Drawing tablet

[jackamus]

I have finally upgraded from AD V1 to AD V2 Hurrah!

Can anyone recommend a good drawing tablet that I could use with AD2? Price need not be a barrier.

 

[Alfred]

11 minutes ago, jackamus said:

I have finally upgraded from AD V1 to AD V2 Hurrah!

Congratulations, Jack!

11 minutes ago, jackamus said:

Can anyone recommend a good drawing tablet that I could use with AD2? Price need not be a barrier.

There are lots of options out there, even after you narrow it down by going for wireless (so you’re not too dependent on desk space) and battery-free (to keep the stylus weight to a minimum). Do you want one with a built-in display, or are you happy to look at your computer screen while your drawing hand is somewhere else? What size do you think you need?

[jackamus]

4 minutes ago, Alfred said:

Congratulations, Jack!

There are lots of options out there, even after you narrow it down by going for wireless (so you’re not too dependent on desk space) and battery-free (to keep the stylus weight to a minimum). Do you want one with a built-in display, or are you happy to look at your computer screen while your drawing hand is somewhere else? What size do you think you need?

Thanks Alfred. You guys out there had better be prepared for another round of questions, if I can't find what I want in the help file!

Those tablet suggestions are just what I was looking for. I would rather seek advice from those who use them than rely on sales talk form the makers. I'd like to consider one with a built-in display and wireless as this would seem more natural for me. I'll do a search but any input from AD members would be appreciated.

[Alfred]

8 minutes ago, jackamus said:

I'd like to consider one with a built-in display and wireless as this would seem more natural for me.

I suspected as much! Even with those restrictions there’s plenty of choice; e.g.

https://www.xp-pen.com/series/Artist-Pro-Display.html

[jackamus]

20 minutes ago, Alfred said:

I suspected as much! Even with those restrictions there’s plenty of choice; e.g.

https://www.xp-pen.com/series/Artist-Pro-Display.html

Hi Alfred,

Thanks for the link which I have been using.

BTW do you use one?

Although I favor the idea of a stand alone tablet - which would be like using a blank piece of paper and a pen, pencil or brush. In my case I would want to use it with AD or other apps and all their respective features.

I there a way of combining both or would I need to use a tablet that is not independent from a computer?

[Alfred]

4 hours ago, jackamus said:

Thanks for the link which I have been using.

You’re welcome, Jack.

5 hours ago, jackamus said:

BTW do you use one?

I have an XP-Pen Deco 03 which I find adequate for my humble needs.

[jackamus]

Hi Alfred,

Just checked out your tablet. I would probably want something a little larger.

Can a wireless tablet operate any app on a computer. As I said in a previous comment I would want to use AD and AP on it.

 

[Alfred]

25 minutes ago, jackamus said:

Just checked out your tablet. I would probably want something a little larger.

I suspected as much, Jack! I’m not an artist.

26 minutes ago, jackamus said:

Can a wireless tablet operate any app on a computer.

A drawing tablet is just an input device. It obviously wouldn’t be suitable for editing text in a word processor, but IMNSHO it’s the ideal computer peripheral for digital drawing and painting.

[henryanthony]

Personally I preferred a smaller one although I no longer use one. I find a wireless mouse is just what I need for the work I do. If I did more work with brushes I might reconsider.

[jackamus]

15 minutes ago, Alfred said:

I suspected as much, Jack! I’m not an artist.

A drawing tablet is just an input device. It obviously wouldn’t be suitable for editing text in a word processor, but IMNSHO it’s the ideal computer peripheral for digital drawing and painting.

I'm trying to understand how I would use a drawing tablet to work with AD. Is that possible or does it simply have its own drawing features?

Can a drawing be saved as an AD file and maybe edited in AD on the computer.

 

I'm sory for sounding so ignorant but all the tablet information seems to assume that you already know how they are used.

[Ron P.]

I'll add my thoughts on tablets..

I use one, a very old one, but a very good one. I've had no issues with it. It's a Wacom Intuos 3 Small, it's wired. The key here is it serves my purpose. I'm not an artist, I'm a photographer. I can do touch-up on images quite well with it. When I first got it, I almost threw it away. Not because the device was bad, but it was a learning curve, a curve for my muscle memory, that was very use to using a mouse. I put it aside for a few months, but came back to it, and stuck with it. Now, I find it hard using a mouse for a lot of my work. So it is important to evaluate how a pen/tablet will be useful to you. If I were an artist, I think I would have me a display model, so I could draw on it, which just seems more natural.

 

[Old Bruce]

There are massively expensive Wacom Drawing tablets that are a display + tablet. They are called Wacom Cintiq. I have lusted after one ever since they were first introduced, but I could never ever justify the expense.

Be aware that you will have problems with Colour Profiles for the tablet's display plus your computer's display. And perhaps problems with setting up the tablet's display as Extended or Mirrored, depending on the OS you use.

[jackamus]

26 minutes ago, Ron P. said:

I'll add my thoughts on tablets..

I use one, a very old one, but a very good one. I've had no issues with it. It's a Wacom Intuos 3 Small, it's wired. The key here is it serves my purpose. I'm not an artist, I'm a photographer. I can do touch-up on images quite well with it. When I first got it, I almost threw it away. Not because the device was bad, but it was a learning curve, a curve for my muscle memory, that was very use to using a mouse. I put it aside for a few months, but came back to it, and stuck with it. Now, I find it hard using a mouse for a lot of my work. So it is important to evaluate how a pen/tablet will be useful to you. If I were an artist, I think I would have me a display model, so I could draw on it, which just seems more natural.

 

Are you able to use a tablet with AD?

[Ron P.]

Just now, jackamus said:

Are you able to use a tablet with AD?

Yes I can. It takes work and getting used to it though. Transitioning from using a mouse to pen/tablet doesn't happen overnight, at least didn't for me.

 

[Old Bruce]

Just now, jackamus said:

Are you able to use a tablet with AD?

I use a Wacom Intuos as well. And I can use it with all three Affinity applications, and every other application I have on my Mac. This is a blank slab of some sort of plastic. It is basically just a super-turbo-charged mouse.

[jackamus]

8 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

There are massively expensive Wacom Drawing tablets that are a display + tablet. They are called Wacom Cintiq. I have lusted after one ever since they were first introduced, but I could never ever justify the expense.

Be aware that you will have problems with Colour Profiles for the tablet's display plus your computer's display. And perhaps problems with setting up the tablet's display as Extended or Mirrored, depending on the OS you use.

When you say 'Extended' or 'Mirrored' do you mean like using a second monitor to the computer monitor.

 

I currently use a second monitor for Internet and storing my AD tabs and pallets whilst using the main screen as a work area.

[Old Bruce]

Just now, jackamus said:

When you say 'Extended' or 'Mirrored' do you mean like using a second monitor to the computer monitor.

Yes. Extended is like what you currently use your second monitor for. Mirrored would just show what the first monitor shows.

[jackamus]

5 minutes ago, Ron P. said:

Yes I can. It takes work and getting used to it though. Transitioning from using a mouse to pen/tablet doesn't happen overnight, at least didn't for me.

 

To be honest I used, many years ago, a wired Wacom tablet. The bit I couldn't get used to was the pressing the pen buttons - not as easy as the mouse. But I'm hoping that maybe it might be better on the newer tablets. I imagine not having the weight of a battery is a good feature.

[jackamus]

9 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

I use a Wacom Intuos as well. And I can use it with all three Affinity applications, and every other application I have on my Mac. This is a blank slab of some sort of plastic. It is basically just a super-turbo-charged mouse.

I would prefer a table with a display that I can use with ASD.

I suppose what I am looking for is a way to use AD in a horizontal position with a pen.

[henryanthony]

For me, a tablet is simply a mouse that you hold like a pen. You can click with the pen or buttons on the pen. What is unique is that it responds to pressure depending on the application. There are probably many functions that I have never heard of. I started using one because I was holding my mouse with a death grip and developed some serious pain in my fore arm. It helped a lot but I have since learned to take it easy with the grip on the mouse. 

[iconoclast]

Just to put in my two cents... It is not easy to recommend graphic tablets in a few words, because after all, it always depends on the necessities of the user. And the graphics tablet is not the only important thing, because it is only some kind of a very sophisticated mouse. You need a suitable app too, to satisfy your needs. In my case, I want to paint and draw as I did in the analogue world. And it should feel as analogue as possible. My first graphics tablet, I bought about 15 years ago from the well known IT specialist dealer ALDI. Officially it was sold as a Medion tablet, but it was in fact an Aiptek, and unfortunately completely useless. The stylus was thick and heavy as a trunk (because it needed a battery), and it was far from drawing precisely. My second one was a Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch. Simple, but OK. But the Touch functionality was a mess. It worked for me for many years, but it wasn't really like analogue painting, because the painting appeared on the monitor, while I painted on the tablet. That is still a bit peculiar to me. Some time ago I purchased a Wacom Cintiq 16, with display. That is very good. It is of course still not 100% like analogue painting, because e.G. if you want to rotate the paper a bit, as you used to do with analogue paper, this will not work. You can do this, depending on the app you use, in your app. But that is a thing you will have to get used to too. What I want to say: It will never be 100% like analogue painting. But you can come close to it with a good tablet and a good app. And you will even have some opportunities you didn't have in analogue painting.

Unfortunately good tablets are expensive. My Cintiq did cost about 470 €. It was a special offer - normally it costs about 700 €. But I'm very satisfied to have it. For less money you can get a Wacom One, that has a display too. But I can't say if it really is recommendable. One important point may be that the canvas of tablets often get scratchy after a while. That was e.G. the case with my Bamboo too. The Cintiq has an etched surface, that is very resilient. I don't know if the Wacom One has that too. I'm afraid it doesn't.

Finally it depends on your individual necessities what tablet is the right one. Possibly something like a Wacom Intuos - without display - is sufficient. By the way, one point that might be important for some users is that Wacom also supports Linux and Open Source Software like GIMP, Krita, Inkscape... very well.

[henryanthony]

Also note the difference between a touch screen and a graphics tablet.

[jackamus]

1 hour ago, iconoclast said:

Just to put in my two cents... It is not easy to recommend graphic tablets in a few words, because after all, it always depends on the necessities of the user. And the graphics tablet is not the only important thing, because it is only some kind of a very sophisticated mouse. You need a suitable app too, to satisfy your needs. In my case, I want to paint and draw as I did in the analogue world. And it should feel as analogue as possible. My first graphics tablet, I bought about 15 years ago from the well known IT specialist dealer ALDI. Officially it was sold as a Medion tablet, but it was in fact an Aiptek, and unfortunately completely useless. The stylus was thick and heavy as a trunk (because it needed a battery), and it was far from drawing precisely. My second one was a Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch. Simple, but OK. But the Touch functionality was a mess. It worked for me for many years, but it wasn't really like analogue painting, because the painting appeared on the monitor, while I painted on the tablet. That is still a bit peculiar to me. Some time ago I purchased a Wacom Cintiq 16, with display. That is very good. It is of course still not 100% like analogue painting, because e.G. if you want to rotate the paper a bit, as you used to do with analogue paper, this will not work. You can do this, depending on the app you use, in your app. But that is a thing you will have to get used to too. What I want to say: It will never be 100% like analogue painting. But you can come close to it with a good tablet and a good app. And you will even have some opportunities you didn't have in analogue painting.

Unfortunately good tablets are expensive. My Cintiq did cost about 470 €. It was a special offer - normally it costs about 700 €. But I'm very satisfied to have it. For less money you can get a Wacom One, that has a display too. But I can't say if it really is recommendable. One important point may be that the canvas of tablets often get scratchy after a while. That was e.G. the case with my Bamboo too. The Cintiq has an etched surface, that is very resilient. I don't know if the Wacom One has that too. I'm afraid it doesn't.

Finally it depends on your individual necessities what tablet is the right one. Possibly something like a Wacom Intuos - without display - is sufficient. By the way, one point that might be important for some users is that Wacom also supports Linux and Open Source Software like GIMP, Krita, Inkscape... very well.

You have expressed exactly how I feel about the difference between digital and analogue painting. I want something that I can use for AD when doing technical illustrations but I would also like to be able to paint technical subjects like cars, boats, planes and trains etc. At the moment I use AD for technical illustrations and canvas for acrylic paint .

I don't spending on getting something that has a screen and maybe wireless.

[Alfred]

I recommend that you watch some videos showing the products in use. This one (from the ‘Watch the video >>’ link on this page) is a review of the XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro when it was new to the market about three years ago.

[nickbatz]

I'm a little farther along in the process, but here's my thread on the same subject. Spoiler: I ended up going with the Xencelabs medium (with the remote control thing). And so far I don't know whether I like working with tablets period. Will have to live with it for a while.