Wacom Intuos 3

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After having read several positive recommendations for the Intuos (and after having recently started to paint), I am very inclined to buy an Intuos.

 

My question is: "What is the right size?" I do not want to go unneccesrily big (and expensive), but also do not want to get something that's too small to work/play comfortably.

 

Currently, I would be leaning to A4 size, but I would be interrested hearing from those who have practical experience.

 

Thanks.

 

Georg

[thompsonkirk]

I believe a small one works best for photography. But it depends partly on your experience as a painter. A graphic artist or painter may gain from a big tablet, but for those (like me) who aren't too experienced in drawing, it's hard to keep a stable hand for a long sweeping gesture. So for photography it seems best to work 'up close' at higher magnifications, making a series of smaller moves.

 

And a big one just takes up too much real estate on your desktop (the real wooden desktop, not the one on the monitor).

 

Kirk

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[roguewave]

Georg, on the recommendation of my friend & mentor William Palank, I got myself the Wacom Tablet. A world of difference! I first got a 4x6, but after acquiring a new 30" monitor, I jumped to the 6 x 11 Intous. I love it. No more mouse & incredible latitude in making adjustments.

 

The large monitor lets me look at more than one image or iterations of the same image at the same time. That has educated me more than anything else about using PS and other image processing tools. Good luck.

[ammitsboel]

What about the Cintiq?

Is it much better to have a monitor on the pad or is it better without?

[farnz]

Not sure about the Intuos but I have the Wacom Graphire 4 and it doesn't play nicely with Photoshop CS, CS2 or CS3. These are (driver?) problems that are known to Adobe but they haven't found a fix yet.

 

The problem usually shows itself as by not recognising some of the tools; for example, I can select the dodging or burning brushes or the Clone tool okay but they have no effect on the image. Occasionally they'll work after I reboot PS 2 or 3 times but not always and that game gets tiresome very quickly so I've gone back to a mouse and I don't get the problem. YMMV.

 

Pete.

[ammitsboel]

Not sure about the Intuos but I have the Wacom Graphire 4 and it doesn't play nicely with Photoshop CS, CS2 or CS3. These are (driver?) problems that are known to Adobe but they haven't found a fix yet.

Windows?

[roguewave]

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What about the Cintiq?

Is it much better to have a monitor on the pad or is it better without?

 

I've used them and they are awesome. Expensive, but a unique way to work. I prefer the 30" monitor so I can compare multiple iterations or consecutive or comparable fames.

 

If you can afford them and can work with a maximum size of 21", they make the work easy & fun.

[farnz]

Windows?

Yep, Win-doze XP

[GMB]

Thanks for the responses. I think an A4, which is about 6x11" inches would be fine.

 

I've used them and they are awesome. Expensive, but a unique way to work. I prefer the 30" monitor so I can compare multiple iterations or consecutive or comparable fames.

 

If you can afford them and can work with a maximum size of 21", they make the work easy & fun.

 

Perhaps stupid question, but do you use those in addition or instead of the normal monitor? I assume they are not color calibrated.

 

Georg

[Guest WPalank]

Perhaps stupid question, but do you use those in addition or instead of the normal monitor? I assume they are not color calibrated.

Georg

You can calibrate a Cintiq like any other monitor.

 

The power of the Intuos 3 comes with not just pulling it out of the box and plugging it in, but setting it up correctly for your personal style in System Preferences. On a Mac it's located in System Preferences > Other > Wacom Tablet.

 

For those unfamiliar on the system, it has 4 buttons each on the Left and right which you can program as Keystroke commands for any Application you run. It also has a Touch Strip on each side which you can program to incrementally zoom in or out of an image (for example), by running your finger up or down the strip.

Wacom Tablet:

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Here's how I se mine up for Photoshop (I'm right-handed):

 

 

4 buttons on the Left side:

-Toggle Tools (tab key which gets the tools and palettes out of the way so that only the image is visible. Hit it again and everything returns).

-Undo (Make sure you set it for "Step Backward" which allows you multiple undos. If you set it up for the true "Undo" command, you are limited to only going back one step.)

-Redo (that way you can toggle between the Undo button above and this to check your work.)

-Hand Tool (Space key which allows you to move the image around the desk top.)

 

4 buttons Right side:

-Toggle Screen Modes (allows you to toggle between Full Screen and the different background colors available when in Full Screen Mode).

-Brush Tool (B Key)

-Duplicate Layer (Command-J)

-Pop up Menu (Has several things such as Levels and Curves Adjustments).

 

Touch Strips:

 

 

Left Touch Strip: Increases or Decreases Brush Size.

Right Touch Strip: Zooms in and Out of an image.

 

Finally, the Pen itself has two buttons:

 

 

I set the front button as the Option Key for sampling an area. That way you can sample-paint, sample-paint.... quicker than I can think it.

The back button I set to the "x" key to toggle between foreground and background colors (typically black and white) for working on Layer Masks.

 

The beauty is that you can customize everything to the workflow that suits you best and never have to look away from the image to find the Keyboard and drop your pen to use multiple keystrokes.

[Agent M10]

I purchased the large size and really could not work with it. It was too unwieldy to work with on my lap. I bought the next size down (medium - whatever it is) and that has been the best size for me. I believe that the large size would best be used on the desk in front of the monitor, but that isn't how I work.

[ammitsboel]

I purchased the large size and really could not work with it. It was too unwieldy to work with on my lap. I bought the next size down (medium - whatever it is) and that has been the best size for me. I believe that the large size would best be used on the desk in front of the monitor, but that isn't how I work.

What size was the big size and the medium?

They have several big, mediums and small...

 

/H

[roguewave]

William, in your San Francisco way, you once again clear the fog , illumine & enlighten us. Thanks again for all the insight & tutoring. (Neat setup!)

[haribo]

Best thing to do is make it fit your screen. if you have a wide screen monitor like the Apple Cinema HD monitors, go with one of the wider intuos models.

 

Don't go too small because the equivalent point to where the cursor is on your screen will get narrower on your wacom. Bigger is better.

Using one takes a while getting used to anyway, why making it unnecessarily harder on oneself.

 

Btw, I'm using one for years and couldn't live without it anymore. But I actually never used it while having it sitting on my lab.

[oronet commander]

After having read several positive recommendations for the Intuos (and after having recently started to paint), I am very inclined to buy an Intuos.

 

My question is: "What is the right size?" I do not want to go unneccesrily big (and expensive), but also do not want to get something that's too small to work/play comfortably.

 

Currently, I would be leaning to A4 size, but I would be interrested hearing from those who have practical experience.

 

Thanks.

 

Georg

 

Be careful about size! I got an Intuos 3 A5 Wide and sold it later because it was faaaaar to big for me, and I've got a 24" screen.

[Guest WPalank]

Thank you for your kind compliments Ben.

 

One last trick I forgot to add is how to set up the Brush tool so that the Opacity of the Brush is effected by Pen Pressure. I think the default is brush Size changes with Pen Pressure. First you need to select the Brush Tool "b".

Now click on the Brush preset menu illustrated here:

 

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

You will get the fly-out menu illustrated below:

 

 

In the illustrated Menu select "Other Dynamics". (Warning: you must see a check mark AND the name needs to be highlighted in Blue/Gray as above). Under Opacity and Flow Jitter, change the drop down menu to "Pen Pressure". I suggest you have both set at 0%.

You may have to go up to "Shape Dynamics" and set all the Controls to "Off".

 

As Harald mentions above, it takes a while to get used to, typically 2-3 hours, but after that you can't live without it. I bought the smaller one for traveling with my MacBook Pro.

[Marquinius]

William,

 

I've been "treuzelen" (Dutch for not deciding, shuffling your feet, looking and then again not deciding) about the Wacom for ages. NOW I'm going to buy one. Very good instructions and clarification from you!

 

Thanks.

 

Marco

[Guest WPalank]

Thanks Marco.

 

The other suggestion I would make if you do pull the trigger is to take it out of the box on a day off (Saturday for example). Duplicate a folder of lets say 20 RAW files so that subconsciously you know that you can throw them out at the end of the session. Set aside about 3 hours where the wife and kids are all out of the house and no one is over your shoulder. Now give it a go.

 

Practice dodging, burning and working on Layer masks. For the first thirty minutes to an hour you will question your manual dexterity and wonder if your purchase was a big mistake. Typically after 3 hours or so, you are using it at an intermediate level.

 

Also, disconnect your mouse and hide the one that comes in the box. No need for crutches.

[ammitsboel]

William, do you prefer the cintiq?

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[charlesphoto99]

William, do you prefer the cintiq?

 

I think you are confused. The Cintiq is a monitor that you actually work on the screen. They are very expensive and mostly used by illustrators (for the price you could get a nice Eizo, a much better monitor as far as photography apps go). The Intuous is a stand alone pad that one uses a "pen" (don't let your dog chew it up - replacements are expensive) to "paint" on the monitor it's connected to, much like a mouse (ie the pen moves a cursor point).

 

Anyway, no photographer, imo, should be without one.