Wacom question

Hey guys, I decided to splurge on a tablet. I use to be (key word is use to be) good at art when i was like 12 years old..but lost interest in it.. So it won't be used just for doing clothing in sl..but to practice art and learning how to paint digitially. My question is..what can Intuos series do that the graphire series can't...aside from the pressure sensitivity is there anything else?

it boils down to resolution the Graphire is pressure sensitive, but the intous runs a finer scale, thus giving you more accurate results

I have a aicent graphire ET and even its pretty good (altho a shade floaty)

So only the sensitivity is different? What about software intergration. I know the top model works with PSP and all the graphics software flawlessly. What of the low end serious..is that one also programed to work with photoshop and the like?

G'DAY SYN

I have a newly-acquired Wacom Intuos3. It's pretty nice. It also has tilt control--Wacom's official site has a comparison chart for you to see for yourself, but this sort of thing is really dependent on your feel and your own personal requirements. For me, I thought to myself, "Last time I really used one of these was YEARS ago--I'm passionate about being artistic in SL and I'm gonna leap for it!" And I'm really, really happy.

All Wacom tablets will work well with Photoshop, but to get the most out of it, look towards software that has increased specialization features in mind like Corel Painter with its "brushes". They are far more expressive, esp. with the Intuos's added nib types.

Ahh...thanks Torley... The painter program you mention.. is that used also to create in SL or most just for digital paintings?

I have a Graphire 4" x 5" and an Intuos 6" x 8", so I can answer that more or less.

The Intuos has tilt sensitivity. Also came with a light pen that grips and feels like a real tool, and a bunch of "hot buttons" on the side I don't frankly use.

In contrast, the Graphire comes with a smaller pen that does the job well enough. Does pressure and movement sensitivity okay, and comes with a little mouse peripheral that works right on the surface of the pad. It's also a nice investment.


Compatability-wise, there's been no difference between the two in Painter IX, sans that "tilt" feature that works with some brushes. Have had some problems with the Intuos when using the GIMP (photoshop equivalent), but the latest drivers off the site have resolved most of that.


In my personal opinion, go with Intuos if you want to use the pad for any number of years. My Graphire lasted around two, and it's now showing signs of age in the form of USB connection issues. Which is why I have the Intuos now.

In contrast, if you're looking for "on the cheap," go with a second hand Graphire to try it out.

Overall though, Wacom tablets are hardy workhorses. You're on the right track going with those over something lavish like a Tablet PC. The Intuos-Graphire thing makes little difference, but if I were buying for the long term, I'd go with the one with more features out of general principle.


PS. Corel Painter is a digital art program meant to simulate real materials like oils, airbrush, et cetera. It's really not necessary to do good digital art - for that I advise Photoshop or the GIMP. Painter is more of a supplement to that sort of tool, and something I am finding myself using less in favor of GIMP.

Still nice to have, though, if expensive.

Welkies Syn!

As long as you can get the images in the right format for uploading--likely .TGA, which Painter does export--you can certainly bring them into SL as textures. But the program itself has many other versatile purposes too... depends on your style.

I haven't seen too many original "painterly" textures in SL. They can be very organic and have a "feel" to them. Still a lot to be explored, which is why I've really got into it.

Several of the Primmies textures were done by me in Painter, y'know. And that crazy av I wear. So I say otherwise, Torley.

I didn't previously know this. Now that I do, I still must say that they're still rare gems in SL! If I saw tons of derivatives of you--well that'd be something else now, wouldn't it?

*self-replicating clones*

(not)

Thanks guys for all the replys... I had been reading where people say get a Wacom..any Wacom but I was curious as to what one did over the other with such a drastic difference in price...Curious does painter also allow you to paint in layers?

The best thing is if you have any friends or know a place where you can test 'em out for yourself. And yup, Corel Painter does have layers--it imports Photoshop .PSD files too. I'd recommend checking the official website for more details! A "light" version of Painter, called Painter Essentials, came with my Intuos3.

The most utility out of Painter is the custom brush API. If you're really looking for that, it's probably worth the investment. Just be advised it's very expensive (300-some now. I bought it when it was 500).


If you're looking for more natural brushing without the cost, I'd advise something more along the lines of Deep Paint 2D, which seems to be freeware but no longer supported by the mother company. I believe it also has its own API and worked pretty well when I last used it.

I have to vouch for the "hot buttons" on the Intuos3--they're awesome, for me anyhow. They've completely changed the way I work. They're fully customizable, and can even be configured to call up different functions in different apps.

For example, I've set up the "slider" on the right side so it controls the brush size (in PS or Painter)--a few flicks downward with my finger and I have a smaller brush, and vice versa. I've customized the other 3 buttons on the right to control opacity (20%, 50%, and 100%)--I could get more precise control over that if I used the slider on the left side, but I find I accidentally hit that one too often, so I've deactivated it. On the left I have a button for undo (unbelievably handy), and buttons for the control and shift keys. You can also customize the button on the pen to do different things, but that's another thing I deactivated because I accidentally hit it too often.

I used to use a Graphire2. It was fine at the time, but I could never go back now.

Thanks guys.. I think im going to go with Intuos...my reasons being..i'd hate to spend a 100 on the other and decide i love it then another 200 to get to the gravey

My other reason, if I hate it, im sure i can unload it on ebay without trouble

Syn, size matters! I have been using a graphire2 4 by 5 for a few years, and my only complaint would be that it is too small.

But the real reason for this post is to plug Project Dogwaffle! For the artist making the transformation from paper to pixels, it can't be beat. Combined with any tablet, dogwaffle is a great jumping-off(jumping-in?) point. You may find that you only use it for a short period before moving on to other more "powerful" programs, but at the price (free!) it's a god-send.

( I discovered this program a few years ago, and liked it so much I promised myself I would point it out to anyone who seemed likely to benefit from it.)

BTW I like your new tablet, wanna trade?

Thanks Korvus, i'll go check out that program now. Size wise i have been fighting with myself if i will feel 4x5 is to small myself..I do know i dont want a huge one..right now the 6x8 is sounding like a good size... I've been reading the tips on Wacom's site, the things you can do are pretty interesting and amazing and im getting pretty excited to give it a try

Ah yes - that! Yes, I have myself a copy of that tool too. It's remarkably fun, though a bit more limited than GIMP or Photoshop. As a starting point, however, I have to agree.

Evenin Yal, Im not sure if this will help any... But i found a "generic" pad on ebay for about $50US(including shippin). It works great and more than serves its purpose for now... It also has hotcells and a few other features I am workin on teaching my self to use(more out of habit thatn anything) .. but here is the auction I bought it on.. I compared this to the Wacoms specs and they are comparable.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3680&item=5844607043


Later
O

I feel compelled to jump in here as I just replaced my 6 year old Graphire with an Intuos 3. I have been a texture artist since 1999 and have relied heavily upon my tablet ever since I got it.

I must say that having been a Wacom user for so long now, that I am amazed that the overall difference and feel in the Intuos as compared to the Graphire line of tablets. Granted, I was using a Graphire before (not even ver. 2!). It still had 512 levels of pressure, but no tilt, etc. I believe that's how the current Graphires are as well. However, the Intuos just feels better! Not to mention, of course, having replaced my little Graphire buddy that I'd used so long, I had gotten very used to working in the confines of the small workspace available. Now, however, I had to quickly get used to the difference of using my whole arm to create, versus from my wrist to my finger tips. It's a much more interactive graphics experience, believe me! Not to mention, there are no silly "tracing sheets" to worry about mucking up with the Intuos -- rather, the surface is like writing on Teflon, and it is not marred by the pen tip. Not to mention, the really terrific built-in keys on the tablet, the comfortable pen, AND the tablet (at least the one I bought) comes with extra pen nibs, including the one that feels like graphite, and the one that makes it feel more like a brush. I must say that I am highly impressed with the Intuos 3, and couldn't be happier.

It has truly opened up a lot of opportunities that I didn't even have available in the Graphire series. I highly recommend the Intuos 3!

Thanks Toob, that helped alot to. I was all set on the 4x5 but i have since changed over to the 6x8 for size wise..I dont want overly large but not overly small either...this seems a good middle way to go.. Im really excited, I should have it before the end of next week and I can't wait to get going on it

Another question for those that have used both. Is there a big difference between using Intuos 3 over Intuos 2.. I've been following the auctions on ebay and i've seen some nice deals on Intuos 2..