Wacom Inkling

[radiator]

The Wacom Intuos is great, but the thing about the nibs is REALLY annoying. Basically, with the Intuos4, they introduced a rougher drawing surface, which wears the nibs down really quick. It's doubly annoying as it was never a problem with the previous model.

They have since altered the surface, but it is still a problem. The attrition rate lessens significantly over time, but be prepared to have to shell out for some replacement nibs, which are obscenely expensive for what they are and can only be bought from Wacom.

They also keep adding little LCD screens and touch functions, which are utterly pointless for most users, seemingly in a desperate attempt to reinvent the wheel and justify their prices.

BUT, if you want a decent drawing tablet, Wacom really are the only game in town - which means they can get away with being a bit dickish, unfortunately.

[JTurner]

Agree with the assessment of Wacom - I really wish there were more serious competitors. I'd hope with the explosion of tablet PCs you'll eventually get one with the resolution to compete with a Cintiq. I'd be happy with a good Android tablet, a stylus and Pixlr.com (love that sketchy pencil tool)!

[antodonnell]

I've recently got an Ipad 3 and am playing with that and the wacom bamboo stylus.

I was looking at the wacom but the amazon reviews have put me off a little. Problems with the nibs not lasting very long and difficulties in getting replacements? I did try a cheapy asda stylus and found you had to press fairly firm to get it to do anything. Is that the same with the wacom or just a cheap stylus problem?

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

Hi,

For me the wacom stylus was the best choice. As many guys at work at all types of pens I went around trying them all out and was not satisified. I was recommended the bamboo stylus by another artist who had one. I think it's weighted nicely and I've managed to get some good results from it.

Here are some quick doodles. I'm working on tighter stuff now. Nib wise they are readily available from amazon so it's not an issue.£5 for a 3 pack. I've used mine a bit , no wear and tear yet.

http://antodonnell.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/30-min-sketch/

[Darren Stephens]

I am getting a new tablet at the end of September. I currently use a tiny Wacom Bamboo, which has its original nib still, but yeh, this issue is really putting me off the Intuos. Realistically, I suppose there is no alternative (I used to have a Trust branded one, which was OK, but a little unreliable.) £5 for 3 nibs seems a little excessive! :/

[NeilFord]

Got my intuos 3 about 5 years ago, I'm still using the original nibs! I have a very light hand though so your mileage will vary of course

[Darren Stephens]

Neil, doesn't the 3 have a smoother surface than the 4+5? I read that they introduced a rougher, more paper-like surface with the 4, which seems to be where the problems started. If I could, I would rather buy a brand new Intuos 3, but new they are very rare, it seems and understandably so I suppose, being a couple of models back.

[NeilFord]

Yeah it is smoother, I quite often draw with a sheet of bristol board on the tablet to make it feel more 'realistic' though. I imagine the new surface was them responding to feedback about how fast the V3 was?

[Jim_Campbell]

Yeah it is smoother, I quite often draw with a sheet of bristol board on the tablet to make it feel more 'realistic' though.

Yep. I tried the same after reading D'israeli mentioning that he did -- I found that the light end of my 'out' pen strokes would invariably slip and end up with a slight wobble, and this solved that problem completely, albeit at the cost of increased nib wear.

Cheers

Jim

[Darren Stephens]

Interesting tip regarding the bristol board, thans guys. I shall try that when I finally get my mitts on my new tablet. 

[conceptboy]

A colleague uses the Wacom inkling and its very very useful. He sits in meetings, on the train almost anywhere and fills his sketch book with ideas. He then simply plugs it in via the USB port and downloads the sketches...

One major stunning point is that he can add layers as he sketches on paper... Also the first layer is not the base layer so he's got the choice to work above or below his sketch layer.... amazing!

[JTurner]

The layer export option is fantastic. I've used it to good effect so far. I've had an Inkling for just over a month now, and like all art materials it's not for everyone or every task - even for someone who really likes it.

Pros (for me, at least)

No need to scan initial sketches and no need to 'cut away' the paper to just get the linework
You can 'trace' over initial pencil sketches to import to your computer, even though it's no real tool for inking
Portable

Cons

Some glitches in the software - prone to losing the first sketch (sometimes I do a 'junk' sketch first to help avoid this, but it really should have been fixed by a patch by now).
Wont export as a vector to PhotoShop - you'll need Illustrator
The pen can take time to get used to - it's heavier than a ballpoint. Also to detect when you're drawing its nib has a  spring to it which can feel unnatural.
Occasional mismatch with the detection although a lot less than some people have reported.