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Which Wacom Tablet To Buy?

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Here’s my top five Wacom tablets list. Click on the menus at the top for the full reviews!

My Top 5 Wacom Graphics Tablets:

Wacom Cintiq 24HD Tablet DisplayWacom Cintiq 24HD Multi-Touch Tablet / Display (Links to Amazon)- Best of the Wacom tablets. The Cintiq 24HD multi-touch is the largest graphics tablet display and is considered the holy grail of drawing tablets. For serious and/or professional artists, designers and animators.

Wacom Cintiq 22HD Tablet / Display (Links to Amazon)- Expect the same high quality as the Cintiq 24HD, but for about $500 less and about $1000 less than the 24HD multi-touch.

Wacom Intuos5 Pen Tablet – Excellent for a professional designer/artist. Available in different sizes and a wireless option.

Wacom Bamboo Splash Tablet – Great for an artist who has never used a tablet before and seriously wants to make the leap from standard drawing to digital.

Wacom Bamboo Create Pen and Touch Tablet – Great for someone who is interested in the same things that the Bamboo Splash offers, but wants more drawing space. Also, this Bamboo tablet  is bundled with more software than the Bamboo Splash.

:: Click here to read more or buy a Wacom tablet from Amazon! ::

intuos5 wacom tablet computerBuying a Wacom Tablet:
I’m a self taught graphic designer who has used several different graphics tablets throughout the years and I’m offering my personal Wacom tablet reviews here. Having been disappointed by other brands, I was happy when I found Wacom. I had some confusion researching which Wacom tablet was right for me so I thought writing this Wacom tablet site might help other people make a decision.

For me, Wacom is the frontrunner in graphic design tablets. I believe they are a great company and more importantly, they design and produce high-quality products. I’ve used the other brands in the past and have been disappointed.

Related Articles:

How to Choose a Wacom Graphics Tablet
Graphics Tablets for Kids
Wacom Cintiq 24HD Graphics Tablet Display Review
Wacom VS a PC Tablet
Which Wacom Bamboo Tablet is Best for Image Editing?
Why Buy Wacom Intuos4?

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New Intuos5 Launched Today!

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intuos5 wacom tablet

Intuos5

Wacom launched the new Intuos5 in Europe today! It will be in the U.S. soon, but no date yet.

The most talked about feature is the multitouch gesture support and “Express View” head-up display software and soft-touch feel. You will be able to create custom gestures while the head-up display shows current tablet settings on your computer screen. The gestures are similar to an Apple iPad where you can use 3 fingers to zoom in or out, for example.

The new Intuos5 will support all standard Windows and Mac multitouch gestures. The different tablet sizes are 13×8″, 6×8″ and 4×6″.

With the new Wacom tablets avaialble, I suspect the Intuos4 tablets will go down in price. Intuos5 is currently priced at £200 to £430 in Europe. They come in three sizes, 13×8″, 6×8″ and 4×6″. The small is priced at $229.95, medium at $349.95, and the large at $469.95. A pen-only version of the small tablet will also be available, but a price has not been confirmed yet. An optional wireless accessory kit is available to convert your Intuos into a wireless tablet to make it more convenient and comfortable.

I’m not sure how much better the Intuos5 will be compared to the Intuos4 model. So far, it seems like they are trying to keep up with technology by adding standard and custom gestures. Some people may argue that this new feature is not enough to make them upgrade. I can see how designers who are new to using a Wacom tablet and are used to using gestures will enjoy this new Wacom tablet the most. I want to keep an open mind since it launched today and there aren’t enough reviews yet, but based on what I know, I do not recommend upgrading yet.

Everyone Likes To Be Liked

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And I’m no different!

The Wacom Tablet Reviews Facebook page is where I post about new deals and low prices I find for Wacom tablet accessories. For example, I found a really good rebate offer from Dell for the Bamboo Create Pen graphics tablet.

Okay, so you don’t have to “Like” the page, but it’s worth checking out. It’s also where you’ll find my updates and other info that you may not find on the regular site! 🙂

How to Choose a Wacom Tablet

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A Simple Guide to Choosing the Best Wacom Tablet

Choose based on level of artist/ designer:

Beginner/ Entry level – Never used a graphics tablet. Only knows pen and paper.

Intermediate – Has digital graphics software experience and could benefit from using more than just a mouse to create.

Advanced/ Professional Designer – Works in the design field as a designer and/or animator. Already uses a tablet, but wants/needs something a step up.

 

Choose based on type of artist/ designer:

The Casual Artist – Likes to draw or paint in their free time, but wants more than a sketchbook.

The Casual Photographer – Wants to manipulate photos.

The Hobbyist – Enjoys arts and crafts projects. For example, scrapbook making.

The Serious Photographer – Wants to enhance, manipulate or alter photographs with precision.

The Serious Graphic Artist/ Designer – This person is an artist and might be using a beginner-type tablet. Wants to translate their classic skills into digital skills.

Kid-friendly

 

Choose based on budget:

High > $500

Medium $200 – $499

Low < $200

Also, check out the Wacom Inkling and the Bamboo Stylus for the iPad if you are looking for something other than a graphics tablet.

What qualifies me to review graphics tablets?
I’m a freelance graphic designer and I’ve been using graphics tablets for years.  I have experience using Wacom and non-Wacom tablets. Back when there were barely a handful of affordable tablets available, it was easy to decide on which one to buy. Today there are numerous graphics/ digital tablets available for novice to professionals and in different budget ranges.

I created this web site as a way for people to find and easily choose which Wacom tablet to buy. >> Read more in my FAQ here! <<

Digital Art Software Part 4: 3D Art & Animation

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My Top Picks for 3D Art and Animation Software with Product Descriptions

Manga Studio Debut 4

  • Sketch original art with a mouse or tablet, scan in existing art, or import artwork or graphics to get started
  • Invigorate your artwork using color, express motion using speed lines, apply dimension with screen tones and add dialog through built-in word balloons
  • Export professional quality manga from Manga Studio Debut 4 to various Mac and Windows file formats such as JPG, BMP, PSD, TGA, PNG, TIFF and PICT
  • Dynamic help offers instant access to information about tool palettes and menu options

Poser 8
  • Affordable, powerful, yet easy to use 3D character animation solution
  • Includes 3D character tools and over 2.5GB of ready to use scene content and figures; no need to model 3D characters from scratch
  • Includes 8 brand new, ready-to-pose, fully textured human figures with over 400 morphs and body controls to fully customize each character
  • Renders photorealistic or stylized images and videos for print, web or animation projects
  • With included Wardrobe Wizard, fit your Poser clothing assets to the new Poser 8 figures


Adobe Photoshop Extended CS5

  • Tools that let you create and edit 3D and motion-based content.
  • Go beyond traditional image editing by bringing 3D elements to your 2D artwork directly within your favorite digital imaging application
  • Digital imaging applications, which now offers an easy on-ramp to 3D image creation.
  • Fast performance on 64-bit hardware systems,
  • Smoother interactions thanks to GPU acceleration, and dozens of time-savers throughout the application.
  • Solution for advanced digital imaging, delivering all the capabilities of Photoshop CS5 plus breakthrough tools that let you create and edit 3D and motion-based content.
  • Access your assets in the context of what you’re working on by using the customizable Adobe Mini Bridge panel in Photoshop.
  • Easily manage media with more flexible batch renaming, and access your assets in the context of what you’re working on by using Adobe Mini Bridge panel in Photoshop.
  • Select, adjust, paint, and recompose images with tremendous precision and freedom.


Autodesk Mudbox

  • Digital sculpting and texture painting solution ideal for 3D/2D artists, fine artists, web and multimedia professionals, traditional sculptors, students
  • Work interactively in an environment in which high-res 3D models retain their subtlety, realism, and detail
  • Provides an organic brush-based 3D modeling experience that includes 2D and 3D layers to easily manage sculpting and painting iterations on multiple meshes and maps
  • Designed by professional artists in the film, games, and design industries
  • Interoperates well with Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max, as well as with other 3D software applications, making it a natural choice for experienced artists


LightWave 3D

  • Feature-rich 3D animation, modeling, and rendering application
  • Soft-body dynamics, particles, unlimited render nodes, and more
  • New animation tools; new file formats; workflow enhancements
  • Optimized speed; improved visual feedback and rendering flexibility
  • More powerful modeling; includes Motion Mixer 2.0

<< Prev: Digital Software Part 3

Digital Art Software Part 3: Drawing & Painting

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Software Specifically for Drawing and Painting with Product Descriptions


Corel Painter 12

  • Painter’s RealBristle brushes represent a major milestone for digital painting, reproducing the movement and feeling of traditional art on canvas when paired with a graphics tablet.
  • Exciting new Kaleidoscope and Mirror painting features let you create electrifying patterns and colors on canvas, leveraging the symmetry, speed and precision of mirrored planes. This Kaleidoscope painting capability is exclusive to Painter!
  • A new interface streamlines your brush selection, libraries, color controls and image set up. High-quality rendering gives you a clear view when zooming into the finer details.


Auto Desk SketchBook Pro

  • Autodesk SketchBook Pro software offers best-in-class sketching capabilities for professional designers and artists from all industries
  • Fast and intuitive user interface; designed specifically for use with digitized pen tablets and Tablet PCs
  • Free up the sketching process with ultra-responsive digital pencils, pens, markers, and airbrushes that look and feel just like the real thing
  • Communicate more efficiently by emailing sketches and annotations instantly to colleagues and clients
  • Open and save common file formats, including TIF, BMP, JPG, PNG, and PSD files

Corel Painter Essentials 4
  • The simple-to-use home art studio that makes it easy for you to draw, paint or turn your photos into paintings
  • Great way to get started with digital art
  • Tutorial-based guidebook and accompanying video tutorials/sample files teach you the application while you complete fun, instructional projects

ArtRage Deluxe
  • All the artists’ tools you need to draw and paint on your computer
  • Paint with oil brushes, palette knives, airbrushes, paint rollers or paint tubes; Draw with pencils, erasers, chalk, felt pens or crayons
  • Import and export PSD files with layers and blend modes; crop, scale, move and resize any layer
  • Tracing paper function gets you drawing immediately with reference images
  • Supports multi-monitor systems and tablets

Click here to browse all digital art software on Amazon

Digital Art Software Part 2: Advanced Software

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My top picks for advanced photo editing software

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo

  • PaintShop Photo Pro X3 lets you manage, adjust, edit and share your digital photos all in one place
  • Organize, rate, tag and sort with photo management tools
  • Manually adjust groups of RAW photos with RAW Lab
  • Quickly fix common photo flaws with Express Lab
  • Email photos, print online or at home, and send directly to Facebook, YouTube and Flickr


Adobe Photoshop CS5

  • Breakthrough capabilities for superior image selections, image retouching, and realistic painting; and a wide range of enhancements.
  • Create and refine images using state-of-the-art photography tools that deliver superior results
  • New creative possibilities that enable you to select, adjust, paint.
  • Accelerate work flow with fast performance on 64-bit hardware systems, smoother interactions thanks to GPU acceleration.
  • Access assets in the context of what you’re working on by using the customizable Adobe Mini Bridge panel in Photoshop.
  • Easily manage media with flexible batch renaming.


Adobe Illustrator CS5

  • Used by design professionals worldwide,
  • Adobe Illustrator CS5 software provides precision and power with sophisticated drawing tools, expressive natural brushes,
  • A host of time-savers, and integration with Adobe CS Live.
  • Take advantage of exceptional precision and power to create distinctive vector artwork.
  • Combine highly controllable drawing tools with expressive natural brushes and dramatic effects to make unique, striking designs.
  • .. And character styles, paragraph composition, underlining and strikethroughs, transparent effects, and more.
  • Incorporate vector artwork into essentially any project and deliver resolution-independent graphics across media.


Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo

  • Lets you manage, adjust, edit and share your digital photos all in one place
  • Organize, rate, tag and sort with new photo management tools
  • Manually adjust groups of RAW photos during the loading process with the new RAW Lab
  • Quickly fix common photo flaws in the Express Lab
  • Email photos, print online or at home, and send directly to Facebook, YouTube and Flickr


CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

  • Offers everything you need for professional graphics illustration, layout, tracing, photo editing, Web graphics
  • Animation in one complete suite of integrated applications that is easy to learn and use.
  • Built-in learning tools and valuable video tutorials
  • Design insights from experts and a visually rich guidebook
  • Over 1,000 professional fonts
  • Supported file formats, including PDF, JPG, PNG, EPS, AI, TIFF, PSD, DOCX and many more, let you import and export files quickly and easily.

Click here to browse all digital software on Amazon


<<Prev: Digital Software for Beginners     |     Next: Advanced Digital Software>>

Wacom Inkling Offers New Way to Draw Digitally

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I am quite amazed by the new digital drawing tool from Wacom called the Inkling.

It is a pen and receiver that can attach to any piece of paper, sketchbook or whatever drawing surface you prefer and the receiver tracks your pen strokes. Inkling will save up to 50 drawings and you can create new layers easily. When you are done, you upload the drawings by USB using Wacom’s Sketch Manager software which will allow you to save the file to the format you want.

It will be available this September for $199. That’s not a bad price considering how portable it is and what it can do!

Wacom Inkling with Sketchbook

Since nothing is perfect, there are some cons:
It only uses ball-point nibs.
You are limited to only using A4 size paper which is slightly larger than U.S. letter size.
It requires line-of-sight between pen and receiver while drawing.
You can’t erase mistakes.

I don’t view these as very big cons. I would still buy one even though I have a Wacom tablet because it seems more portable. For quick sketches on the go, this is a great buy. Especially if you don’t need or want something like an iPad.

Alternative to a Wacom Drawing Tablet

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The Flow is a paintbrush for your iPad or Android tablet.

It was created by Joystickers, two engineers who say their purpose is simple, “to make awesome stuff”. I can get behind that.
They also created a Scribe and The Classics which are arcade buttons for your smart phone or tablet. I’m looking forward to their next invention!

View The Flow paintbrush in action!