Assuming you are able to use the programs right, these "Tablets" allow you to save years of learning to work with a tablet, believe me or not, the curve is immense. Pen displays are the shortcut for any artist to get the results that you are used to create with traditional media, OK, let's speak of pen and paper or pencil. If you have a review or great experience with a product not listed here, I´d be glad to do some research and link it here. This list is by no means complete, as mentioned before I can only pull from my own experience or from other sources that I trust. It is a totally different process that has to be learned from scratch like learning a new language. This synchronisation process will never be natural and you will not master it like drawing with pen on a paper.
It takes years to learn drawing on the tablet AND looking at the monitor.Don´t fall for pressure sensitivity, between 10 there is NO significant difference, if it cost you twice, think twice.The brand does not matter, don´t settle for the cheapest, if the features are OK and the pen seems durable/ tablet has a warranty, that´s all you need.That´s where most people actually start with and this is totally right, because it allows to work naturally with a pen on a surface but there are some obstacles to keep in mind when considering to get one: It works with the Bamboo-pen from Wacom too. Since they didn´t offer styluses for their tablets and phones - other brands jumped on that waggon and offer products that even work with a trackpad, believe it or not, see the video for some example. Apple has done a lot with their macbook trackpads since iphone and ipad evolved. However, there are some artists that feel very comfortable working with a mouse, one fellow artist I know of brought astounding artworks on the table done with a mouse! Khrass´s deviantArt gallery is empty nowadays, but god bless the wayback archive! Not sure if that piece in particular was painted using a mouse, but the style didn´t change that much from earlier works, which means to me: It can be done, but watch out for Carpal Tunnel!Īctually the trackpad used to be an expedient for doing things on the go. I had one once and I just had to replace it because the coat weared of after 8 years but technically it was still working.
I currently use a Sharkoon Fireglider, this mouse is actually for gaming and therefore ridiculously cheap but good! If you have money enough, nothing beats the Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer in terms of durability, it costs around $100 but worth it. For occasional doing 3D work the mousewheel can be really helpful to navigate in a 3d environment. Nothing beats the mouse when it comes to everyday tasks such as clicking, pointing, Office, Internet, scrolling, but it has some downsides for digital painting it is less usable. I will just offer some options and add a comment or two that may help you decide. Until 2013 I´d nearly always have said: "Go get a Wacom", but the competition and the tablet market is developing so fast that there are more products out there than ever and artists can be overwhelmed by the sheer volume and opinions. This guide is based on my personal experience and opinion, I´m in no way affiliated with any of these companies and I try to be as objective as possible.Īs instructor but also on conventions, I often get asked what hardware, tablet or other input devices I use and what I´d recommend for someone just starting out. err, wait what? A graphic tablet is missing or should I get a pen display? An input device for a computer seems to be a no-brainer, mouse, trackpad, keyboard all there but.