Is getting a drawing tablet for post-work a good idea? (Solved - Apparently yes for some/most)
BlueFingers
Posts: 904
Is getting a drawing tablet for post-work a good idea?
This whole black friday period I've been seeing the offers on drawing tablets (specifically the Wacom Intuos S, Huion HS64 and Huion Inspiroy H1161), and there are some good deals out there. My question to you is, do you use a drawing tablet for post, and was it worth it to invest in one for you? What are the main advantages working with one for you?
Post edited by BlueFingers on
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Comments
Most definitely yes. Pen tabs have pressure sensitivity so you can draw with heavy pressure to give a more pronounced look and then light pressure to give a very subtle look. I couldn't texture a product without one.
Honestly, tablets are useful even for working within 3D apps....except DS.
I've never gotten it to work right in DS
I recently bought a tablet for postwork and to be honest I don't use it that much. I'm having a tough time getting used to this new thing when I'm already so used to working with the mouse.
Look on ebay as often they have good used tablets for a cheaper price. That way you can see if you like using it before getting a newer/ better brand. I got some off brand tablet for $20 and played with it for a few months before getting a Wacom Intuos Pro medium. That tablet STILL works after a good 7-8 years, hitting the floor a few times and having cats run over it. But last year I'd finally saved up enough to get a Cintiq 22 and boy what a GREAT drawing experience that is.
Frank0314 is right. I've never gotten any tablet to work with DS. But I couldn't imagine doing my digital patinting work without it. Oh yes, and be prepared for some frustrations at first. It takes time to develop the coordination required to use a tablet.
All sounds very interesting, the tablets I'm looking at have a sensitivity of 4096x or 8192x, does that make a big difference in daily use?
Size wise, I will just use it for post-work of stills (I have seen someone adjusting hair in post with a tablet and was quite impressed), and perhaps to start sculpting in Blender as I think that maybe quite fun to do. Would size matter a lot me from that perspective? Currently looking at a the following:
- Wacom Intuos S - 152 x 95 mm active area
- Huion Inspiroy H1161 - 279 x 175 mm active area
- Huion HS64 - 160 x102 mm active area
(for those who use the imperial system, I sadly can't be of assistance hence the links)
I'm currently leaning towards the smaller sizes as they would be easier to travel with. I heard Wacom offers pretty good quality but that the nibs wear pretty quickly, I heard Huion is not bad at all. Is there a big difference in quality between Wacom and Huion?
A smaller tablet would be easier for travel, but a lot of the choice depends on the size of the monitor you're using. For a laptop a small would be fine. But for my 24 inch desktop monitor it's far too small. ( check YouTube for more detailed videos) Wacom is by far the best quality over all and that's why they're the most expensive. The tablets take a beating and last a long time. Same for the pen. I'm currently using a going on 5 year old ProPen 2 on my Cintiq while the one that came with the pen display is my spare. I can't tell you how many times that pen has hit the floor either from my clumsiness or a cat shoving it off. Yet it keeps going!
How much pressure sensitivity you need depends on the art you do and the effects you want to achieve. I do graphic novels and other digital painting ( Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop) and have the pressure sensitivity turned off 90 % of the time. If you're into doing things like soft pastels and watercolors in Painter or another "traditional" art media simulating software then the higher pressure sensitivity would probably be better. Generally, I'd get the highest sensitivity you can afford, because that'll give you the best creative options.
Yes there can be nib wear issues with the Wacom tablet surface, but a LOT of it is related to how hard you press when you draw. A light touch will create less friction and less wear. For my Intuos tablet, I extended nib life by taping some tracing paper over the active area. I cut the paper a little bigger than the active area and taped it to the sides of the unit with drafting tape. It also protected the surface from wear and scratches.
Huion does make some nice drawing tablets. The units are solid and well made. But beware of potentially severe driver issues. I had originally bought a Huion pen display because you got a MUCH better screen for a lot less than the Cintiq 22, but their drivers completely trashed my Windows 10 installation. I had to do a complete system reset to get the PC working again and my experience is not unique.
Oh, thanks for the tip about the tablet size to monitor size issue. I'm looking at getting one too as I tried to use the mouse with the Human course for Blender and that was not a good idea lol, my frustration skyrocketed. But I'm using a 42 inch tv for my monitor, so maybe the small Wacom would be a bad idea for me then. I'll look for a larger one!
@semperequstri: Thanks for the excellent information and the tracing paper tip. Is there a difference in wear of the nibs if you compare Wacom vs Huion? The Wacom nib wear is such a common remark on the web from what I've seen that I'm starting to wonder if thats is how they make their money.
No problem. I never tried a Huion tablet in person but from what I saw on reviews it looks like the surface has less " tooth" than the Wacom ones so that should mean less friction. But even a harder nib paired with a smooth surface will wear fast if the artist presses too hard. Personally, I don't care for the feel of hard nibs on a smooth surface so I used the softer felt tip-like nibs on the Wacom pen ( wish I had that option on the Cintiq but it's still better than it would be on a tablet!). On average, I draw/model about 7-8 hours a day and I'd go through a softer tip nib in my Intuos every 3 months ( with the tracing paper "cover"). I don't have the lightest of touch but I also don't press down hard. I think Wacom has reduced the "tooth" on the newer tablets. Also if you don't cover the surface like I did eventually it'll rub smooth-which is what I wanted to avoid.
I don't buy the "that's how Wacom makes their money" argument when it comes to nibs. I used to do traditional drawing /inking etc "by hand" on real media and I spent WAY more per year on pencil lead, ink, erasers , inks, paints technical pen nibs etc, than I EVER spent on Wacom nibs. Nib wear is a function of friction and nothing else. Friction depends on the surfaces being rubbed together and the forces being applied ( how hard you press) It's basic physics and not some kind of sales gimmick. But hey, it gets views and likes on social media.
The only Huion pen I tried in my hands was the one that came with the Kamvas Pro 24 pen display I bought before the Cintiq. The pen had a hard nib and it felt nice in my hand ( good weight and balance) Sadly, I never used it because the drivers crashed and took my PC down as I was hooking it up for the first time. I tried for a whole day to get the thing working but it was hopeless. So I had to return it. Fortunately the sales support was WAY better than tech support ( clueless) so they took my return right away.
On a 42 inch screen you'd feel really cramped on a small from a creative and physical standpoint. Check out this video What SIZE Drawing Tablet Should You Get? (2022) - YouTube
I have a the Wacom Intuos - the medium sized one. I've had for 6 or 7 years now. I do a LOT of postwork though so I find it much easier that using a mouse.in photoshop. I do a lot of editing of shadows and light, and things. If you are going to do a lot of post work, then yes, its worth it. If you are not, then I guess it depends on your budget for stuff you may or may not use. Mine has been a work horse, Not had any problems with it at all. There was a time period of about 18 months to two years where i used it every day for a coiuple of hours. So from my persepective, Wacom has been a stellar product
I was looking at the Huion 1060P (10 x 6.25) for myself recently until I took a better look at some reviews and checked on the work area surface with a question for people who had purchased it.
Because of the really old 6 x 4 Wacom that's kicking around that wasn't really geared for drawing (more photo editing) from the early 2000's trying to use it in Photoshop made me think about the surface of any tablet when looking into buying one. It's surface was way too smooth.
That's when I came across the XP Pen Deco 01 (V2), that comes with an additional protector. You can still draw on the main surface but the protector adds a slightly rougher surface that gives it more grip or friction. For me the surface would need to feel like you're drawing on paper and not gliding on plastic or like glass. XP Pen Deco 01 (V2) review & demonstration -
- at about 8:10 he describes how the protector feels like drawing on paper.
I dunno something to think about perhaps when making decisions.
That is good to know, I kind of care about tech support. ;-)
I think I will go for a small Wacom tablet, I've looked at XP-Pen as well but they are just not that available in my area though they do look interesting. Thank you all for sharing your experience!
Good luck! I hope it works out for you!
Thank you for posting the video! I'll take a look at it when I get home.
I hope you find what you need!
I have nerve damage in my hands so I can relate. But for me the mouse is more cumbersome and I can't use a trackpad on a laptop for beans! . Also my style of art ( graphic novels) calls for smoother line art, so I make use of software "aids". But to each their own- that's the beauty of art!
I got one to up my postwork game and I love having it. I'd never used a drawing tablet before so I didn't want to drop the $$$ on a Wacom...so I got a Huion Kamvas Pro and I love it. Never had any issues with drives on Win 10. I don't use it all the time, but when I need to touch up hair/fur, or paint in details like highlights, it's amazing. Someday I'd love to start taking courses on full painting. And as I am a lefty, I can confirm that the Kamvas Pro works for the likes of us just fine (in case anybody else out there is a lefty!)
Note - I just realized OP was talking about a non-screen tablet. I can't use those. I tried. Ick. (Seriosly, that's just my opinion based on trying numerous times and failing miserably each time to learn how to use the Wacom Intuos I wasted $$$ on.) The drawing tablets that are actual monitors you draw on...those are a completely different animal. Those are nice and that's what I use. Complete game changer.
I wouldn't bother with a wacom unless you are gonna dish out for the art pen too. Other than art pen, it's not really a huge amount better than the huion I used before I was gifted my wacom. I used it because I had it, but then I bought the art pen and it's usefulness went through the roof. You can rotate brush by rotating the pen, so you can make one side of the brush sharp, and one side soft, and choose between hard and soft without switchin brushes as one example. Far as I know huion dont have pens that can do that.
I went through a stretch where I was primarily using a Surface Pro, and had a great time working in Houdini and C4D with the pen on the screen, but DS almost seems deliberately hostile to even basic touch-screen operations, let alone a tablet-style interface.
I bought a large (24 inch) XP-Pen Artist Drawing Display ... a screen on which I can use a pen to draw directly as opposed to a separate tablet. I regret to admit that I use it mainly as a second screen rather than a drawing surface. I still use the mouse instead because my drawing sessions are usually simple and the mouse is good enough. If I could get my money back, I would buy a normal second screen and a pen tablet with a 10 inch drawing surface. The big display is quite cumbersome to make space for on my desk when flattened for drawing.
If anyone still is trying to give me advice,..I already bought a refurbished Wacom Intuos S for dirt cheap. If anyone is looking for one they still have pretty good deals on their (Wacom) website up untill the 30th of this month, cheaper then I could find elsewhere (within the EU).
And for anyone looking for a drawing tablet , here are the reasons for my choice, maybe it helps you:
- I didn't want to go for a tablet with a screen as it promotes bad posture and ergonomically not the best choice, which is something I care about more than the additional learning curve it requires + more features = more things to break.
- I didn't want bluetooth, batteries (lifetime) only can last so long.
- I have relatively small screen and what I've seen on youtube the small should suffice, I'm going to use it just for post and I want to be able to easily travel with it.
- The sources I've pulled info from describe Wacom as high quality, using their products for over 5 sometimes 7 years. This also made me confident to buy a refurbished version as their QC seems top notch and they refubished it themselves.
- Their cheaper alternative, the Wacom One, has less pressure sensitivity and no buttons.
Now let's see who's is going to spoil my buyers glee by pointing out how bad my choice was (there is no price).
Also my experience
You made the choice that will suit your set up and workflow best. That's all that matters. Have fun!