Reddit mentions: The best computer input devices

Others have given advice, but I might as well chime in.

The Bamboo is a great little starter pad to play with. I wouldn't reccommend it as a real graphic design tool, but it really is a functional little pad that can get the job done and has some fun extra functionality with gestures and what not. The Bamboo is NOT specifically a graphics tablet though. It can function as one, but it is also touch sensitive and most graphics tablets are not reactive to anything but a pen or a conductive mouse created for the tablet surface. But it does have the same technology as an Intuos tablet, which is amazing tech, so it's very capable.

You can get a Wacom Graphire for around the same price as a bamboo, (I owned one of these for a couple year) and it is made for this kind of thing. It is a decent little tablet, and would be alright for a hobbyist or a beginner, but i'd skip it. But it isn't as advanced as the next type of tablet...

which is an Intuos3 and Intuos4. Here is where I would start. I would actually skip the intuos3 simply because the intuos4 is basically an industry standard now. It's tech is updated often and it is simply a fantastic tablet. The intuos 4 is what most people end up with. There are small, medium, and large versions. The size you get is a personal preferance. It also comes down to desk real estate. Not a lot of desks have a huge chuck of space for a large intuos. The medium is a great compromise of space vs. functionality. And actually, a lot of people prefer the slightly smaller ones to reduce having to move your arm/hand around as much reducing fatigue. Also the price is obviously better for a medium sized one than a large one. There is also the wireless version, which is awesome since you can simply stow it away somewhere quick and easy. I would recommend a carrying case for it though to keep it safe. Even just a small laptop bag would be fine. But it's an investment you will want to keep safe.

Finally you have the amazing Cintiq line. The Cintiq 12WX and Cintiq 21UX and I just learned about the silly Cintiq 24HD.

I have a Cintiq 21UX and it has changed the way I work. It has sped up my workflow and made things so much easier and faster and accurate and simply amazing. (Note I didn't quite pay what they are asking for on Amazon but that's the same model). the cintiq's are expensive as hell, but it's an amazing investment if you are really going to take advantage of it.

Note however, that you can do everything on an intuos4 that you can do on a cintiq. The thing with the lesser tablets under the cintiq is you will have a real learning curve dealing with drawing on your desk/lap while looking at the screen. It's weird and takes time to get used to it. But there is AMAZING art done on them. As I said, they are industry standard and amazing pieces of tech.

So I recommend the Intuos4 Medium or the Intuos4 Wireless in the end.

Hope this helps a little. There are alternatives to Wacom, and some can get the job done, but I won't recommend them as in the end, you want a Wacom.

Learning how to draw and animation at the same time might sound really tough, but as long as you start simple with animation it wont be too bad of an experience at all, you just need patience. Though learning how to animate came to me MUCH quicker than how to draw and got to the point where my inaccuracy in art was hindering my animation, so just practice drawing a bit, don't expect to make Disney quality art and animation because not only do they have many years under their belt, they also have a whole team.

Actually starting is the hardest part. One thing you need is an animation software. I personally like Adobe Animate, it is pretty easy to use and you can get really good results out of it if you use it right. It does cost quite a bit of money, though. There is a free program that came out not long ago called OpenToonz, it is arguably better than Animate though a little more confusing. There are other animation programs like Toon Boom but I've only really used the first two.

If you want, you can do animation with a mouse, almost all of Salad Fingers, a weird internet series, was. Though, I would save up for a drawing tablet, some thing like this. It will run you from 70 - 100 USD for a really good one but there are definitely cheaper once you can get for around $30. Just look around and find things in your price range and find one you like. I must note, drawing with a tablet is significantly different than with paper, it will take a bit of getting used to.

At this point pretty much the only thing to say is to learn the in and outs of the program you choose, if one seems too complex try another. Sadly, I can't find most of the videos I watched to get started, which kind of sucks. But this guy makes nice tutorials mainly for flash, though some can be applied to any program. There are two playlists I would REALLY recommend. Alan Becker's 12 Principles of Animation playlist and this one by Harry Partridge(specifically the first two episodes, which cover the basics.)

P.S. when they say "Flash", it is just an older version of Adobe Animate

I know that was a lot but again, starting animation is honestly the hardest part in my opinion, hopefully I didn't scare you off with my wall of text! I'm sure more people can give you a much better help over at /r/animation.

TL;DR

Programs you can use could be Flash, Open Toonz, Toon Boom or something else you find. Get a cheap drawing tablet to test the waters, if you like it try out some by Wacom, they make great tablets. Watch videos on YouTube, read up forums and ask questions!

I do hope this got you pointed in the right direction, I hope it didn't make things more confusing!

> It had been sitting on my wishlist for a long time, and from what I'd seen of it, it reminded me a lot of oldskool tycoon/management games.

Thanks for the patronage.

> Simple things can already improve this a lot (scrollwheel for zoom, WASD to move around, middle mouse button/scroll wheel click for 3D / map free move, etc), lighter colors and some more modern fonts perhaps in the window styles, little things that make a huge difference!

Unfortunately, my input library doesn't work well with middle click and drag. My mouse also doesn't have a middle button, so I have no way to test this sort of feature without emulation. Free camera movement is unlikely due to the constraints of the 3d rooms you're in. You start clipping almost immediately once you're outside the core camera positions. Not to mention the artwork would look even worse, the closer you move to the objects.

WASD already works on the world map. Arrow keys work on world map and the RnD. WASD is unlikely to come to RnD due to all the text boxes in the GUI.

> Audio is bugged for me, at random points into the game (usually within the first 5-10 minutes) all audio stops working, both music and sound effects

Try launching the game outside of Steam via the command line. Steam might be overriding the shipped sound libs. If you need instructions, just let me know. Also note, the audio will stop playing if your mouse leaves the window. If you're using Alt-tab, you might not be hooking back in properly.

> Resolution settings are far from what is optimal for my monitor. I play it windowed at 1280x800 (1920x1200 monitor) which seems to be the best option for now. The Video Settings Editor refuses to start

Video Settings Editor is messed up on the Default Linux Build. It's fixed in Testing Build. If you're handy with a text editor, you can change the resolutions manually. http://wiki.gearcity.info/doku.php?id=troubleshooting:steam_installfolder (Click the picture for a gif). Then go to the GearCity/Settings/ folder. There you'll find LinuxVideoSettings.xml. Open it up in a text file. Find the VideoRes element, and change the numbers to your resolution, e.g. 1024 x 768 @ 32-bit colour to 1600 x 1200 @ 32-bit colour. The Video Settings Editor lets you do all this with a GUI. Anyway, you'll get that fix either with v1.25 in a couple months if you remain on Default build.

> Some things are confusing, but might just take more time to figure out. Turns out I can design a Shooting Brake in 1900, with the looks of a T-Ford for example

Due to limiting funding some vehicle classes share base body style artwork. If we ever get additional funding for an expansion, I plan on ditching the selection of vehicle classes and make the class of your vehicle based on the design characteristics of the body. But this is unlikely.

That being said, I checked both base models for shooting brake, and they seem fine. They're big vehicles, mainly used for hunting. Sort of like a tall station wagon, where you store your hunting gear in the back. As time progresses, they turn into essentially station wagons without the seats.


> Yet, despite all these issues I can not put it away.

I hope you get many hours and years of enjoyment out of it.

> I can't wait to see how it grows and improves.

Sadly, we're near the end of development. The gaming industry has drastically changed the last couple years and I am having to wrap up the project. Mostly I'm focused on cleaning up bugs and adding the missing text content. I wouldn't expect many major or moderate features to be added beyond what's currently in Testing build. Post release, I will attempt to raise funding via third parties and/or the community. That funding would go toward at the minimum new vehicle types, at best, a complete redesign of the designer system and a host of other big gameplay changes/features. But I wouldn't bet on a fully funded expansion. So don't get your hopes up.


> I wish I could promise dedicating time to helping out with testing/etc but I'm not sure if I have the capacity for that. Maybe later!

The best way to get the latest build of the game and to help out a little is to run the testing build: http://ventdev.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=2594
If you run into any issues, you just email me the log file and the save game and write a sentence or two telling me what to look for. Sometimes, I just need the sentences. But even if you don't help out with testing. I am happy enough that you get enjoyment out of the game!

Keep it in the green and Good luck!

>don't understand all of what's important regarding stats

• Figure out what form factor you want, either a slab tablet or a monitor tablet. Slab tablets are MUCH cheaper, but you need to have an external monitor and computer to use them, whereas a monitor tablet you only need a computer and can draw directly on the screen.
  
  
• Figure out what size you want.
  
  This one is kind of tricky as there's no right or wrong answer to this one, it's entirely subjective. I personally use a tablet that's 10"x6" which feels comfortable to me, but I know people who use massive ones twice the size as mine, and some who use ones smaller than mine, it's all about what's comfortable to the artist using them.
  
  
• Pressure levels.
  
  Every tablet will list their "Pressure levels", this is just the level of sensitivity that the pen is capable of achieving. In general the higher the number the better.
  
  For reference the tablet I use everyday for work is quite old at this point and has either 2048 or 4000-ish (It's been a while since I bought it, I honestly can't remember =P.) levels of pressure, whereas most modern tablets will have 8000+.
  
  
• LPI (Lines per inch.)
  
  This is basically the tablets "Resolution". Same deal as pressure levels, the higher the better.
  
  
• Screen type (Monitor tablet specific. Doesn't apply to slab tablets.)
  
  When it comes to monitors and thus monitor tablets as well, IPS monitors are generally better for art related things as they offer a better colour range, but because of this they're also more expensive than something like TFT monitors. There's tablet monitors out there that use all types of monitors in them, and while I would personally suggest one that uses an IPS monitor in it if possible, it's usually not a noticeable issue unless you have something like a TFT and IPS monitor side by side.
  
  One thing they do vary on quite a bit is their viewing angles. IPS has much better viewing angles whereas other types of monitors tend to "Colour shift" when viewing them from anything other than straight on.
  
  Note: "Colour shifting" is when as you look at the screen at more and more of an angle the colour starts to drain away and in some cases when viewed at extreme angles will actually look like a negative image.
  
  Some other things to keep in mind:
  
  
• Is it modular? aka can the cord be removed from the tablet it self meaning if the cord breaks in the future (And trust me, it will.) can you replace the cord easily without needing to replace the whole unit.
  
  
• Is the tablets surface textured or smooth? Some tablets are perfectly smooth while others have a paperlike texture, which one is better is another case of personal preference (Personally I prefer my tablets like I prefer my peanut butter, nice and smooth.), but if the tablets surface is textured then it will wear down the stylus nibs quicker than a smooth one would. Nibs are replaceable and tablets will always come with some number of replacement nibs and a nib removal tool, so it's not a huge deal.
  
  
• Does it work with your OS? It's pretty rare for a tablet to not be compatible with modern versions of Windows and OSx, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't seen some that will only support the latest version of each OS, or will only work on one and not the other, so just make sure to double check that the unit you're buying does say that it works with whatever OS you use.
  
  If you're looking for a solid and inexpensive tablet, I would personally reccomend the Huion h610 pro, I've been using ths non-pro version (Which has since been discountinued apparently.) for the past 4 years now everyday for work and have no major complaints about it other than the drivers were a little finicky when I first set it up.
  
  If you're wondering what the differences between my non-pro version and the pro version are, the pro version has slightly better specs and a textured surface. My dislike for textured tablets was why I went with the non-pro version at the time.
  
  If you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll help as best I can.

Adobe has several subscription based packages for their software. I agree with the above comment, Photoshop would be a great place to start. Adobe has a "Creative Cloud Photography" subscription, which gives you Photoshop along with a few programs for photographers. The extra programs may not be helpful but I believe this is the cheapest plan that includes Photoshop, and could be a good place to start. Ultimately, learning a program like Adobe Illustrator to use along with Photoshop would be very helpful, but that will be a more expensive subscription. Best to learn the programs one at a time anyway, at least in my opinion.

Link for creative cloud students plans:
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/buy/students.html



As for the computer, a Microsoft surface would be a great option, but there are also cheaper alternatives for starting out, like a USB pen tablet. These can be found on Amazon and even the cheaper ones work well.

My friend has this pen tablet and she loves it. Ultimately a tablet computer would be a better option, as it allows you to draw directly on the screen, but if you're just looking to help get him into working in the graphic design world, this would be a much cheaper entry-level option

Huion Inspiroy H640P Graphics... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075T6MTJX?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

IMO, don't even consider anything other than a Wacom. For your price point, get a Bamboo and if you feel you need something bigger/better, sell it and upgrade to an Intuos. I have had an Intuos 3 for several years and love it. The new version is very slick but I don't really have a need to upgrade.

In regards to your specific points:

1. Photo editing is wonderful with a tablet. Both Photoshop and Lightroom are great with a tablet. Much faster and more natural than using a mouse.
   
2. If you want to pick up a fantastic painting / drawing program, check out Painter Essentials, which is a lite version of the full Painter. It really brings the tablet to life (very different than Photoshop's painting).
   
3. You can get a refurb Bamboo for under $50, but they aren't much more brand new.
   
4. There isn't much of a learning curve, though learning to use the hotkeys (Intuos only) will make you more productive. Windows 7 has some very good built-in tablet support.
   
5. This is where Wacom tablets shine - they tend to be more responsive than other tablets. They are the gold standard for good reason. You can also place a sheet of paper over the tablet to give it more texture; it will not affect the tracking/sensitivity.
   
6. I have a medium Intuos; it is a great size. I haven't found myself wishing it were bigger, but maybe I've just used it so much that I'm used to working with that size. I'm sure that I would love a larger tablet, but I think (especially for photo editing) you can get away with a smaller one. Depending on your style, a larger tablet is more important for sketching / painting.
   
   Edit: One final consideration - Intuos comes with a mouse - If you are considering using the tablet as a complete mouse replacement (I use mine in addition to my mouse), I would stay away from the 'small' tablets.
   

Hello!

I've recently purchased myself a tablet with a screen on it (a Wacom Cintiq) and I've been very happy with it! Wacom tablets will always be the top of the quality chain as far as graphics tablets go, but unfortunately they are very expensive. Wacom is of impeccable quality, though, and is definitely worth the money!

Luckily, though, there are alternatives for screen-tablets, but I haven't tried them myself so I cannot testify their quality (buy at your own risk). It's definitely going to depend on your budget, as well, since screen-tablets can go for anywhere between $500 - $3000. I'll post some links to Amazon products below.

This is the standard size Wacom Cintiq: Click here. Its screen is 13 inches, and offers great quality on Wacom's cheaper spectrum. At $800, it's still a little pricey, though.

This is a good alternative, the Ugee 19-inch screen tablet: Click here. The reviews on this one are quite good, and at $430 it's definitely much cheaper than the Wacom.

There are a few variations on Amazon so you can check out a few more of them. Please do make sure you look up plenty of reviews before deciding, though! You don't want to skimp much on screen-tablets, because you really do get what you pay for. Good luck!

Greetings fellow bendy person! (I have EDS).

My hands are pretty messed and I can't do much with them so I try to have a billion input devices to switch it up. Vertical mice did not help me at all! Seemed like the wrong size for my hand or something though.

Most recently got the Logitech G600 (https://www.amazon.ca/Logitech-Gaming-Mouse-Black-910-002864/dp/B0086UK7IQ) but haven't got a chance to use it yet because winter makes me not able to use anything. Heh. But it's wider with support for the pinky finger which I think will help me a lot as I often get MCP dislocations on both ends on that pinky from mice. Also LOTS OF BUTTONS!!

I also have a Kensington trackball mouse (https://www.amazon.ca/Kensington-64325-K64325US-Expert-Mouse/dp/B00009KH63/). I read you said trackballs mess up your thumb but I don't use my thumb for it, just my whole hand or my index and middle finger together or whatever feels best at the moment. I use my thumb for the left bottom button only. It comes with a wrist rest but I try to just hover above it to not mess with my wrist. Moving it in the middle of my desk right in front of me helps wrist and arm posture otherwise I end up wanting to rip off my arm from the pain.

I used to have a RollerMouse (http://www.contourdesign.ca/product-category/mice/) which I loved for a lot of stuff but it ended up breaking... I think I ate over it too much and the crumbs messed it up and then I tried to take it apart to fix it and for the first time ever fully broke something. Oops. Heh. But seriously, having the option to easily mouse with the left hand or just differently on the right hand was really nice. I might have to get another one at some point. They have lots of models now so maybe I can find one that handles crumbs better. :P

I actually like controllers for some gaming. But if I have to do fine movements it doesn't have the same control as a mouse and ends up tweaking out my nerve pain or something. It just helps having my wrist turned rather than flat on a mouse (again the vert mouse didn't work for me though!). But it does hurt my thumb more.

Uhm... I'm probably forgetting something so will comment again if I can think of anything else. Mostly I've been waiting for laser eye tracking stuff to get better. Can't use the kind where you turn your head or anything because my neck is so messed.

Good luck and please let me know if you find anything good! Having to give up my hobbies and work and everything because of EDS has been rather annoying so anything to get me back on the computer as much as possible is a life saver.

(In too much pain to be super coherent. Hopefully this is readable!)

Bit late on the reply here,

but I found out how to optimize my onenote set up after months of tinkering around

To answer the original question, there isn't actually a need for me to run Microsoft Surface Tablets (I looked up their cost, goes around $600 to $1000 as well) for Pro3

There's actually a 4th and a 5th option to all of this (I mentioned the other 3 in the post)

Option 4:

One desktop, 2 monitors, and a more effective mouse, with macro and fine tuning controls. You would be suprised what you can accomplish with a great gaming mouse (I just bought a logitech g502 for like $60). You can bind a specialized key that can change your DPI settings temporarily to get incredibly high tuned pen strokes on your mouse. There's also the option to change weights giving an even more closer pensmanship with a mouse. Plus I can modify massive numbers of macros (with this mouse, if I use all 3 profiles, I think I can map about 20 key combinations and G-shift [its like holding ALT to get more commands], although I wouldn't need that many)
I normally use the macros for ALT+1, ALT+2, ALT+3, ALT+4 for my quickaccess toolbar commands

Mouse i use:

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Proteus-Tunable-Customizable-910-004074/dp/B00IRHE892/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1419051767&sr=1-1&keywords=g502

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Option 5:
One Desktop, 2 Monitors. Run a mouse, and a wacom tablet (essentially a 2nd mouse) see

http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos4-Medium-Pen-Tablet/dp/B001TUYTZW

for reference
While I haven't done this yet, in theory it works. The wacom tablet is more or less a mouse in the form of a pen with comfortable tablet that just acts as a mouse pad. The wacom tablet enables you to have high precision pen strokes in a specific area if you want handwritten notes. The normal mouse you use just helps you navigate around onenote.

^I currently use option 4. Option 4 and 5 are all better than option 1,2,3 since it just runs on one desktop so there's no syncing errors. Option 4 satisfies all my needs. Plus surface pro runs a full copy of onenote and I only get 2 liscenses on my subscription (I have a home computer and work computer, so having a tablet - aka a 3rd liscense, would not work).

Given both like art, would a low-end drawing tablet be in the cards?

For Rylee, maybe an art kit composed of the following: Tachikawa nibs and holders and ink, or a finetipped pen set Deleter manga paper, and a grown up sketchbook a la trendy Moleskine or Pentalic or classic art student hardcovers like so. As she develops as an artist she'll learn more whether she likes different sizes, thicker or thinner paper, or toned paper. Maybe throw in a few making of books from her favorite series (like IDK this one for Avatar the Last Airbender or this one for Spirited Away.) Getting a good making of book for a movie or animated film can be life changing. For me, even though I read it years after Brother Bear came out, this was an enlightening read about the movie making process and has some seriously gorgeous art. I haven't read the one for Moana yet so I have no idea whether it leans more toward text (like the making of Hunchback of Notre Dame did...so very little art in that book) or pictures, but it's more recent than Brother Bear. And yes, most of us artists have these books on our shelves, albeit with different movies/series depending on taste. Some of the Marvel movies have excellent making of books too. ;)

I'd recommend some drawing books, but the ones I know all have nudity in them and I don't know how you'd feel about that. I'd caution against 'how to draw manga' books as a general rule, but I owned a few and some art very, very good at teaching how to direct the eye for storytelling.

For your younger, I'd suggest many of the same things, except maybe not the nibs and ink because sharp and messy. If you get either of them colored art supplies, I'd either make sure they get the exact same set of markers or colored pencils, or get one markers, the other colored pencils. It can be rough sharing an interest with a sibling. And maybe some Sideways Math from Wayside School (I'd also suggest all three Wayside School books, they're brain bendy in a good way). Another brain tickling book (for me it was, anyway) was the Phantom Tollbooth. Maybe a how to draw horses book. A making of book or two about movies she liked - Frozen, maybe? IDK. Maybe a Goldiblox set to get her engineer brain in gear. Oh! I forgot about Spirit, the animated horse movie no one remembers.

I suggest starting with what you have already. Download Krita, it's free. Give it a try. Lower the pixel density, set the canvas size to something your computer can handle. (smaller requires less resources)


If you cannot run Krita at all. Try paint.NET, GIMP, or any other light weight, free art program. Get a feel for digital art first, because you will need to spend money if you really want to get in to it.


I don't know what you mean by drawing tablet with a screen. Usually when someone says "drawing tablet" in the digital art world, they are referring to something like this. But these drawing tablets are never cheap, and a good one with a screen is going to cost a pretty penny.


I think you're trying to ask about something like an iPad??? I don't know what specs are like on iPads. With digital art programs, you generally need to have a powerful processor. I do all my work (even working with blender), with an integrated graphics card(crappy GPU), but I have a powerful processor. What kind of technology you need completely depends on what you want to do exactly. If you're only interested in making images to display online, then you probably don't need anything too fancy, an iPad might be okay to start with, but as an artist grows, so do their needs. If you're interested in printing, you'll need something that can handle 300dpi at whatever sizes you'd like to work with.


If you decide YES, you really are into digital art! Then think about building your own computer. If this is something you're comfortable with, it would be the best route to take in my opinion.

Hi Dan, recently graduated graphic designer here. A good gift to give is a graphics tablet. It increases productivity a lot and it is kinda like drawing, though there is a bit of a learning curve but you get used to it after a few days with it.

I recommend this brand Wacom Intuos Art Pen and Touch digital graphics, drawing & painting tablet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010LHRFYU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FdmvybKD0ZDC0 they are the apple of design tablets.

Other alternatives are graphic design books. I book that helped me a lot thought school because of my professor is Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: The Classic Guide to Creating Great Ads https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119164001/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_iimvybHF3B2Q7 it helps you understand the creative process of design and conceptual design. It can be applied to different aspects of graphic design doesn't really have to be in advertising.

Hopefully this helps. Get you started, also now is a good time to do freelance or internships or both. I started freelancing during my junior and senior year and internships. The more experience she can get the better and fill up and make a portfolio both printed and online. The sooner the better.

Hey man, everybody started somewhere. I'm also nowhere near the level of what I see here, but I'm way better than I was 4 years ago. Hell, I'm better than I was a week ago.

Considering your being a college student, the Wacom tablets are likely to be out of your price range so if you have parents who like to get you a big present for Christmas it might be worth mentioning to them. This is the one I bought 3 years ago for myself and it has been great, but I'm sure there are also more affordable options out there.

As for software, Corel Paintshop Pro might work for you and they offer a free trial, so check that out. I'd much rather pay a lump sum of $50 than $9 every month for a year, but I can afford it and Photoshop is quite good, so I don't mind for now. There are also free softwares out there you can find and utilize, but they won't have the same amount of features and most don't have pen sensitivity software and whatnot, which I personally like.

Anyway, good luck on your journey!

I used Photoshop CS3 Extended several years ago on an okay $500 laptop from either walmart or sams. It was some type of Acer Aspire from around 2011. As I continued messing around with Photoshop, I ended up buying a Wacom graphics tablet (one of these). Elements is okay for use (I still use it because I was borrowing a copy of CS3 back on my laptop and can no longer get that copy back).

Not sure about the newest ones that wacom puts out, but that one I linked (probably not made anymore) comes with a version of Photoshop that can run on almost anything.

If you want to get a desktop just for photoshop, the used PC parts route is a pretty good way to go. I built a decent PC back in the beginning of 2013. Back then, it cost me around $700, though you have to realize that it was for gaming and that I had wanted it for several years, so I was fine with spending a bit more than what I originally planned (the old budget would have given me a terrible PC (for gaming)). Right now, you could probably buy the same parts for half the price. While many people don't really recommend older parts like I used (my processor was getting "old" (outdated) back then), I still use all but the cooling fan and graphics card. Also, to make the price seem a bit more reasonable, I had to buy a monitor, keyboard, and mouse in that price, too, which is something that can be bought for very cheap or old ones reused for free.

If you want to go a cheaper route that just works, get a ThinkPad off eBay. They're used, but getting something like a T410 works just fine.
I've heard people have even ran somewhat modern 3D games on that. They're tough, though have a "meh" monitor in them. The great thing about them, though, is that they're around $150 and from my experience, only require a $20 replacement battery to work well on the go (they come with their old batteries). I'd also recommend a new hard drive, which is an easy thing to install as long as you've set up a computer before (and if you aren't comfortable with doing so, a local computer store can probably do so cheaply (you should buy a hard drive on your own, though as they'll charge you for a higher price otherwise)). I'd also recommend buying a 1080p monitor from somewhere else after buying the laptop. Here's a list. You can sort by price. I'd say don't worry about IPS, just worry about it looking good. Mine is a 21.5" Acer-not sure what model.

In all seriousness, if you get something like this tablet and a free drawing program that is specifically not ms paint you'd be good to go.

I'm not a pro or anything but I've been drawing digitally as a hobby for years now with a huge range of tablets from super compact to really large and even screen tablets, and a medium sized drawing tablet is literally all you need.

And though I personally use Photoshop, there are plenty of really really good free drawing programs out there as well. I'd probably recommend Krita.

It's a very cool and rewarding hobby.

The importance of fundamentals cannot be understated. You wouldn't start construction on a building without understanding the underlying architecture, would you? I know it's difficult, but you really can't afford to skip the essentials when studying any field. You've already seen that taking shortcuts lowers the quality of your finished works, and if you don't change your approach, you have no expectation of changing that outcome. Discipline yourself and build good habits now, and your hard work will pay off in dividends later.

I don't mean to imply that you should banish yourself to the realm of figure drawing and line work forever; nobody should. But it's important to familiarize yourself with proportion and anatomy if only so that your particular artstyle is consistent. Even if you only learn how to make the same mistakes consistently, all your art will improve at once when you learn to correct those mistakes later. Critique is a huge part in identifying weaknesses in your technique and improving your work, but if your work is all over the place, your critique will be, too.

Consider this: what about practicing your fundamentals bores you? What can you do to make it more engaging for yourself? Have you attempted more interesting subject matter or working from more challenging references? Are there any particular perspectives or poses that you like more than others, and if so, why? Have you tried shifting the focus of your work to suit your particular tastes? There are different figure drawing approaches and techniques out there-- how many of them have you tried? Is there anything stopping you from collecting your finished sketches in order to refine them later on?

---

As to where to start, you already know about the fundamentals so I'll link another comment of mine to reiterate their importance and move on.

If you're not going to be working digitally at first, I'm a huge fan of these dot notebooks. They're inexpensive, lovely quality, nondescript, and portable, and the dot pattern is convenient for measuring lengths and widths without the visual clutter that actual graph paper can sometimes give you. I carry one with me for doodling, taking down random thoughts, and drawing maps. The covers aren't super rigid, mind, so press lightly or have a firm, flat surface like a hardcover book handy.

If you want to work digitally, you'll need an entry-level tablet of some kind. The Huion Inspiroy H950P is decent for its price point; it's got a fair-sized workspace, eight programmable express buttons, workable pressure sensitivity, and its pens aren't battery-powered so if you lose them, replacements are comparatively inexpensive. My one complaint is that, because I have large hands, I find I hit the tool-swapping button on my pen by accident unless I hold it just so. I work from a laptop, so the fact that it's not wireless doesn't trouble me but is something you may want to consider. Its little brother, the H640P, is about half the price with a smaller workspace and two fewer express buttons.

Digital artists also need software to work in. I highly recommend Adobe Photoshop CC if you can afford it (or are willing to sail the high seas, so to speak) for its feature set. Photoshop is not strictly for digital illustration so making it work just so for you will take more effort than you'd experience with a more specialized tool, but having its powerful features in my back pocket has never been a disappointment. Paint Tool SAI and Krita are the only other software options I can recommend; I don't have enough experience with other tools to give them a shout-out. If you're on a budget, by the way, Krita is completely free and has a fantastic feature set. Whatever you choose, learn it and learn it well.

By the look of her art and the use of Scratch, I assume your niece is fairly young ("teenage" is a wide margin to guess). This is great that she's starting so early. I started far too late compared to most and regret it every day.

I would not advise a tablet unless she's at least 14, and that's pushing it. If she is and you're ready for the gamble, that's all your choice. They're delicate pieces of hardware and the lower end brands ([Huion] (https://www.amazon.com/Huion-Graphic-Drawing-Tablet-Pressure/dp/B00DKW816K/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1466736352&sr=8-4&keywords=huion+tablet), [Monoprice] (https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-6-25-inch-Graphic-Drawing-Tablet/dp/B00H4LAF9O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466736418&sr=8-1&keywords=monoprice+tablet), [Ugee] (https://www.amazon.com/Ugee-M708-Digital-Graphics-Rechargeable/dp/B00VUHQECU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466736442&sr=8-2&keywords=ugee+tablet) ) are built a bit weaker than something like a Wacom (suggesting the [Bamboo] (https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-CTL471-Tablet-Black/dp/B00EVOXM3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466736313&sr=8-1&keywords=wacom+bamboo) model to start off, it's a good spot, cheaper and sturdy). but again, I wouldn't risk it at 13 unless you can trust her wholly with an ~$70 piece of hardware.

Software-wise, there are free programs out there to get her started that have better interfaces than Scratch but similar functionality. [Pencil2D] (http://www.pencil2d.org/) is a pretty good starter. Crazy Talk is pretty drag-n-drop, so she wouldn't really get to express her own art as much if at all. It's better to get her something that allows her own art.

I'll always advocate my favorite timeless animation method: post-it notes. get her a bunch of different ones and ask her to use them to animate a little thing. A ball bouncing, a person walking, anything she wants. It's cheap and allows her to really expand on the concept of animation without boundaries.

Good luck :D

For something a little different, there are a ton of very good notetaking apps on Ubuntu that (I think) are substantially better than what's available on Android. Xournal, BasKet, and Zim are a few that I've really come to like.

I took most of my class notes this past semester using Xournal on my TF300 (running xubuntu) with a cheap Wacom tablet, which worked surprisingly well for taking handwritten notes.

For typed notes, BasKet is great and lets you insert quite a few different file types in addition to normal text (images, screenshots, etc). Zim is similar, but uses wiki syntax. I actually came to prefer it for the awesome plugins that let you insert various things (GraphViz diagrams, calculators, even sheet music).

Android apps like Evernote and Keep are pretty good, but I've always been pretty disappointed in the lack of formatting options and how inefficient they are. They all really felt like they were getting in my way and I'd always end up going back to using pen + paper until I found Xournal.

As for good pens, I never found one that worked, at least using the device's touchscreen. Even with a stylus (most of which are terrible for handwriting things) you'll never come close to beating pen + paper. I've heard hard-tipped active styluses are better but I think you'll still run into issues with the digitizer not having high enough resolution for decent-looking handwritten text. Even then, you'll have problems dragging your palm across the screen.

Eventually I just gave up, got a lightly used Wacom Bamboo tablet, and convinced my tf300 to work with it. I've been using it happily ever since.

I recommend the Wacom Intuo Art - Medium.

Typically $200, comes with no frills, and has an active area of 8.5x5.3 inches. Anything smaller for active area is really hard to translate arm movements to on screen. It's got a lot of pressure levels and the stylus is easy enough to hold for long hours of use-but can also be switched for something else. The nibs on the stylus last too. Active area is wide, so it matches the monitors more people have. I use a square monitor right now, but that just means I lose some of the active area to keep vertical and laterial strokes 1:1. Next monitor is planned to be a 16:9 wide format and will give me the full active area with this tablet. Best of all it doesn't have one of those glossy, sliding drawing surfaces that to me feels unpleasent to draw on top of. It's thin and under a pound, easy to put in a laptop bag and smaller overall in width and length than a 14 inch laptop. Extremely portable.

> I want something that feels closest to using traditional medium and natural felling watercolor touch

There isn't anything like that. It's very similar to learning a new medium with the difference in feedback to the hand, friction from the pen, and pressure required to mark the work area. Same goes with the brushes in photoshop. It's something that you just got to jump in and see if it's for you.

I really harp on this model because of the decent active area for the stylus, professional quality of the tablet, and low price. I bought a smaller tablet back in 2006 and I feel like I'm throwing away money buying that small. It's much harder to retrain my hand to draw/paint on it, and sometimes the surfaces are that terrible glossy surface that feels more like writing on a white board. The marginally more expensive tablets in that area tend to pick useless features(basically mappable hotkeys) over active area size unless you're willing to jump to $350+. It's a good, not expensive tablet, that you can figure out if digital art is something you want to add to your work flow without going overboard to invest $400+ on something you might decide after 2-3 months to drop-which is common for people new to digital art.

The only negative for me is the usb cord goes off the top left of the device, and I feel like it should have been top right. It's fine on my laptop, but my desktop means I have to strategicly place the cord to avoid my work area since I keep the desktop to my right and the usb ports are elevated.

*****
I can't speak for the tablets that you draw on the screen. They typically are heavy, have some type of monitor connector(HDMI, VGA, etc etc), a usb cord, and an extra wall plug at a minimum to function with the laptop/desktop. I know people who do treat them as portable for the job, but their laptop back is like 30 pounds with all the equipment in it. Wouldn't describe it as a portable. I tried a cheap one($600) and it had that terrible smooth screen when you write on(very little friction when using a stylus), so do try to test it before investing that much.

Page Text is reproduced below:



…And we’re off! Thank you again to all of our beta testers and supporters for making this game a reality. We are forever grateful.

To all newcomers experiencing The Painter’s Playground for the first time – WELCOME! We hope you enjoy your stay here in Painter’s Port. The community so far has been wonderful in every way possible. Bob and I will be quite active in addressing any issues, questions, comments, or concerns through the Steam forum.

Alright, now onto our two launch contests!

DLC KEY CONTEST

Create a LetsPlay video of The Painter’s Playground, and post it here on the Steam video tab in the community hub. It can be anything you want, as long as it’s at least 5 minutes long. Ideas for videos could include a tutorial, tips and tricks, or just you doodling. Once you’ve posted the video, either friend me on here (you can unfriend after I give you the key, if you would like, no worries), or email the evidence to Dorkoski at ohio.edu.

HUION DRAWING TABLET CONTEST
I will buy and send this Huion Tablet to the first player who reaches Artist Level 50. This contest will require some serious work – you’ve been warned haha :D

https://www.amazon.com/Huion-Inches-Tablet-Graphics-Drawing/dp/B00DTPYWBG/ref=sr_1_14?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1516049982&sr=1-14&keywords=wacom+tablet

The only caveat is that I have to be able to ship it to you through Amazon. If by some reason I cannot (or the shipping is insane), I'll send you $20.00 USD through a Steam Gift Card instead.

Now we said we weren't going to do save wipes - and we aren't. BUT if you plan on going for level 50, we ask that you in-good-faith delete your current artist and start over to be fair to newcomers. Thank you!

Post your level 50 screen shot here on Steam and also email the link to Dorkoski at ohio.edu. We get an email when someone reaches level 50, but this will nudge me.

Thank you all for reading. Happy Painting!

Ryan and Bob
Next Zen Mechanics Limited



Bot created to announce Steam News automatically, powered by SteamKiwi.com. If you are a moderator and wish to request this bot to post news to your subreddit, or stop posting to your subreddit please PM /u/etaew.

So believe it or not, I play on a Highlander team in team fortress 2 and I use the third model you pictured. It takes getting used too, but once you get used too it, other models just don't feel the same. When I use it for gaming, sensitivity is key. Each game has a different sensitivity so trying to find one that works is key for trackballs. I only have the one I do because I didn't have the money for a better one but I still wanted a trackball.


The reason I like the third so much is because you can use 2 fingers to control the ball instead of just your thumb. It gives me some pretty insane accuracy on games that have sniper roles. Personal preference is pretty big when picking a trackball because of all the weird designs of them. A downside to the third one is that it does not have a scroll wheel, which is pretty frustrating at times. You can use the PG UP/DWN buttons but its just easier to have it on the mouse. I do believe that the buttons above LM and RM can be configured to use as a "hold and drag" kind of scroll wheel but its still troublesome. I recommend getting one like this?

Something like this might also help, but it is a smaller size.

Maybe this?

Trackballs are kind of expensive since very few people use them. Also I'm not really sure where to look for more trackball mice because I bought mine from a store. Good luck and ask if you have any questions! :)

If you have experience maybe use Unity. If you’re inexperienced game maker studio or Godot work well. If you need easier block based coding scratch and/ or game salad work well for that.

Google drawings is great for creating basic vector based graphics, but if you need hand drawn assets you can get a drawing tablet for cheap at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TB0TTAC/ref=s9_acsd_top_hd_bw_b15HJT_c_x_1_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=XPCSCD2GXQH90D349H92&pf_rd_r=XPCSCD2GXQH90D349H92&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=e9b44aed-c758-5ff1-8be7-1149daa0dbbe&pf_rd_p=e9b44aed-c758-5ff1-8be7-1149daa0dbbe&pf_rd_i=16034531

Remember to prototype to test core gameplay and keep motivated, don’t stray away from using premade assets, but always get permission. Feel free to message me to request assets (I can only do mice & keyboard stuff btw)

The game sounds really fun btw.😃

I bought a Turcom 6610 a couple years ago. I got that over the wacom because it had a larger surface and was cheaper than the wacom bamboo. I ended up never using it though because it just wasn't that good.

Recently though I've been getting wrist/shoulder pains so I decided to give tablets another shot. This time I decided to go with a wacom tablet because I've heard that they're superior to other brands. I picked up the Intuos Art two weeks ago and so far I'm pretty happy with it.

As far as I know, the only difference between the Intuos Draw, Art, and Comic tablets is the software packages they come with. I was a little disappointed with the Corel Painter 5 Essentials that mine came with but maybe I just haven't used it enough yet. Either way, the point is, is that if you already have something like photoshop then I suggest just getting the cheapest of the three which is the Draw.

I think I should probably emphasize that I probably only know a little more than you do. This is a pretty good video on the subject that might help you with your decision. Good luck :)

Hello everyone! First I want to say thanks for having such a great community. I hope one day I can become good enough to contribute valuable advice here!

Reference image: Here, but I made it more purple and pinkish to match some blood oranges I have in real life.

Software: Krita

Tool: Tablet

Recently, I decided to stop by Gamestop to see what used games they had available. I saw something called "Art Academy" for $4.99 for the original DS.

I've always wanted to become an artist but at school, I was never taught in a way that was effective to me. They just put some objects in front of me and said "Draw this." When I didn't draw them well, they just gave me an A for effort and moved on. So before this game, I really didn't actually know much about art, though I had been exposed to it a bit.

ANYWAY, I am finding this game to be a shockingly effective tool. I'm only on lesson 5 and decided to apply what I've learned to my own painting and share it.

I know there are probably millions of glaring mistakes in this painting and ultimately, I just need to study and practice a lot more. But I thought I'd share and I'm certainly interested in any tweaks you can think of.

The biggest thing I struggled with was making it look juicy like a real orange. I've been trying for over 6 hours to add the bright highlights and sections but it always looks extremely wrong. I've tried tinting them so they're not pure white, I've tried making them thick and thin, and nothing works. I decided it's better to give up for now and work on studying more.

Thanks so much!

Don't listen to him, this is nonsense even if his anecdote is true. Many in /r/trackballs will tell you how much the right trackball can ease RSI symptoms and this is because with a trackball you can maintain a neutral wrist position, and this is a lot harder with a mouse because as the mouse moves your wrist angle must change. I found that finger controlled trackballs with thumb click buttons work best for me.

The holy grail is the Microsoft Trackball Explorer, but it is discontinued and expensive to acquire on ebay. There is a spiritual successor that was just released called the Elecom Huge. The sensor and button switches are superior in the Elecom, but I find it to be slightly less comfortable.

I find the trackball harder to use for FPS and will use a mouse for some FPS games, but for strategy games it's perfectly fine.

Last point, I find that ergonomic split keyboards really helped with my RSI since you will type with your mousing hand as well.

Gaomon s620 is so good actually, I would recommend watching some reviews on it. In fact, there's a fork of hawku drivers for it too, super nice.

edit: for reference Ive used the shit huion garbage with the giant pen, and also the xp pen star g430s which is actually pretty good except for the slippery cheap pen, but the s620 is better than both of these.

​

However, if you want to splurge and never have to buy a tablet again, https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Drawing-Software-Included-CTL4100/dp/B079HL9YSF/ref=sxin_2_ac_d_rm?ac_md=0-0-d2Fjb20%3D-ac_d_rm&keywords=wacom&pd_rd_i=B079HL9YSF&pd_rd_r=e1834c53-8ecf-4883-a7d4-31d9d3a5d34e&pd_rd_w=2oCEh&pd_rd_wg=ZmOs9&pf_rd_p=2938a786-9bec-4d37-8c06-456e3edce5d1&pf_rd_r=MHRG77RX13S6N7RCYZFA&psc=1&qid=1569736321 This wacom tablet is incredible. Pen is super light, rubber covers the majority of it so it wont slip at all, and you can get better drivers for it. But again, more expensive

​

hope this helps

Hey OP, I'm probably late to the game, but figured I'd share some of my experiences. You can draw on a computer using a mouse - in fact I have known a few graphic artists who swore by the mouse, but they are few and far between. By far the preferred method is by way of graphic tablet.

Wacom is still the reigning king in the tablet world - their Intuos line is what you will usually see in most professional offices. They are a pretty serious investment though, usually starting around $300-400+. When you're getting started, look for a used Intuos or pick up something from their much more affordable Bamboo line.

The biggest hurdle when drawing on computer is disconnecting what your hand is doing and what your eye is seeing. Most traditional artists are used to drawing directly on their media - unless you have a Cintiq or monitor graphic tablet, that will not be the case in your situation.

The next step is learning your software. Like others have mentioned, GIMP is a great starting point because it's free - however if you are thinking about making a living out of graphic design/artistry in an office setting, you will eventually have to learn the Adobe suite. While many people use Photoshop to draw from scratch, their official product for this purpose is Adobe Illustrator. Once you get used to what Illustrator offers, you will see why people separate the two products (vector art is just the start). Ideally though, you will want to learn both Illustrator and Photoshop.

I am an ID student. Most colleges seem to have labs that support students in college. However, if you want to start early then I would recommend this is it's a good starter tablet. It's very cheap and works pretty well. I haven't used this model though as it's been awhile. Today I use a Surface Pro 4 for all my digital work but that's a big investment and I wouldn't recommend that for your sake. Technology evolves very fast.

Like a user here said before, sketching on paper translates pretty easily to computer assisted sketching. But if I could recommend programs I'd practice on SketchBook Pro. It's $30 a year and won't expire like an Adobe trial.

I can also recommend a few books for you and critique your work if you want. I tried to get a community like that going on this sub but it never came through. PM me if you want though like I said I'm only a student.

Hey!

I would suggest taking a look at MSI Prestige Modern 14 because it is pretty light at 1.18 Kg (2.60 lb), has an aluminum chassis, fingerprint reader, has a great Full HD IPS display with good color coverage for photo editing, and over 8 hours of battery life. It doesn't have a number pad but you can just get one of these.

If you're keen on getting a laptop with a built-in number pad, then I would recommend the Lenovo Thinkpad P53s. It is a little bit heavier at 1.75 Kg (3.86 lb) but it has one of the best keyboards on the market and excellent reliability. A downside of this laptop would be the display from the base configuration (it only has 60% sRGB so it's not the best for photo editing), so I would suggest getting the 4K display at the cost of some battery life.

If you don't like any of my recommendations, then maybe take a look at my search results.

You can see and change the search parameters using the "Refine results" button in the upper-left part of the search results page. You can also click on the laptops for more information.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Hope I helped!-

Photoshop is DEFINITELY more in depth than Lightroom. Youtube is your best friend in this case. You can get a lot of valuable advice and skills from there. This post will be incredibly helpful for you in that regard.

Photoshop can be used with a touchscreen, but you should know that your laptop touchscreen and something like a drawing pad are not the same thing. You won't have pressure sensitive ability. You would want something like this to get that done.

Photoshop does not have a standalone product available as far as I can tell, but $10 a month for the most recent version of both Lightroom and Photoshop (it's the photography pack) is an incredible deal. That is available here.

If you have any other questions feel free to reply to me or PM me. Cheers!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mniqsTJ4-l4

I found a review for that tablet.... it does say that it needs the Bluetooth connector, but IMO, if you have to save up that much just for the connector for a tablet that might not work, it might be better just to save up for a better tablet either new or actually refurbished rather than hoping the one from Goodwill does work, as there are issues brought up in the video that would make me not want the Bluetooth version in the first place.

The Wacom One for example, would actually be cheaper than buying the connector for a tablet you might not be able to work still?

https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Graphic-Drawing-Tablet-Beginners/dp/B07S1RR3FR/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=Wacom+Bamboo&qid=1570061074&s=gateway&sr=8-3

If you go up a bit more, the Wacom Intuos Graphics comes with good set of programs as well as the tablet, too.

https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Drawing-Software-Included-CTL4100/dp/B079HL9YSF/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=Wacom+Bamboo&qid=1570061074&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I'm not getting any presents this year, but if you want to give something. Then i'd like something like this. But thats just selfish thinking of me expecting that 1. You'd wanna pay so much. and 2. That you're going to choose me over that Clean water well idea. But if you don't want to buy me a wacom, i'd also be happy with just a good book or something. I heard House of leaves is good.

Even if you dont pick me or something, I just want to say you are a great guy and props to you for this kind of christmas spirit. This song is for you.

They didn't make the wired version at the time. I can find it now on Amazon. Collectors are selling them for $399.99. That is not a typo.

Here's a generic one for $24.99. Also not a typo. ;)

Weird coworkers... sure, I'm almost 40, given time I could probably come up with a few other gems. I just thought of the lady with the Vietnamese snake wine because it was so odd and at the same place.

Yeah, a couple years later, I was doing a security job — jobs were kinda scarce right after 9/11, even though we weren't in a high risk area. Big companies were shipping jobs overseas, afraid of doing business in America, even in low risk areas. Anyway, I worked with this cheerful idiot of a man child (not that I wasn't one myself) and he once confided in me that he went to the interview stoned out of his gourd. To a security job. As if he didn't know security companies were staffed by retired cops. Or guys who couldn't make it as cops. So he gets there, high as a motherfucker, and they go to do a swab. He tells them his mouth is dry and asks if he could please get some water. They let him. He goes into the break room, and they have a water dispenser. He pours a cup of the hot, near boiling water, and he chugs it, burning the shit out of his throat. He gargles it. He takes the swab test and passes. If you think this is bullshit, I'm right there with you. He told me this story. I have no way of verifying it. He didn't last long, and when he left, he was fired, and the supervisors wouldn't say word one about it. I bet they caught him with weed. Security guards get dropped in on by their supervisors all the time. You're working a site, it's just you, plenty of opportunity to do drugs (or pot; I know, pot isn't a drug, the Good Lord wouldn't have made it if the Good Lord didn't expect us to smoke it, etc., etc.) but also, surprise visits are a thing.

Anyway, I'd relieve him after an 8 hour shift, and he would not leave. We'd get to talking, and I was on shift, I couldn't leave. And he'd stay for an hour. One hour turned into two, two into three. Longest he ever stayed was 5 hours, unpaid, into my shift. If anyone asked, I was training him. No one ever did, that was just the cover we agreed to. Supervisor dropped in, he forgot something and was just going (and would). Anyway, I started doing the same as we became friends, but I never stayed more than an hour, and most of the time he'd stay one or two hours, too. What was so special about this guy was, he would not shut up about a show called Babylon 5. Maybe you've heard of it. What he didn't tell me, that I think is so interesting, is that it was one of the first TV shows to air in 16:9. It would either have the letterboxing (bars on top and bottom) on the old 4:3 TVs, or they'd just cut the sides off (pan and scan). It was a challenge back then. TV stations didn't like it. Anyway, he actually told me, one day, the entire story of the show, leaving out very little details. And it sounded awesome. I meant to watch it, but didn't, for years. And then one day I got a great deal on the DVD box set at a yard sale. I thought, has to be fate. I think I paid like $20. Wife wasn't interested, so I watched it on my own. And I loved it. Wife agreed to watch it with me, so I watched it a second time with her.

Sorry, that was a long story, and that guy wasn't that weird, except for how he passed the drug test. Supposedly. But I mean, he didn't smoke around me, he wasn't trying to sell me pot, he wasn't trying to sound cool, so I kinda believe him, though what I choose to believe is, one, he probably cut the hot water with cold so it wasn't at 185 or whatever those hot taps put out, because I think that would have caused permanent damage. And two, either he didn't smoke that much that morning or, I don't know. Either the swab test was weak or faulty, or maybe it showed pot but no other substances and they passed him anyway. I don't think his story was 100% truthful, in any case.

I use a Samsung Ativ Tab 3 myself for exactly that purpose. It can't cope with Drawboard PDF (specifically), but it's perfectly fine for Microsoft Office and OneNote, and pretty much any other pdf annotator I've tried. In a pinch, you can use something like Splashtop to remote into your desktop, but I've only needed to when I've taken it on weekends away.

The digitizer is perfect, I have no complaints. It's just as good as the much more expensive specialist Tablet PC I have from about five years ago. I'd really much rather use the Ativ than cart that brute about.

Atom has the advantages of being lighter, cheaper, and having seriously long battery life. And the Ativ is thinner than a paper notebook.

With that set of priorities, I have no hesitation in recommending it. Just don't try to play Hearthstone while your virus scanner is actively doing a scan. That... didn't go so well.

EDIT: And buy several of these - the Galaxy Note variant. I've tried both, and those work best (I think it's the same digitiser as the Note 10.1?)

I've been watching a ton of Moderndayjames on Youtube. He's super good at teaching a lot of fundamentals, like constructive anatomy, texture shading, and perspective drawing. Highly recommend. He also does daily sketch streams.

I also recommend Sinixdesign. He uses Corelpainter instead of Photoshop, which emulates more traditional painting feels. (David Harrington, HotS artist, also uses this). And he uses a lot of interesting colours and techniques. He also teaches anatomy really well. He's probably a lot more freeform than Moderndayjames.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EVOXM3S/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1509843362&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=wacom+bamboo&dpPl=1&dpID=31uMU5O4wAL&ref=plSrch

Here's a link to a fairly priced, nice drawing tablet. It's one I had for a while before I lost it. It's affordable, decent sized, the pen doesn't need charge, comes with spare pen nibs, has great pressure sensitivity, and is very responsive. Everything you want.

So heres the thing. The pen acts like a mouse in all respects to blender with the exception of pressure sensitivity and absolute positioning, as I'm sure you already know.

I am an avid pen tablet user, I've dabbled with blender, and I've been especially a linux user. Now that you know that, let me tell you my thoughts.

Pen input is okay with blender. You can use it as you expect, it takes some figuring out how to get it to work. (Or it did when I was trying to use it.) Getting into sculpting mode, and working with an object was not easy, nor did I find it particularly intuitive to do anything. In short, I gave up... So take my opinion with a grain of salt.

But I will note, that I found something else that works great in tandem with a pen tablet, a 3D Mouse. Personally I got the 3DConnexion Space Navigator http://www.3dconnexion.com/products/spacenavigator.html as something to play with. (You can find them on ebay for half of the retail price.) So throw away your USB Mouse, plug in the tablet, and get a 3D Mouse for moving your 3D objects.

Sadly, the wacom you chose doesn't have a mouse option. That makes me disappointed. I would've recommended looking for a Intuos4 http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos4-Medium-Pen-Tablet/dp/B001TUYTZW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1413163434&sr=1-1&keywords=intuos4

Either way, wacom works great on linux, it's normally built into the kernel so no additional software needed.

The biggest issue that may arise is what to do with the keyboard. For blender it is the most used tool, right next to the mouse. (Duh)... but it's an important part of blender. There is no answer to how to make space, find something comfortable for you, maybe invest in a good keyboard tray. Take into consideration your handedness when placing the tablet.

Just remember, the tablet for all intents and purposes replaces your mouse. Don't think it's a two handed use em both at the same time thing, which is why I recommended the 3D mouse. The biggest issue is switching from the pen to the keyboard, depending on your handedness.

Good luck.

I figured at this point it might help to just send a picture for scale. http://imgur.com/a/cfTea

You can see my current laptop, a 17" Sager. Next to it is my chromebook. Below that are my backpack which almost fits the Sager and the laptop bag that I adjusted to hold it (fits holds laptop, mouse, power brick, external drive, mouse, and tablet).
The two mice are a Zowie EC2-A and a Logitech M510. If you aren't an fps nut the cheap logitech is great and the wireless dongle fits in the mouse for transport, or can be left in the usb slot with a low profile. To the right of those are one of my external hard drives, wallet, and glasses case. The TV is 22 inches and not pictured is my wacom intuos pro medium tablet which fits perfectly on top of the Sager when I travel.

So here's what I've learned. 17 inch bags are pretty much limited to satchel style bags. Even my 15.4in bag is freaking huge on my back and I could fit all of the books I needed each day + 13 inch macbook pro in there comfortably. The 17in pc's were too much trouble to carry to/from classes, but the mbp was easy and the chromebook is so small/light I keep thinking I've lost it.

Despite being a pain, I would typically switch homes every few days and having a 17in laptop was pretty nice. I'd usually throw clothes + headset in my backpack and carry two bags wherever I was going. While cumbersome, I didn't mind carry the big laptops for lan parties or visiting friends for a night. It was mostly the school environment (switch classes, waiting around, lack of outlets, crowded table) where it got in the way.

I personally use a Huion 420: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DTPYWBG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've been using one since draw my thing back in the day.
It isn't a "good" tablet in any way, but its cheap and works well enough and fun to play with :P
If you are just looking for fun, this works.
If you are looking to become a good artist, look at Wacom :)

The laptop being slow will dictate on what programs he can use for art, not the tablet itself if that is what you are asking. Can you get the make and model of the computer? I will be able to tell you which ones that would work. What version of Windows is he running?

But for now, I can list off some free ones.

Mediabang: It's completely free. It is designed for comic artists, but honestly it work for any type of art project you are doing.

Fire Alpaca: Free. it's a very light art program, so I doubt there will be lag at all.

Krita: Free. It has more of a professional look. I say it looks like one of the newest Photoshop layouts.


I suggest getting this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079HL9YSF/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_xTh-BbQZQ2C6G

It's cheap, good for beginners, and the Intuos line of Wacom tablets are very good. It comes with three different art programs, but I do believe they are trial only.

I'm not a computer artist. I like traditional mediums but am slowly being swayed to join in tablet drawing. I say this because you should take my opinions with a grain of salt. However, I've been hearing good things about Wacom's Bamboo Capture Pen and Touch Tablet. It carries the Wacom name that people love (and a year warranty), customizable shortcut buttons, its stylus has an eraser on the top, and multitouch gestures that will let you flip, turn, or whatever while working. It's supposed to be a little to sensitive with the pen sometimes, but that's really the only drawback I hear.

It's $69 from Amazon.

Maybe someone else can pop in and give their views on this, but as a know-nothing about CG art, this is the one I have my eye on. Good luck!

I recently bought the Huion Inspiroy H640P for my sister's kids, partly because I wanted them to experience drawing/painting digitally (I set them up with Krita), but also because I wanted to test the tablet. I currently use a Wacom Intuos Art Medium, which serves me well enough (I've been using Wacom products for years). The Huion responded well and I found it to be a quality product. The fact that it was less than half the cost of my Wacom ($50 vs $150) made it all the more impressive. I haven't made the switch myself at this point (although I'll pick one up as a backup soon enough), but for anyone looking to go digital without making a huge investment, I highly recommend that Huion tablet. It's plenty big enough to work on and the drivers seem just as stable as Wacom's drivers.

Edit: if you want to see what I'm making with the Intuos (so, when I say the H640P is great quality, this is where I'm coming from): https://www.instagram.com/johningallsart/

There is a difference between a tablet (like an iPad or Surface, etc) and a drawing tablet. Cintiqs are really the pro level hardware from the company Wacom. I'd look into Wacom's other options. Bamboos are the cheapest and many people love them for hobby level work, and a step above them in both price and quality are the Intuos products. I've had my large Intuos4 for years, it has held up really well and was a great investment, I absolutely love it.

Edit: And here's two good posts about graphics tablets :].

The New Buyers' Guide To Graphics Tablets

How to choose the best Wacom pen tablet for your needs

• SecureCRT, the chat window feature that allows you to paste and run commands to all sessions is awesome.
  
  
• The Rhino 5200, it rocks. It has a bunch of useful functions like printing labels that wrap around cables and I don't have to beg anyone for their crappy label printer.
  
  
• Crossover Linux to manage the windows applications I need to run on Linux (checkpoint smartconsole and ikeview, visio, ...)
  
  
• I need to get a digital toner and tracer to better deal with undocumented patch panels, the fluke intellitone must be nice but is a bit expensive for something I need only once in a while.
  
  
• I'd like to get the panduit cable comb to make /r/cableporn worthy bundles but it is expensive for a piece of molded plastic .
  
  
• And I need an Air Console, because screw sitting on the floor in the cold aisle of a coloc center.
  
  
• Now that I'm writing a wishlist, I also need one of these to avoid manually switching console port from one device to another, a usb quad serial ports adapter.
  
  Edit :
  
  
• Wolf Wifi Pro, an android wireless survey app, it's basic but a fraction of the cost of more professional tools and still allows me to make signal strength and snr heatmaps over a floor plan. It's good enough for my needs, in fact it's awesome.
  
  
• Wacom Bamboo Graphic Tablet to draw crude diagrams or dicks or dick shaped OSPF areas I can paste in an email.
  
  
• BIC 4 color pens because they blow my mind and are really useful for hand drawn diagrams.

i sorta kinda went to art school in a roundabout way. i started off in neuroscience, then i did a year of fine art and a year of community art college. i've done a lot of workshops and things though and i read a lot of art books and blogs and the like.

and yay for games! i actually work at a game company, Naughty Dog. it's a really fun industry. digital art is definitely a must for doing game art. Wacom is the tablet that I swear by however there are so many good cheap alternatives now. Here are some that I'd recommend for you to start out by trying:

http://www.amazon.com/Huion-H610PRO-Painting-Drawing-Graphics/dp/B00GIGGS6A/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1449009760&sr=1-7&keywords=wacom+bamboo

http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-CTL471-Tablet-Black/dp/B00EVOXM3S/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1449009760&sr=1-1&keywords=wacom+bamboo

oh and check it out manga studio is on sale, that's a good program too, great alternative to photoshop which is really pricey: http://www.amazon.com/Smith-Micro-Software-Inc-ALA31002327/dp/B00ANH074Y/ref=pd_sim_147_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=513uN0rVQlL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR111%2C160_&refRID=0VT0HQ9EMB6J118RBJWD

Thank you for your very thorough response, BlahmanTT! This really helped a lot and I think I will purchase the Elecom Huge on Amazon later today to give it a try. I should note I also use Linux, so the re-mapping you mention definitely caught my attention - don't suppose you have details to help me avoid headaches with this later? With that said though, I am still trying to visualize how exactly you re-mapped the EM's buttons. It sounds like you did experience some "stretching" issues to be able to use the LMB and RMB, hence re-bindings. I play games where I use the LMB and RMB a lot quickly back-to-back, so any more clarity you can offer around this topic, would really help me. Like, are you operating LMB --and-- RMB with your thumb? I should note, with the trackman marble mouse I use, I'm using thumb for LMB, ring-finger for RMB, and my index+middle fingers to move the trackball, so I'm already a two-finger ball operator (although, I frequently lift either my index finger or middle finger completely off the ball for certain movements. And, for non-gaming [or gaming with no RMB needs], I use my index-through-ring fingers to operate the ball.).

​

I included links to both products in question, to aide discussion for visualizing. I see the buttons on the Elecom Huge are actually labelled on Amazon, so perhaps you specify which you've bound to what function, to make the mouse ergonomic for you? And if, had you left the default button bindings alone, if you felt it still would have been ergonomic/enjoyable to use?

Hey man, frankly I only know of Wacom and Genius tablets. So I researched Huion just now. Interesting. This one's from Amazon:

Q: What are the differences between the Huion h610 and the Huion h610 pro? Thanks.

A: Regarding your inquiry, the differences between the H610 and H610 Pro are as follows: 1. Different stylus. H610 Pro uses a battery free stylus, which is a recharge one with latest Huion design while the H610 uses a stylus that needs one AAA battery. The recharge stylus has a better sense and responses better to the tablet. 2. Different surface texture. The H610 Pro has a slippery-proof texture of the tablet surface so you will feel more comfortable like drawing on a real paper when you use it. The old H610 doesn't have that. 3. Different resolution. The resolution of the H610 Pro is 5080 lines per inch, and the H610 is 4000 LPI. 4. Different reporting rate. The report rate of the H610 Pro is 233 resolutions per second while the H610's is 220 RPS. 5. Different box. The whole original packaging box of H610 Pro is different from the H610, which looks more modern. 6. Different driver. The new driver for the H610 Pro is confirmed to be compatible with windows 8.1 and mac osx 10.9. Thank you for your kind attention!

http://www.amazon.com/Huion-H610-Graphics-Drawing-Tablet/dp/B00GIGGS6A

I have used wacom products for a while and I love them. I used a wacom bamboo for a LONG time and it worked well enought (though small) for a long time.
http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-Splash-Tablet-CTL471/dp/B0089VGPII

Right now I use a wacom cintiq 13HD and I love it. It works almost flawlessly for me and I can't imagine switching back to something else.
http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Cintiq-Interactive-Display-DTK1300/dp/B00BSOSCNE/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1451245108&sr=1-1&keywords=wacom+cintiq+13hd

I used some wacom knock offs too. They work rather well and the prices are really competitive like the one for the yiynovia brands.
http://www.amazon.com/Yiynova-MSP19U-Monitor-Windows-Solution/dp/B009QQ7BG0/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1451245197&sr=1-1&keywords=yiynova+tablet

I had an older version of the above tablet for a while and it lasted about 6 months before it just stopped working for me. It kind of turned me off to those knock off brands but other people have had great things to say about them so I don't know for sure. Good luck in your search.

Active area is indeed the size you can draw on. That section on the Wacom site has an error. It looks like you selected medium, but it's still giving you dimensions for the small. 6 x 3.7 inches is the dimension of the active area for the intuos art/comic/photo small.

Your Wacom Graphire Bluetooth
Dimensions: 11.5 x 10.5,
Active area: 6 x 8 inches

Small Wacom Intuos Art/Comic/Photo (All the same tablet, different bundled stuff)
Dimensions: 8.25 x 6.7,
Active area: 6 x 3.7

Medium Wacom Intuos Art/Comic/Photo
Dimensions: 10.75 x 8.75,
Active area: 8.5 x 5.3

The old tablets were the Bamboo and Intuos. The former being the hobbyist tablets, and the Intuos 2, 3, 4, 5 aimed at the professional market. But they changed the name a few years back. The Bamboo became the Intuos series, and the Intuos series became the Intuos Pro series.

Now they've released a new set of tablets, but they didn't add numbers to them, so look out for anything labelled (OLD MODEL) on Amazon, unless you specifically want the previous release.

Confusing huh? :)

tl;dr The Intuos Art Medium has an active area of 8.5 x 5.3. Wacom's site is wrong.

Edit - good formatting is hard here, sorry about the mess.

I have the same stick and using the rift. What works for me with extra buttons is that I place a razor orbweaver on the table to the left of my sticks and it works great!! You might not need that many extra buttons though and a tarurus would probably work just fine for cheaper. I was tempted to upgrade to the x 52 pro but I I love my current stick and I won't be upset if this breaks in me vs a 200 dollar stick that would make me very mad.

Edit:

I found this and i bet it works great without overpaying for the other gameboards.

https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Numeric-Keypad-Jelly-Comb/dp/B01E8U8HKW/ref=pd_sbs_63_19?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=T8FA0QXTK4D049XMXD6Q

The raised layer in the 5 key should make it easy to memorize each button around it so you don't need to see it in Vr.

Here's another for 9 bucks! If you use a shift key on your Hotas then you are basically doubling the amount of keys here :)

https://www.amazon.com/Numeric-Jelly-Comb-Portable-Computer/dp/B01E8TTWZ2/ref=pd_cp_147_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=10HV6T876Q90396BM4CJ

Woah i did not look at the cost of this in CAD holy crap that is expensive ($300 bucks plus $24 in shipping). Very good review on your part though, kinda sucks about the rebinding configurator though.

Completely unrelated but i feel like you might think this is cool. Its Outemu Blue Numpad (Outemu are Cherry knockoff's, but there pretty decent), and for $20, has full metal construction, braided cable, and some cheap Blue's. You may have seen it before cause it was on the front page like 4 months ago. Thought you might find it interesting because we have pretty similar tastes in keyboards IMO (i have been eying the model M and zealios purple for a while :P)

This one here is at the top of your price range but it is very good. I have one myself and love it. You can also get a factory refurbished one here for about half the cost and buy her something else. I hope she likes whatever you get her!

Can you write with a pen for long periods of time? If so, you should try a Wacom Intuos pen tablet.

I don't draw or paint (maybe someday!) instead I use it as a more sensitive mouse input device when doing 3D character animation in Maya and I love it.

This model is great and can also do multi-touch gestures.

Wacom Intuos Art Pen and Touch Digital Graphics, Drawing & Painting Tablet (CTH490AK) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010LHRFYU/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_wzRJwb99RS8NF

Definitely stick with the small size. And set it to mouse mode. It takes some getting used to, but I love mine.

I hope that helps!

ur like an awesome friend lol I personally use these 4 for all my stuff:

Huion Pro

Huion 640p

Wacom

my favorite (which happens to be the cheapest!!!) Huion H420 Kit

​

Software I use: Krita, Photoshop (main), Corel Painter, Clip Art -- Corel seems to be really popular

DIY gets hit by economies of scale.

You can always buy a USB numpad off Amazon or ebay, down to like $5 is you go with a membrane numpad instead of Mechanical.

As for Blue switches? How noisy is your office? Or do all your coworkers wear headphones? Blues are a good choice if you do not mind the noise. Otherwise Browns are a good choice. Reds and Blacks are OK, but if you can, try some switches at your local Best Buy or Microcenter. Note, Razer Green= Blues, Razer Orange=Browns. My local Best Buy only carries Razer and Corsair boards.

I've tried miming your range of motion as best as I could understand. With your left hand having more mobility, have you considered the Logitech G13? It's completely programmable and FFXIV compatible. The little thumb joystick set to "Joystick" in the peripheral's software will control character movement. Alternatively you could program Up, Left, Down, & Right to WASD, respectively. The product itself is heavy enough and has rubber mats underneath for grip. Depending on where you put it, pushing the thumbstick with whole wrist or arm movements ought not budge it awkwardly out of the way.

This post by /u/rabidpug describes his setup for the device which makes the game playable with one hand. While his setup is rather complicated it could give you ideas to really make it your own.

Edit: Additional thoughts

I know you said you didn't want to purchase additional hardware (and that's basically been my entire post, sorry). I've been thinking about your right arm's mobility and am curious if you've also considered a trackball like this one by Kensington. I've been trying to mime your right arm by elbow movements only, and it seems this particular trackball might work as the ball itself is prominent at the top of the device. The two mouse clicks on either side could work if you're comfortable or able to raise your elbow and (for lack of better terminology, sorry) karate chop them.

My apologies if I'm coming across rude or inconsiderate.

I've got a Bamboo Capture drawing tablet. I stream through my page at http://www.livestream.com/NeonGreenTiger (I think. I'll check when I get home from work). You'll need to create an account to watch, but it's free and fairly painless :). I think I'll give it a go tonight as I work on adding the lineart to a rough sketch that I have. If you like, i can message you when I start :). I'm working on learning the program and how to use it, my tablet and just working at getting better at drawing :)

If you need a laptop as well, then get the surface. The companion 2 actually has some pretty worrying reviews, so I'd stay away from that. The Cintiq HD^((1)^) on Amazon has pretty good reviews, though it could be better. Honestly, if you buy from Amazon, you're probably fine. I don't know about 3rd parties, or even Wacom themselves though.

(1) http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Cintiq-Interactive-Display-DTK1300/dp/B00BSOSCNE


Edit: Dafuq is with the formatting issues?

A stylus can be any little stick that you use on your screen. A stylus with an active digitizer is what you want for drawing - popular examples are Wacom and the S-pen. Styli without an active digitizer are basically only good for touch commands (think the biggest pencil tool in MS Paint). /u/cereuc's comment about "crayon style" is very accurate.

The Surface Pro 1 is a perfectly acceptable drawing tablet since they added the WinTab drivers. Source (Disclaimer: auto-start Youtube video that's kinda loud)

I don't know anything about the Cintiq honestly, but what could be so special about tilt recognition? My oldest smart phone has that. A Wacom stylus (read: an active digitizer) does typically add a lot to something's price.

As far as I know, the Jot stylus is strictly for iOS systems (iPads). Any active digitizer is good for drawing, there are just several brands out there - again, like Wacom and the S-pen for Samsung devices.

Edit: The tilt recognition is in the stylus, got it. Unless that's something you'll use frequently (sounds like a calligraphy thing), I don't think it's worth the price tag.

Edit2: You can generally mix and match styli and tablets, but you need to make sure the software matches. There is software in both the tablet and the stylus that determines whether it's digitizer-enabled or just capacitive.

For example, the Bamboo styli are commonly paired with Samsung Note tablets because some people prefer the thicker "pen" feel over the thinner "pencil" feel of writing. Here's what the Note 10.1 stylus looks like for the sake of comparison.

Done a bit of research on Ergonomic mice and keyboards lately and I have to say that I'm very happy with what I went with.

If you're willing to go through a little bit of a learning curve, a ball mouse is a great way to go (though not for everyone and not for gaming). The one I have for now is the Kensington Orbit ($23). Though I'll probably upgrade to one of their wireless versions in the near future since I enjoy it so much.

And the keyboard (less of a learning curve) that I went with and am in love with (also not for gaming) is the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard ($59).

Heck, and while I'm at it I'll suggest a great (so far) cheap ass computer chair($80) I've been using as well.

There really isn't much of a difference with a tablet with more pen pressure, larger screen or more buttons, it's purely what you are comfortable with, and assuming that this would be your first tablet, I suggest getting a small tablet without a screen.

yes, it takes some time to adjust to, but it's much cheaper and better to practice with and get to know what you're comfortable with before buying something expensive. if you REALLY want a screen, then I suggest HUION tablets as they are a cheaper counterpart of WACOM, and with little difference in quality, just make sure it is compatible with your drawing software.

Some small screenless tablets:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TB0TTAC/ref=psdc_16034531_t3_B002OOWC3S [very small but very cheap]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079J7DCXN/ref=psdc_16034531_t2_B002OOWC3S [pricey for size]

https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-Capture-Tablet-CTH470/dp/B005HGBEZ2/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=wacom+tablet+CTH470&qid=1574198997&s=electronics&sr=1-3 [what i used as a kid but currently out of stock]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DPC98DT/ref=sspa_dk_detail_5?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07DPC98DT&pd_rd_w=6UIy5&pf_rd_p=45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b&pd_rd_wg=GWJgM&pf_rd_r=TS1RD6K2JSVF4CBCNA33&pd_rd_r=22c6007a-6a19-4dac-90a9-d43c03a473a1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFOMksxMlgwV1JWMzgmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2MDg5NjYxQk42SUxMNE82TDNaJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1NDMxODQxSDBUNlhOQ0FPUVBQJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ== [what I use and suggest]

Average screen tablets:

https://www.xp-pen.com/product/56.html

https://www.amazon.com/Simbans-PicassoTab-Drawing-Beginner-Bluetooth/dp/B071GY6994/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=drawing+tablet&qid=1574199156&sr=8-2

https://www.amazon.com/XP-PEN-Artist12-Battery-Free-Multi-Function-Sensitivity/dp/B07GNK18VJ/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=drawing+tablet&qid=1574199156&sr=8-8

https://www.amazon.com/GT-191-KAMVAS-Drawing-Pressure-Sensitivity/dp/B072N2C2PB/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=drawing+tablet&qid=1574199156&sr=8-9

honestly just chose tablets that popped up first + fits ur budget, the difference is really minimalistic and it shouldn't matter as a beginner since you're not adjusted to a certain way of drawing digitally yet.

The problem with recommending a tablet is that I can only in good conscience recommend the stuff that isn't very affordable. Buying a tablet is like buying a car; buy cheap and you'll regret it later, because it'll either not be what you need or break down completely. If you're okay with spending around $200, this one is the model I've used for years now, and it's great: http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos4-Medium-Pen-Tablet/dp/B001TUYTZW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450471682&sr=8-1&keywords=wacom+intuos+4 Still going strong even after all the wear and tear.

Above all, make sure you're really ready to commit if you buy something in this price range. Well, unless you've got a lot of spending money, I guess.

No need to apologize! I didn't know lingo or anything when I first started looking into this stuff either, and there's a lot of interchangeable terms.

So a 'drawing tablet' is usually going to refer to a separate drawing pad that you plug into a USB port on your computer like an Intuos.

If you're drawing directly on the screen, that's usually called a 'tablet monitor' or 'pen display' like a Cintiq. Those are much more expensive (I'm still saving up for mine), but they're frankly awesome. If you ever get a chance to try one out at a Microsoft or Apple store, go for it!

Hopefully that clears things up a bit. That said, for a starter drawing tablet I would say take a look at the Wacom Bamboo for an affordable, no no-bells-and-whistles experience so you can get used to using one. The first two weeks or so are pretty awkward, as you have to get used to associating what you see on your monitor with how your hand is moving on the tablet. Don't worry if things look super crappy at first, you will get better with practice.

I’ve been eyeing the $20 (or less) Huion 4x2 fablet. It’s tiny but might be fun. I usually draw on an iPad Pro though so there’s no real need for me to get a tablet

But still, it might be fun. Anyways check it out here: Huion 4 x 2.23 Inches OSU Tablet Graphics Drawing Pen Tablet - 420 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DTPYWBG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_QDhQDbDQSXXH2

It’s all you “need” to get started in tablet drawing and if you think it’s something that you enjoy and want to continue with, then you can get a better tablet

These are fucking awesome!

I use them for gaming, both FPS and things like WoW, minecraft, etc, and you get used to it very quickly. I went from numb arm after about 4 hours of play, especially on WoW, to being able to play all day without any issues. I don't like normal trackballs, the thumb ones are just the fuckin best.

This one is specifically the one I have at home, and it cost me like $15.

Wacom Bamboo. They're like 50$, great quality, and super easy to use. My mother and sister both have one, and I use an Intous4.

This is the model I am recommending. It looks like its been discontinued, so if you are looking for a new tablet, you might have to spend closer to $125. Either way, its a good product, and I have never had problems with Wacom hardware.

http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-Capture-Tablet-CTH470/dp/B005HGBEZ2/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457716217&sr=1-2&keywords=wacom+bamboo+create

Well it's certainly worth while if you spend countless hours on it over a few years. The thing is thought you're not very experienced in digital art yet so it's hard to say if a purchase that large will pay itself off. You could use it for a few months and decide either the cintiq or digital isn't for you. I would recommend the Huion H610 Pro since it's so cheap. This tablet has the exact same specs as the intuos pro. Then if you really like digital buying a cintiq might be an easier decision since you'll have some experience in digital. You could even check out a cintiq alternative, just know that installing drivers can be difficult with them. I believe all the brands that make much cheaper cintiq alternatives are Bosto, Yiynova, Monoprice and Huion. Many complain that the cintiq's screen is dark and super thick creating a feeling of parallax. If you do go with a cintiq alternative make sure the screen resolution supports 1920x1080. The Yiynova I have has a res of 1440x900 and since you're so close to the screen it's insanely easy to see pixelation. Other then that I have 0 complaints with it after I got the drivers installed.

That's great! Please show us when you have it all done. :)

If you eventually decide to dabble in more digital art, I'd recommend getting a Wacom Bamboo tablet. It's pretty inexpensive (as far as tablets go, anyway), and that way you can experiment in Photoshop more. :) What I usually do is scan a drawing in, do the lineart in PS, and then color from there.

Don't know about you but I've been using this product from Wacom for the past couple of months now on my artwork and stuff. Costed me close to $80. For a program rec. try Autodesk Sketchbook, recently they made it free for users like myself to work on fun projects :) https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Drawing-Software-Included-CTL4100/dp/B079HL9YSF/ref=pd_sbs_147_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B079HL9YSF&pd_rd_r=15f9b071-e7d7-11e8-b0b1-33fa73d4a09a&pd_rd_w=IY36s&pd_rd_wg=EwvbN&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=7d5d9c3c-5e01-44ac-97fd-261afd40b865&pf_rd_r=6AF5R3C71G3EXVGY2ZYY&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=6AF5R3C71G3EXVGY2ZYY

The Kensington Orbit with scroll ring is pretty inexpensive, sounds like a good fit for you. The scroll ring is really awesome to flick with your ring finger, and the ball was the right size for me (it's not huge or tiny). I just wish they made a wireless version the same size and gave it a third button ( if you need middle click, you have to click left and right simultaneously).

It's only $30 on Amazon and there's a 15% off coupon available (at least when I looked).

Kensington Orbit Trackball Mouse with Scroll Ring (K72337US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002OOWB3O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_WguQAbWXNCMA7

Might I suggest getting her a trackball instead? They are very handy, work as good as a mouse, but allow for a different experience, especially for those of us who have trouble with using a mouse. Variations here and here give you an idea of the choices available in form, like specialized keyboards.

Also, they may be coming out with a flip version of a smartphone (Samsung, I believe?) in the near future. Is your mom a Star Trek:TOS fan, by chance?

Also, you might try buying her a cheap tablet, and loading a few games into it, to get her used to using the form factor. (Hey, that's why Microsoft invented Minesweeper and Solitaire, so it's not as dumb an idea as it sounds... and not mine - obviously. "Good minds invent, GREAT minds steal. " heh )

>Wacom Bamboo Touch tablet

Thank you, I appreciate that. It's been rough for him as he used to have a lot of hobbies like woodworking, model airplanes, etc. and not he can't do them.

That looks interesting, appears it's gone up in price as Amazon has it for $174. A good starting point, thank you!

Edit: Scratch that, I guess I was looking at an older model. Looks like it's still about $80 https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-Capture-Tablet-CTH470/dp/B005HGBEZ2

Edit 2: There's also a newer model, if anyone else it looking for this sort of thign: https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Wireless-Software-Included-CTL4100WLK0/dp/B079J2FSQ7/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

I use either Flash or Photoshop to make all of my comics. I know that Flash isn't made for drawing comics, but I used to do crummy little animations, and got used to the way the tools on there work.

I have a little Wacom table that I do all of my drawings on. I wish it had a bigger area to draw on, but it works for me.

Once I draw my frames in Flash or Photoshop, I put them into icomic. It's a cheap little program for macs that comes with the ilife package. That's where I make my panels and add text.

Everything I do is very low budget and probably not that professional. That's why my comics don't look as polished as a lot of the well-known webcomics.

My biggest piece of advice is this: If you want to do something, do it. If your kid wants to get into comics, any way they can make them is good. I've been making comics for six years and still get a lot of criticism for using too much text or various other things. They'll never be perfect, but they'll be theirs.

Best of luck, and if you ever want to email me with more questions, feel free to use the contact form on my site.

It should say the capabilities on the items. I am not too familiar with them but their bamboo tablets are a good starting point

https://smile.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-CTL471-Tablet-Black/dp/B00EVOXM3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487001518&sr=8-1&keywords=wacom+bamboo

There may be others to help. It depends on what she wants to do with it I'm sure. The linked above was what I was going to get years ago, and it was the best bang for buck.

I'm still planning on going straight to digital though. My hands aren't very steady (though I figure it may improve over time), so I'd like to take advantage of the smoothing in digital, and I just prefer the look of digital most of the time. Also, fixing mistakes is easier in digital, and I already have a bit of experience with photoshop.

I'll be honest, the only real reason I want to draw is to have some kind of artistic talent, and also to draw my sona and other furry shit. Like, I want to be able to make my own branding amd PFPs (I appreciate good art and would be willing to shell out money to artists, but if I can achieve a decent result myself, I'll try because I'm stingy as fuck)

Thanks a ton for the advice though. If you don't mind me asking, which of these looks like a better deal to you?

This: https://www.amazon.ca/StarG640-Ultrathin-Graphics-Battery-Free-Pressure/dp/B078YR2MTF/ref=pd_sbs_0_1/137-1111389-1670244?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B078YR2MTF&pd_rd_r=edcd46df-50b0-11e9-948b-a94c591038df&pd_rd_w=CfZXE&pd_rd_wg=H7EwO&pf_rd_p=5dcda75b-8643-4da3-9bb1-5c0233790500&pf_rd_r=7N20KAC4R67FE96RF9TA&psc=1&refRID=7N20KAC4R67FE96RF9TA

Or this:
https://www.amazon.ca/Huion-Graphics-Drawing-Tablet-Board/dp/B00TB0TTAC/ref=pd_sbs_0_1/137-1111389-1670244?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00TB0TTAC&pd_rd_r=e54a4ca5-50c2-11e9-a24f-1f23c692de06&pd_rd_w=Ev9FP&pd_rd_wg=IU9gR&pf_rd_p=5dcda75b-8643-4da3-9bb1-5c0233790500&pf_rd_r=NC6N1KBFJCMRG0AQ5X4J&psc=1&refRID=NC6N1KBFJCMRG0AQ5X4J

On a side note, I find it hilarious that they market low end tablets as "Osu Tablets"

My favorite time to play roguelikes is whenever I should be doing something important, look schoolwork (such as right now). Usually I'll play for a few hours, a couple of different games but I'll focus on one usually. Currently I am focusing on Caves of Qud and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead. I feel I might play some UnReal World today though, it's such a zen game.

Since I have a laptop the only thing that could be considered a set-up is I have bought an external keypad just for roguelike purposes.

Playing for a long time can be good or bad for me. It really depends on how cocky I get with my later-game characters, especially if the game has a part where it lets me be awesome, and lets me completely own everything (or I've just gotten lucky drops).

Alright boys, like our OP here, I'm thinking of getting a tablet too, but I've been struggling with what to get. I've heard that the Huion 420 is pretty good for it's price, but I really like the sound of something like the Wacom CTL-480 , I'm totally fine to spend the extra money for it, thoughts??

I just got the Intuos art yesterday (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010LHRFYU/ref=psdc_16034531_t1_B010LHRFWW) , i Picked it at best buy around 11am, it was installed and ready to use by noon, I worked on some photoshop stuff until 5pm, it was very quick to get used to, super fun. I don't know why I've waited so long to get one, since I've been on graphic design for a while now, but no regrets so far. I tested on Photoshop and it worked smoothly, I want to test it on Illustrator soon and see if my workflow will improve too. Anyways, its a great tool, I totally recommend it.

Real life! AWESOME.

Tablet's are actually pretty affordable if you don't get a Cintiq or a Wacom. I've got this one. I've only used it a few times so far but it's pretty nice. Can't beat that price for that size either.

Have you considered picking up a second hand monitor? The extra real estate might be handy to have.

You can actually replace the switches wholesale (I think, my mouse is the trackman wheel, but I would imagine they'd use similar switch hardware), which sounds way safer and less fiddly than trying to mess with the tiny spring by hand. You just need a soldering iron, desoldering braid and a bit of solder to reattach the switches, all of which are very useful for other things as well.

Looks like the switch manufacturer sells two-packs of the G500 switches, presumably for exactly this purpose.

Get the largest Wacom model you can find for the price and don't be afraid to look for used ones, because in your price range you will be likely forced to resign to small models and people tend to upgrade from them after a while, so such investment isn't particularly wise. Avoid anything with touch interface, it's widely regarded as useless, go for non-touch versions and save some money. Intuos Pro Medium is currently considered #1 choice for professional digital artists, but it falls outside your budget.

The closest competitors to Wacom are Monoprice tablets, but they have all sorts of driver and build quality issues. Huion is another leading competitor, offering a particularly attractive Huion H610PRO tablet for a very affordable price. That would definitely be a good alternative to Wacom products, but make damn well sure to test it before paying or at least make sure you have a very good return policy. I had to return mine, because it couldn't draw straight diagonal lines and it's not exactly an uncommon issue. But if you get a working model, for the price it can't be beat.

All non-Wacom products seem to have severe compatibility issues with Windows 10 at times, so keep that in mind if you're running that.

I really like my Kensington Expert - it feels very well made, aside from the scroll wheel/ring (it is as crummy as they say. It's usable, but feels very inconsistent).

I believe the consensus generally favors the CST Laser that was recently on MD, though I have heard some say that they liked the Kensington better. I just saw a new one today for the first time, and am interested in how it does over time (sounds like the software is a weakness, and I use Linux, so we'll have to see):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0735584RM/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1D0AHRBU67CPA&colid=1HLUKKQ9HQI6Q

Tablet Name: Cintiq 13HD

Manufacturer: Wacom

Price: about $1000

Size: 6.5" x 11.5" active area with 1920x1080 resolution (actual device is about 15x10 in)

Features: 5 express keys, 1 "rocker ring" (which is like 4 buttons in a d-pad configuration), 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, 5,080 lines per inch

Accessories: Pen, pen holder, pen carry-case, felt nibs, spring nib, replacement plastic nibs, cleaning cloth, adjustable stand.

Comments: This is a relatively new product which I was lucky enough to obtain. It is essentially a monitor which has Wacom technology, allowing you to draw on the screen. The monitor itself is high definition (1920x1080) and a reasonable size, about the same as the "medium" intuos size. The main difference between this tablet and other tablets is your ability to see your pen tip and what you are drawing at the same time. It is slightly more natural, and may be easier for someone who is used to pencils/pens to adjust to.

Set-up can be a little annoying if you already have a multi monitor setup. Also the colour contrast on the monitor could be better. Still, it's a nice product, and I have no major complaints about it. I think it is a slight improvement over the Intuos series, and is worth the cost if you plan on using it a lot.

Website: Product Site, Amazon Page

User: /u/Whatsapokemon

> I feel like he’ll appreciate the full size since he’s a programmer.

This is potentially completely backwards. Programming isn't data entry, and a numpad is not required for most tasks.

I can't speak to his work style or personal preferences obviously, but many programmers prefer smaller boards. I get by with this.

I would say get the TKL unless you think he can go down to 60%, it's ergonomically better (keeps the angle of your shoulders better when using a mouse) and then you can get a separate numpad if he really needs it, that can be put away when not in use, or placed on the left hand side.

I'm no expert, but I just got my first drawing tablet, so I'll recommend the one I have. I've got a Huion h610 Pro. Personally, I like it. Works well with Photoshop Elements 10. The pressure sensitivity works pretty well. It works better with my desktop than laptop, though I think that's just me installing the driver wrong. It's normally a $150 tablet, but it's on sale on amazon right now. I'd check compatible programs before committing, though, to see if it'll be good enough for you.

Wacom products are good, but I find they're overpriced for what you get. I'm currently rocking a Huion H610 ($76.99 on Amazon). My first tablet was a Wacom Bamboo that served me just fine (aside from the USB cable shorting out a couple times; customer service always replaced it for a small fee), but honestly I like the Huion better.

Note: before picking up a tablet, draw traditionally. You don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a tablet only to find out you need more practice, or want to quit (ever wonder why there's so many used tablets for sale?). If you've already built up some mileage, continue.

I had a small Intuos Comic (just an Intuos Draw w/ some software) for a half a year. It was affordable, and worked without issue. I did have two big issues with it, which mostly came down to personal circumstance.

• I have a huge monitor in comparison to the Draw. I came across a good rule of thumb on stack exchange while researching my new tablet. It's called the 1/3 rule. Basically, if your tablet is less than a third the size of your screen, there's going to be a dramatic difference between a stroke on your tablet and a stroke on your screen. I found this disorienting. Here is a comparison between the two tablets, alongside my screen. The difference is clear. Of course, if you have a smaller monitor, this point may be null.
  
  
  
• Every time I drew for more than an hour my hand would cramp up. Drawing with my arm was out of the picture (the drawing area is about the size of my hand), so I had to draw with my wrist :P. The pain turned me off from digital for a while.
  
  
  I recently upgraded to an Intuos Pro Large. I got it refurbished for the price of a medium pro. I am very happy with my purchase. I can draw as big as I want, and for longer than a few hours. My computer is now my primary sketchbook.
  
  The Intuos Pro Large is a bit spendy though. I got it at a discount for $350. If I were you, I'd spend the extra $100 to get the next largest tablet in the Intuos line, the Intuos medium. You could probably get it refurbished, if it costs too much.
  
  I should add that I haven't tried this tablet, so take my suggestion with a grain of salt. If it is just a larger version with all the same features (it looks like it is), then I would go for it. My only issue with the smaller one was that it was small. If size isn't that big an issue for you, then go for the small version.
  
  Whatever tablet you choose, make sure you have a solid return path if you change your mind; no one wants to buy used tablets :(.

Question one: Toss it, break it, use it as a desk accoutrement -- I gave my last one to my best friend because he didn't have one. That part I'm not terribly helpful with, since this is my second keyboard ever and I've had it for years now.

So the format you're thinking of is called TKL, or tenkeyless. No numpad, so it's more ergonomic (there's a diagram somewhere, but basically it puts the mouse in a better place for your shoulders). For those that get a TKL and need a numpad, they can buy an external one for about $20 (like this one).

If you want one with a numpad, the format you're looking for is called full-sized or 104-key (sometimes 108-key, 4 keys are added along the function row above the numpad). There are plenty of keyboards that fit this size, most of which you could find here. Generally, if there's a TKL version, there's also a full-size version. Not true for everything, but true for many.

This link is a pretty good run down on tablets, however the Bamboo is now the Intuos and the Intuos series is Intuos Pro.

tl;dr: If you're doing this as a hobby, think of getting a Bamboo/Intuos or if you're willing to splash money an Intuos 4/5/Intuos Pro.

You can get good deals on second-hand/refurbished Wacom tablets on eBay once you have a look around. I personally wouldn't get anything smaller than a Wacom medium-sized tablet simply because you don't have room to do nice, long strokes.

There are other brands such as Genius and Huion if you're looking to save a bit of money.

Thank you. Haha, I've been looking into do that soon (Making tutorials and classes of some sort)

I bought my daughter [this tablet] (http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-Splash-Tablet-CTL471/dp/B0089VGPII/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370074959&sr=8-1&keywords=wacom+bamboo). SHe loves it, but she's 6. I am not sure her review of how awesome it is counts. Other friends have it though and say it gets the job done but if you want to be more serious go with Intous.

This is the cheapest Wacom tablet

and don't ever let yourself feel limited because you have the "lowest end" Wacom. This person has a Bamboo Connect and it doesn't look like it's holding them back any!
For reference, the Bamboo Connect was the lowest end Wacom tablet four years ago

These lower end tablets do have a smaller surface area. It's about on par with the size of your standard postcard. If you want something bigger but cant afford Wacoms larger offerings Huion is another company I would recommend.

Specifically these two models
Huion H610 Pro

Huion Giano

The reason I favor Wacom is just overall customer and driver support. Huion is just a chinese company and their customer and driver support isn't the greatest. But if you are patient their tablets are just as good.

I only know all this info off hand because I've spent the last two weeks shopping for a tablet myself. I ended up ordering one of these it arrives tomorrow and I can't wait to try it out. If it's disappointing I might return it and order the Huion Giano I linked above.

If there are only two choices here, I would chose Wacom tablet for its good fame and good quality. But the price is relatively high. There are also many other famous brands like Huion and monoprice. I strongly recommend Huion tablets which are affordable and durable.
http://www.amazon.com/Huion-H610-Graphics-Drawing-Tablet/dp/B00GIGGS6A/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_2?m=A30BRCK3LE6SB5&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1410862891&sr=1-2

I have a Huion H610 graphics tablet, it is a very responsive piece of kit, gorgeous for drawing on. I'd definitely recommend going for a graphics tablet for drawing rather than a normal tablet that you can do other stuff on.

The Huion is only about £70 and definitely gives the comparable Wacom a run for it's money.

I've been reading that but I've also stumbled upon this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GIGGS6A/ref=pd_luc_rh_sbs_01_03_t_ttl_lh?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It has significantly better specs I've seen from most wacoms that arent over 200 dollars, good surface area and from what I understand very much desired LPI and pressure sensitivity. And also a lot of amazon reviews that used wacoms recommend this, what do you think?

A good place to start is with a tablet. You can get a small beginners version for roughly $30 on Amazon. Here’s the one I used for about a year, till it broke:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00TB0TTAC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1522771217&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=wacom+tablet&dpPl=1&dpID=51NLs66kOjL&ref=plSrch

Next, you’ll need an art program for your computer. Clip studio paint is a great program at around $60, but it’s a bit overwhelming for beginners. There is a free alternative, fire alpaca that’s a bit easier to understand. I never used it starting out though, so I’m not sure how well it works. But it is free, so you’ve really got nothing to lose. Also, be wary that you do need a decent computer for higher end programs, such as photoshop. Any laptop could handle something like firealpaca, and can generally run clip studio paint, but it does have trouble in bigger, or more complex pieces. I have a relatively cheap office computer and rarely have any problems. You should be fine, but it is an important factor when deciding what program you want to use.

The biggest tip I can give you with digital art: it doesn’t matter how well you can draw traditionally, you WILL be terrible at first. You’ll have to reteach yourself how to draw. It’s a process that took me a bit under a year, but I’ve heard of people who could do it in a couple months. It’s a long and frustrating process, but very worth it. Focus on getting the motions of moving the pen across the tablet memorized. It seems dumb, but it is very different holding a stylus than holding a pencil or pen.

Hope this helps!

A kindle Voyage is 199.99

[A 13" touch screen drawing tablet is 750.00] (http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Cintiq-Interactive-Display-DTK1300/dp/B00BSOSCNE/ref=sr_1_19?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1458755541&sr=1-19&keywords=best+drawing+tablets)

[A 13" touch screen USB powered portibal monitor 389.00] (http://www.amazon.com/GeChic-Portable-Touchscreen-Monitor-MiniDisplay/dp/B00XK5A502/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1458755649&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=usb+poured+13+monitor)

That comes to $1338.... And that is just to fulfill my need for a great drawing device, an e-reader, and a touch screen secondary monitor . The 32gb iPad pro with apple pencil is 899.00... plus it does all the other iPad things like apps, email, text, camera.... so on and so on. For me the iPad is incredibly useful and economical. I may be a fringe case but regardless it is working out great for me.

I own the Huion 420, which is just the tablet you linked minus the buttons on the side. I love it for osu, and it's actually what the official osu! tablet from the store used to be before they released the updated (and never in stock) new model. I can't compare it to any other tablet, but I've been nothing but happy with it in the past year and it's still going strong.

I would highly recommend the 420 or the H420 if you have a use for the side buttons (might be nice if you're into photoshop/art) if you're looking for a smaller-sized tablet.

I know that you can take the ball out easily for cleaning, but you make a great point lol. For what it's worth, if you could find a replacement ball for this mouse, it may work. http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Trackman-Wheel-Optical-Silver/dp/B00005NIMJ

Tablet wise there's Monoprice if you're willing to put up with driver struggles and questionable quality (but when it works, it works like a dream). But for just slightly more money you can get a Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch, which I would recommend over Monoprice. If you can find a Bamboo Fun that someone is willing to part with, that one is pretty good and hardy. Mine has been through a lot and the assembly on the eraser end was frankensteined onto the pen end, but it still works!

Software-wise, there's firealpaca, gimp, and krita. All of these are free.

I just got the Huion H160PRO yesterday, and I absolutely love it! I've been a Wacom user for years, and had the privilege of using Intuos 5 tablets in high school, but this tablet really met my expectations. It's about the same size as the Intous line, and it was delivered in 3 days with free shipping through amazon.

Huion H610PRO Painting Drawing Pen Graphics Tablet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GIGGS6A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DM1gybWXWNM8E

I mean it's just freaking awesome.

I would go with the [
Wacom Intuos Art Pen and Touch digital graphics] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010LHRVOY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dimz04-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B010LHRVOY&linkId=10dcc19742b2f6be9972373690d8a479) information related to this tablet:
Paint, design and create directly on your computer
Replaces your mouse and turns your computer into a digital drawing canvas
Battery-free, pressure sensitive pen helps you to draw thicker and thinner lines depending on how hard you push on the pen
Use your fingers to navigate, scroll, zoom your artwork with multi-touch gestures
Comes with a free Art Pack including: Corel Painter Essentials drawing and painting software, online tutorials, a free 8x10 metal photo print, and a 8x8 Shutterfly Photo Album
Four customizable Express Keys that put your favorite shortcuts like undo or copy/paste at your fingertips
Connects to Mac (10.8.5 and above) or PC (Windows 7 and above) via USB cable or wireless - wireless kit sold separately (B006MRAVFE) - and works with any software program.

Seems I am late to the party, but maybe you're still looking for some insight. Up until I switched over to an Expert Mouse a couple years back I'd go through about three mice a year. Either the buttons would stop being responsive or the optical sensor became jittery over time. Which isn't very good when you're coding or designing something. Even though it's been just about two years now I've had no issue with the trackball.

Do you have any charity/thrift shops around? Especially if you're in a metro-area there's a good shot you'll be able to pick one up to play with for a few bucks. Just map out a few places to check out, and who knows you may even find some other peripheral that might be useful. It might take a couple rounds, but it's still cheaper and leaving the house once and awhile is good.

This is the model we have, but it doesn't have any sort of optical sensor on the bottom, so moving it around like a normal mouse wouldn't do anything. They work great for the people who like them. :P

Oddly some of the most comfortable designs are also out of production now, like the two ianisthewalrus suggests - if you can find them at a sane price then awesome, but they can also be pretty extortionate these days.

That being the case I'd suggest trying out something like the Logitech m570 (which is a thumb ball - ie the ball's operated by your thumb), or the Kensington Orbit Trackball Scroll (which is a finger ball); both are under $30 and either would be a decent device to trial.

Hi! I'm somewhat in the same boat. My issue is that I have a tendency to quit things, so I don't want to buy anything too expensive and I'm looking at cheap alternatives. Currently I'm eyeing a Huion H420 because of how cheap it is, and figured I'd get something better as time goes on if I use it often enough. I'd say start with pad and paper, because I've had a drawing tablet before and your drawing skills from paper will definitely not be useless, so maybe start with that, then move on to a tablet once you're relearned your skills well enough? Or get a super cheap tablet and start from there!

Here's a whole list of free art programs out there.
Try them out and see which one works best for you.

As for 'track pad' (IDK what that is) but if you meant 'tablet' go for Wacom Intuos (formerly Wacom Bamboo), great starter tablets. There's also Huion if you want something much cheaper than that, and they work just as fine.

These are great! I do a lot of character drawing (especially rpg themed) myself. I really like the variety of characters you've presented. I hope you post more soon!

P.S. If you're interested this is my portfolio:
https://www.behance.net/MikhailHolland

P.S.S. This is the tablet I use (super cheap equivalent to Wacom), Huion:
http://www.amazon.com/Huion-H610PRO-Painting-Drawing-Graphics/dp/B00GIGGS6A

This is my favorite - Huge and around $60 for the wired version is a great price. The CST I have in the picture is a solid trackball, but I feel it's over priced and not as comfortable as the Huge. But you can't put a billiard ball in the huge, so if customization is what you want then the CST is a good option.

Is it possible to replace the switches on this jelly comb numpad with MX clears? https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Numeric-Keypad-Jelly-Comb/dp/B01E8U8HKW
I'm totes MC goats good at soldering but have never soldered switches before so if it is possible a guide/tips would be awesome. Thanks!

Right now I prefer (fun wise) dual joysticks and headtracker (use an air mouse, trackIR, wiimote etc.). With that setup you can aim your class 1 and 2 effectively and look around using tab. PM me for a xml Stoic made that correctly decouples mouse/joystick, if you're interested.


For joystick + mouse, was thinking of using this trackball: http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Expert-Mouse-Optical-Trackball/dp/B00009KH63/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411624606&sr=8-1&keywords=expert+trackball

or the wiimote. There's a 3rd option I need to setup soon which is gamepad based (good for FPS as well), but with the ability to effectively aim/look, not using the thumbstick. All of them should work well. For bigger ships I bought an eclipse flight yoke:

http://store01.prostores.com/x-planestore/catalog/eclipseyoke_store.jpg

It can do yaw, pitch, and roll (most yokes can't without peddles) and has dozens of buttons. I'll probably get a HOTAS too at some point, but dual sticks works about the same. I also have some other more exotic setups that are WIP.

If I may, I would recommend this tablet. It was my first tablet and it is not only relatively cheap, but pretty good quality as well.

Looks great and much better than I could do :)

You could try animating him waving his hands on 1s instead of just "blurring" the movement.

For hotkeys, buy something like this and the remap your hotkeys to it.

Welcome.

If you love mech keyboards you might like the T420/T520/W520 keyboards the best. Lenovo changed to island keys for the T/W#30 models, but some of the T/W#30 models can be modified with the T/W#20 keyboard. I've only used the newer style, but I type plenty, and I like it fine. If a smaller Thinkpad catches your eye a USB numpads are available.

This is what I got.

Again, I got it with money from graduation gifts, and It still cost me a pretty penny.

But if you're just trying to branch out? I had an older version of this.

There are better options than that, I would explore them. If you're in the market for a new laptop or something, the MicroSoft Surface works pretty well as a travel computer and can be used as drawing tablet.

It's very personal, which doesn't give you an easy answer unfortunately.

I supply my own mice at work too, I use one of these - elecom huge finger trackball which I had to import from Japan, but that's because I find trackballs far more comfortable than normal mice and no-one seems to sell ergonomic trackballs in the UK.

I have problems with strain in my hands, I have tried dozens of mice and spent a few hundred quid over the years on different mice. I have friends in similar positions who've done the same and ended up with completely different mice though so it's very personal (though worth noting all of us who have problems with strain/RSI/pain in our hands have settled on either vertical mice or trackballs. We're also super fun at parties).

Something else I do is map the key in the top left of the keyboard (above tab) to be a left click (using autohotkey), then for tasks that involve lots of clicking I can use my left hand to click instead which reduces the strain on my right. I would type the characters instead of describing the key but I can't because some idiot turned it into a left click instead. I'm not sure I've ever needed those characters before this moment.

If you're getting ache in your hands it's worth addressing, mice can make a big difference while ignoring the problem can lead to that hand ache getting worse and starting to affect your quality of life.

I got this for Christmas since a friend who does professional art stuff recommended it to me and it's been pretty great.

Do not spend too much until you find a style you really like.

I think the biggest decision to make first is thumb ball or no thumb ball. Some love it, some hate it. I personally am not a thumb ball fan.

I found the cheapest way for me to find a style I liked was to find the various styles at thrift stores. I ended up get a older thumb ball logitech for $3, and another older logitech smaller ball style. I used both for a few days each.

After finding I did not like the thumb ball, but liked the other trackball quite a bit. I ended up order a new Kesington Orbit with scroll ring.
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-K72337US-Orbit-Trackball-Scroll/dp/B002OOWB3O/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_2

Really like it a lot, all my wrist pain went away. Ended up getting a second one to keep at work too.

I eventually want to try the larger Kensington Pro trackballs, but the cost stops me. Always looking for a used one though.

As a side note, I did use one of those scroll bar mice before, on an old Outbound laptop. They are very interesting, but I did not get to use it enough to get a good feel for it.

I have a 27" monitor and I use an older version of this small tablet and I love it. I use it for the same things you do: retouching/brushing/pen tool in Ps and comping in Ae. I actually prefer the small size as it fits next to my mouse on my desk and doesn't take up too much space. I don't need a lot of travel since I'm not doing any long brush strokes so the small is a perfect size. If I need to be more precise then I just zoom in and go from there. I've had it for years and haven't wished that I had a larger one.

Ninja edit: I agree with some of the other commenters that you don't need the pro version. It just gives you more sensitivity and since you're not a digital artist that needs that level of control the base mode will be just fine.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00GIGGS6A/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1466001954&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=intous+pro+medium&dpPl=1&dpID=41NxyYbKIZL&ref=plSrch


Something like that might be better for your budget. Personally, the Huion I used worked great on photoshop, toonboom and a few other programs I use, but I disliked the pen nib travel. Otherwise great products. I had their cintiq type of product.


Otherwise intuos pro are like $300 vs $100-$200 for the comic/art versions.
I really would say save up to get the pro version or I don't think you will get much more out of it than what you have.

My decades old bamboo fun tablet has more functionality than the new intuos line. Without built in controls/buttons I just can't recommend them.
It would be $100+ spent just to need replaced.

Hell, I'm buying a cintiq this month, I'd send my bamboo tablet to you if you pay $25+shipping.
https://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Small-Tablet-Graphics-Software/dp/B000V9NU2A

Beginner tablet for $30: https://www.amazon.com/Huion-Graphics-Drawing-Tablet-Board/dp/B00TB0TTAC/

Photoshop CC in the cloud for $10/mo: http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html

If you have a higher price range, consider checking your options with Wacom tablets, which have a great reputation for being durable, accurate, and perfect for beginners/intermediate designers: https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-CTL471-Tablet-Black/dp/B00EVOXM3S/ ($56)

Feel free to make a post anytime you need assistance involving any form of digital design.

I've used a trackball for about eight years now, both personally and at work. Occasionally I go shopping for a new and improved version but I always eventually settle on the same one:

Logitech Trackman Wheel Optical. It's very similar to the one you recommend, and although I own three (for various work stations) only one is newer than a year old. My oldest is four years old and still works perfectly.

For anyone new to trackballs: they need to be cleaned regularly. The best method is to use rubbing alcohol on the ball and contact points (inside the recess where the ball normally sits), but I've found that simply removing the ball and picking out the lint that builds up every few weeks is enough to keep 'em accurate and smooth.

Great contest!

Hello, Goodbye~.

Wacom Bamboo Capture Pen and Touch Tablet for my wonderful husband :) It is located on Jon's wishlist.

I've had this in my Amazon cart for a while now but haven't bought it yet so take this with a grain of salt. I've read a ton of reviews and watched some on YouTube, it seems like a solid tablet for beginners. I don't hand draw a lot of stuff but the rare occasion I'd want to it seems like a good enough tablet.

>Using the stationary bike for exercise while letting seniors reminisce about their past in this way is simply awesome!

You know what's even more awesome, actually visiting these places.

> Show me a $100-$300 setup that will take the info from a stationary bike and translate that into a Google Street View tour. Oh wait, you can't because it doesn't exist!

As for the project watch this = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6-num072ME

Bike (Free) - https://www.kijiji.ca/v-kids-bike/calgary/free-little-daisy-adams-bike/1347176087?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

Laptop ($20) - https://www.kijiji.ca/v-laptops/calgary/asus-eee-pc-series/1338444243?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

Switch ($2.50) - https://www.phidgets.com/?tier=3&catid=13&pcid=11&prodid=418

Keypad ($9) - https://www.amazon.com/Numeric-Jelly-Comb-Portable-Computer/dp/B01E8TTWZ2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1524205030&sr=8-3&keywords=keypad

Total: $31.50

I recommend this. It is a great numpad for the money, and can be a great project if you want to change the switches it uses.

You're walking into a Chinese restuarant asking if they serve Italian food.

I think you're looking for /r/DigitalPainting as they're more apt in drawing with tools like Photoshop. /r/LearningPhotoShop is all about cropping/feathring/filters and just more of learning how to use photoshop for basic photo manipulation.

You'll want to start by learning how to draw with a tablet that reads pressure sensitivity. I'd recommend a (relatively) cheap one such as the Wacom-Bamboo which is what I use for 3D Sculpting in Blender and have tried dabbling in digital art within photoshop sometimes but prefer 3D Modeling more than drawing. I'd recommend the website https://www.ctrlpaint.com/ to learn more.

There's no one way to do something like this: there's a multitude of ways in a multitude of different programs. Though it seems this one is Digitally Painted based on the neatness of the lines and the brush strokes apparent in the walkway tiles the person is standing on. As an For another piece of art, Steve Argyle, created Monastery Swiftspear using both 3D Modeling and 2D Painting by creating the base of the art in a 3D modeling program, adn then painting directly over it in a drawing program.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HGBEZ2/ref=pe_385040_121528360_TE_dp_1
Actually this is my first tablet but I feel like it works fairly well with photoshop and the pen feels smooth too. I'm a casual drawer so I just want a cheap tablet, turns out this is pretty good.

Software: Adobe Photoshop CC 2015.5

Hardware: This thing

Draw daily!! Drawing is all about mileage and pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone; it's just like learning any other skill. Also, have fun with it :)

> I am fine with a low active space

4x2 1/4 isn't small; it's a sick joke. That's pretty much a guarantee that you'll end up hating digital art.

Save up a while longer and get something like a Huion H610 Pro; that one's only $62.

If you're only willing to spend $30, buy some paper and pencils and start with that, and try out digital later.

I've heard Paint Tool SAI is a really good one. I personally use photoshop although it takes a lot of researching to be able to use it to its max potential but overall amazing


https://www.amazon.com/Inspiroy-H640P-Graphics-Battery-Free-Sensitivity/dp/B075T6MTJX
is the tablet i use! its nothing crazy but shes done me well hehe

Cool, if you're using Photoshop, you can pretty much find drivers that will work with it for any tablet. So you're better off looking at brands like Huion, Ugee and Monoprice. I've owned Monoprice tablets myself, they're cheap so I like to keep them around as backups. All tablets eventually fail. Even the $2k cintiqs.
This would be a great option for you at $30.
https://www.amazon.com/Huion-Graphics-Drawing-Tablet-Board/dp/B00TB0TTAC/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1503863029&sr=8-11&keywords=wacom

Unfortunately logitech doesn't make anything good anymore, so I recommend going back to when they did make something good. The corded version of the M570 isn't made anymore, but you can get it on amazon for about $65 used (ignore the $300 for a NIB one) and they often go on ebay or second hand store for less. I've been using the same one for at least 8 years and it's still going strong.

There are several styluses that will work on Samsung devices w sPen (Notes, Tab A w sPen, MS Surface pro 1/2..)

Wacom Bamboo Stylus

Wacom Bamboo Smart Stylus

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 S Pen with Eraser

Fujitsu Stylus Pen

Wacom Grip Pen UP-911E-02DD

IMHO, they all suffer from cursor off-set with the exception of the new "Wacom Bamboo Smart Stylus" that seems to be most comparable to an actual sPen. The other choice is the Samsung Spen w Eraser. If you are comfortalbe with pen offset the Fujitsu and Wacom grip have two side buttons.

You may consider getting the newly released Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S Pen 10.1. It has comparable performance to the Note 2014, but the Spen technology is better with 2046 (maybe 4096..) levels of pressure (double) and tilt recognition. Currently only Clover Paint, and Art Rage recognize stylus tilt, and possibly the beta version on Infinite Painter.





If you find my comments helpful I appreciate an^up-vote

Found this and people recommend Ducky and it's not so wide since its TKL and it still has all the keys I'd need for my game and day to day stuff. https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=4284

Then I can get this (or something like it) for the times I need the number pad https://www.amazon.com/Numeric-Jelly-Comb-Portable-Computer/dp/B01E8TTWZ2

This setup is at the top of my list now.

Although I know people recommend a base, buy some nice switches, caps, lube and build yourself for an epic keyboard. My setup would be cherry mx brown with no option to change it looks like.

My stylus still works but I got a Wacom Bamboo Stylus (not real bamboo). I had a $20 credit so it only cost me $8. Well worth it since it feels like a real pen and works with my Note 8 and Note 4.

Wacom Bamboo Stylus Feel for Galaxy Note Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IWJM9SW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_E6r8ybHFTZXYK

Like the guy above said, I like to lean more towards Mac but I work on both.

With that budget, I'd look at something along the lines of the ZenBook:
http://store.asus.com/us/item/201608AM250000471

and use the extra cash on a Wacom tablet:
https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos-Tablet-Medium-PTH651/dp/B00EN27SHY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1478266146&sr=8-4&keywords=wacom

That should be more than enough to allow you freedom of both design and concept art.

I would second getting at least a Medium if possible. As soon as you get to school and past the mandatory analog courses, you'll wish you had a larger tablet. Ideally your school will have some Cintiqs to practice on as well, and going from a Cintiq to a small Intuos won't be fun.

So yea, https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-digital-graphics-drawing-painting/dp/B010LHRVOY seems like a good bet

In my ghetto cockpit (nowadays used solely with the oculus) I have found that a Trackball on the left hand (throttle) is the best solution.

I bought a very cheap ambidextrous trackball with scroll wheel, the added bonus is that the scroll wheel is horizontal son turning knobs is kind of more natural:

https://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Orbit-Trackball-Scroll-K72337US/dp/B002OOWB3O/ref=pd_lpo_147_lp_img_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7FV7JPS7DN5SA09EH7PD

It takes a couple of hours to get used to it if you are right handed like me, but after that is pretty natural and fast (at least with the oculus where part of the pointing is done with your head (don’t know if trackIr work the same).

Anyway, an idea to consider.


I may open a thread somewhere with pictures of my multipurpose cockpit (race/flight) so people can grab ideas from it as most solutions are hacked together and are already 'combat proven' ;D.

People have said that the Bamboo is a good tablet and priced well at $59.99.

I personally use the Intuos 4 and I love it. I find the size of the tablet to be fine to work with and the size allows me to throw it in my bag along with my laptop.

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: http://smile.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-Capture-Tablet-CTH470/dp/B005HGBEZ2


|Country|Link|Charity Links|
|:-----------|:------------|:------------|
|USA|smile.amazon.com|EFF|
|UK|www.amazon.co.uk|Macmillan|
|Japan|www.amazon.co.jp||
|Canada|www.amazon.ca||




To help add charity links, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

Anything except the Draw. The Art, Photo, 3D, and Comic are all the exact same thing; the only differences are what kind of software they come bundles with and what sizes the actual tablets are. The small sizes are good for portable note-taking, while the mediums have twice as much writing space (less scrolling and more compact handwriting on screen).

Just weigh what software sounds the most fun to toy with in your free time vs the costs of the devices.

For promotional information, here's the official webpage for the products and here's an Amazon link where at the time of this writing, the Art small is the cheapest at at $80. The small ones are $80-95 while the mediums are about $190.

Each device has a small handful of extras, but the largest bonuses are as follows:

device | size | software

--| :--| :--
art |small/medium| digital painting software
comic |small only| manga-oriented painting software and introductory 2d animation software
photo |small only| 2 photo-editing softwares
3D |medium only| 3D sculpting software

As someone who has used trackballs for the better part of seven years, I would highly recommend them for gaming, however, the one OP has I would highly advise against. There's two practical types of trackballs I know of - thumb operated and finger operated. The thumb operated ones like this and this are second to none for FPS games if you can handle the relatively small learning curve and few buttons. The finger operated ones like OP's are truly bizarre to use and take quite some time to become proficent enough to perform the most trivial tasks

Keyboard has been traded for $20 and a Wacom Small Touch tablet ($79 retail value at the moment) to /u/TheBallPeenHammerer.

They shipped immediately, overall a really easy transaction. 10/10 would recommend this reddit stranger to friends and family.

I picked up this Monoprice tablet yesterday after owning this Wacom tablet. I'm already convinced that the Monoprice tablet is all around better than the other in price, drawing area, and it also has programmable buttons that I use to replace keyboard shortcuts in photoshop. Best $60 I ever put into anything art-wise.

You've definitely wandered beyond the 'beginner' stages of digital art, and are clearly pretty damn serious about it. That said, a thousand dollar investment is a lot, for something whose purpose is strictly for art. It'd make perfect sense if you were using it to generate an income in some way. Of course, that's all my personal opinion.

This is the one I was mentioning as an alternative: Intuos Pro Medium. I was working in a small game studio until just under a year ago, and all of the artists (texture artists and concept artists) were using a comparable model (I think at the time it was intuos 4 or 5). It's solid, and I use it myself. At $300 it might be a somewhat less significant investment.

Of course, it is still just another tablet.

I like the kensington trackball expert mouse. Its like the size of a pool ball and really easy on the fingers and wrist. And it has a scroll ring that is easy to get used to.

Thanks so much! Yup, I used a 13" Cintiq for this project. So much more fun to draw with :)

or...i dont know...maybe get a current gen entry level tablet that would be good for lon_oh's level for about the price he/she is looking for ($80, close enough).

Wacom Intuos Small
That would be a good place to start. It has enough functionality to do most things you will probably want to do with it and you can always upgrade to the pro version down line when you are ready. Currently $80 and is often at that price and sometimes lower if you find at a good time. Watch the video included on amazon to see what the different versions offer.

I have an Intuos 4 at work and just bought a Huion H610 Pro at home. Can't tell a huge difference but I don't use it every day. I'm very happy with my purchase and saved a bundle.

https://www.amazon.com/Huion-H610PRO-Painting-Drawing-Graphics/dp/B00GIGGS6A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1467923417&sr=8-2&keywords=huion+h610+pro

A few years back I got the Bamboo which is about 6 in tall and 8 in wide.

I feel it's a too small for dual 1920x1200 monitors. That may be because Bamboos are less accurate than Intous, but I'd still recommend the Pro. Below the Pro line and there is no bezel to rest your hand on so the far right (if right handed) edges of your screen can be a pain.

The Bamboo was inaccurate enough that I gave up on the tablet experience but if I were to attempt again I'd go much futher into the deep end with a Intous Pro Medium

FYI if you really want I'm happy to sell you my old Bamboo for cheap. It's just collecting dust... I know you want it especially after I just shit talked it.

Also, while I haven't used one personally I've heard Monoprice has good tablets. And they're a lot cheaper.

Are drawing tablets allowed?

If so I'd really love this one. I'd probably cry if I have some way to get into actually drawing on a computer, haha.

If not I perfectly understand. Could I have this 3.0 USB? I've heard it's to die for.

Thanks fro the contest! You're an amazing person:)

Hello, Goodbye~

Is this the $20 mech numpad on amazon? Are they gateron or outemu switches? It looks pretty great to me!

Its funny because I was just thinking about buying one a couple of minutes ago. I have fallen in love with the Wacom Bamboo Splash. It's 60$ from amazon and I think if you go into Best Buy they will price match it.

Wacoms works great in linux, I have 2 of em at home, the only thing with wacom is that they are quite expensive compared to the huion tablets which offers great value and pressure sensitivty, larger for less money, and also have battery less stylus.

However if you get a huion you will have to install a driver but should be easy.

https://github.com/DIGImend/digimend-kernel-drivers

The wacom equivalent is much more expensive than this huion. http://www.amazon.com/H610-Pro-Graphics-Drawing-Tablet/dp/B00GIGGS6A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426639551&sr=8-1&keywords=huion

programs:

Gimp(image manipulation) of course! Krita(Scetch & paint), mypaint(Scetch & paint), Inkscape(vector), blender if you want to do 3D sculpting, synfig studio for 2d animation, pinta.

I'm still learning. I hope to someday be able to afford a drawing tablet like this. I'm sure I could improve the quality when I get it. I started with a pencil sketch and then went over it with a marker and crayons.

Yep, I love trackballs. There are a lot of different options for doing everything.

The one I currently have in my office is the Kensington Expert
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Expert-Optical-Trackball-64325/dp/B00009KH63

Using their software, you can remap the buttons, and even the button combos (e.g. hitting the top two buttons copies, bottom two pastes) and you can make this application-specific.

It has a scrollwheel, and once I got used to its design, it made me a ton more productive.

As a more entry-level option, maybe go with:
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-910-000806-Trackman-Marble-Mouse/dp/B001F42MKG/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1324495928&sr=1-2

You can use software add-ons to make the trackball act as a 2d scroll wheel when you hold down a button or a key, and it also has four buttons.

Both of these mice are ambidextrous, which a lot of thumb-operated trackballs aren't. I like having the ability to switch up my mousing hand occasionally since it lets me load distribute, and keeps my hand/writs problems from flaring up.

Looks pretty awesome, but ouch - that price tag, even at 47% off pre-order. 'It's a must have for doodlers' with money to burn.

The Wacom Cintiq 13HD is about the same price as the reMarkable is at full price.

I have one of the nice Wacom styluses from Amazon.com, can't remember the model. It's the one that looks like a real pen with a cap and pocket clip, Love it. It makes the CB so much more comfortable to use. It wasn't cheap, but worth every penny.

It was like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-Stylus-Galaxy-Black/dp/B00IWJM9SW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503171375&sr=8-1&keywords=wacom+stylus+samsung

This one!
It is Pen and Touch, but I have honestly never bothered with the touch feature and I don´t really feel like it´s needed :P

Huion 610 pro been using it for almost 2 years now never had a problem. Has charging pen and a pretty good hover distance. If you do end up getting it use the CD drivers not the newest ones online since with the CD drivers you are able to set area portions easier. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Huion-H610-Pro-Graphics-Compatible/dp/B00GIGGS6A/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485897338&sr=8-1&keywords=Huion+tablet

Would this one be fine? 30 seems like a pretty good price https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TB0TTAC/ref=psdc_16034531_t1_B00DM24HNE

Wacom is always the way to go.
This is the tablet I use at work and home. So far the best small tablet Wacom has made. Very affordable. Small but great.

https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Drawing-Software-Included-CTL4100/dp/B079HL9YSF/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2VI2I6FI23ME4

The Cube iWork 11 uses the "Feel IT" Wacom digitizer, it's only compatible with "UP-" type pens like the Bamboo Feel. Favorite among artists is the UP-911E with two side buttons, rubber grip, and eraser. Make sure you get soft (rubber) nibs if you like more friction when you draw.

If you don't care about Bluetooth I just bought this for $20

It's definitely a generic blue switch -Outemu- but it works great. For $20 when I desperately needed a numpad for some extended data entry was totally worth it. Very solid, long usb cord, metal plate with plastic bottom, and very compact, without tons of extra plastic like some of the other numpads.

Only complaint is the slightly unusual layout with the tab button and small + key.

Also it does output numpad codes.

Hap hap hello there! I am a bot and you linked to Amazon.

This comment contains 3 pricing graph(s) & 1 extra link(s). To graph the extra(s), please copy/paste single link in reply:

Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S Pen 10.1"; 16 GB Wifi Tablet (Black) SM-P580NZKAXAR (B01LFV5SI6)

____

Product 1: Wacom Bamboo Stylus Feel for Galaxy Note Black (B00IWJM9SW)

Imgur pricing graph

||Amazon|3P New|Used|
|--:|:--|:--|:--|
|Cur|Not in Stock|$28.99|Not in Stock|
|Hi|$39.99|$87.26|$49.99|
|Lo|$26.90|$22.77|$10.00|
|Avg|$31.22|$27.21|$28.47|

____

Product 2: Wacom Bamboo Smart Stylus for Samsung Galaxy Note (CS310UK) (B01694XUQQ)

Imgur pricing graph

||Amazon|3P New|Used|
|--:|:--|:--|:--|
|Cur|$39.95|$30.33|$35.00|
|Hi|$39.95|$44.45|$35.00|
|Lo|$29.99|$28.95|$20.00|
|Avg|$36.83|$39.45|$31.56|

____

Product 3: Wacom Grip Pen UP-911E-02DD (B00014HR3I)

Imgur pricing graph

||Amazon|3P New|Used|
|--:|:--|:--|:--|
|Cur||$55.74|Not in Stock|
|Hi||$74.40|
|Lo||$50.36|
|Avg||$62.00|

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Other products in parent comment - to graph, please copy/paste single link in reply:

Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S Pen 10.1"; 16 GB Wifi Tablet (Black) SM-P580NZKAXAR (B01LFV5SI6)

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