How do you see use peripheral drawing tablets like Wacom Intuos Small which do not have a screen?

yomielf 2022-01-01 16:08:32 UTC #1

Hello, i have one of these wacom intuous small drawing tablets which are attached to another device such as laptop, and i try to use it with the applications clip studio paint and paintstorm studio, but when i look at the screen i cannot see my hand on the tablet, and when i look at the tablet i cannot see the screen, and it seems like a double edged sword issue since one way or the other i have trouble drawing like that for now, how do you use tablets such as this? because the screen tablets are too expensive and they seem to be like computers on their own, thats why i got a peripheral one but did not foresee this issue

IndigoShirtProd 2022-01-01 16:12:19 UTC #2

It's really a matter of developing hand eye coordination. I have a similar tablet, I think mine is the medium version, and I always look at the screen of my laptop when I use it.

igneriss 2022-01-01 16:24:08 UTC #3

You just have to get used to it ( : I've been using this type of tablet for many years now, and while it was hard to get used to at the beginning, now it's okay. Look at the computer screen while drawing, and soon you'll get a grip of how to move your hand. It just comes with practice!

darthmongoose 2022-01-01 17:08:03 UTC #4

I've been making comics with a screenless tablet for about 15 years now. At first it felt weird, but you know how when you pick up a new game controller you have to look at it a bunch to remember which button is which, or when you start typing you have to look at the keys? It's exactly like that. After a while, if you keep practicing, it'll start feeling totally normal.

alliascompany 2022-01-01 17:10:37 UTC #5

It takes some practice. You could try using it as a mouse instead of your regular one until you get more comfortable with it

NickRowler 2022-01-01 18:28:29 UTC #6

So on your screen, if you hover your pen just above the tablet without touching it, you should be able to see a circle (or crosshair). That is what I use to know where I am on a page. Sort of think of it like a mouse but hovering in the air. And instead of clicking, you are poking.

If this is not showing up, you can go into your settings to make sure this is happening.
If it is showing up, my recommendation is to just practice.

Legendofgenii 2022-01-01 18:52:07 UTC #7

I used to work with these too. You just get used to it eventually - it’s similar to using a computer mouse.

These might be useful too…

Lensing 2022-01-01 19:01:52 UTC #8

Some people get used to it, some don´t.
I didn´t

TheDoublekey 2022-01-01 19:38:04 UTC #9

Well, it takes a while to get used to it. I clearly remember being quite clumsy at first with my old tablet. You just grow accustomed to it after using it various times.

TedGravesArt 2022-01-01 21:25:33 UTC #10

Just look at the screen and get used to moving the cursor with your hand. It definitely feels different than drawing directly on a screen, but you'll get used to it. I drew on an Intuos for years and years before moving to a cintiq and after that long, drawing directly on the screen took some adjustment. You've got yourself a great tablet there, now you just have to train your brain on how to use it!

TedGravesArt 2022-01-01 21:27:49 UTC #11

This is a great point, I've been using a tablet for so long I didn't even think that someone might not know about hovering the pen above the screen to locate the cursor

pinxfoxx 2022-01-02 16:47:43 UTC #13

When I first tried using my sibling's drawing tablet it was so weird and I couldn't draw anything. Then I just used it for a while and got used to it. I don't even think about it anymore. It just takes getting used to and a bit of practice.

thecrystalrook 2022-01-02 17:01:23 UTC #14

hand-eye coordination at its finest. The important thing to remember is that the tablet doesn't work like a mouse. A mouse will just move the cursor in whatever direction you move it. The tablet is actually mapped to points on the screen. The dead-center of your tablet will always point the cursor at the dead-center of your screen, and the top left will always point the cursor to the top left of the screen. Keep this in mind when sweeping your pen over it. The sensitivity at which the cursor moves is entirely dependent on how fast you move the pen across the tablet.

ricardoaltuna 2022-01-03 02:54:13 UTC #15

I got used to it but I feel like I never got to the same skill level using a screenless tablet as drawing on paper

system 2022-02-02 02:54:28 UTC #16

This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.