In digital drawing it is almost impossible to get nice pictures with the mouse, so drafters and artists in Mangakakalot use a graphics tablet to transfer the drawing movements to the screen. Depending on the price range, simple functions can be used or even variations in the angle at which the pen is applied can be transferred so that shading can also be done effortlessly. We want to show you what to start with and what to expect in the professional league.
In the world of graphics tablets, few brands have made it through. Wacom in particular has this market firmly in its grip. With a wide variety of price ranges, the manufacturer knows how to score with users. But brands like Genius, Huion, and Ugee are also making inroads into this area. Medion trays can also be found in the low-price segment.
If you are unsure and don’t want to do anything wrong, you should take a Wacom. Most professionals and illustrators use a Wacom graphics tablet as they have just become mainstream. Of course, those who like to experiment can also try other brands, but in this basic course, we definitely recommend Wacom tablets!
Graphics tablets for beginners
Of course, as a complete beginner, you don’t want to spend a lot of money. After all, you don’t yet know if you’re made for digital drawing. There are three products available for this:
The Wacom Intuos S graphics tablet, in addition to a wireless connection, offers all the important basic functions that a graphics tablet should have. However, at 18.7×22.7 cm, the tray is quite small and requires some skill to create larger drawings. But there are also draftsmen who prefer a small tablet to a large one, as this is handier. For beginners, it is, therefore, a good and inexpensive alternative to the next tray.
The Huion H610 PRO is Wacom’s Asian competitor. It is only slightly more expensive and would still have room as a Christmas present. However, like the Intuos S, it is intended more for beginners and lacks a few practical functions of more expensive models.
Still, it offers a useful feature with its 8 application-specific buttons that you can set to activate the erase function or the “one step back” function. This makes it much easier to draw quickly and after a short time, you will never want to draw without it again. With a pressure sensitivity of 8192 levels, even light strokes are transferred well.
A third tray is also interesting for beginners. The Wacom Bamboo Manga or Intuos Manga Pen & Touch was actually developed as a product especially for you as a beginner in the field of manga and contains suitable software for digital drawing. However, the product series is a bit older and Wacom has stopped selling this tablet. Nevertheless, remaining stocks can still be found on eBay and other portals. Bargain hunters get their money’s worth here.
In principle, these two tablets are not very different from the Intuos Art Pen & Touch. Only the included software makes it a manga beginner. If you are unsure, you can take away your fears with this, since it is intended directly for manga.
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Advanced graphics tablets
Advanced users have to dig a little deeper into their pockets to achieve pure perfection with a graphics tablet. You can forget more dynamics and more beautiful lines with the entry-level models. For this, the number of pressure sensitivity levels must be more than the usual 1024 as with the Huion. These register how hard you press the tablet with the stylus and thus measure the line width. With higher sensitivity, the knitting strength is of course also more accurate at the end.
The graphics tablet’s resolution and tilt detection also need to be more powerful. This is the only way to ensure fine lines and pleasant, fluid shades. You can basically do this with the Wacom Intuos Pro series.
If you also want the advantages of the manga tablet for beginners, you can switch to the Intuos Pro M + Clip Studio Paint. The included software Clip Studio Paint Ex was formerly called Manga Studio 5EX, so it can still be used for drawing manga on the graphics tablet.