgent… and it worked.
Today i use a tablet, a trackpad and a trackball, this way I don’t get muscle pains or back stress… But for graphic design i just can’t work with anything besides my A5 Wacom tablet. A5 is just the right size for anyone wanting to replace the mouse… Bigger than i don’t like it. I tend to move too much my arm and hand and loose focus.
Hope this helps.
I wouldn’t recommend putting paper on top of your tablet, as someone suggested over here. Although it feels better, you will ruin the tip of your pen after a while using it on paper. And new tips for the pen is quite expensive.
Instead of paper I found that a piece of plastic film did the trick on my Graphire.
Hi Tara,
I use an Intuous tablet, 9.5 x 12 inch (a little bit bigger than A4) which I bought just over two years ago. In my current workplace I also use an Intuous tablet which is a bit smaller. Like some others who have commented above, I couldn’t go back to using a mouse, although there are some functions in Flash which are better achieved through right-clicking on a mouse, and oddly enough whilst I am left-handed I use a mouse with my right hand so from time to time I end up wielding both the pen and a mouse at the same time!
I’m a happy camper with my tablet. It’s interesting reading your perspective, because I do still find it more difficult to achieve brush/pencil strokes to my satisfaction using the pen in Photoshop, as compared to my comfort level when drawing freehand. But I figure I just need to practice more on that level.
My dad has just ordered an Intuous tablet as a Christmas present for my mum, who’s an illustrator and trained as a graphic designer in the pre-computer days. My dad had a pretty close look at all the Wacom models and ultimately decided to get the same one that I have.
It’s interesting to read how many people have trouble with it, as it’s totally second nature with me (almost first!). I’m also surprised there are people who use the tablet who DON’T use it for everything. It’s resting in my thumb-crook as I type this. I only use the mouse in my 3D software because the scrolling is extremely useful, but I always come back to the pen because the mouse just hurts.
It’s SOOO worth it. Those of you with tablets, stick to it! Try it again! Don’t give up!
I love using tablets. Sucks it not working out for you. You might need to just play with the setting more, or maybe reinstall the software? :S
I used a tablet about a year ago for a few months. I have to say I was getting pretty good with it, but it broke and the transition back to mouse was incredibly hard, so I decided to better stick with the mouse. If you master the tablet you can really do incredible things with it.
Another reason I can’t totally use a tablet over a mouse is because I’m left handed but I’ve trained my right hand to use a mouse and the left hand to operate the keyboard.
I’ve tried to do the opposite (pen in lefthand, operate with right) but it gives me headaches
Wow, lots of feeback for this one! Funny that I just now saw this post. I got a new Intuos 6×8 at work
I LOVE it. I’ve had the Graphire3 at home for a couple of years. I cannot mask or fix images (dodge, burn, heal, etc) in Photoshop without it. It’s invaluable, but there is definitely a learning curve. I don’t know how it would be for sketching, I imagine it’s probably pretty awkward, but for painting I like it. It’s more about the brush than the tablet I find.
I do like the Intuos better than the Graphire. It feels like it has smoother handling. The programable keys I don’t use because I’m so used to the keyboard (and I use other shortcuts on the keyboard too, so I would be going back and forth too much), but I can see how they could be helpful.
So what are your conclusions from all these reviews, Tara?
Hi Tracey and Scott, you two must be doubley productive mouse in one hand wacom in the other
Hi Gayle, Sean and Crazy Leaf thanks for your input much appreciated
HI Lauren,
I have since bought a book on Painter and it advises not to use a graphire (states it is more a consumer than creative tablet), that an intuos is far better – I think the book was pre bamboo. For Christmas my boyfriend is buying me one of the small bamboos, if like it I will invest in a larger one. I wish there were shops near me where you could actually try them out.
“I wish there were shops near me where you could actually try them out.”
I second that Tara! After reading all the input in this [terrific] thread I really want one! I’m leaning toward a Bamboo or Intuos just based on the comments… but I’m a shopper who really likes to see and touch a product like this before I buy it. Unfortunately no stores within a 100 mile radius have any Wacom tablets, so I’ll have to make a day trip to Denver sometime after Christmas.
Hi Charity
I’ll let you know how I get on with the Bamboo when/if it arrives in time for Christmas.
I think you’ve probably got a solution to your problem already, but just thought i’d share my experience anyway.
When i was in Japan i bought a Wacom Intuos3 tablet with romantic visions of creating wonderful illustrations and paintings when i got home.
Didnt exactly work out that way though.
Like you i can draw and paint in real life, but when it comes to the tablet, things just dont seem to work how they should.
I began to think that years of using the mouse had ruined any chances of learning a new input device. But as others have said, you just need to practice.
I ended up packing away my mouse and using the tablet on its own for everything. Luckily it was a quiet week!
Things were slow at first, but i got the hang of it pretty eaily, when there was no temptation to use the mouse. I now use both together, and cant imagine my work without the tablet. It’s great.
I think getting the new tablet will definately help you. Experimpent with the different brushes and find out what works best with your technique. It took me a while. The new tablet should open up more possibilites for you. Just dont loose faith. Practice makes perfect!
Hi Arran,
Good to hear your experience of using a Wacom tablet. There seems to be a couple of different strains of thought in the comments here – 1. that the type and size of the tablet really does make a difference and 2. That its all about practice. If I can’t use the new bamboo when I get it, I better prepare for extensive practice