Anyone use a graphics tablet?

[Fordo]

Hi all, just thought id ask this here, since i know theres quite a few professionals this end of pistonheads.

I know nowt about them, but Im doing a lot of motion graphics, illustrator work and photoshoppery these days, and cant help but think graphics tablet and pen might speed things up a bit- especially if i had a touch sensative tabet and pen, where the pen pressure could be used to control opacity of a brush, or when im working with 3d motion graphics, i could use the pen pressure to correspond to the z axis, and so on.

Anyone use one? what are they like to work with? Do they take long to learn to use? How much does one need to spend for a decent one, and could anyone recommend one for a mac?

[Taita]

I used to be IT for a company that had lots of artists.

All had A5 Wacom tablets as a base, and many brought in some stunning ones up to A2 IIRC.

You can get them with screens on now, so you actually draw on the image on the 'mousemat'. Wacom are the biggest in the area I think.

ETA Ya it was Intuos 3 we used.

Edited by Taita on Saturday 3rd January 21:14

[4hero]

I have had a little a5 wacom for years now, great little thing. If you are using photoshop day in day out I would highly recommend one! I just got the Bamboo at work and for £50 you can't complain!

[Antarctic Mat]

Hi.

I use a Wacom Intuos 3 tablet with my Mac, it's a superb bit of kit and very intuitive to use. Worth having a go with one if you can to see if it suits the way you work, I'd recommend one though!

Cheers.

Mat.

[flat-planedCrank]

I use an A5 wacom for everything apart from playing games, have done for years now

Can take a little time to get used to, its a weird sensation initially, really great to use with photoshop!


Cheers.

[Bernie-the-bolt]

Wacom here too.

Mine is slightly smaller than A5 but enough to do the job.

[LaSarthe+Back]

Wacom Bamboo here too. £50 well spent IMO.

Can't think how I did it with a mouse!

[Louisa911]

I have an Aiptek A4 size one, just as good as a Wacom but for £80, so less than half the price. Got it at Xmas, two hours later I'd done this. With a mouse would have taken half a day at least, so yeah, definately a good investment once you get used to it!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gfPzNrXDrA8&feat...

[...Mole...]

I have an A5 Wacom i use occasionaly great little thing. Took a bit of getting used to when i started using it though.

[Louisa911]

Thought i'd add the link which i didnt include earlier. take a look, i'd definately recommend. not as customiseable pressure-wise as an expensive wacom but ive had no problems so far.
i was expecting them to handle differently, for example if the mouse cursor on the screen was positioned in the bottom right, and you started to draw from the centre of the graphics tablet, i imagined the line would start to be drawn from the bottom right. however it moves the cursor to where you are drawing, in relation to the screen. in this case, moves the mouse from bottom right to the centre. but thats just what i was expecting, i was wrong haha.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aiptek-600U-Slim-Tablet/dp...

[Fordo]

Louisa911 said:

I have an Aiptek A4 size one, just as good as a Wacom but for £80, so less than half the price. Got it at Xmas, two hours later I'd done this. With a mouse would have taken half a day at least, so yeah, definately a good investment once you get used to it!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gfPzNrXDrA8&feat...

wow, what a stunning piece of artwork, in such a short amount of time!

im sold

[Bernie-the-bolt]

Louisa911 said:

I have an Aiptek A4 size one, just as good as a Wacom but for £80, so less than half the price. Got it at Xmas, two hours later I'd done this. With a mouse would have taken half a day at least, so yeah, definately a good investment once you get used to it!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gfPzNrXDrA8&feat...

Louisa

That is absolutely fantastic


No, that's nowhere near enough have a load more..

[Louisa911]

cheers guys

[Fordo]

im curious, how did you learn to paint like that?

Im very envious of your talent!

Im pretty good with the technical side with photoshop, like compositing, preparing stuff for print, cleaning up photos and so on, but im absolutely useless at the artistic side.

I'l have to get practicing when I get a graphics tablet.


Any chance you could share some more of your work?

[Louisa911]

Haha difficult question, I didn't really learn how to do it, on photoshop anyway. I'm studying to become an illustrator now with an art foundation course, then onto university to specialise next year. and so just applied the same techniques used when painting during school! its suprisingly easy once you get to grips with the basics of it.
more videos are on my youtube account- http://uk.youtube.com/louisa911
or the actual images, some quite old now, are on www.louisa911.deviantart.com (click browse gallery)

thanks!