For past few months my posts have had major focus on coding and CS. But today I will moving to a more Artistic idea. Painting on Computer. One of the biggest barriers we all face, especially those who starting in the field of Digital Art is the lack of the traditional tools like pen and pencil.
However, there are many alternatives out there to substitute and help you kick start you experience. But more often than not they are expensive, or impractical to carry or just plain bad. And it doesn’t help that there is contradictory options everywhere. So today I will be listing my experience and opinions/guide to start your digital painting experience. This is purely meant for a beginner or someone who doesn’t have big bucks to invest on a tablet.
Note: I am not here to advertise a company. I am not paid to promote any of these people (Though I could use that money). Disclaimer Disclaimer, etc. You get the jest.
Pen Tablets
If you have ever decided to do Digital art the idea of buying a pen tablet must have come to your mind at least once. And if you have you must have heard of Wacom. A leading company in the graphic tablet for all the right reasons. However, for a beginner they don’t have many good tablets that can be truly used for art. One could buy few old ones like Intuos2. Though it’s not recommended as it has low support. However, if you are willing to spend a little more than 100$ Wacom Bamboo Create Pen and Touch Tablet is your go to as you can use it years down the line. You could also go for the smaller Intuos tablets which is just under 100$ if you are OK with small space.
If you are really unsure and want to stay under 100$ but still want good space you will have to look at other companies. After Wacom I feel the best is Huion. They have strong tablets with good prices and decent tech-support. I personally like their XXX for good space features at 79.99. Though a word of caution it has been noted to have installation problems but nothing a warranty shouldn’t cover. Turcom’s TS-6580B is also a good cheaper alternative, much cheaper actually at about 59.99$ with 2048 pressure sensitivity. However, it is NOT a touch tablet only a pen tablet so you can’t use it as a mouse substitute. One last that deserves a mention is Monoprice MP1060-HA60. While I personally have never tried the brand, I had an acquaintance try it said give me good praise. The current price while writing this article is 60$ though it is prone to change soon. While the pressure levels are low the space is big and it has hot keys which believe it or not makes a huge difference.
Outside Graphic tablets:
Pen tablets might the primary they are not the only ways to get into digital art. Smartphones are usually good go to. While I agree it is strange to buy a smartphone for the sole reason of digital art if you are looking to get a phone or phone tablet it doesn’t hurt to go a little extra to get something with an artsy touch. That’s how I started anyway. My personal favourite is the Samsung Galaxy Note series. I currently own the Note 4 And it is a charm to draw on. With their technology powered by Wacom, it is no wonder it can produce classic art on the go.
If you are not looking to upgrade to a new phone, but don’t want a tablet. One thing a lot of people have told me they love is the smart pen. It is a more familiar setting than a graphic tablet and about the same price as the cheapest of them all. For someone who wants to directly draw on paper and have it show up on your screens, this can be your go to. On the same not, Wacom Inking Digital Sketch Pen is a good option too, though a a little low on the accuracy.
If you are an iPad user, Jot Touch might be a good option too!
All together:
In the end though, when you are looking for the hardware to start down the journey of computer art it is important that you make a decision and stick to it. I know a lot of people who buy a new tablet/pen. Use it for barely a week and throw it off the window because it’s unfamiliar. It will be unfamiliar and hard at first. It won’t feel natural but if we keep pursuing the natural drawing standards we might lose a lot of benefits that digital art brings us. It’s a matter of giving it time. And even after a month of good use you can’t seem to like it, it’s ok. At least you know for sure.
Good luck to all of you who want to get into the world of Digital Art.