Marzipan
Well-known member
Snows recommended one he uses from AliE, but thought I would check for options suggestions before I committed.
WACOM are too much...do any of you use a cheap or inexpensive graphics tablet?
- Thread starter Marzipan
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I grabbed a refurb lenovo ideapad duet and ordered a new stylus from lenovo. Seems to work decent enough, but I'm not sure how an artist would find the experience.
If you're not looking for an active tablet (with a screen) the huion writing pads seem to work fine and they're dirt cheap when compared to wacom.
If you're not looking for an active tablet (with a screen) the huion writing pads seem to work fine and they're dirt cheap when compared to wacom.
Marzipan
Well-known member
yeh, I'm not an artist...at least, nothing more than stick drawings anyhow.
LaughingCrow
Well-known member
Yes, agreed Wacoms too expensive. I did use them extensively years ago and got my money's worth. When they died, I settled for a Huion 10" x 6" tablet purchased in 2014. Like a lot of things, the tech on these items changes rapidly, so I don't know what the newer ones can do. Plus, I've been doing more pen/ink & pencil drawing than digitally. But a drawing tablet is indispensable for me as I'll hand draw some things, digitize them and touch up or manipulate/scale, etc digitally.
As a side note, I had considered building a light table for tracing and found the LED Light Boards (tracing tablets) reasonable, very THIN and quite useful. The LEDs are bright enough to penetrate 100# Bristol smooth or vellum paper.
So I will sketch out rough designs, trace/retrace to refine. Then scan and digitize, re-scale, print out. Tape that to the LED tracing tablet, cover with the Bristol paper (secure with light masking tape) and directly ink the vellum/smooth Bristol from there. The LED Light Boards come in a variety of sizes. Between the drawing tablet, tracing board, scanning/digitizing, etc has saved a lot of time (and paper).
As a side note, I had considered building a light table for tracing and found the LED Light Boards (tracing tablets) reasonable, very THIN and quite useful. The LEDs are bright enough to penetrate 100# Bristol smooth or vellum paper.
So I will sketch out rough designs, trace/retrace to refine. Then scan and digitize, re-scale, print out. Tape that to the LED tracing tablet, cover with the Bristol paper (secure with light masking tape) and directly ink the vellum/smooth Bristol from there. The LED Light Boards come in a variety of sizes. Between the drawing tablet, tracing board, scanning/digitizing, etc has saved a lot of time (and paper).
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LaughingCrow
Well-known member
Marzipan
Well-known member
how much was the refurb and do you use it in conjunction with your computer as a pad or it's onboard features and then transferred the files created / edited?
It was $120 off of ebay that ended up being $170 all-in after shipping and tax.
I doubt very much that there's a way to directly connect it to a PC (there's only one port) so the method of use is to do whatever drawing needs done in one of the Chrome OS drawing apps and then mail/transfer the image over to something I can get on my PC.
Sketchbook seems to be the most widely recommended app, and the active stylus was $55 after taxes.
I doubt very much that there's a way to directly connect it to a PC (there's only one port) so the method of use is to do whatever drawing needs done in one of the Chrome OS drawing apps and then mail/transfer the image over to something I can get on my PC.
Sketchbook seems to be the most widely recommended app, and the active stylus was $55 after taxes.
Marzipan
Well-known member
yeah...I think I'll just get myself and the grandbrats some $30 - $50 entry level one's to play with.
yeah...I think I'll just get myself and the grandbrats some $30 - $50 entry level one's to play with.
Yeah, the non-screen huion pads are relatively cheap but seem to work well as long as you can coordinate what your pen hand is doing with a remote screen.
Marzipan
Well-known member
isn't that how all the non-display pads work? you need to have a computer or phone / tablet to connect it to and monitor your work on the screen said device has?
heck, I think even the display pads need a device as well...while you can see what you're dong on the pads screen, you need something to record / save the work.
