Learning to use a tablet

#1

Ok, I’ve just bought this tablet (a wacom) and I wanna know how you guys use it. How I can learn to use it the best way, cause I’ve understood that there are differences between this and drawing on a paper :stuck_out_tongue: although it is rather alike. One tip I read was that you can have a paper between the surface of the tablet and the pencil. Please tell me some more about this.

#2

you can put it on your lap if you want, i would suggest to start drawing grids, the better they are, meaning straight lines that cross each other perfectly, and then start drawing small circles on the intersections faster and faster and faster. after 20 minutes you will feel a change in your preception. then you could draw the same grid the draw circles inside of the square you create. make sure those circles are fitted to the square and not just “inside”.

#3

That sounded like a great idea! :slight_smile: Thanks a lot.

#4

I actually got my Wacom today.
To get use to actually using the thing I just got rid of my mouse for a while. Browsing the internet and such using a tablet is a good way to get use to simply using it.

#5

That was also a good idea :slight_smile:

#6

I wouldn’t worry myself about it if I were you. Just play with it for a while and you’ll be used to it in no time. Fire up Photoshop or Painter or whatever you like and have fun.

#7

I’ve also started to work with zbrush, how good is it in that app? Heard that you can use it kind of good in there ya know.

#8

You probably won’t like this answer, but:
Practice, Practice, Practice :scream: !

Also, ensure your Wacom preferences are adjusted to your normal drawing pressure, tracking speed and angle so you get consistent line opacity. With that out of the way, I found the hardest thing to get used to was looking up at a screen instead of down at what I was drawing. Placing a design on paper underneath the pen may help for specific tasks, but that method is ultimately restrictive - you will need to learn to draw looking up and not relying on paper underlays.

I would suggest importing line art into Photoshop. Then, create a new layer on top of that and and practice tracing the lines in a different color. That will help you get used to the interface and practice drawing smooth lines until you can do it without having the layer underneath to guide you. It will be frustrating at the start, but you’ll get better with practice

#9

The wacom is almost MADE for ZBrush. I don’t know how anyone could work in Zbrush without it!:smiley:

But yes, continual use of the wacom will have you up to speed in no time.

#10

I have almost no problem at all going from my touchpad to my Wacom–you can imagine how that felt!

Instead of pressing undo after every stroke, I could press it after every three strokes!!!

But of course, the more I use the Wacom, the lesser my fingers spend lingering on the cltr + z buttons. Pratice is really the only way to go about.

#11

I have to say that it isn’t as hard as I thought, I learned a lot just yesterday and I don’t think it will take too long to learn :slight_smile:

#12

Hi Guys,

Y’know, for years I shied away from buying a Wacom tablet. My main fear is that, as a video editor, my hands are conditioned to typing with my left hand, and “mousing” with my right. I happen to be lefthanded, so I would naturally pick up a pen or pencil with my left hand, but am really used to navigating on screen with my right. It hurts my brain, my arm muscles - everything.

But I read this thread, and now I want to go out and get one… and suffer drawing grid lines and tiny circles! YEAH! I would love to change my habits re: interacting with my computer. I think I might get one for home…

In the meantime, is there any Mr Myagi way of learning the wacom, tho? Like, building a feng shui garden or raising a barn?

#13

Well… the wacom was accompanied (if that´s how it spells) with a cd that included a introductional selfstudy in learning to use it, really good actually! I recommend it! I love mine and I think you’ll like it too… I go with a wacom volito2. It is great! ^^

#14

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