Graphics Tablet. Does Anyone Here Have Experience Enough to Recommend One?

Geekomatic on 22/06/2016 - 16:32

The last tablet post was so long ago now it's no longer relevant, so I'm asking "anew".

My daughter is planning to enter uni in game design. She is a very good artist & the degree requires a lot of artwork. I'd like to get her something that will fit the bill but which doesn't empty the bank.

Can those OZB'rs who use a tablet for work or play please comment on your purchase?

Pro's/Con's & what you might have purchased had you know the "cons"? Or, what you then moved up to in order to improve your work?

Thanks everyone!!!

:)

Computing

Comments

  • quietsarcasm on 22/06/2016 - 16:52
    +2

    Probably going to cop some for this, but I'm going to say that there are alternate brands to wacom.

    I use a tablet by a chinese maker, Huion. IIRC it's the h610 and I picked it up for about $70

    https://www.huiontablet.com/h610.html

    I studied concept art and used this tablet throughout and it was fine. I have also used wacom tablets and can say that the only significant differences are that there is no "tilt" function for brushes, the pen requires 1xAAA battery and the drawing surface of the tablet itself feels a little different (more like paper, but I actually prefer that)

    Admittedly, I would like to get a display tablet, and was actually looking at a huion one, but saw this and am now leaning towards this one

    http://www.parkablogs.com/picture/review-2-xp-pen-artist-22h…
    (That site in itself has some useful reviews on various tablets)

    On a different note, if she is more interested in the artwork side of games as opposed to the games design, she should consider concept art specifically. From people I know, game design is not really a worthwhile course.
    (Not to say that she shouldn't study it if that is what she really wants)

  • [Deactivated] on 22/06/2016 - 17:11
    +1

    My 16 yo daughter has the Wacom Intuos medium tablet, but doesn't like it as you have to plug it into a laptop or PC for it to work/see what you've drawn. We ended up getting her a surface pro 3, so she can draw/create on that wherever, whenever she likes and she much prefers it to the Wacom.

  • AssamLaksa on 22/06/2016 - 17:52
    -2

    I would recommend an iPad Pro. I know it's a huge price to pay, but I personally find the Apply Pencil to be a wayyy better stylus than the Wacom one. Sure there is the surface pro as well, but I personally much prefer the feeling of drawing on with the Apple Pencil on the iPad.

    Also, a better recommendation would be going into JB Hifi and testing it out for herself. They usually have Surface Pros and tablets on display for you to test out, so it might be best if she had a feel for it herself

  • weesals on 22/06/2016 - 18:28

    I'm not an artist, but I find a small Wacom more comfortable to use than a surface as suggested by others. Its much smaller and lighter, easier to rest on your lap while looking up at an eye-level screen.

    • Geekomatic on 22/06/2016 - 21:42

      Which do you have?

      Ta

      • weesals on 23/06/2016 - 12:44
        +1

        I have an Intuos Small and Surface Pro 1. I'm a programmer, but I do some limited texture work, and I cant imagine leaning over a surface or iPad for long periods to be good for her neck. A surface with an external monitor could be a good fit if she doesnt already have a computer (although it may not be fast enough to run the Unreal Engine editor).

        The medium sized Intuos seems to be the popular one, but I'm sure other brands do the job well enough. Medium is $200 at JB and officeworks
        and they pop up on Gumtree quite regularly. Another benefit of an external tablet is it wont get outdated as quickly. The artists I work with are mostly still using the 2009 model, which is a 7 year old model.

        If you go for another brand, look out for the pen weight, check how hard you need to press the pen against the surface before it registers a stroke, and make sure that diagonal stokes dont get staggered.

        Sidenote: I broke the buttons on one of my pens by using the loop at the top of the Intuos. Its quite a tight fit so be careful that the loop doesnt put constant pressure on the pen buttons. Replacement pens for the non-pro models are not very expensive though.

  • Geekomatic on 22/06/2016 - 21:44

    I'm looking into everyone's opinion now. Please state your usage for your type of device. Are you a uni student/draw art?

    I'm awaiting the uni coordinator to see what they recommend & then will match them up from there to here (hopefully!)!

    OzB is the BEST!!!

    ;)

  • ninetyNineCents on 22/06/2016 - 22:24

    Ningogamer on you tube has a review of the new iPad Pro pencil and a Wacom, where he goes into details about both. His day job is as an anime artist, so it's a very interesting review, I learned a lot but then again I know nothing about pens and screens and drawing.

  • holdenmg on 23/06/2016 - 10:50
    +1

    Hi,
    If you are looking @ Wacom there are sometimes specials or refurbs at:
    https://buywacom.com.au/products/specials.html

  • SkyVoltz on 25/06/2016 - 15:40
    +2

    Oooooh I am a fellow illustrator here! Designing and drawing characters mhm! My favourite topic, Wacom tablets :)
    I've been using my graphics tablet like 6 hours+ a day these days cause I just like drawing lol.

    Okay I digress.

    Personally, I'd like to know your daughter's artistic preferences rather than how much art is done at school. For educational purposes, all Wacom tablets will do the job.

    There are really two main tablets which I recommend that beginners choose.

    1. Wacom Intuos Draw/Photo/Comic/Art ~RRP $119 - $169
      https://buywacom.com.au/products/pen-tablets/intuos-tablets-…

    • Altough their prices and names are different, these tablets are all EXACTLY the same. The ONLY difference is that the come with different basic programs. To be honest, it doesn't matter which one she gets if she plans on using professional programs like Adobe Photoshop. I recommend you pick the cheapest one available (Intuos Draw $119)

    • Note: There is also size to take into account on whether to get a small or medium. The basic rule is, if the screen you're using is 17" or under, get the small otherwise get a medium if you're working on like a 21" screen. I have a small tablet from this range at home. I mainly use it with my laptop (used to use it with my desktop until I upgraded it to the below tablet)

    1. Wacom Intuos Medium Pro ~$350 eBay
      http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Wacom-Intuos-Pro-Professional-Pen…
    • This is the one I'm using at the moment.
    • Perfect if your daughter is planning on pursuing digital art heavily as a hobby as well as professionally. The difference between this an the above tablet is that it has more features and higher pressure sensitivity which aren't really noticeable for a beginner so therefore is very popular in the professional industry.
    • There's an option to opt for a small Pro tablet (~$280) but I'd much rather get the Intuos Draw instead since it'll be likely that it's going to be upgraded in the future.

    The hardest thing really is whether to pick a small or medium tablet. If you can let me know whether the drawing will be done on a laptop or desktop including the size of the screen then it'd be really nice.

    Note: There is also an on-screen tablet (like a touchscreen) but they're way too expensive. It's more of a luxury item that goes for $1000-$4000 but unless you have the money, it's absolutely perfect for an artist who's used to drawing traditionally (non-digital). Oh and wish all these eBay deals, you can get these tablets a lot cheaper than the above mentioned prices. :)

    • Geekomatic on 25/06/2016 - 16:57

      Thanks, Sky.

      She is mainly using her 15.6" standard laptop. I located a barely-used Pro small which is still under warranty for two more years. The offer I made was $200 & was countered with $225…

      What do you think? The warranty is "replacement" if it fails for any reason.

      My daughter draws a lot of different things. The game design degree she's looking at is at Murdoch Uni.

      http://handbook.murdoch.edu.au/courses/details/?us=18516M&ye…

      I appreciate your insights!

      :)

      • SkyVoltz on 26/06/2016 - 06:31
        +1

        Yup, I recommend you get a small tablet if she won't be using a desktop at home.

        Hmm…a tablet like that for $200 is not bad but I'd rather get a brand new tablet with the current eBay deal going on at the moment.

        http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Wacom-Intuos-Pro-Professional-Pen…

        Roughly $259 brand new after applying the eBay 20% discount.

        The tablet will definitely last 5+ years with proper care on a laptop. No need for any upgrades since it's the best non-LED small tablet available in the market.

  • Geekomatic on 26/06/2016 - 13:53
    +1

    I hear you on the brand new part- but that's $59 more w/only one year warranty. This is two years & it's full replacement cost ($287) at any local Officeworks…The photos show everything looking new, in box.

    After reading your post, I had a look at some videos & amazon reviews. It appears that the specific pressure this pen detects (side-shading, etc) is well worth the extra $ as well as most stating that the pen in the pro kit is a much nicer one to hold + has extra, various nibs that can be had. The reports on the wifi weren't stellar, but I guess we'll have to wait & see?

    Thanks for your input- very appreciated!

    :)

    • SkyVoltz on 27/06/2016 - 06:03

      Just checked out the offer you were talking about. Now that I've seen it first hand, it is indeed a nice offer if you can get it for $200.

      Everything you mentioned above is spot on although Wi-Fi may seem to be a hit/miss depending on manufacturing since I haven't had any issues with mine yet.

      I'd also like to mention that once you get the tablet regardless of new/used, every now and then they might be driver related bugs which seems to be a common thing in the latest generation of Wacom tablets (not really as common in Wacom tablets made like 10 years ago, not sure why). This will be things like the pressure sensitivity temporarily turning off so don't worry too much about these issues if they do occur.

      Oh and one more thing. Moving from traditional pen/paper drawing to digital is VERY tough, even making new users switch to the expensive LED-screen Cintiq tablets. It depends from person to person but after a month or two of daily usage, it becomes second nature. So get that practice in ASAP.

      I think that's everything you need to know.

      Wish you guys the best :)

      • Geekomatic on 27/06/2016 - 13:43
        +1

        Well, the reply was $225 so I think I'll pass, after all. A shame. I know it's only $25, but I wouldn't have purchased the extended warranty, which is what is making up a large part of that price (& it's sat there, unsold, since Jan. so the person mustn't need any money). I'll go for the ebay one & keep fingers-crossed it arrives in good shape. That's one thing I liked about the used one- being from OW would make it handy to return if it became unusable, but they want $287.

        Speaking of which— does anyone here have experience in returns with pc.bytes?

        Lastly, thanks for the great info- especially about the common intermittent issues. Good to know.

        :)

        (Oops~! Waited too long, sale over. Might be OW after all!)

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