Anyone here use a Wacom cintiq alternative?

Hi All

I know there are a few Wacom Cintiq users on this forum, but I was wondering if anyone has had experience using Xara programmes with any of the alternatives from XP-Pen, Ugee, Artisul, Huion, Yiynova etc?

I currently use (and have for years) a Wacom intuos graphics tablet which is fine and obviously a heck of lot easier than using a mouse, but I now want to experience drawing directly on the screen, particularly for sketching and fine detail, cross-hatching etc.

I've watched Zeb (Zebtoonz) using his Cintiq 12WX and can see that works really well. Anything by Wacom would normally be my first choice, but they are rather expensive for me at the moment.

Thanks. :)

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Originally Posted by Jonopen

Hi All

I know there are a few Wacom Cintiq users on this forum, but I was wondering if anyone has had experience using Xara programmes with any of the alternatives from XP-Pen, Ugee, Artisul, Huion, Yiynova etc?

I currently use (and have for years) a Wacom intuos graphics tablet which is fine and obviously a heck of lot easier than using a mouse, but I now want to experience drawing directly on the screen, particularly for sketching and fine detail, cross-hatching etc.

I've watched Zeb (Zebtoonz) using his Cintiq 12WX and can see that works really well. Anything by Wacom would normally be my first choice, but they are rather expensive for me at the moment.

Thanks. :)

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Yeah, i know the expensive Cintiq-series I use on desktop-PC. For my Win-Tablet I bought a Bamboo Fun and Touch. It's compact and You can do all the most finger-swipes like on a tablet. On my Laptop it does the same good job. Only the tilt-recognition is not supported. I believe there is no competitor who can achieve the feeling and quality Wacom does.

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I believe there is no competitor who can achieve the feeling and quality Wacom does

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+1

although to be fair, xara does not respond to the cintiq in a way that makes the most of it's capabilities

a lot of the cheaper tablets have batteries in the pen, I'd avoid this if at all possible because response can vary with battery charge, and the pens are heavier than is ideal - but this is only one criteria on which to judge so it is your descision

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Originally Posted by handrawn

+1

although to be fair, xara does not respond to the cintiq in a way that makes the most of it's capabilities

a lot of the cheaper tablets have batteries in the pen, I'd avoid this if at all possible because response can vary with battery charge, and the pens are heavier than is ideal - but this is only one criteria on which to judge so it is your descision

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Yep, the battery in pen is manco and not confortable for drawing.
I had a cheap??? tablet from a chinese company.
The Bamboo's cost is 59,- € and nothing is wrong on it. For the „cheap” chinese tablet I pay 49,- € and throw it then away.

Thanks both for advice and comments.

I've decided to stick to my original plan and continue to save for a Cintiq. Build quality and reliability are important to me and I think in this case you probably do get what you pay for. In just about every review I've read about other brands, they nearly always compare it up against a cintiq which says to me they are the ones to go for.

Meanwhile I've just ordered a new .5mm mechanical pencil and some 2B leads (much cheaper!) :D

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Originally Posted by ernie-f

I had a cheap??? tablet from a chinese company.
The Bamboo's cost is 59,- € and nothing is wrong on it. For the „cheap” chinese tablet I pay 49,- € and throw it then away.

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yes I know what you mean - when I said 'cheap' I was thinking more of 'cheaply made' than 'cheap in price'

I've been using graphics tablets for a long time - I would not switch from a wacom out of choice

@jonopen cintiq tablets come in various sizes the smallest is 13" and costs around £500 depending where you buy it, 22" ones around £1500 - I find it best to have the resolution the same as the main screen, I would therefore find 13" a liitle small if using at 1920x1080, but it depends on your eyesight and how you have the screens configured...

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Originally Posted by Jonopen

Meanwhile I've just ordered a new .5mm mechanical pencil and some 2B leads (much cheaper!) :D

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That's allways a good deal!

I have been using a XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Screen Art Tablet for the past 6 months and have had a mostly positive experience.

Super responsive, very nice screen, and decently portable. (like a cintiq it does need an external computer, it's only a screen.) I use it with my Macbook Pro.

For reference I draw comics, so I do use it for art purposes and it's way better than it has any right to be.

here's just one review of this tablet [more can be found]:

https://www.creativebloq.com/reviews...artist-156-pro

from my point of view compared to wacom, the lack of sensitivity, the 'slippery' surface feel, and the cursor parallax/shift are going to be issues; plus I have got used to the high gamut on the wacom 24 inch pro, manybe something you don't notice until you have it, and then would not wish to lose

but that said, sounds ok for the price, non-battery pen is a definate plus; I would need to be confident of build quality...

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Originally Posted by Jonopen

there are a few Wacom Cintiq users on this forum, but I was wondering if anyone has had experience using Xara programmes with any of the alternatives from XP-Pen, Ugee, Artisul, Huion, Yiynova etc?

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I'm curious. Of the tablet users here how many use other software in preference to Xara when using a tablet?

The reason I ask is that I don't see Xara as software that is naturally artistic in the sense of emulating a pencil or brush on paper, but I guess it could be a bit like the way CAD users use a pen with a graphics tablet or screen.

Somewhere I have a company picture (from way back when) of me using a CAD program with a pen with a long wire and a huge CRT screen...

aside from drawing, a pen can be preferable to a mouse for those who find constant mouse tiring/uncomfortable

you are right paul xara is not artistic in that sense, it is slow and steady, the freehand pen has 'wobble' where the program is guestimating where you want to go next, useful maybe in certain cases but not for fast expressive drawing where the brush engine gives up trying to follow your stroke because it cannot keep up, the wobble is instrumental in this as it all needs to be processed in real time

that said you can be very artistic in the traditional vector way

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Originally Posted by handrawn

aside from drawing, a pen can be preferable to a mouse for those who find constant mouse tiring/uncomfortable

you are right paul xara is not artistic in that sense, it is slow and steady, the freehand pen has 'wobble' where the program is guestimating where you want to go next, useful maybe in certain cases but not for fast expressive drawing where the brush engine gives up trying to follow your stroke because it cannot keep up, the wobble is instrumental in this as it all needs to be processed in real time

that said you can be very artistic in the traditional vector way

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Absolutely.

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Originally Posted by guihuan

I have been using a XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Screen Art Tablet for the past 6 months and have had a mostly positive experience.

Super responsive, very nice screen, and decently portable. (like a cintiq it does need an external computer, it's only a screen.) I use it with my Macbook Pro.

For reference I draw comics, so I do use it for art purposes and it's way better than it has any right to be.

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Thank for your feedback about the XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro. I’ve also read some very positive reviews about it.

My aim (at the moment!) is still to buy a pen display device, but I’m still mostly swayed towards a Wacom (despite their higher price) as I’ve used their drawing tablets for years both at work and home and have built up confidence in their build quality, drivers, etc.

I guess as you’re on a Mac you are not using Xara to draw your comics or are you using a Windows emulator?