Mouse vs. tablet

[greytale]

I recently picked up the Logitech g13 mini keyboard/joystick to macro Photoshop and Artrage keys. I have my Intuos 3 on my right side and that on my left. It works well provided I can resist the ingrained desire to pull out the keyboard every time I need to enter a shortcut. It does speed up my work and keeps my arms on the top of the desk and off the keyboard drawer.

I have been having issues as of late with my intuos losing its settings. I usually have to clear the profile and restore the backup to get it working again has anyone else encountered this?

[Kiarelle Alaisdair]

I've had a Intuos 3 for a few years now, its a great tablet and its worked very well for me; though this coming Christmas it looks like I might be getting a 4, which I would love. A Cintiq would be lovely but I don't expect that for another two years or so. Upside of graduation looming and parents wanting to know what to get as a present. Not only is it pretty, amazing and makes my artist's heart race its also something I can sell as 'an investment in my career'.

For those who have the Intuos4 how are you liking it? I've heard its amazing at picking up pen pressure and tilt.

[Coyotemax]

i got a 4 last year - and i haven't looked back, not once, not even to say "omg i can't believe I didn't get one before"
I haven't been doing as much mapping or other art lately, but I'm trying to keep in practice with stuff. The pressure sensitivity, to me, is like using a real pen/brush. I honestly don't use the buttons on the tablet too much, but that's partly because I have all my common hotkeys mapped to a belkin Speedpad n50 (basically a mini 10 key keyboard with scrollwheel and d-pad, designed for gaming but I map keys to it for photoshop, illustrator, firefox, word, etc as well).

I've never had to decide between my wife and my tablet, which is a good thing. They're both lovely

[Ken_Scades]

hey guys, I have a question... of course I could skim through all of the 37 pages of this thread in hope of getting my answer, but frankly I don't have the time I'd need for that.
I'm wondering If I should buy a tablet or not. ( OHHH what surprise!! ) The point is I'm just now making my A levels and then going to study. In other words I have to turn every Penny thrice before deciding to buy something. Is the Quality really that better, with a tablet? Or is it just easier and faster?

[mearrin69]

Hi. I'm assuming you mean versus a mouse? If that's correct then the answer is a resounding "yes!" There's simply a lot of stuff you can't do with a mouse that you can with a tablet. I still use my mouse for many tasks related to mapmaking (marquee selecting, dragging things in layers, etc.) but I don't ever use it for drawing.

I'm sure there are other acceptable brands but you can't go wrong with Wacom. If you're watching pennies then something like a small Graphire or Bamboo may be the right tool for you. I have not used Bamboo so can't speak to its quality but loved my old Graphire. Maybe check eBay for a used one? For that matter you might be able to get a used Intuos on eBay.

Hope this helps.
M

[Ken_Scades]

ok then I'll look for a used one. Thanks mearrin69!

[Lukc]

Has anyone tried out the new Wacom Inkling? Any experiences with it? I get the feeling it would be fantastic for vectorizing my little mountains and trees for making maps and such

http://inkling.wacom.eu/pages/Inkling-en.html

[Starllusion]

It seems most aspects have been covered, yet I would like to add some of my own experience (what has become a wall of text, lol). Never know when it might help another. Unfortunately I didn't find a lot of help when I originally started to use tablets and had a bit of a learning experience and spent more than I would have liked to.

Curently, I use both a mouse and tablet, depending on the project. I learned PS with a mouse, and find I am much more comfortable with using it for more mechanical heavy art. For instance, if I am constantly applying layer alterations, adjustment layers, or textures and filters then I find I am clicking more often than drawing, and a mouse feels much more natural to me for that...especially since it fits my hand and it feels like my hand is floating on it more than directing something around, lol.

With the exceptions of my space scenes I prefer to sketch, draw, and paint with a tablet. The abilities the tablet allows you, such lines and brushes flowing smoothly, respond to pressure, rotation, or even tilt, is incomparable with a mouse in my opinion. You can use the pen tool in PS to mimic such features, but it is excessively time consuming compared to tablet and pen. It is not impossible to create beautiful works with a mouse, I have seen amazing painting created with mice. My very first digital painting was done with a mouse and came out rather nice.

As for the size of the tablet that would really depend on what you can afford and your drawing/painting styles. If you use more of your arm, make larger movements, especially if you do these quickly when expressing yourself artistically, then a larger tablet might feel more natural or comfortable to you. If you are more detail driven, working from one small section to another, are accustomed to minute movements, barely moving your arm, or working from your wrist, then a smaller tablet would be a good starting place. You are not limited by your movement styles though. I started with a large one, 10" x 6". My styles vary and I tend to do equal amounts of large painting movements as I do minute detail. My first tablet was very hard for me to get accustom to. It was a poor quality tablet, I forget the brand now, and the eye hand coordination was quite hard for me.

When I paint freely with watercolor and acrylics I work away from my art, and the tablet worked for such things. However, when I draw detailed, like maps, I tend to lean over my art, lean close as I work, more out of habit than need, but I did find it a task to switch to a tablet for such things. In the end, after much patience and a finally using a good tablet i find it natural now, and cannot believe how much of a struggle it was at first for me.

During my tablet transitions I learned I could do just as much with a 4.9" x 3.4" tablet as I could with a larger one. Patience, and you can learn to make large sketches with a small tablet. The perks of a smaller tablet is that its less movement to get your cursor across a larger area. I use a medium now as I have moved up to an Intros4 and it feels more balanced the way I use it. My monitor is 21.5-inch and 1920 x1080 res, and I found the smaller tablet just as comfortable as the other sizes as far as getting around on the screen.

"In addition I've heard that Wacom is "The" only tablet you should consider buying."
I have tried quite a few brands and found the wacom to be well above the others on so many levels. They are really deserving of the positive reviews they get.

As I said, I forgot the brand of the first one I bought, it was complete rubbish. I wish I could recall. Still, here is a list of the tablets I have tried:

DigiPro The response felt slow, and jumped a lot. I was told by customer service that I needed to re-install the software, I did, still continued jumping, and not little bits. After I contacted them again they said it was my computer and they could do nothing. No warranty

Genius It was alright, worked fine enough till the cord that connects the USB port shorted out after about a year, the pen had to be replaced once in that time also. My friend has one and she says she likes it though. The mouse was tragic, but the average mouse is compared to the one i have been using (not really fair judgment, lol).

Kanvus I absolutely loathed it. And they have terrible customer service, dont even want to go into it...bad times...

Bamboo Pen Got it because it was not that pricey and by this point i was a little wary of spending much, lol. I loved it, but finally moved up to the Intros4, and like it even more. Just waiting for the day to get a Cintiq. ..oh btw, i have had no issues with the mouse, speed and responses are fine.

Sorry this ended up so long, but if it helps just one person then I feel its justified.

[cereth]

I'm saving up for a medium Intuos4 right now. My trusty little bamboo has served me well, but I've been ogling the Intuos for a while. I recently built a new pc as well so I figure it's time to upgrade the tablet as well.

[RobA]

I'm saving up for a medium Intuos4 right now. My trusty little bamboo has served me well, but I've been ogling the Intuos for a while. I recently built a new pc as well so I figure it's time to upgrade the tablet as well.

That is the one I bought. A big step up from my old Graphire 3. The sensitivity is much nicer, and it "feels" good.

-Rob A>