Graphics Tablet vs Intuos Pro Small

[KiabIce]

Which is better?

A graphic tablet with screen or a Intuos small?

I'm thinking about getting a Huion Kamvas 20 or something similar but not sure if my Intuos Pro Small is fine.

What are your thoughts? Is getting a tablet with a screen better than having just a Intuos pro tablet?

Thanks

[Puck]

graphic tablet with a screen is a different world compared to an intuos,
at least for me

[vothnthorvaldson]

I'd say it is very personal. Probably depends on how good you are with hand/eye coordination.

I've tried many screenless tablets from the first ones to 3 years ago with very very bad results and discouragement, but continued trying because the usual message you hear is 'you don't need a screen tablet'. Getting a screen tablet (also a Huion Kamvas) was the best decision I ever made. I have poor eyesight - it could be a reason.

But many don't feel the need and do very well with the screenless, and I would probably go for these too if I was better with them, due to price and easier transport.

The best would be for you to try a screen tablet to see if you feel significantly better drawing on it, or not.

[kinleypavone]

I have used both screen tablets and regular tablets. I find that I really enjoy my Wacom Intuos pro(the medium sized one) but that screen tablets can be really nice too. They both have pros and cons to them so I think for each person, the answer of "which is best" is going to be a little different.

I like my intuos because I don't have to touch a warm screen or have my hand cover a portion of what I'm working on. I also like that these types of tablets are cheaper than screen tablets, and easier to travel with(whenever that's a thing again, lol). I also like that I can lean back with a tablet on my lap rather than hunch forward to reach the screen. So for me personally, I love the intuos and it was a great pick for my particular setup.

Some people can't stand the disconnect between drawing on a surface and watching the line appear in a separate place though, so to each their own. There's no right or wrong pick, just whatever you like using the most.

[Shanny8]

The tablet I've been using for the last 6 yrs was an Intuos...it took me some time(months) to adjust to drawing without looking at my hands but once I got it, that was when I started to draw more confidently.

I just ordered my first large screened tablet(Kamvas 22), so I'm looking forward to how this experience will be. I've been drawing stuff on my iPad for a few yrs so I'm not new to doing art on a screened tablet- but it feels like it coz I've never had a large sized graphics tablet.

I'm gonna say the only drawback will be that I wont be able to take the large screened tablet with me like how I would take my Intuos(fit perfectly in my backpack with my laptop).

[Kaydreamer]

I used screenless tablets for years, but getting my first Cintiq 10 years ago was an absolute game-changer. I much prefer drawing on a screen. It feels so much more natural.

I use a 12.9" iPad Pro now, which is a happy medium between size and portability. I'll probably have to re-purchase a full desktop setup at some point for ergonomic reasons, but I'm happy with what I've got for now.

[Mallory]

I'm gonna be the lone voice for screenless tablets, but as someone with VERY sensitive nerves, I can tell you that without putting in hundreds of dollars into an ergonomic set-up, screen tablets absolutely kill your back and hands. Screenless naturally lends itself better to proper posture, which is why I recently bought another intuos pro instead of a screen tablet. I LOVED drawing on an iPad, but in 30 minutes by hand and back were in pain (from my nerves being pinched).

[emmaemeh2011]

definitely a screen tablet ,
I'm still using my my first tablet , which is a wacom intuos S and it's downgrading my work so much
my lineart is a mess and if I draw for a long period of time my wrist and shoulders hurt like hell

[Shanny8]

@Kaydreamer I WISH I could afford a 12" iPad...I got the standard 10" iPad on a Black Friday 3 yrs back.

[KiabIce]

How do you like the iPad? I'm thinking of getting it. there's the 8th generation for 300 dollars without any accessories.

[lynestjules]

I tried both with a screen and without. I don't like having a screen that close to my face, it hurts my eyes and I tend to work A LOT of hours on the computer.

I have an Intuos Large at home. I've had it since 2007 and I love it. Best purchase. The large tablet let's me draw with my whole arm, which is good, because that's how I usually draw on paper. I had a small one before, but after a while, it bugged me because I have two screens and it just felt too small.

[Shanny8]

I like it- the only issue I have with it is that I feel like I dont have enough maneuverability coz it's small and my hands feel awkward with it. I wear a glove coz with it being an iPad, my Clip Studio has zoom and I draw kind of "heavy" with my hand all on the screen; the glove helps keep it from moving around and zoomin in & out.

I paid about $250 for it on Black Friday and then found out that CSP wouldnt work with any other stylus but the Apple pencil(I had bought an Adonit stylus); so had to shell out another $100 for it. I have Procreate, but the last time I used it I really didnt like how the app worked...yeah, CSP [Pro] costs $5 a month(subscription on the iPad), but I will pay that to work in an app/program I am familiar with.

I would love to get a 12" Pro but there is no way I'm spending $1000-1200 bucks on it; I cringe when looking at paying $500 on a phone...

@lynestjules my issue for me isnt the about the screen and stuff- I just need a BIGGER desk; I know when I get this screened tablet it's gonna eat up ALL the available space on my desk(as if my large ass monitor doesnt take up enough space)...looking at some convenient shelving to hold my backup hard drives and other crap on my desk.

[Kaydreamer]

I was teaching full time when I bought it, so I had a little more money to splash out on getting a model I knew would be future-proof for a few years. (Plus, I could claim it as a work expense on tax, haha. They don't know I'm not using it to teach with!)

I tend to think of digital quality art tools in the same way a builder would think of building tools; if you get good tools, they'll speed up your workflow and in doing so, pay for themselves after a while.

That said, I recognise being able to afford them as a hobbyist is a luxury. I'm trying to shift into art being a full-time career, so I'm treating them as a career investment.

[memologue]

When I first got into digital art I started off with the intuos small and the upgraded to a 9.7 in iPad Pro which is now my main work horse. I still use the intuos but find that the space feels cramped now, as others have said. So if you do go down the screen less route I suggest going for at least medium size ^^

[Shanny8]

@KiabIce this was a piece I did on my iPad a couple of yrs back in Clip Studio...

I have a Dropbox account so that I can send pieces there & tweak them on my laptop. CSP is really getting interesting since you can now import and use PS brushes there.

[dreamysheep.01]

Screen tablet 100%, so much more natural feeling to draw with. Personally my digital art improved a ton when i switched to a screen tablet, the main thing i noticed was i was able to get smoother and more accurate lines since there wasnt the disconnect that screenless tablets have

The Kamvas 20 is a good tablet overall but keep in mind it’s using older tech so the viewing angles aren’t as good and there’s some ghosting especially when using black. It also uses huion’s older pen tech which still has all 8k pressure levels and tilt but the nib is kinda loose in the pen - doesn’t affect line quality but takes some getting used to. (Actually this goes for all the larger pre-2020 huions)

If you can afford it I recommend the Kamvas 22 (2020) over the kamvas 20 as it’s newer and has fixed all the above issues. I have the Plus version which also has a laminated screen (no airgap between screen and drawing surface causing parallex) which I prefer 100% for aesthetics over the non-laminated screens of the 20 and 22 but honestly when youre actually drawing you don’t notice the parallax

Also since i have both the kamvas 20 and 22 plus I can take example/comparison photos if you want?

[lynestjules]

I got my desk at IKEA. It's the perfect size for me and I have a lot of crap on my desk too. 2 large screens, large tablet, keyboard, external hard drive, printer & scanner. My tower is on the floor. But, what I like about my desk is that, it's large without taking up a lot of room. Plus it has a pull out section to it, so it gives me a L shape desk if I need it. It's pulled out constantly, but if I need the floor room, I can push it in.

That type of desk might work for you as well. My tablet takes up a lot of room on my desk, but I've set up everything in a way that's very functional.

[Shanny8]

I currently have an L-shaped desk. I have a 32" curved monitor; the stand(base) on it was a bad design- it takes up an insane amount of space. I also have 3 backup external hard drives...I had bought a stand for my iPad(from IKEA) but I never use it(I have this weird hang up about drawing digital on a slant); the one thing I really like about the Kamvas 22 is that it almost lays flat- so I don't have to have my tizzy about having to draw at an angle(crazy coz I can do it traditionally with a drawing desk but I think it's coz I know the desk can support my weight and the pressure I put on it).

I have been looking at IKEA(as well as other sites) for desks but I feel like I can't the right desk/style.

[lynestjules]

Oh poo. I hope you can find something that does the trick. Sucks about the sand on your monitor. The whole point of slim monitors is that it's supposed to take less space than those huge monitors we had before the millennial, not more.That is a terrible design.