Help, please: Wacom Tablet for drawing, need advice

dlilazteca · Jun 16, 2014

Hello,

Everyone I've been reading, and looking through old threads and I hit one that I like,,,

For you new guys I recommend doing so, You will find all sorts of great topics and learn something...

Ok back to where I was at, I found Arnaud's post, how to convert your drawings to vector to use at a later date.

And I wanted to thank you Arnaud..

I was looking at this drawing tablet

http://youtu.be/VRPYN4dS0xU

and was wondering if it would work?

The price is not that bad I found it on Amazon here,

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...14?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=CTH480

I am running a Mac, any advice is greatly appreciated.

wowilson · Jun 16, 2014

Wacom tablets are great. What are you hoping to do with it?

dlilazteca · Jun 16, 2014

Oh. ...I listed arnauds video but is the wrong one hold on

OK I fixed the video link

Saludos,

Carlos

Sam · Jun 16, 2014

Looks pretty fantastic me. It'd be great for photo editing. Not sure for drawing scrolls, but you can probably learn to make it work with Illustrator or CorelDRAW.

dlilazteca · Jun 16, 2014

Sam,

The reason I ask is because at some point I believe I hear Arnaud state that he's using that or something similar.

Was thinking of using it with illustrator

Saludos,

Carlos

Brian Marshall · Jun 16, 2014

I'm confused Sam...

I would have imagined that you had tried every electronic gadget, widget and fananganan ever made that might be useful for drawing scrolls...

Are you saying this is one you've never tried?

Brian

bildio · Jun 16, 2014

I have a Wacom tablet connected to my iMac. For me, it's easier to use a mouse for tracing, but others seem to do okay with the tablet.

ali · Jun 16, 2014

Great with illustrator

Sam · Jun 16, 2014

Brian Marshall said:
I'm confused Sam...

I would have imagined that you had tried every electronic gadget, widget and fananganan ever made that might be useful for drawing scrolls...

Are you saying this is one you've never tried?

Brian

Brian: I've owned a few Wacom tablets but not this one. I like the the fingertip controls similar to iPhones though. My main tablet for the past few years is the Wacom Cintiq. With that you draw directly on the screen.

dlilazteca · Jun 16, 2014

Sam,

you know why you don't have one. .. Because you
don't want to, buy it and let us know how it works.

Think I'm going to buy one, not sure tho

Saludos,

Carlos

wowilson · Jun 16, 2014

I use a tablet in my everyday work and I don't see where it would help you with your scroll work. The tablet is used mainly for finesse work since it offer much more sensitivity than a mouse. It might help you to instead learn how to draw using vector art. That doesn't cost anything to learn and will be of more use to you.

dlilazteca · Jun 16, 2014

wilson,

I already draw, not ass good as some of you but still good, now I want to save those drawings. And have access to them in digital format.

Saludos,

Carlos

wowilson · Jun 16, 2014

A good way to save your drawings to the computer is to use a flatbed scanner. This will take a nice photo of you drawing which you can then manipulate with photoshop or another photo editing software.

Vector art is a way to draw directly in your computer program. This is the most precise way to illustrate something digitally. Programs like illustrator do work like this.

The only reason I would discourage you from getting a tablet is that there is no magic involved. What you are able to do with the pen will go directly to the screen and for the most part it won't be what you want. You could trace over pencil drawings that you have done, but even then I think you will be disappointed. They really aren't made for this type of work. If you have any questions you can PM your phone # and I will call you.

dlilazteca · Jun 16, 2014

Wilson,

thanks

Saludos,

Carlos

Arnaud Van Tilburgh · Jun 17, 2014

Carlos , I use a Intuos 4 Wacom tablet now, before I used even a cheaper one. Together with Illustrator it is a great tool to trace pencil design into vectors.
It is just a modern way like others use tracing paper.

Some say you need a lot of time to get used using the software and the tablet, I made a video that should speak for itself showing how to trace by adding anchor points.
You could argue that way you do not have a smooth curve, but if you think about it, you only need 360 straight lines to draw a circle.

Here is the first video I recorded that has been seen 330.683 times

Now a days I mostly draw directly on the object using Chinese white and other techniques. Still I'm convinced that Vectorizing a sketch for transfer is a great way for a beginner.
It also is handy if one wants to engrave a design several times.
Another good option is that you don't have to store all the designs in a map. Just give the file a name and your computer will find it in seconds when you need them.

About the tablet itself, if you want to trace a pencil sketch, you not even need a tablet, it is even more practical adding the anchor points by making left mouse clicks. :biggrin:

arnaud

[video=youtube;jFkYZTx8yzM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFkYZTx8yzM[/video]

dlilazteca · Jun 17, 2014

Arnaud Van Tilburgh said:
Carlos , I use a Intuos 4 Wacom tablet now, before I used even a cheaper one. Together with Illustrator it is a great tool to trace pencil design into vectors.
It is just a modern way like others use tracing paper.

Some say you need a lot of time to get used using the software and the tablet, I made a video that should speak for itself showing how to trace by adding anchor points.
You could argue that way you do not have a smooth curve, but if you think about it, you only need 360 straight lines to draw a circle.

Here is the first video I recorded that has been seen 330.683 times

Now a days I mostly draw directly on the object using Chinese white and other techniques. Still I'm convinced that Vectorizing a sketch for transfer is a great way for a beginner.
It also is handy if one wants to engrave a design several times.
Another good option is that you don't have to store all the designs in a map. Just give the file a name and your computer will find it in seconds when you need them.

About the tablet itself, if you want to trace a pencil sketch, you not even need a tablet, it is even more practical adding the anchor points by making left mouse clicks. :biggrin:

arnaud

Arnaud,

Thank you for making those videos, I am finishing up a Taurus Judge Public Defender, I drew right on it with the modeling clay and pencil could not use Chinese white it would rust my gun. I used the modeling clay and tape to transfer the design on the barrel, but now that im almost done ( still need to fine tune some things) I was thinking what If I have another one to do? I will have to draw everything again, not to count the times I had to erase over and over, (still learning, drawing) until I got it looking like I wanted. I was thinking take a picture of the gun next to a ruler, then import the picture on Illustrator for example, or what I use flexi sign pro and draw on it this the tablet, next time as something comes up, I have it ready or make slight modifications. What I like is that Vectors are resizable, and the shape can easily be changed as you have demonstrated. Just my two cents, I ordered the one I listed comes in on Wednesday going to be messing with it all weekend, I'm excited.

I understand there will always be some drawing I must do nothing is ever perfect but it would be nice to have my files saved in a digital format that can be manipulated.

This is what I'm finishing.

http://youtu.be/6KKtcRLyuto

Thanks again everyone for you help and advice, you guys are always so helpful.

My GOD bless everyone today!

Arnaud Van Tilburgh · Jun 17, 2014

Have fun with your tablet and Vectors Carlos, the gun you show here looks already nice.

arnaud

[video=youtube;6KKtcRLyuto]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KKtcRLyuto&feature=youtu.be[/video]

Brant · Jun 17, 2014

Carlos,

You could make smoke pulls or wax transfers onto a flat piece to import into Illustrator.

You have lots of distortion from pictures of round objects to try to condend with otherwise.

Just my $0.02

Brant

dlilazteca · Jun 17, 2014

Brant, and Arnaud

thanks

Saludos,

Carlos

atexascowboy2011 · Jun 17, 2014

Frank Hendricks' hard copy never had to be backed up or stored in the clouds.
He laid the dimensions to be engraved out on a 6"x12" sheet of steel and then engraved his pattern.
Then using a smoke pull he could transfer the pattern to something like 50 Colt SAA for the YO ranch, COLT or whomever needed a "Bunch" of lookalikes.
Frank experimented with every method conceivable , BUT ! , ALWAYS ! , came back to the basics.
It's cheap , efficient and most of all PERMENANT !

Help, please: Wacom Tablet for drawing, need advice

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