Question: (Question superseded) - Any writer/illustrators here? Your advice on drawing tablets would be welcome.

[Dorm Ant]

When I illustrated some vegan cake cookbooks a while back, I drew in pencil, then inked, then scanned, then coloured using Photoshop (and later, Gimp). I'd like to buy a drawing tablet, so I can draw straight to screen. I think it'll take my (currently a hobby) picture book, The Way of the Guinea Pig, to another level. However, they range in price from £30 to £1,000! I know I want one with a screen, so I can see as I draw, though other than that, it's a minefield.

Do any of you have experience with drawing tablets? Dos and don'ts? Brands to recommend?

 

[Vagabond Heart]

When I illustrated some vegan cake cookbooks a while back, I drew in pencil, then inked, then scanned, then coloured using Photoshop (and later, Gimp). I'd like to buy a drawing tablet, so I can draw straight to screen. I think it'll take my (currently a hobby) picture book, The Way of the Guinea Pig, to another level. However, they range in price from £30 to £1,000! I know I want one with a screen, so I can see as I draw, though other than that, it's a minefield.

Do any of you have experience with drawing tablets? Dos and don'ts? Brands to recommend?

I'll ask my son and get back to you - he has had several.

p.s. I would SO read The Way of the Guinea Pig.

 

[JamieRae]

When I illustrated some vegan cake cookbooks a while back, I drew in pencil, then inked, then scanned, then coloured using Photoshop (and later, Gimp). I'd like to buy a drawing tablet, so I can draw straight to screen. I think it'll take my (currently a hobby) picture book, The Way of the Guinea Pig, to another level. However, they range in price from £30 to £1,000! I know I want one with a screen, so I can see as I draw, though other than that, it's a minefield.

Do any of you have experience with drawing tablets? Dos and don'ts? Brands to recommend?

Hey RG! I'm a freelance storyboard artist some of the time and so I make part of my living by relying on my tablet! Most pro-artists are using the large iPad pro models, closer to the higher end of the budgets you mention. I'm using a fairly old Samsung Tablet S4 and a Staedtler digital pencil, along with Sketchbook software (which is free) works an absolute treat for me. Total budget needed to get hold of those is probably now around £300. Hope that helps!

 

[Dorm Ant]

I don't like Apple products and wanted to take advantage of Black Friday deals before they disappear, so have gone for an XP Pen Artist 12 Pro. Reduced from £250 to £200. Wetting myself with excitement until it comes.

 

[Dorm Ant]

I'll ask my son and get back to you - he has had several.

p.s. I would SO read The Way of the Guinea Pig.

Here's an example of the content:

Illustration of a close-up of a rose, with smaller ones in background. Guinea pig with nose raised, eating a petal.
Caption: Roses put all their effort into growing. They don't worry about whether they're prettier than last year's roses.