anyone using a pen tablet?

[jeroen]

like a Wacom, or other brand
been thinking of getting me one...

like it? useless? collecting dust on your desk?

 

[jayhawksigns]

Right now, collecting dust. I don't have room at the immediate time on my desk, need to adjust everything to get it back out, I enjoyed using mine.

 

[jiarby]

I have a small one, 4x6. It is useful now and then for quickly adding in brush strokes that are awkward with a mouse. The pen gives me a more nature drawing feeling. Real artists like `em. Only cost $89 or so so not the end of the world. Good for erasing the backgrounds out of bitmaps too.

 

[Rodi]

I have an old Artz II from wacom 9 x 12 and it is too big, but I use the digitizer and pen. I have used a little cheapie one at a label company and I liked it very much. For them to be useful you have to throw your mouse away and just plain use it for a month, before you get used to them. I liked the pressure sensitivity of them. I would stck with Wacom.

 

[PGSigns]

I have a 6X8 wacom and love it. Once you get used to what it can do and ways to use it you will like it.
Jimmy

 

[Replicator]

bought a Wacom Intous III 9"x12" . . . I hated it . . . !

Now AirArtGirl is trying it out . . . !

 

[jeroen]

It is useful now and then for quickly adding in brush strokes that are awkward with a mouse.
The pen gives me a more nature drawing feeling.

that's pretty much all I'm looking for in the tablet

thanks for the replies all!

 

[Flame]

I can't use it as a mouse.... too frustrating. But I do have one, and I mostly use it for when I need to draw flames or furling flags. Basically stuff I'm better at with a pencil than a pencil. Good for detail work too, but I simply can't use it as a regular mouse.

So I use both the mouse and the tablet.

 

[Wildpony]

I don't have a pen tablet, but I do have a convertable tablet notebook computer. I don't use it alot, but when I needed it it came in very handy for things like other above have mentioned, like cutting out backgrounds and things I can draw better with a pencil. I'm just sad that it crashes all the time, but I'm sure that has something to do with the handfull of sand my daughter threw on the keyboard a while back. Going to have to buy another one, one of these days as I am really missing it.

 

[eforer]

I have a couple of tablets kicking around from when I worked as a commercial illustrator/art director. Honestly, I find them to be tricky and awful to use, but they definitely have their place. If I can use a mouse instead, I do so. They are really not a suitable replacement for a pointing device, just useful for drawing stuff and for things that require pressure sensitivity. I have the wacom mouse and I never use it, so don't waste your money on that.

Also, those of you who are dinosaurs like me and are on CRT monitors, have fun with the dancing cursor! My triple 22" Mitsu rig irradiates my tablet if you get anywhere near them and makes the cursor go bonkers.

 

[Velocity]

I bounce back and forth between the pen tablet and standard mouse. Like most have said it really helps with the detail work and if your good with shortcut key combinations it can speed things up quite a bit for some tasks.

 

[Flame]

I can't use it as a mouse.... too frustrating. But I do have one, and I mostly use it for when I need to draw flames or furling flags. Basically stuff I'm better at with a pencil than a pencil. Good for detail work too, but I simply can't use it as a regular mouse.

So I use both the mouse and the tablet.

Um.... I meant to say "stuff I'm better at with a pencil than a mouse".



:Oops:

 

[synikster]

Im debating on this as well.

I use my mouse for everything, but sometimes its actually nice to actually have the pen tool, for random swirl marks, twist and turns.

 

[WVB]

I contemplated about purchasing one... However, I have become pretty good with the mouse on board my laptop...

 

[iSign]

my wacom tablet collects dust for 6 months at a stretch, but then I end up using it to trace some line art if I want to get a limited node count quickly and easily. On simple shapes I can redraw over a scan... but if something is complex, vectorizing a scan usually ends up with a multitude of nodes, & minimizing nodes with a"cleanup" type function often loses some of the integrity of the drawing.

By sliding art under the clear overleaf on most wacom tablets, I can trace it in no time & the result is so few nodes... if it's a shape I will be cutting a quantity of, the plotter time saved will far exceed the tracing time spent.

Over the years it's never been too valuable a tool for me, but now it's getting even less use.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

been using the 6x8" pro model wow it's great love it
the mouse is wireless which great for normal use
the pen wireless and thats what I wanted for artwork etc. wow super the best
and they got a new one now even better egad I want the new and improved lol
oh the pad is wire to computer USB, akes for secure connection

wraps-r-kewl

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

my wacom tablet collects dust for 6 months at a stretch, but then I end up using it to trace some line art if I want to get a limited node count quickly and easily. On simple shapes I can redraw over a scan... but if something is complex, vectorizing a scan usually ends up with a multitude of nodes, & minimizing nodes with a"cleanup" type function often loses some of the integrity of the drawing.

By sliding art under the clear overleaf on most wacom tablets, I can trace it in no time & the result is so few nodes... if it's a shape I will be cutting a quantity of, the plotter time saved will far exceed the tracing time spent.

Over the years it's never been too valuable a tool for me, but now it's getting even less use.

mine sits and collects dust as well

 

[ColesCreations]

We have a small Wacom Graphire, I'm no good at it, but my wife doesn't even have a mouse hooked up to the computer, the pen is all she uses, she maintains it's a fantastic tool, just have to get used to it. I don't do any design stuff, I'm just the guy trying to keep the printers and computers running... Luckily it has a mouse you can put on top of the tablet, it kinda works like a regular mouse. So- it's recommended, but spend time and get used to it!

 

[The Vector Doctor]

Attached is an example of what a table is perfect for

On one of these stamped letters, zoom in and using the pencil tool, its click and draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag

rather than a mouse which is click drag click drag click drag click drag
click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag
click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag
click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag
click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag
click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag click drag
etc etc etc

well you get the idea

 

[jeroen]

thanks for all the input
I bought a Wacom A5 wide (approx 6x11 inches)

I love it! Now I wish I got me one a long time ago!
The pen works very intuitive (even when replacing the mouse)
It's real easy to get used to

And it's just great for freehand drawing