Cintiq question
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Hi Wacom cintiq users. Question. Is your line quality/accuracy on the cintiq the same as on paper? Thanks in advance.
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@lmrush Line quality I've found has more to do with the program and brush you're using. As for accuracy, most digital tablets have varying degrees of accuracy issues (my cintiq is a tad off at the very edges). However with a cintiq it's so minor you don't even notice after a few minutes of drawing (heck, my cintiq's like 5 years old they may be much better now).
As long as you remember that it's a completely different medium (it's not a piece of paper, so it's not EXACTLY like drawing on a piece of paper) you get used to any minor differences real fast.
Are you thinking of buying one?
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Thank you so much for your time Braden. I have a Wacom tablet and when you use it, it is really difficult to draw on, rendering is a bit easier or it is fine for touching up/tweaking traditional scanned in pieces. My understanding is eye to hand coordination is much easier on a cintiq so that is why I am considering it
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I'll echo Braden's comment on the program. I've got an XP-Pen tablet (basically a cheaper Cintiq alternative), and the accuracy is incredibly good, but it just feels way different than paper. At the end of the day, I can do line art in PS, but it's not my favorite.
Now, I can say with 100% certainty that the iPad with the Apple Pencil is the closest experience to paper. Using a screen film with tooth, such as the PaperLike, to me feels almost indistinguishable. That said, the painting experience on it, for me, feels way different than the tablet. But the pencil/pen tools on the iPad are unparalleled.
If you love painting with your Wacom and it's not an issue, you might stick with that and get an iPad to sketch and ink with. Procreate allows you to export images directly into PSDs with layers so all your sketches and line art translate directly and you can start painting. Personally I was having a lot of wrist discomfort when trying to use a standard tablet so that's when I made the switch.
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@lmrush a simple wacom tablet vs a cintiq is no contest
I'm pretty sure if you get a cintiq you'll be happy. -
There's no comparison between the Intuos tablet (I think that's what you mean?) and a Cintiq. If you want to draw with anything like a natural pencil to paper motion, the Cintiq us the way to go. It's not just like paper, but it's definitely way more intuitive than the Intuos.
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@LauraA thank you
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@lmrush anyone have any thoughts on refurbished cintiq or would you recommend new?
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@lmrush The used ones are actually pretty sturdy so I wouldn't feel hesitant to get a 3-4 year old model on Ebay.
Depending on your budget, you might also consider one of the other brands that have been inching their way up to Cintiq level. I mentioned I have an XP-Pen, which was a 16" drawing service that was $269 brand new (I think it was on sale). Artisul is another brand. The most recent ones have laminated screens which gets REALLY close to the Cintiq level.
Personally I've never owned a Cintiq, but I've used them in the past. It's a superior experience, but if you don't currently use one you'll never feel the difference. For the price, I'm VERY happy with it. I figured down the road I can always upgrade.
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@jdubz Thanks so much for your time and help-have a great New Years
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@lmrush I have a 13inch Cintiq from 2014. It still works pretty well. If you have a small budget, second-hand Cintiq is a very good option.
I would go for a bigger one if it is possible. I feel like mine is a tad too small. Often I have an urge to print out sketches to see how they work in terms of size/composition, etc, because most of the time I stare at the screen seeing only a small portion of the image, or a thumbnail of the image. I rarely able to see the image in its intended size.
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I also purchased an XP-Pen 16" recently. I've never used a cintiq, but I'm very happy with it. It has the laminated screen as mentioned. It's nice to hear that several of us have made this choice. I didn't know that when I bought it. I had been using a non-display XP-Pen and couldn't justify the cost of a Cintiq yet.
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@lmrush Hello, I can relate a lot to this question because for a long time i have had trouble with the digital versus traditional organic feeling and accuracy in the drawing experience and since most of the things I do require a polished lineart version, which is the part of the process I get the most enjoyment from, I didn’t quite match this experience until I got my first graphic display tablet.
Until then I’ve had two Wacom tablets, one bamboo and one intuos series, and an iPad in which only autodesk sketchbook seemed to mimic somehow the paper drawing experience. Plus I did buy a matte screen protector for the iPad since its surface is very slick and doesn’t match at all the feeling of drawing on paper.
So I do agree the program you’re using might influence that, for instance I only get that when I’m working on 100% proportion on photoshop, and you might get less issues with cursor offset and screen calibration on a Wacom Cintiq than in other brands but they are getting there.
Size also matters so getting a big one is important if you do arm movements, I find those particularly important.
Ps: I never tried a cintiq in first person but will gives a lot of feedback on using his cintiq as he had the same issues as I had regarding drawing on paper and moving to digital.
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For a cintiq, you just need to calibrate the pen for how you work. Might take a couple of tries to get it to feel the way you want. I don't pay attention to my pen tip, I just "feel" where the cursor is. It is pretty accurate though.
The screens are slick, but wacom has felt nibs that have a nice rough feel and grab like a pencil would on paper.
I worked on a 12wx cintiq for years until my pen broke. I bought it used (several years old already) and 7 years later it still works, I kept it in case I find a deal on a compatible pen.
When the pen broke, I had a big job I needed to get done, and couldn't find a pen, so I bought a new old stock cintiq companion 1, pretty much the same size as the 12wx. The calibration was better, no jittering towards the edge of the screen like the 12wx. I've been using this one for about 2 years now. The screen has heat damage now but still works, and I've seen others that complained their screen stopped working with excessive heat. So I don't recommend a companion 1 or 2 unless you do fairly light work.
I'd say Cintiq 21ux 2nd gen and up are the best.
I would trust used wacom, but not used other brands.
The x-pens have fairly good reviews and a friend of mine has a 21" that she loves. Great prices, and if there is an issue they seem to have pretty good customer service.
