J's Inkman Experiment thread

[Ilanthar]

I was wondering about a Cintiq... But I'm quite happy with my Intuos Medium. I found myself drawing on a very small area of it, anyway.

What makes it easier to draw directly on the screen? It's a very big difference in price.

[Llannagh]

Regarding the cintiq-question: I personally use an intuos medium aswell, but abut two years ago my sanity took a quick vacation and I got myself a Microsoft Surface Book. I thought it was a great idea at the time, because I wanted to get back to mapping and be able to do it sitting on my couch. The Microsoft Pen, the screen and any program I used convinced me otherwise, though...
That aside, though, it was the first time for me drawing directly on the screen, and I didn't like it. Personally, I got very quickly used to drawing on a tablet while looking on the screen. In my opinion, that's way better, because your hand is not in the way and you can see everything.

I love threads like this, btw. It's always great to get a glimpse of somebody else's process, and this one is no exception!

[J.Edward]

I was wondering about a Cintiq... But I'm quite happy with my Intuos Medium. I found myself drawing on a very small area of it, anyway.

What makes it easier to draw directly on the screen? It's a very big difference in price.

I'll address that below....

Regarding the cintiq-question: I personally use an intuos medium aswell, but abut two years ago my sanity took a quick vacation and I got myself a Microsoft Surface Book. I thought it was a great idea at the time, because I wanted to get back to mapping and be able to do it sitting on my couch. The Microsoft Pen, the screen and any program I used convinced me otherwise, though...
That aside, though, it was the first time for me drawing directly on the screen, and I didn't like it. Personally, I got very quickly used to drawing on a tablet while looking on the screen. In my opinion, that's way better, because your hand is not in the way and you can see everything.

I love threads like this, btw. It's always great to get a glimpse of somebody else's process, and this one is no exception!

I have heard several people say about that - the hand being in the way.
I don't understand this. What do you do when you draw on paper?
Your hand would be in the way, yes?

Using the cintiq is more like normal drawing for me, so I found it very useful.
I just could not get into looking at the screen instead of looking at what my hand was doing.
Maybe it is a different thing if you grew up being used to typing and not looking at your hands.
Idk. That seems like the best reason I can think of.

I don't want to convince anyone to go for a cintiq. They are expensive.
And they can have problems like any wacom device, in the sense of conflicts with adobe and MS.
I have a near constant problem with PS, which is why I am always looking to move away from PS.
The problem does not occur with other software. Just Adobe's, yet adobe always says it is wacom's issue.

I have some issues with wacom too. shrug. Nothing is perfect.
In the end, I have work that has to get completed, so I do what I have to do.
I acquire tools and software that help me achieve that better. Mostly.
But I am always on the lookout for something better.
Sometimes I just go back to the traditional, because it is often better.
It definitely feels better. Until I need color. hehe

Edit - I thought I should add...
There are also downsides to a cintiq.
I know of more people who get neck and arm pains due to the position you tend to be in while using one.
It seems that you don't do that with a tablet like the intuos, because you are not leaning over it.
All that said, I could never achieve my work with an intuos.

[Ilanthar]

Thanks for your detailed answer, John!
I agree with you, I don't mind (and did not think about it ) the hand question when I draw on paper (I'm just scary to fold or stain the paper... I'm not always being cautious).

I thought it would be more like "normal" drawing with a Cintiq. I wasn't sure about it, we all have questions about techs we never try, I guess.
And yup, the combination of tools/softwares/hardware/OS is always a complex one, subject to conflicts and problems... But I prefer it to something all one-company dependant somehow.
I've less problem with Krita under Linux Mint (my day-to-day work station) than using Krita under WIndows, which makes senses because it was developed for Linux.
AND I'm actually very surprised that I didn't encountered any problem with my tablet so far...

Anyway, thanks again for those details.
Oh, and I love drawing on paper, but I would have the problem of lettering added to the color one. Plus, I love the symmetry tool lately...

[Llannagh]

I have heard several people say about that - the hand being in the way.
I don't understand this. What do you do when you draw on paper?
Your hand would be in the way, yes?

Indeed it would be. That's the upside of digital art. But I totally get your point, I like to doodle on paper sometimes and of course I'm not bothered by my hand being "in the way" whatsoever. I guess it's also about the feel of my palm on the screen, my arm obscuring some menus in the program, stuff like that. And maybe it's just from a less than great experience with an overpriced product (though most reviews were very positive about the Surface Book). Perhaps I should have invested in a cintiq instead. In the end it get's down to personal taste.

What matters is that people like you are able to put out art and being able to easily share it.

[Kellerica]

If I may add something to the Cintiq question; I've been using the 22HD model for almost two years now, and I wouldn't even dream about going back.

I guess it depends on the model one is using, but mine has been almost perfect for me. The screen is only a little smaller than my main monitor, so the entire PS interface fits into it perfectly well and I never have to cover any of the utilities with my hand.

The tablet sits on its own stand rather than laying down on the table, so I'm not really leaning over it. You can adjust the angle to your liking. It's more like working on a paper on one of those painting stand things (sorry, no idea what they are actually called in English). To me, this works, as I've always preferred to work with the surface I'm drawing on at an angle rather than laying on the table. When I draw by hand (which I almost never do these days), I usually like to sit with my knees up and a sketchbook resting against my thighs.

I honestly have almost zero complaints so far. There has been one instance, where a Windows update screwed up the harmony of my PS and the Wacom driver and it took me a while to find a way to patch it up for a time. The next driver and PS update, which came out in a reasonable time, fixed the issues, and there have been no other problems since. The Cintiq has been a god-send for my drawing ability. I could never get used to the old Intuos I was using before - I worked with it for years and still found it difficult to get the hang of it. I had a few weird 'dead angles' that my hand and brain just couldn't get the handle on, and whenever I tried making a line in one of these angles it would always be 30 degrees in the wrong direction. It could take me 5-10 tries to get a single little line drawn correctly. None of this exists with the Cintiq. The screen also rotates 360 degrees on its stand, so I can even turn the screen if I find it difficult getting something drawn at a certain angle.

Like J said too, obviously take all of this with a grain of salt, as a Cintiq is mad expensive and you definitely should think it through carefully before getting one. But for me, personally, it has enabled me to do maps in a way no other device has come even close.

...
Whooooo, that got a wee bit out of hand didn't it? Your thread is great, J, hope you don't mind too much about my lenghty praise on my baby...

[- JO -]

I have a near constant problem with PS, which is why I am always looking to move away from PS.

Hi ! Is your problem the loss of the pressure sensitivity of the pencil ?
I've got that problem sometime (when there's an update of the driver, usually... ) There's a quick fix for that issue

[J.Edward]

Thanks for your detailed answer, John!
I agree with you, I don't mind (and did not think about it ) the hand question when I draw on paper (I'm just scary to fold or stain the paper... I'm not always being cautious).

I thought it would be more like "normal" drawing with a Cintiq. I wasn't sure about it, we all have questions about techs we never try, I guess.
And yup, the combination of tools/softwares/hardware/OS is always a complex one, subject to conflicts and problems... But I prefer it to something all one-company dependant somehow.
I've less problem with Krita under Linux Mint (my day-to-day work station) than using Krita under WIndows, which makes senses because it was developed for Linux.
AND I'm actually very surprised that I didn't encountered any problem with my tablet so far...

Anyway, thanks again for those details.
Oh, and I love drawing on paper, but I would have the problem of lettering added to the color one. Plus, I love the symmetry tool lately...

I was trying to work with Krita for a while.
In general, I liked it, but it was missing features I had in some other programs, but was nice to draw in.
That problem I described basically ended any use of Krita for me, unfortunately.
I updated Krita. Maybe it will get rectified in the future.

Indeed it would be. That's the upside of digital art. But I totally get your point, I like to doodle on paper sometimes and of course I'm not bothered by my hand being "in the way" whatsoever. I guess it's also about the feel of my palm on the screen, my arm obscuring some menus in the program, stuff like that. And maybe it's just from a less than great experience with an overpriced product (though most reviews were very positive about the Surface Book). Perhaps I should have invested in a cintiq instead. In the end it get's down to personal taste.

What matters is that people like you are able to put out art and being able to easily share it.

Like Kell, I have had larger cintiqs, so interface is not usually covered by hands in any way.
I had thought of getting a Surface pro at one point.
I tried one in a store and was not pleased. It was not like using a cintiq, to me.
That said, I have not found a mobile device that has felt like using a cintiq.
So I am still tied to the desk, as it were. Except when doing traditional work.

If I may add something to the Cintiq question; I've been using the 22HD model for almost two years now, and I wouldn't even dream about going back.

I guess it depends on the model one is using, but mine has been almost perfect for me. The screen is only a little smaller than my main monitor, so the entire PS interface fits into it perfectly well and I never have to cover any of the utilities with my hand.

The tablet sits on its own stand rather than laying down on the table, so I'm not really leaning over it. You can adjust the angle to your liking. It's more like working on a paper on one of those painting stand things (sorry, no idea what they are actually called in English). To me, this works, as I've always preferred to work with the surface I'm drawing on at an angle rather than laying on the table. When I draw by hand (which I almost never do these days), I usually like to sit with my knees up and a sketchbook resting against my thighs.

I honestly have almost zero complaints so far. There has been one instance, where a Windows update screwed up the harmony of my PS and the Wacom driver and it took me a while to find a way to patch it up for a time. The next driver and PS update, which came out in a reasonable time, fixed the issues, and there have been no other problems since. The Cintiq has been a god-send for my drawing ability. I could never get used to the old Intuos I was using before - I worked with it for years and still found it difficult to get the hang of it. I had a few weird 'dead angles' that my hand and brain just couldn't get the handle on, and whenever I tried making a line in one of these angles it would always be 30 degrees in the wrong direction. It could take me 5-10 tries to get a single little line drawn correctly. None of this exists with the Cintiq. The screen also rotates 360 degrees on its stand, so I can even turn the screen if I find it difficult getting something drawn at a certain angle.

Like J said too, obviously take all of this with a grain of salt, as a Cintiq is mad expensive and you definitely should think it through carefully before getting one. But for me, personally, it has enabled me to do maps in a way no other device has come even close.

...
Whooooo, that got a wee bit out of hand didn't it? Your thread is great, J, hope you don't mind too much about my lenghty praise on my baby...

That's actually one of the areas where I have some grievance with wacom... stands for cintiqs.
My old 21ux came with an awesome stand. I loved it.
My later, even more expensive 27 replacement came with no stand.
The stand would be an additional $3-500. And they took away the keys on the wacom.
Replaced with the express key remote... that always turns off. Just when I would have needed to use it.
I am not thrilled with their drivers lately either.
For the amount that people must spend for these devices.. I am not entirely satisfied with their actions lately.
But, they are still far better quality than most of the competitors.

Hi ! Is your problem the loss of the pressure sensitivity of the pencil ?
I've got that problem sometime (when there's an update of the driver, usually... ) There's a quick fix for that issue

I have spent years trying to fix this problem.
I have searched the net and tried everything I could find.
The problem never consistently goes away.

It is a weird problem, because it is not consistent - meaning it is not always present.
Sometimes I can go the whole day without this problem showing up.
Other times, it is happening every other stroke of the pen.

It is equivalent to the wacom acting like pen pressure just drops off.
I call it the blobby pen syndrome.
It could be at the start of a new stroke, or even in the midst of a line...
pen pressure drops and the pen acts like it has no pressure sensitivity and just makes a fat blob of a line.
It's like it drops out for a second and then the pressure is back to normal.
I do a lot of quick strokes so when it happens i have to go back several steps in the history palette to correct it.
That costs me a lot of time when it is happening a lot. And it only happens in photoshop.
Not in any other program. None of them. But, adobe says it is a wacom problem.
The time interval between pressure drop is also not consistent.
It can be a very short interval at times, a few seconds between blobs.
Or it can be several minutes or more between the blobs.

shrug. But like I said, it is inconsistent. It doesn't happen all the time.
And none of the fixes have worked.
To say it is frustrating is not really accurate.
But, it has helped me to learn more patience and to redirect my frustration, sometimes.

[J.Edward]

Hi ! Is your problem the loss of the pressure sensitivity of the pencil ?
I've got that problem sometime (when there's an update of the driver, usually... ) There's a quick fix for that issue

@- JO - I meant to say, let me know what worked for you.
I may have heard of it, but I may not have.
I'm always eager for a possible solution to this problem.

[Voolf]

It is a weird problem, because it is not consistent - meaning it is not always present.
Sometimes I can go the whole day without this problem showing up.
Other times, it is happening every other stroke of the pen.

Do you have any other tablet to check it with the PS, or had you experienced that before cintiq on other tablet ?
The fact that it is not consistent tells me it may be some kind of a software conflict. Try to monitor what you are running in the background while the pen issue occurs. Maybe you can pin down the software that cause PS's hiccups.
If you have access to a different PC (ideally with different setup) try working with it and see if this problem also happens.