Website Design Tips - Hypergurl

Hints and tips for using Wacom drawing tablet

While using a drawing tablet isn't a necessity for website designers or graphic artists, many do opt to use them for a variety of reasons. For example, sufferers of carpal tunnel syndrome find using a pen is much more comfortable than a computer mouse that can often be very repetitive on the wrist. For artists who started off with hand drawn sketching, they simply find it quicker to stay drawing with a pen rather than learn how to use a mouse to create their cartoons and animations. The Wacom drawing tablet is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash as well as many others as listed on their website at: http://www.wacom.com/productsupport/tesoftware.cfm

Tutorials on how to use a drawing tablet are few and far between. Here are a few I've found of use to beginners.

1. Kevin Hulsey has put together a basic lesson explaining the use of Wacom's Pen tool preferences and settings.

2. A tutorial sheet put together by WACOM: Beginner tablet tips for Photoshop. It is useful for those with Intuos2 or greater. The second part offers Photoshop color and painting tips.

Richard Bazley is a successful Hollywood animator who doesn't mind sharing a few tips on one of his favorite tools, the Wacom drawing tablet. You don't necessarily need to be a good drawer to start with. Instead you can become a good artist while learning to use a drawing tablet.

In this first video he explains different types of pens and their uses. For example, the stroking pen is useful for drawing textures such as hair. Or an inking pen is useful for drawing on actual paper that is placed on top of the Wacom tablet. Just like you would on a sketch pad. Whatever sketch you create on the paper is displayed on your computer monitor.

In his 2nd video tutorial below, Richard demonstrates the advantages of using dual screens when working with a Wacom tablet.