Graphics Tablet for drawing anime & realistic portraits

[Nunusaur]

I've been looking into several reviews but I still need further help. I'm looking for a graphics tablet (within reasonable price), but I'm not sure which one would best suit my needs. I draw realistic portraits, but I'd also like to draw anime/manga. I wanted to get Intuos 5 at first, but I changed my mind, seeing as there are other things I need to buy (such as a scanner, printer, mouse and keyboard), and also because quite a few people have suggested me not to invest into an Intuos 5 because it would be wiser to get a cheaper one that can also do the job, and spend the rest of the money on other things. I have no experience with tablets, nor with Photoshop just yet, but I don't want a beginner's tablet because I'd eventually learn. What tablet would you suggest? Thanking you in advance!

[ngsilver]

Honestly, I think it's really up to your preference and how much your willing to spend and your ability to draw without looking where your hands are. Ruu has an Wacom that I just can't wrap my head around, she has 2 monitors and it spreads it's work area across both, which really makes it difficult for me to envision what I'm doing space wise between the monitor and the control surface. Don't know if other tablets have this issue or not.

For me, if I were to get one it'd be the one that also doubles as a monitor (cintiq I think) that way I can actually look at the screen I'm controlling and see what I'm doing directly. I have a hard time drawing without looking at my hands. It's part of my lysdexia, I have to concentrate on my hands otherwise they go crazy and don't do what I want (like draw straight lines.)

[Nunusaur]

Honestly, I think it's really up to your preference and how much your willing to spend and your ability to draw without looking where your hands are. Ruu has an Wacom that I just can't wrap my head around, she has 2 monitors and it spreads it's work area across both, which really makes it difficult for me to envision what I'm doing space wise between the monitor and the control surface. Don't know if other tablets have this issue or not.

For me, if I were to get one it'd be the one that also doubles as a monitor (cintiq I think) that way I can actually look at the screen I'm controlling and see what I'm doing directly. I have a hard time drawing without looking at my hands. It's part of my lysdexia, I have to concentrate on my hands otherwise they go crazy and don't do what I want (like draw straight lines.)

I wanted a cintiq, but aren't those quite expensive? =/ The ones I saw costed above 2000 euros. I think I should be able to do fine without having to look at my hands, though it'll take sometime to get used to it. I wouldn't use two monitors to draw, because as you said, it would make it very difficult due to the gap between the monitors. I'm considering Bamboo Create, but I'm not really sure if it's any good for drawing realistic portraits.

[Kionon]

In Japan most artists I know use Bamboo tablets.

[Nunusaur]

In Japan most artists I know use Bamboo tablets.

I'm considering a Wacom Bamboo tablet as well, I'm just unsure which one would correspond to my needs. I'm considering Wacom Bamboo Create, but again - as I have absolutely no knowledge on tablets, I have no clue how great the pressure sensitivity and etc would be for realistic portraits/anime.

[Dr. Derpface, J.D.]

Something like this might be your best bet:

http://www.monoprice.com/Product/Index?p_id=6815

About the lowest cost you'll find for something with that big of an active area, and several people I know have nothing but good things to say about it. That should get your foot in the door with enough features to keep you from outgrowing it for a while, then down the line as you refine your skills, you can invest in a higher end tablet. And if you decide the tablet route isn't for you, you're out far less than the other options.

[ZephyrStar]

My advice would be to stick with Wacom no matter what you get. They're good at what they do, and their products last a long time. I have an Intuos 4, and it's phenomenal. Their cheaper tablets are also quite nice. If you're going to be doing this to make money, invest in the Intuos. If you're just doing it as a hobbyist, or starting out, (especially if you have other things to buy), grab their consumer level tablet. I've owned my Intuos for about three years, and I use it almost daily. It has been a boss.

[Otohiko]

Yup, what others have said.

I have a Bamboo, and while I'd wholeheartedly recommend it if you're just trying to learn how to use a tablet and do some basic line drawing/colouring, I wouldn't recommend it if you're planning to get "serious" and use it regularly. You'll quickly find that you need something both bigger and more pressure-sensitive, especially if you're planning to do any sort of digital painting. I was on the cusp of a "serious" project, and even with my limited experience was already running up against my Bamboo's limitations. Good learning tablet and casual-use tablet, not so much for more thorough work. So, long story short, if you're gonna be serious, get an Intuos.

[Nunusaur]

Yup, what others have said.

I have a Bamboo, and while I'd wholeheartedly recommend it if you're just trying to learn how to use a tablet and do some basic line drawing/colouring, I wouldn't recommend it if you're planning to get "serious" and use it regularly. You'll quickly find that you need something both bigger and more pressure-sensitive, especially if you're planning to do any sort of digital painting. I was on the cusp of a "serious" project, and even with my limited experience was already running up against my Bamboo's limitations. Good learning tablet and casual-use tablet, not so much for more thorough work. So, long story short, if you're gonna be serious, get an Intuos.

Once again, thank you very much for a detailed opinion. You've helped me once before by recommending the perfect mouse for me, and you've once again helped me make up my mind. xD I'll be going with a Wacom, I'm just uncertain if I'll be spending that much money on an Intuos (since I have other important things on my list as well). I'll have to look into its functions, and in what way Bamboo is more limited in comparison to Intuos. Would you mind if I could PM you, if I happened to have any further questions concerning graphics tablet? Thank you guys for all the suggestions so far!

[SQ]

I'm not a huge artist, I do it as a hobby and I've used a couple different tablets over my time. By and far, Wacom is definitely the best, excelling in pretty much every category there is. But with that, comes a hefty pricetag. I've drawn on an intuous3 and if I could afford that tablet, I would've bought it.

What it comes down to though is your personal preferences and the style of your art. Do you plan to do digital art professionally to make money? Is it a hobby? How often do you plan to use this tablet?

How do you work? Can you draw in a small, confined space, or do you need a lot of room? These two questions specifically will be difficult to figure out if you've never used a tablet or drawn on the computer before.

When you draw, do you draw mostly straight lines, or is a lot of your detail done through varying the pressure of majority curved lines? This is an important question, because "tilt pressure" is something that is not available on lower-end tablets.

For me, I cannot work in a small space, hand down. I have tried. In order to buy a wacom I'd have to get something very tiny, such as a Bamboo. And I just can't get anything done on it. I ended up buying a tablet that 6x9, "Genius". It is definitely a low budget tab;et, but it does what I need it to do at the skill level I am at within the price range I needed it to be in.

The best advice I can give you is to see if you have some friends who own tablets, who you can borrow from and draw on them for a bit. This is what I did. You also need to think about how much money is going to influence your decision. I should've got something with tilt pressure, but since I don't use my tablet that often, I couldn't justify the price.

Good luck with your purchase.