# Art Tablet



## leighann (May 10, 2015)

I'm not sure how many of you use art tablets, but I want to know if I can do something specific with one. If so, I will start saving my pennies. 

Because I upload some of my art to my online stores, I want to be able to make the background transparent. I don't have photoshop, and there are a couple of online editors that do it, but the results are messy. Maybe with a stylus, it would be a little cleaner. 

Any thoughts on this??


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## just (Mar 3, 2015)

You can get one for a few bucks. The higher quality paper with larger and more sheets of paper are a few dollars more.


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

I don't know about art tablets but tablets in general have really come down in price. We just got 4 for the grandkids at only $49 each and they have 8G of active memory. What is different between an Art Tablet and a regular tablet? On a regular tablet you can download art programs.


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## FanKi (Apr 23, 2015)

I also want to know, what's the difference?


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## leighann (May 10, 2015)

I know they plug directly into your laptop/ipad and I think they are only meant for graphic art type stuff. I looked at a couple on Amazon, but I just don't know if they will do what I want done. 
I think a couple of people on the forum use them, so I hope one of them will know.


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## Bushcraftonfire (Apr 22, 2015)

LA...

As a standalone graphics tablet (Android) I would get a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 or 12.1

If you are looking for a graphics tablet to use with your computer.. then I would get a Wacom Bamboo (what I use). It's inexpensive.. but leaps ahead of the competition (almost every professional tablet user uses Wacom.)

If you are using the Bamboo... use the program GIMP. It's free (open source).. and as good as Photoshop


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## leighann (May 10, 2015)

Yes!! Graphics tablet...that's what I was talking about. David do you know if GIMP will let me create a transparent background around my own image??


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## Bushcraftonfire (Apr 22, 2015)

Yes.. it absolutely will LA.. GIMP is a premier program.. very comparable to Photoshop.. but doesn't cost $100's of dollars (It's free GNU)


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## FanKi (Apr 23, 2015)

Yeah... Photoshop cost $100's of dollars... say hello to piracy! (? jajajajaja


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## leighann (May 10, 2015)

Now I just have to get me a new laptop/tablet....mine bit the dust months ago. Then get the Wacom!!!


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## Melody Jeoulex (Apr 29, 2015)

I use the Wacom tablet and at first it would be kinda weird to use it @[email protected] (for me i guess) I use Inkscape (like Adobe Illustrator but free) for doing graphic arts/vector images and then GIMP,yeah like adobe photoshop ( but I still feel more comfy w/ Photoshop though)


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## Sorin (Jun 15, 2015)

I just got a tablet fer free when upgrading my phone & durn if I know what to do with it! Seems to be just a social media thing. Or for sales, carrying around pics to show off. 
I tried Gimp once & was impressed. That from an old PS guy.


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## Bushcraftonfire (Apr 22, 2015)

Different tablet Sorin.. Google "Wacom" to see what they are talking about.


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## Sorin (Jun 15, 2015)

Ah, as in external drawing device! Yeh, got 2 Wacoms. No way to attach one to my tablet pooter though.


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## Eddieblz (Jun 15, 2013)

I had a Wacom Bamboo Create and loved it. Something went wrong internally and everyone at Wacom told me it was out of date and parts are now scarce. Been looking to replace but they are getting hard to find and I'm not sure if they are compatible with windows 7, 8 and 10. 10 is what I have now. I looked in to the next step up table, the Intous, at $300 plus... honestly for me, that's a hard pill to swallow so I've been using a mouse and I'm not sure if they are compatible with windows 10 which is what I have now. I'm not sure what operating system you are running but compatibility issues are a real concern now day's and every time Wacom has a compatibility issue they just try to sell us a new tablet. 
Now I've done some research and there is another tablet that is trying to break into the market called Huion. They are a third of the price and I've been doing research and the pros out there say that the Huion drawing tables rival anything Wacon has. One pro said that Wacom has really gone unchallenged for so long that they haven't even tried to make any real upgrades to their product and that the only real upgrade they made to the Intuos is the price. Now I don't think that Huion has anything like the Wacom Cintiq but at $3000 who the heck can afford that. Not I. 
Now I looked on the Huion web sight and saw they are giving away the drivers to make their product compatible with windows 10. Which is the system I am now supporting. Honestly I haven't tried this product yet but I think I might. If I do I will post a critique on what I think. For me personally at $40-$60 Huion might be worth a try.

Just as an update Huion does have a version of the Wocom Cintiq and it is a third of the price also.


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## leighann (May 10, 2015)

Definitely keep us posted


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## Eddieblz (Jun 15, 2013)

leighann said:


> Definitely keep us posted


I don't know now I'm seeing some wacom Intuos4s pros at some pretty good deals on Ebay right now. Still I'm a sucker for inexpensive off brands of anything. Guitars, drums, software, and now these drawing tablets. My firm belief is that it's not the tools that make the artist but the artist that makes the tools.:wink:


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## Bushcraftonfire (Apr 22, 2015)

True to an extent Eddie.... but differences in sensitivity, touch, precision, etc make the world of difference in a drawing tablet.


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## leighann (May 10, 2015)

All I want is a tablet that will let me upload art and remove the background. Of course it would be fun to do other stuff too. @Bushcraftonfire can u put Gimp on a desktop?


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## Melody Jeoulex (Apr 29, 2015)

@leighann yes you can...are you going to download it? I can pm the link for you ^^


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## leighann (May 10, 2015)

@Melody Jeoulex email it here: [email protected]

Thanks!!


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## Bushcraftonfire (Apr 22, 2015)

Yes.. GIMP is awesome! I also like (maybe more than GIMP) Artrage and Paint Tool Sai.. But only because they are easier to draw with in my opinion


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## Melody Jeoulex (Apr 29, 2015)

Paint Tool Sai


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## Eddieblz (Jun 15, 2013)

Just an update. I did go for the Huion DWH69. It's en-route as we right now. I'll give a full review when it get here.


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## Eddieblz (Jun 15, 2013)

*Huion Tablet Review*

This wasn't exactly what I planed on doing with this photo but I do plan on creating something else with it.
Anyway the reason I'm posting this here I,	s I've been working with my new the Huion DWH69 tablet for about a month now and as promised I will give my review. 
First off if anyone has read any other reviews on this tablet, You will find that many will say that there is a little work involved getting the tablet to work with many of their drawing programs. This is true. Many will also say that Huions customer service and technical support is lacking and not true. This is NOT TRUE. 
1st Huion's customer service and technical service have been top notch and will bend over backwards to walk you through any problems that you are having with their product's and really appreciate the problem being brought to their attention. Huion has an account over at Deviant art and I found this is the fastest way to get support. Link... http://huion.deviantart.com/ also I use Gimp so I had to get an account at a Gimp forum to get technical support with them. Link http://gimpforums.com/thread-fixing-cursor-lag-in-gimp-2-8-14-windows 
One thing to remember here is that the digital art world up to now has been ruled by the very expensive Adobe and Wacom and these two companies are fighting to keep it that way AAAND they have a close relationship with Microsoft and Apple. So any off brand that you will use like Huion, Monoprice, Gimp. Artrage, Coral, what ever it may be, they are on there own when it comes to making the drivers that are compatible with the operating systems. This doesn't make these products bad but you may have to work out a few bugs to get them working perfectly. 

So anyway this lion drawing and the other one are the drawings I've been using to work out the bugs.
The first problem I had was that there was a serious cursor lag and the the drawing took as long as 30 seconds to catch up with it's self. This is why the first lion has a kind of raggedy look to it. It was tough to draw that way. I was almost ready to send the tablet, back but after I contacted Huion, their tech support was quick to answer and very helpful and walked me through the problems.

Now that the tablet is working excellent. First I find it to be a far superior tablet to any of Wacoms bamboo's. My old bamboo pressure sensitivity never worked properly so I just bore down on it all the time, probably why it broke. This tablet has 2045 levels of pressure and they work perfectly. It will take me some time to get used to this. But I love it. The pen has to be recharged unlike Wacom so I have to remember to plug it in but I haven't found that to be a problem yet because the cord is long enough and I can continue drawing while it's plugged in and the charge seems to last for ever. Now this does have a wireless feature but I didn't like it, there was serious lag in it but to be fair I haven't used it since I worked the bugs out and it really doesn't matter to me because I'm used to plugging it into the USB. Anyway and to be fair, Wacom tablets don't have wireless. Now to be honest I don't know how it stacks up to the Intuos series but I'm betting it's a better tablet than all the Intuos except Wacom's Intuos pro series. But at 350 to 500 dollars the Wacom pro's better be good tablets. Also I *would not* have a problem using this tablet professionally if I ever got back into the business seriously. Now the short cut buttons on the DWH69 work well, the problem is that they are not actual buttons but touch pads so I have to be careful not to drag my hand across them and I have to make sure I touch the right button because they just activate. Cool technology but you can see the problem. Honestly I never use the short cuts any way so it doesn't matter to me but to someone who does it might. Now I put a image of the tablet up there. Notice, it has a nice little tilt to it. I really like that feature, just that little bit of a tilt gives me a more natural drawing angle and really relieves hand fatigue. Also notice the little screen in the middle. It tells you battery life and other info. Really unnecessary but really, really cool anyway. HAHAHA. 
Over all at $85 this includes tax and shipping and despite the early on problem, it stacks up well to Wacom and is a hell of a lot cheaper. So I will give it 5 out of 5 stars and a fave. 


Link to original photo used as inspiration. 
http://eddieblz.deviantart.com/art/Day-23-King-s-Speech-335742980


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## Eddieblz (Jun 15, 2013)

just putting this back to the top for the momment.


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## Bushcraftonfire (Apr 22, 2015)

Nice Eddie! Glad you're enjoying the new tablet.. Blessings! BTW.. How much was the Huion?


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## Eddieblz (Jun 15, 2013)

Bushcraftonfire said:


> Nice Eddie! Glad you're enjoying the new tablet.. Blessings! BTW.. How much was the Huion?


I put it down there. $85.00 this includes shipping and tax.


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## Bushcraftonfire (Apr 22, 2015)

Thanks Eddie.. sorry I missed that in your post


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## Eddieblz (Jun 15, 2013)

I have to put in an update to my new Huion DWH69 tablet. I just got the wireless function to work properly and it is awesome.


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## leighann (May 10, 2015)

I have a tablet in my wish list at Amazon :biggrin: now to either get my current laptop fixed, or find the time to purchase a new one. 

Thank you @Eddieblz and @Bushcraftonfire for all the helpful info :wink:


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## Bushcraftonfire (Apr 22, 2015)

You are more than welcome LA


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## jakemoore (Apr 15, 2017)

I'm a digital artists and have been for a while now. I've use a good few art tablets over the years and have finally settled with the Parblo Coast10. It's a wonderful Wacom alternative, and does the job just as well as a Wacom. Just thought I'd share this revelation with you guys! lol


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## jakemoore (Apr 15, 2017)

Me again.

I've been doing some updated research on artist tablets, as new devices are coming out every few months.

I found this site on artist tablets to be particularly good in covering the basics in what you should be looking for when purchasing a digital art tablet device as well as covering a variety of options according to budget. I pretty much agree with the entries on this post, except for their "star buy" which I think is a bad entry level drawing pad at best, even though the Wacom Intous is a best seller on Amazon.

Interesting to see the Apple iPad in there as well with such a high rating (4.8 out of 5). A lot of my digi art friends started out on the Apple, but found the apps quite limiting. They then moved over to a Wacom just so that they can hook it up to their PCs and use photoshop via the artists tab.

Anyway, hope that helps.


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## incrediblesculptures (Apr 20, 2017)

I think, first, you have to go market and try to get information about the art table. Then you can be able to understand every thig about your query.


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## just (Mar 3, 2015)

incrediblesculptures said:


> I think, first, you have to go market and try to get information about the art table. Then you can be able to understand every thig about your query.


That is funny.


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