27.7.2017

I got the Wacom Intuos for editing photos using Adobe Lightroom. As this is my first graphics tablet, I didn't want to splash out on an expensive one only to find I didn't get along with using it. The feature list and price mark of the Wacom Intuos Draw fitted the bill as a first time device.Connection, installation and setup to my laptop went without a hitch. If you have never used a graphic tablet before it can take some time to get used to when transitioning from a mouse or a laptop track pad. However, stick with it and it will become more intuitive as time passes. Some of the settings and options can be a little daunting to understand,but the online tutorials on the Wacom YouTube channel can be invaluable in understanding how to use your new device. There are generic videos on general use which can be applied to the Wacom Draw, but remember that this is an entry level device, so not all of the functions explained are available for this graphics tablet. One of the functions missing from the Intuos Draw, which would be a nice to have, is 'pinch to zoom' which is available on other devices in the further up in Wacom Range, obviously at a higher cost.Assigning functions to the tablet buttons, of which there are 4 in total with 2 function buttons on the side of the pen itself, are done using the tablet set-up application. The personal customisation of these function buttons is extensive to say the least. You can spend a lot of time just customising these for your personal preference for both general use and also to for each specific application you intend to use the tablet with. That's a lot of effort getting the tablet setup and there doesn't seem to be starter defaults for 'known' applications that you can experiment with to save time in this process. I guess this would be even more of an effort if you invested in a device from higher up in the Wacom range with more functionality.One of the 'Must do's' is setting the range of travel of the pen in relation to the screen pointer, especially if you use a large/widescreen or dual monitors. The distance in moving the pen on the graphics pad is directly relative to the movement of the pointer on the screen. Its not like a mouse where you can scroll, lift, down, scroll and the pointer will move pause and continue in the same direction. Where you touch the pen on the pad is where the screen pointer will jump to. This can mean moving or placing the pen at the extremes of the pad to get the mouse pointer to where you want it to be on the screen. This can lead to hand strain when moving the pen around the pad. Luckily, you can reduce the touch point range using the device settings, limiting the amount of movement on the pad needed to get the pointer to different points on the screen.It can also get fiddly when trying to use the pen buttons to do things that have become second nature when using a mouse. Trying to drag and drop an icon or Window around the screen for example, is a straightforward case of left mouse 'click', move. When using the pen, you have to position it in your hand so the buttons on the side work for whichever finger or thumb combination work for you, ensure you are pressing the correct button you assigned for left mouse button, press on the pad at the exact point on the pad to collect the screen item then drag the pen across the pad. The driver software can seem a little hit and miss when doing this or its because you have to be very accurate when using the pen, so hand eye coordination has to be spot on to do the simple tasks you do with a mouse. Right mouse click functions get even more frustrating!While these observations may not be unique to this particular Wacom tablet, more for graphics tablets in general, its when you use the tablet and pen for doing things that are much more intuitive when using a pen and paper. On screen drawing or picture editing for example (once you have set the correct function execution for the buttons), work much better here than using the pen for general mouse pointer navigation. This is when using a mouse seems cumbersome in comparison to using a graphics tablet and when it comes into its own and opens whole new world of possibilities when using your computer.Overall it's worth the investment of both time and money in buying a graphics tablet and the Wacom Intuos Draw is a a good place to start. It will let you know how well you will get on using a graphics tablet, without spending a lot of cash to find out .

29.8.2016

Pros: Attractive; responsive; easy-to-use and inexpensive for beginners; pressure-sensitive pen with handy customisable buttons; light and portable.Cons: Drawing surface doesn't feel all that resilient; nibs wear down quickly.I purchased this as my very first graphics tablet, and would definitely recommend it to casual artists who want to dip their toe into working with tablets without spending too much. This Intuos Draw tablet is the cheapest in the current Intuos range, and is only available in Small - which is fine for use with a single laptop screen. It lacks the 'touch' function of the range's other tablets, but the only feature I feel I'm missing out on is the ability to pan across an image by touch; it’s hardly an insurmountable issue,and not worth an extra £20. Setting up the tablet is simple (considering I have no prior experience, it only took me an hour or so to get used to using it). With the help of the tutorial videos on Wacom's site, it's also really easy to configure the four buttons on the tablet and the two buttons on the pen to perform a number of functions for different applications. I could do without the obtrusive display describing what the different tablet buttons do popping up at the top of the screen when I press one in certain applications, but it's not too bad.The light blue version of the tablet is attractive, and its matte drawing area is fairly quiet and pleasant to draw on. There’s a little loop of fabric at the top that acts as a penholder: a useful addition, and very secure. Whilst you would need to purchase some additional hardware to add a wireless connection, the USB cable boxed with the tablet is quite long, and I’ve never felt that it constricts use of the tablet in any way. 3 replacement nibs and a simple nib removal feature are supplied behind the tablet’s back panel. On the subject of the back panel, if you slide it closed rather than lever it closed I can’t see that there’s any risk of it falling or snapping off.There's no discernible delay between the pen and the cursor, and the pressure-sensitive feature works fine with Krita (I haven't tried the art software that came with the tablet). Whilst I wouldn’t use it in preference to the laptop touchpad or a mouse for other applications if I wasn’t already working on a drawing at the same time, the tablet also works fine for browsing online, etc.Whilst several people have said that the pen feels cheap compared to other Wacom pens, personally I'm very satisfied with it. Since I tend to find padding on pens and pencils a bit annoying, the fact that the pen is hard matte plastic with no padded or textured grip doesn’t bother me at all. The pen has a little more weight to it than a regular ink pen, but it’s still comfortable to hold for long periods of time and not at all unwieldy. As for the two buttons on the pen, they give a reasonable amount of clicky feedback when pressed, and whilst they fall within the grip area they aren’t so sensitive that you ever find yourself clicking them by mistake.However, after a few days of admittedly fairly intensive use the side of the nib I used more definitely showed more wear that I would have expected. I was slightly concerned that the edge of the worn-down area felt scratchy and that it might damage the tablet’s surface, so I replaced the nib a few days later. As I tend to press quite hard with pencils, that may well affect how quickly this problem arises. Still, it could get costly replacing the nibs at this rate.This brings me to the tablet's biggest drawback: after just a few hours' use, the surface is easily marked. It’s not scratched or indented in any way, but from certain angles you can see 'traces' of the lines you've drawn. Wiping with a cloth removed the most recent lines, but you can still tell which parts of the tablet are drawn on most. I'm not sure how prevalent this issue is with tablets, and I would hope it's limited to less expensive models like this one. You can improvise and use the transparent plastic sleeve that the tablet comes packaged in as a makeshift 'screen' protector, but it's not the most comfortable solution.In summary, this is a great entry-level tablet that's easy and comfortable to use and provides a relatively inexpensive way of figuring out if working with a graphics tablet is right for you. It seems better suited to light use, but I really enjoy drawing with it so far.

20.9.2015

This is a neat little graphics tablet that is as functional as a full size version. It's sleek and compact, and would be ideal to use with a small laptop or notebook as it's certainly small enough to be considered fully portable. I love the design of this. The drawing surface is matte with little dots on it and the coloured edge is not in-your-face. In the box you get the tablet and pen, a cable, quick start guide and technical spec sheets, a CD of the software and instructions on how to download ArtRage Lite. To set up, get it out of the box and plugged into the PC, then download the software or insert the CD. Install the driver software and reboot your PC. Then start your software of choice and draw.The pen is surprisingly responsive. I can get the effect of variable pressure pencil in Sketchbook Pro very nicely. You get four buttons on the tab itself which I use for undo/redo and my most used tools. There are two buttons on the pen which as always take a little while to get used to so that you're not knocking them while drawing. I set them to zoom and layer tools selector as standard, and that's what this pen does out of the box in Sketchbook Pro which was a nice surprise.Including the ArtRage Lite software is a really nice touch. A graphics tablet itself is just an input device. Think of it like a piece of paper that registers the movements of the pencil on your screen. In order to produce artwork, you need software that works to produce the image that you want to draw. There are lots out there from Open Source applications to seriously sophisticated art programs which cost a small fortune. I like Sketchbook Pro myself; it's the application I'm used to and it has become as intuitive to use as my art gear is when using the 'analogue' versions. ArtRage Lite is a pleasant surprise. It's simple enough for a young person to use - in fact I think a child could use this easily - and yet sophisticated enough that you could produce some really nice artwork just with this graphics tablet and the bundled software.This makes it very cost effective if you're looking to gift it to the budding artist that you love, or even for an art or design student.I will say, as I always do, that although working digitally can solve some of the issues that plague people learning to draw, that it won't magically turn you into a brilliant artist. It is still necessary to learn to draw. There is some on-line training included with this tablet that might be worth looking at. I do believe that anyone can learn to draw. I recommend The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007116454 ) as a starting point for anyone trying to teach themselves to draw and paint. Once you have mastered the basics, then you'll be able to really see the shape of what you want to draw and you'll be able to reproduce it whether from life or the imagination.

19.1.2016

Decided to purchase a Wacom tablet to help with my digital work as using just my mac's trackpad can be a little tedious. I've never used any sort of tablet before, so thought I'd start off with a basic model to see how I would get on with it. However with a bit of research, all models ultimately do the same thing (I'm sure some really techy people will want to shoot naive me for that), and came to the conclusion that the added 'touch' feature would annoy me more than benefit me.It arrived well packed and was very easy to set up with the cd drivers. I had read that sometimes the tablet would lag when switching between programmes and the only way to overcome this is to uninstall and re-install the drivers again.I've been using the tablet for almost 2 weeks and so far I have not had a problem switching between illustrator to photoshop, and even to my internet browser (google chrome if you wanted to know).Sometimes I find myself using the tablet for everything, including just general browsing on the web, and sometimes I find myself unconsciously going back to using my trackpad.. Even for fine detailed work on illustrator. So in terms of enhancing my work, I'm not sure it's benefitted quite yet, but it's probably because I'm not used to it yet.The pen is apparently of a lesser quality than what it used to be, and I can in some ways see this. Occasionally one of my buttons gets stuck so I can't feel a click when I use it, but it will still perform the command on my laptop. However, this doesn't bother me as I don't find the buttons easy to use anyway. I have to hold my pen in a way that my fingers do not touch the buttons as I have quite a tight grip when drawing or writing, so for when I want to undo something I have to re-adjust my pen to have access to the button - in this time I would have been able to undo with my keyboard shortcut. As with the buttons on the top right and left corners on the actual tablet, I haven't found a suitable function for them as of yet.The included software is pretty good too, theres some nice features which can make really nice digital art. I've played around with it more than use it for my work though, but having said that it's a really nice addition, especially if you don't have any adobe software!All in all I'm pretty happy with the product, the only negatives I've had are to do with things I don't personally like, or have not got used to - so I can't really fault it for these reasons. I'd like to buy the add on wireless kit because the lead annoys me both physically and aesthetically but again can't really fault it. The tablet definitely has helped me and made my work a little easier to carry out and I can really see why people love them so much. It's still something I need to get used to but would definitely recommend this product!

28.3.2017

I work in the creative industry and have used drawing tablets in the past, specifically a giant old Wacom about 10 years ago, but none since. I decided a few weeks ago to give hand drawing a go again in some of my designs and out of interest looked at what price drawing tablets were going for these days. There is a lot of choice obviously, with wide, wide ranges in price, but this Intous stuck out straight away for me. It's made by the best maker of drawing graphics tablets in the game, looks good, is discreet for the desk and is about £50, so even if it doesn't get as much use as I thought it would it's not an amount of money that will leave me frustrated.As it happens,I do use it almost every day and I couldn't be happier. For what I want it is perfect, and that is touching up photos, doing small drawings on Adobe Illustrator as part of a design, which the tablet was not really designed for exactly, but nonetheless is very useful on because paths can be created that just wouldn't be able to be created with the mouse. Photoshop is where it comes into its own of course, and after having an experiment – as it takes a while to get used to – I was using the pen with the pressure option on in Photoshop and was very impressed with the range of pressure and the marks you get on the screen.The tablet itself is extremely light and isn't what I'd call "solid", but is still well built and it looks reliable. I've also managed to drop it twice, to no ill effect. The pen is the most basic you can get, but, again, for my usage it is completely fine. The two buttons can be customised within the computer settings. I'm using it on a MacBook Pro 2011 model, with OS Sierra, and it works perfectly, and has no lag at all except on massive files in Photoshop. It installed without any problems, I used the CD for that and it all was set up fine. I think the Wacom software that comes with it isn't really necessary as it just links you to your System Preferences when clicking on a tablet setting you want to change. The four buttons on the tablet can be set to a whole host of different things, which can be easily changed. It's also set up to work with left or right handed people and mine didn't need setting up to my screen size. The tablet's corners mimic that of my MacBook and automatically adapt when my Mac is plugged into an external monitor (even my ancient 2009 Cinema Display).In the back section of the tablet you have spots for a battery and a Wi-Fi dongle to sit and also a space for nibs, of which three are included. The label at the top of the tablet can be used to slip the pen into, which I thought was a nice little addition. Overall I couldn't be happier with this, and it's nice to be using a Wacom tablet again after all these years.

19.8.2017

I have now had this tablet for about a week and have used it extensively for art, including my first piece of fanart to be liked by the actor, which was a big achievement for me.overall i am quite happy with this product it was easy to set up and i had read the warnings that it needed to reboot to use so had already saved and this was not an issue. with more difficulty i was able to download the software, this was complicated by the website providing a series of error messages and i found that the software is very basic so i am sticking with myPaint, unfortunately this software is not compatible with the pressure sensing elements of the tablet so that is a property that has gone to waste.the

20.3.2016

I actually came about these new drawing tablets after seeing one of my students using one during class. I was curious as to how far the budget line of tablets had come from Wacom since I bought my first bamboo.Having quite a lot of experience with both the cheaper and more expensive ends of the Wacom drawing tablet market, including the Cintiq 21UX and the small (now quite old) Bamboo, I was a little cautious in trying out the new cheapest model: The Intuous Draw. Previously unless you were paying £200+ you'd be getting an 'OK' pen tablet that didn't quite perform as wel as you knew Wacom could make them.However, with the latest Wacom Intuous Series I'm glad to say that this has changed dramatically.I paid £47 for the standard Intuous Draw (just pen,

25.11.2015

I have been using Wacom tablets for years now and am a huge fan, never use a mouse as I prefer the precision and hand position of a pen with a tablet. Recently my old tablet started playing up, and I hoped this small tablet would provide a convenient replacement which I could use with my laptop as well as a desktop.The tablet is a good size for use with a laptop - very lightweight, and will sit on your knee or on the desk. The pen stores in a tab at the top of the tablet - it's a bit stiff at the moment but will probably loosen with use. The tablet connects to a USB socket with the lead supplied.Unfortunately, it was not shown on the website at the time of ordering that this tablet is not compatible with older operating systems.

23.1.2018

I ordered this for myself as a practical Christmas present, and I've been quickly getting used to it.First, the pros: it's incredibly light and portable. You could slip this into a satchel and feel almost nothing added. The wireless expansion port means that, for a little additional investment, it's also a practical option for digital art on-the-go; there's even a fabric loop on the top for snug safekeeping of the pen. The pen is very light, similar to a typical ink pen or even a pencil. It has two buttons, which are not too difficult to reach quickly, and a thickness to it that lets it rest between your fingers without any need of a tight grip. The drawing area, clearly denoted by the array of dots,

19.10.2016

I've had this pen tablet for a few hours now so here are my first impressions.For the price it is a great toy which works just as advertised with no disappointments so far. I hope it will eventually be a useful drawing aid. I've never used a tablet before so right now it feels like I am trying to draw using my toes. I did manage an initial sketch that brought back happy memories of crayoning at the age of 5.It can be used a mouse replacement but at my current skill level I think I shall be keeping my mouse functional for a while. The 2 pointing devices do seem to co-exist happily so long as you don't try use them at the same time. If you do, the poor cursor doesn't know which way to move but no system problems occur.Installation was a breeze,

5.10.2015

Wacom tablets have a reputation among graphic designers and digital artists for producing good quality items that are easy to use and pretty accurate. This small tablet is no exception. It is compact, with a drawing surface area of about 20 x 12 cms, but has the capability to allow you to produce artwork of various sizes by using the zoom functions on your computer/tablet.The pen is nice and chubby, rounded and finished in a stippled finish which is easier to grip than a smooth pen. The bottom of the pen (where it meets the 'nib') is splayed slightly, so allowing a good grip that stops your hand from sliding off the end of the pen body.There are 2 buttons on the pen which can be set up to provide a 'shortcut'

5.1.2017

I bought this after getting more and more into the graphic design side of things. It partners well with Affinity Designer as well as Illustrator, allowing you to manually draw instead of having to mouse thing onto your screen. It's got a nice, tactile surface that feels not too-dissimilar to paper. The installation was easy on my MacBook Air, although it's not entirely obvious which driver you need from the Wacom website. I had to download the drivers because there is obviously no CD ROM drive on the Air, but it was a relatively easy thing to do.The problems arose when I went to install it on my Windows desktop. Once upon a time I owned an Intuos 4 and hadn't removed the previous drivers from the system when I got rid of that tablet.

26.5.2016

PROS:- Great budget graphics pen tablet.- Durable, simple, clean and sleek.- Excellent for point and click games, like OSU.- Easier to draw than with a mouse.- 3 Spare nibs on the back.- Free software and voucher included:Art Rage LiteFREE 30-day lynda.com MembershipFREE 30-day video2brain MembershipMy Photobook voucher - €20CONS:- Challenging to draw precisely, you need to practice.- No display, so it's not in sync with your eyes and hands.- The nibs erode quite fast in a few weeks of regular use.- No instructions of which site you should register the software code.SOFTWARE BUNDLE ISSUE:I solved my problem by changing the region of the store to EUROPE.If the tablet is made in Amerca,

12.9.2016

Really good bit of kit here.It works with my Mac book pro retina display, i7 etc running el capitan. Which is nice.It has several advantages over the stylus for the iPad (which i tried, liked but didn't buy as the software was a bit gimmicky and it was all a bit slow):It does not need to be chargedIt has instant response, no delay between making a stroke with the stylus and seeing the result in the screen.really good pressure sensors, you can press really quite hard, and it will notice the changes excellently.There is a lot of software compatible with it.It replaces the track pad and can function easily as a mouse it also has four programable buttons and Significantly two buttons on the stylus

22.2.2017

As nice as you would expect from a top brand but at this price point; there's nothing thrilling about it, but it gets the job done and it does so without any abstract quirks. Nice size and weight for travelling with; if you're only going to use it in one place then you might want something larger. Seems built solidly enough, surface feels good, pen's a nice weight, USB cord is a good length, etc, etc.Only things which prevents it from being 5-stars are two small niggles which are both somewhat subjective:- The first nib showed signs of wear after just one day of use. This is even despite the fact that my touch is so light that I had to adjust the sensitivity to pick up my input at all.

Wacom Intuos Draw - Reviews

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