This is not an ad!!

(moderator- please delete if I'm over the line)

I've read a lot here about Photoshop, PSP, Gimp, etc. Just wanted to mention this:
After having it on wish-list for a very long time, I bought the Wacom Graphire3 digitizer tablet. The price is comparable to a cheap PDA, but it's awesome - capable of more than I can do!
Here's the cool part, it comes with a couple of hundred dollars worth of bundled software, such as Adobe Elements (does a lot of stuff that Photoshop does), Corel Procreate Painter, and an app called Pen Pallet, which I haven't checked out yet.
So- I feel like I got a really good deal.
The reviews range from crappy to great - I don't know I'm qualified to discuss it, but it works fine for me.

Damm - this sounds like a stinkin' commercial! Honestly, I don't work for them folks- I do lawn maintenance.

Hooray!

I'm going to get one really soon, I think. What size did you get yours?

I got a similar deal when I bought my Wacom (a 4x6 Graphire 2). This really is a helpful little offer, especially for the person who has nothing. Mine came with Corel Painter Classic and Photoshop Limited.

These aren't, of course, fully functional versions of the programs. But for the fledgling artist, a very sweet deal indeed! XD

Hey Lo,
I got the 6 x 8 tablet. It hogs space on the desk, but I went for the biggest one I could find real estate for in this office.
Pen work is kinda odd- not like a mouse- the pad actually represents the screen, so sometimes you find yourself stretching a little to reach a far corner of the screen. Best thing about the pen is the pressure-sensitivity. It'll take me a long time to explore all the options with this little tool.
The mouse is pretty handy too - no batteries, no cord. no ball. I favor my Logitech marble trackball, so I often have the Logitech sitting on the Wacom pad, with the Wacom mouse next to the trackball. The wires get messy, but I have the devices handy, and the mouse and trackball get along fine together. The pen, however, demands the full pad, so the mouse has to go when using the pen.

Hey Ash,
Just a comment- I'm sure the software bundling varies widely, but the Adobe software that I got, and the Corel, appear to be full-blown apps, with no time limits, such as you might find with trial or shareware versions. Interestingly, the batch processing feature in Adobe Elements is way easier to use than the corresponding feature in my Photoshop 6.0.

Are you sure the Graphire is pressure sensitive? I have the pricey Intuos because I didn't think Graphire was enough for what I was doing.

I barely use the mouse at all in Photoshop anymore now that I have the tablet. And it might come to school with me next year when we start to learn digital illustration. It's an amazing tool. In terms of making textures for SL... it's revolutionized the way I shade and highlight. Seriously. I can now dodge/burn realistic shading, because the brush size and pressure is fluid with the pen.

My only complaint is that the eraser end of the pen no longer works. I'm not sure what happened to it, it just doesn't work anymore. My cats play with the pen which may be part of it.

The software is full version Photoshop Elements and comes with brushes specifically for the palette. At least mine did. Didn't matter to me, I have CS and an old full version of Corel Draw/Photopaint... but PS Elements retails at over a hundred dollars so it's a great deal.

Both the Graphire and the Intuos are have pressure sensitive tips. However the Graphire only has 512 levels of pressure sensitivity as opposed to 1024 in the Intuos range. I seem to think the resolution of the Intuos is around twice thaat of the Graphire also which is probably more imprtant. I have the 6 x 8 and the 5 x 4 Intuos, and I must admit I prefer the smaller of the two. I find it easier to use. Personal preference I suppose.

Love Wacom tablet!!!!

-Ghoti

Sorry about the cat-toy thing- I have a feeling if you send it to the company with a good story, you may get a new pen, or repair.

Here's a snippet about Graphire3's feature. Agreed, Intuos is awesome - (and pricey) I think Intuos has over a thousand levels of sensitivity (it should )

You remind me how I labored over choosing which pad to buy- it's too bad most of us don't have the luxury of getting hands-on preview. In Best Buy, Circuit City, and other stores, you can poke on keyboards, PDA's, even handle high-end cameras and such, but I've never seen a digital pad demo model in a shop. The pads are so unique, you don't know if you like it until you've tried it. Now that I've lived with the Graphire, I'm ready to take it to the "next level"

I have a Wacom Intuos2, the small one for 94 euros on the Wacom website. It is great, no stretching to reach the full screen. I don't remember if it came with any applications but I didn't care because I have PS7 and PSP9. In my research I found it had great reviews and it is really easy to use for one such as I It is not the most current of the Wacom Intuos line but I find it more than suitable for my needs in SL.

Ya,

Some years ago I bought one of them, too. I think it is a 4x6 Inch Graphire.. Was only $90 at the time, and it was at least 5 years ago. USB... and yeap they are quite fun.. especially when using a graphics editing package that supports it, with pressure.. the harder you press, the larger the paintbrush size gets; for example, using the airbrush tool, you can press softly and it sprays gently, press harder and the flow gets thicker....

Awesome stuff... I own soo much stuff, but unfortunately, for some time I've been lacking motivation .. creators block.... I suppose when I die someone can sell all my stuff and get rich doing it...

I have an Intuos wacom tablet... and I would advise anyone who is serious about drawing to get one. A must, you cant draw with a mouse once you ahve used one of these
Anna