Question RE: Drawing with a tablet

[Sharpes]

Is there a trick to finishing lines with a tablet pen?

For example, you know when you're drawing a simple coastline and your pen can only go so far on the tablet before you need to stop and reorient your hand (or have a break due to sore muscles)? I find that as I stop drawing, the pen will kind of "flick" requiring me to erase the erratic part before continuing on that line to form a shape/coastline/whatever. Sometimes I'll hold the pen there for a moment but the pen's sensitivity tends to make a little blot as I hover it there.

[Chick]

That same problem happens to me. The only thing I have found is to keep the pen moving in the same direction as I lift it, rather than try to stop the line before lifting the pen.

[Lady Nerevar]

I usually use a brush with a fair amount of pressure sensitivity and lighten up on the stroke as I near the end so that it narrows down into a couple pixels. I'll then restart the line prior to where it narrowed out, drawing back over part of it.

Turning down the spacing of your brush might also help (or finding a nice inking brush to use, versus the Photoshop defaults). You might also want to try messing with the actual pressure settings of your tablet if you haven't already.

If you're looking for a perfectly even line, you might want to forgo the brush all together and stroke a lasso-made selection instead?

[Sharpes]

Yeah, if it's a straight line I don't have much of a problem. I've noticed that it tends to flick more if I'm drawing vertically or at odd angles in a tight space (I'm left-handed but I'm not sure if that makes much difference to drawing).

Lady Nerevar - Thanks for the tip! Actually, the brush I'm using has spacing at 1%. I've tried testing it with shape dynamics on and off but still getting the same problem. Oh well, I'll keep at it.

[Jaxilon]

I trend to Zoom out and draw with the whole page visible. You can add jitter to your brush. Another thing I have done is use a big chunky grunge type brush to paint the landmass entire then select everything and stroke on another layer to get the outline.