Digital drawing tablets and software

GnomeTank

This is not the most earth shattering of H&A topics, I admit, but help a father out. I looked for a place to put this question in one of the artists sections, but nothing jumped out so here we are.

My daughter, who is almost 12, has been doing art and animation since she was probably five or six. It's mostly been done in iOS/iPad but she recently got a PC and of course almost immediately wanted a drawing tablet and some software. I'm not going make it out like she's some savant, but she's shown enough dedication and skill that I'm willing to put some money in to decent stuff.

Couple of things:

What should I look for in a drawing tablet? I can go search Wacom like the next person, but is a decent lower end Wacom the best way to start out? She already has an Apple Pencil for her iPad, so being completely naive here, she's going to want something with that level of precision and likely pressure sensitivity.

Am I stuck just dropping the money on Adobe Creative Suite, or are there some different/cheaper tools to look in to? She's specifically been asking for Adobe Animate. Are there some cheaper/better alternatives?

She's also asked about a "drawing glove", which I think is a fingerless glove meant for working with digital tablets? I'm guessing honestly.

I'm just completely out of my depth here. This is a part of the technology world I am completely disconnected with and would love some guidance. I'm willing to spend to get her good, useful, things but I I want to make smart long term decisions that help her get better at her hobby and grow it as a passion as she enters junior high soon.

see317

In the Artists Corner sub forum, there's a sticky thread at the top named "Questions, Discussions, Tutorials", it doesn't get much traffic, but the last page starts with talking about tablets and software before bouncing back to art tutorials. Those posts are from a couple months back though.

Do you have a specific budget in mind? I know that tablets can get pricey depending on what you want, and a willingness to put some money in for decent stuff can be very different amounts for different people.

The drawing glove I only know about because my sisters fiance has one for use with his iPad to do design work. It's a glove, typically with the pinky and ring fingers still in place but the index and pointers gone. That way you're holding your pen or stylus or whatever with bare fingers, but you have the low friction surface from the cloth between your skin and the glass screen. Makes drawing much easier since you're not dragging your sweaty palm meat all over the screen.

I found this link while searching for information that might help familiarize you with varying tablet features and price ranges.
https://cameratico.com/guides/how-to-choose-wacom-pen-tablet/

tynic

Lower priced wacoms are still very good and reliable, don't feel you need to shell out for the professional level hardware. The pens are comparable to or better than the Apple pencil. (I actually really like the iPad for basic sketching and painting, but it does have limited software options).

Animation software I know nothing about, but asking in the questions or chat thread in the Artist's Forum might get you more info

GnomeTank

I have no idea how I missed that thread in Artist's Corner. I looked for that specific thing and I guess my eyes just glanced over it. I'll go read that and ask any further questions I have there. Thanks both of you!

Iruka

https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/200061/art-tech-thread-wacom-yiynova-computer-builds-software-post-your-set-up/p3

More info in that thread, though some of its dated now. Totally hit up chat with your burning questions.

Just some input, the ipad pro feels VERY nice to draw on, and outclasses what I would have recommended before, which is a yiynova. Personally, I think its hard to go back to drawing on a disconnected tablet with all the on-display drawing I've been doing, but some artists still swear by it, and its by far the cheaper option. If I build a dedicated desktop for drawing more, I'm considering replacing my yinova with a wacom cintiq, just because the ipad spoiled me.

Software wise, Clip Studio Paint (formerly Manga Studio) is a fine photoshop replacement, and is not a subscription for the desktop version. Its often on sale:
https://www.clipstudio.net/en/purchase

the pro version is fine, EX has helpful tools for making comics ready for print, and some 3d stuff, but you can upgrade it later. Clip paint is big enough that people are out there making tutorials and resources for it, so it would enter her into a healthy ecosystem of that.

Krita is OS and free:
https://krita.org/en/


I've played with it and it has great tools, but it still has a ways to go before it hits blender levels of support and enthusiasm. Good option if the budget is very tight.

Peas

https://youtu.be/rV2Ix0HZSbM

Here's a good video to start you with a general idea of what you might need equipment wise
Fun channel to watch too

Skip to 15:15 for more specific details on the specs

GnomeTank

So they seem very down on using something like an iPad for drawing...but I'm not sure I follow their arguments beyond the professional software one. How is an iPad, with an Apple Pencil, setup well on a desk ergonomically worse than something like a Wacom Cintiq?

I ask because given the price of a Cintiq, which is way more in to Christmas present territory, I was considering getting her a desk arm for her iPad, so she can place it more ergonomically and continue to use that with her Apple Pencil, with some new software suggestions. I think she's going to find drawing off-screen to be jarring, but I'm willing to buy her a cheaper no screened tablet in the mean time just to try it and to be able to use more full featured software and look in to something like a Cintiq as a future Christmas/birthday present.

Iruka

I would check out the thread I linked, as there's a lot of talk about the huion tablets and peoples success with them. If she gets into clip paint, there is a full version of that software that works on the ipad.

The Ipad, however, does cause me a ton of wrist strain, because of the smaller drawing surface and how I tend to use it (curled up on the couch). With a good desk set up, the strain might be less, but having a little more real-estate can help ease that and encourage drawing from the shoulder (which, can also cause strain there, so have to be careful either way).

The other really large gap from the ipad to the desktop would be what most artists refer to as "workflow". You sacrifice hotkeys, screen space for reference pictures, the ability to have multiple programs running simultaneously, and in some cases even the ability to have multiple files open simultaneously. Getting a proper workflow going with the ipad, for me has to include having a laptop near by, and I got a little controller for my hotkeys. My options are much more flexible on the desktop, and starting to learn how to have that flexibility early will help her if she wants to pursue this as a career.

Peas

Two monitors man
So good

laotian

Personally I use a XP-Pen ( www.xp-pen.com ) drawing tablet, running both Photoshop CS 6 and Corel Painter 2017. The reason I don't use the most recent software and hardware is not because of cost, but because they really haven't improved much over the years( with the exception of Corel Painter for which I upgraded to last years version). So another thing you might want to consider is buying older versions of hardware or software as you get more bang for your buck and probably won't miss any of the newer stuff. Photoshop CS6 is the last version that you can buy outright and it works fine. Most the new features are geared toward photographic manipulation/adjustment and not digital painting.