# Can't get used to drawing on tablet?



## aKaFluffButt (Feb 10, 2010)

Well the title says it all, ever since i bought my Trust slimline tablet it was about 3 weeks ago i still can't get used to it. Mostly because i am used to drawing on paper, but the problem with the traditional option is that you have to do lot's of corrections after that if you don't want to make it look like crap  Out of your experience is it easier to draw on a touch screen rather than on a tablet? Also is it normal to get used to it that long or am i just wasting my time with it? What can u share about your technique and how long did it take u to create your style? All types of stories are welcome


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## Arshes Nei (Feb 10, 2010)

Practice on it more.

That's like complaining you can't drive a car after being in it for a few days.


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## Joeyyy (Feb 10, 2010)

I did my avatar in paint.  Carpeltunnel?  Yes.


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## BlackDragonAlpha (Feb 10, 2010)

Don't worry. You'll get used to it. But sometimes, drawing on paper is the easiest way. I only hate my tablet when I can't make a clean straight line.


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## Joeyyy (Feb 10, 2010)

Is it a good idea to sketch and then scan the sketch onto the computer (Photoshop, etc?)


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## Zydala (Feb 10, 2010)

Joeyyy said:


> Is it a good idea to sketch and then scan the sketch onto the computer (Photoshop, etc?)



A lot of people do that, including myself! Sketch out what you want and then open it in a program to paint over etc;

Stick with the tablet for a little bit, OP. You'll find what you like about it. I myself use it to color and do lineart much more than just draw with it. Everyone's different!


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## ila (Feb 10, 2010)

My style is still developing, and I've been at it since 2004.

But it varies from person to person.



aKaFluffButt said:


> Trust slimline tablet



That might be your problem... Trust never brought me anything but pain.


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## Smelge (Feb 10, 2010)

Tape some paper over the tablet so you get the friction of working on paper.

Experiment with various settings on it.

Practice. Start drawing basic shapes, cubes, spheres, pyramids for 10 min before you try doing anything else.

Personally, I can't pick up a tablet and just draw, I like to warm up by using the tablet with Minesweeper. Get the accuracy working.


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## Aurali (Feb 10, 2010)

aKaFluffButt said:


> Well the title says it all, ever since i bought my Trust slimline tablet it was about 3 weeks ago i still can't get used to it. Mostly because i am used to drawing on paper, but the problem with the traditional option is that you have to do lot's of corrections after that if you don't want to make it look like crap  Out of your experience is it easier to draw on a touch screen rather than on a tablet? Also is it normal to get used to it that long or am i just wasting my time with it? What can u share about your technique and how long did it take u to create your style? All types of stories are welcome



use it for more than it's intended for... 

use it instead of a mouse, clicking things and all that... it might seem pointless, but excess leads to quicker muscle memory, which will lead to getting use to it faster...


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## M. LeRenard (Feb 11, 2010)

Took me a few weeks to get the hang of using mine, then another few weeks to get positively comfortable with it.  Now I just use it like a pen.
My problems involved getting the hang of the sensitivity (couldn't ever tell when it was close enough to be recognized, then I'd overcompensate and end up clicking, things like that), the ratio (what you're drawing on the tablet looks much bigger on the screen, so it's like your brain has to get used to the fact that you're drawing in miniature on the tablet but producing a regular sized image), and the fact that you can't turn the tablet around the same way to go at lines from different angles, which is something I always do when drawing with pencil or pen or what have you.
But I'm used to it all now, for the most part.  For the stuff I'm not good at, I just make liberal use of the undo command and trial and error my way to the result I'm looking for.
So yeah.  Give it time.


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## aKaFluffButt (Feb 11, 2010)

ila said:


> My style is still developing, and I've been at it since 2004.
> 
> But it varies from person to person.
> 
> ...



Yeah i knew that Trust wouldn't bring me much, but i had two choices that day it was either the Trust tablet or some other unknown Taiwan tablets that looked even worse, but i'm kinda getting the hang of this thing i guess more practice will help with time  Thanks everyone for your replies i really appreciate it   But before i go one more question, out of curiosity i am planing to buy a new tablet later this time a Wacom tablet out of your experience is it easier to draw on a small compact size tablet or on a big tablet where you can fit A4 paper ?


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## Taralack (Feb 12, 2010)

Practice practice practice. Over time you will get used to it.

Also Wacom or bust.


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## outward (Feb 12, 2010)

Drawing on a tablet, for me, will never feel the same as drawing traditionally -- and you probably should never expect it to.

Understand that drawing digitally will free different. Believing that the experience will feel exactly like holding a pencil is probably what's convincing you that "you're not used to it." After 3 weeks, you probably are. Tablet's have their limitations -- but now you have crtl+z, so all's fine.


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## mystery_penguin (Feb 12, 2010)

Arshes Nei said:


> Practice on it more.
> 
> That's like complaining you can't drive a car after being in it for a few days.


But, I mastered my dad's eclipse (manual) in less than 5 hours...


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## Taralack (Feb 13, 2010)

People learn things at a different rate. What's your point?


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## krisCrash (Feb 13, 2010)

aKaFluffButt said:


> Well the title says it all, ever since i bought my Trust slimline tablet it was about 3 weeks ago i still can't get used to it. Mostly because i am used to drawing on paper, but the problem with the traditional option is that you have to do lot's of corrections after that if you don't want to make it look like crap  Out of your experience is it easier to draw on a touch screen rather than on a tablet? Also is it normal to get used to it that long or am i just wasting my time with it? What can u share about your technique and how long did it take u to create your style? All types of stories are welcome


Draw moar, you WILL get used to it. I use my tablet several hours a day, both to draw and to navigate my computer.

And I hate the "how do I get style???" question. Really, do not worry about this. Draw stuff you like. And draw boring stuff for the sake of training (studies of noses, running people etc.). Just get GOOD, your style will then shine through because you're you, and if you're skilled you have the power to draw that way.


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## auzbuzzard (Feb 13, 2010)

Joeyyy said:


> Is it a good idea to sketch and then scan the sketch onto the computer (Photoshop, etc?)



When your scanner is a piece of f***n crap, you'll feel the same as I do...

Plus. Ever notice scanning things would make white grey? That's annoying. 

Plus, when your sketch is bigger than the glass (if you have an industrial class scanner equipment that wouldn't happen), you'll again feel yourself as a complete helpless idiot, holding the sketch and glare at the damn device. 

_Plus_, Joice jitter from the freakn poor scanner. 

That's why doing it digital at first is quite better, even capturing it with cameras is annoying too. Keystone, iso noise, exposure...

D**n...


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## Tolbia (Feb 13, 2010)

BlackDragonAlpha said:


> Don't worry. You'll get used to it. But sometimes, drawing on paper is the easiest way. I only hate my tablet when I can't make a clean straight line.


 
DITTO


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## Jazzy (Feb 13, 2010)

I think it's way easier to draw on a tablet than a touch screen; but It's even easier to sketch out on paper and finalize after scanning the image through :O  That being said, just doodle with it as much as you can, your hand will eventually get used to the stroke difference it has..


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## krisCrash (Feb 13, 2010)

auzbuzzard said:


> Plus. Ever notice scanning things would make white grey? That's annoying.


Contrast, brightness, curves, levels tools?

I've never met a scanner too awesome to not need post-editing.

And I've used quite a few different scanners 

You can scan big things in 2 parts. It's annoying. I'm told Photoshop can stitch together for you, I haven't tested it myself, maybe I will.


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## Arshes Nei (Feb 14, 2010)

BlackDragonAlpha said:


> Don't worry. You'll get used to it. But sometimes, drawing on paper is the easiest way. I only hate my tablet when I can't make a clean straight line.



Use the SHIFT key if you want to draw a straight line, least in several programs that's the shortcut. Painter also uses the V key.

The point is, use the shortcuts that were given to you. Stop making excuses.


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## Sho-Oxide (Feb 15, 2010)

Zydala said:


> A lot of people do that, including myself! Sketch out what you want and then open it in a program to paint over etc;
> 
> Stick with the tablet for a little bit, OP. You'll find what you like about it. I myself use it to color and do lineart much more than just draw with it. Everyone's different!



This is what I do too, I got a tablet and it's useful, but not to the extent I had thought before buying.


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## Celyn (Feb 19, 2010)

Use your tablet, use your tablet, use your tablet. Draw stick figures, draw anything, use the pen instead of a mouse. I'll admit, it took me nearly a year to finally get the hang of it, the first few months, I played around with it sporadically, draw a little (or try to) get fed up, and put it away for another day. You have to re-train your brain how to think about "paper" since it's not in front of you anymore, and you can't rotate it, nor are you drawing directly on it. But since you draw, you should already be familiar with the motions, you just have to get to the point where line A meets line B and then everything will click. 

It also depends on what kind of tablet you bought, if you bought a cheap little no-name thingy from say Wal-mart, you literally get what you pay for. My first tablet was a Graphire 4, because it was a "reasonable" price range and people still gave it good feedback. And it's a fabulous starter tablet, I still keep mine just for use when traveling for conventions and whatnot. I've since upgraded to an Intuos 3 and the difference is huge, but it still doesn't negate the Graphire 4. You can even do pretty good with a Bamboo (Wacom's Graphire v2 or whatever they're on now).

tl;dr Keep using it. You didn't learn how to walk in a day.


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## Arshes Nei (Feb 20, 2010)

It also helps to learn certain shortcut keys too.

In traditional drawing we'd turn or flip paper to make curves or correct mistakes.
Programs that have canvas rotation and flip horizontal are your friends.


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## KingCabbage (Feb 21, 2010)

Just want to add that it can take time.  I didn't get completely comfortable til I got a job where I had to use it all day, for 8 hours a day...then I shaped up pretty quick.  But one of my friends took to it immediately.  It depends but a lot of people need lots of time to get the hang of it.

I've worked on a Cintiq too (you draw directly on the screen) tho and that was AWESOME cause I took to it immediately.  But I know some people who had trouble with that and prefer tablet.  *shrug*


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