Which Wacom Intuos do you recommend?

[dorkygirl54]

Note 1: I do not want a Cintiq, as I cannot afford one

Note 2: I have no drawing tablet experience whatsoever

Hi! I'm new to the digital drawing scene and I would love to try it out! Problem is, I don't have a drawing tablet. I'm looking at the Wacom Intuos product line, but I can't decide which one I want. I'm leaning towards an Intuos 3 or 4, seeing as they're not that expensive. I just can't decide! So I'm coming on here, hoping to get some kind of solution to my dilemma. So I ask you: Which one do you recommend?

Help would be much appreciated!

-T.S.T

P.S. Sorry If I made any mistakes or anything, this is my first time on a forum.

EDIT: I have decided I'm going to go with a Huion H610PRO, as it is cheaper than a Wacom and it seems to be good. I give my thanks to everyone who has given their opinion, I really appreciate it I'll let you all know when I get it and how I like it.
-T.S.T

EDIT 2: I've decided to come back to this topic because I'm having doubts about the Huion tablet after doing further research. I've been looking at the Wacom Intuos Comic since it has the software I need but I'm afraid it might be too small Do any of you have experience with it? Sorry to bother, I just don't want to get a bad tablet and be stuck with it.

-T.S.T

EDIT 3: Hello! Just wanted to let you all know I got a Wacom Intuos Draw as a New Year's gift and it's pretty cool! Again, thank you so much for all your help! You'll probably be hearing from me again pretty soon

-T.S.T

P.S. I'm also looking at the Wacom Intuos Art, (which was suggested to me by http://forums.tapastic.com/users/carloswebcomic who's been very helpful ) so if you have experience with this tablet, I'd very much like to hear it!

[phen]

My experience with Wacom has been on the Bamboo, the 3, the 4, and the Cintiq 13HD (I'll just comment that I've used a couple friends' and it's velvety brilliance but like you, can't afford one for myself yet AH!). Now, about 80% of my experience with tablets has been in Photoshop CS3 and CS5 on a Windows OS. I used PaintTool SAI for a short period but it didn't click with my drawing style.

The Bamboo Funs were provided to us by my school and, while good enough for photo-editing and simple drawing tasks, it was lacking in response and precision for more detailed drawing.

I had an Intuos 3 for a year and it was very nice compared to the Bamboo Fun! Much better sensitivity and definitely geared more toward painting. But again, the drawing side, especially for detailed line work, feels a little stiff.

So I upgraded to a wireless Intuos 4 (bluetooth, medium) 3 years ago and it's been very nice! Great precision work in Photoshop with fairly dependable driver support (only occasionally has the pressure been non-responsive but it clears up with a quick system reboot!). It's nothing jawdropping but for the price, it's awesome hardware! I highly recommend the 4 over the 3!

[lordlorna]

I've been using an Intuos4 medium since I was 13, so 6 years now. It's an amazing tablet, even for it's age. The only problem is that the usb ports on the intuos4 models tend to loosen and stop working easily. I had an electrician fix and put a metal plate in mine to reinforce it though, and now it works fine.

[dorkygirl54]

Awesome, thank you so much for your reply!

[dorkygirl54]

Alright, thanks so much, really appreciate it!

[Shanny8]

I have the Intuos pen & touch medium- it pretty much works for what I'm doing now. I can feel you about not getting a Cintiq right now- I think maybe later when my art can pay for itself in dividends then maybe I might invest in one.

[Michelle]

I also use an Intuos 4 medium and I can attest that it's a very nice tablet! I've used the 5 as well, and honestly there's no noticeable difference besides touch functions (but I don't think anyone wants touch functions on a drawing tablet :u I always disabled touch)

If you were to look into a tablet that functions like a Cintiq, but without spending as much money, the Surface Pro is a pretty nice tablet. I have the Surface Pro 3 and I like taking it with me to do digital art on the go. :> And it's nice because I can keep my portfolio stuff and comic samples on it. The pen to screen calibration isn't perfect, but I use Lazy Nezumi and it helps stabilize it a lot.

[tayo_rafferty]

Note 2: I have no drawing tablet experience whatsoever

No experience? Buy a cheap Wacom Bamboo and practice.

[Herofeeder]

medium pen and touch

[rainedragon27]

Hello! The bamboo tablet is a good one for starters, practice a lot

[carloswebcomic]

Intuous Art.
This is a medium size tablet, which frankly the size you want. If you already have a drawing package like Manga Studio/Clip Studio Paint, then this is the package you want as you won't be paying extra for an art package.

The Wacom Bamboo tablets have been replaced by the Intuous line.

Just be aware that the 'touch' function of these tablets are more of a hindrance than a feature, so if you can't get it to work properly, don't be surprised as it's pretty shit. I recommend turning it off.
Also, if you've never done digital drawing, make sure you use an art program that has a line stabilisation option.

[dorkygirl54]

Thanks so much, really appreciate it!

Unfortunately, I do not have a drawing package such as that I was going to use FireAlpaca, would that be alright?

[jennula]

I'd say an Intuos Medium'd be perfect. I started off with that size when I got my first wacom (100 years ago) and I thought it was a perfect size =)

I have an Intuos Small at work, and I mainly use it instead of a mouse, so the small size is convenient, but it's a bit awkward to draw with (works well with vectors though).

And I haven't heard much good about the touch feature, so save money and buy a wacom without touch function

[dorkygirl54]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!

What type of Intuos is it? (there's like, twelve different types XD)

[dorkygirl54]

I'd just like to say thanks to all of you who have decided to take the time and give your opinion on this, I'm super grateful!

I haven't decided what I'm going to get yet. When I do though, I'll post about it!

-T.S.T

P.S. This doesn't mean I'm not still open to suggestions! I'll take all the help I can get ^--^

[carloswebcomic]

I would strongly recommend Clip Studio Paint which is on special at the moment for USD $25.
HOWEVER, the vast majority of people that start webcomics give up after a few months. It's hard, often unrewarding work.
Before you hand out any money, you have to be pretty sure what you want to do.
Digital drawing does take some practice to figure it out. Some people take weeks or even months before they get the hang of it.

FYI- There are cheaper alternatives, like instead of a Wacom, you can get a HUION H610 tablet which while not as nice as a Wacom, it does the job at a third of the price.

[dorkygirl54]

Have you used a Huion?

[jennula]

Of what I've understood, you have the Intuos Pro that is more expensive, but has a more genuine feeling - the pen feels a bit heavier, it has more pressure levels etc.

Then you have the plain Intuos, which comes in different bundles (art, draw, photo etc). The difference here is what software it's bundled with. If you already have the art program(s) you need, buy the cheapest bundle (I think draw is the cheapest?), otherwise art or comic seems like nice bundles =) Wacom has a better overview over the bundles here.

And of course, yu have different sizes, I'd definitely go for a medium size, regardless if you chose a Intuos or Intuos Pro =)

[carloswebcomic]

There's nothing particularly wrong with Huion tablets. It may not feel as nice as a Wacom. The pen has a plastic feel to them in the way that they draw on the tablet. Wacom feels more like pen or pencil on paper.
This won't stop you making good art with it though. Think of Huion as driving a Toyota and Wacom as a Lexus. Both of them will get you where you need to go, but the Lexus will feel like a nicer ride.

Don't be fooled by Wacom's touch feature. It's useless and you'll probably turn it off after a couple of hours.
Another difference is that Huion pens need a battery. Wacom doesn't.

Software -wise, the Huion is pretty basic. The drivers will get your pen up and running, give you some control over the pen pressure, button assignments, screen area and monitor focus (if you have multi monitor set up).
Wacom drivers do pretty much the same thing but in a much nicer interface. It also allows you to configure your tablet according to what application you're using.

[dorkygirl54]

Well I've been looking at the Huion H610PRO and it seems to be an improved version of the regular Huion H610, so I'm considering that one.