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[kendoboy]

Topic.

[The-Imp]

My parent got a tablet, I don't really use it for game art, just regular art.

I have heard about people who use it for game graphics, not really pixel-artish though.

[JLJac]

It is indeed. Get a small one, I have a bamboo. They're not too expensive and they work wonders for your game art. If you use tile based and very low res grafics it might not make such a big difference, but when you draw bigger stuff it's really handy. Recommend it

[KniteBlargh]

Currently I do most art by hand which I then scan in and convert to digital media. I'd love to try out a tablet, but I wouldn't say you absolutely HAVE to have one. You can get by without, but it's certainly a useful tool (and makes the process of creation and finalization much quicker).

[Soulliard]

A lot depends on your graphical style.

If you want more detailed graphics, a tablet is a must.

If you're using low-res pixel art, a tablet isn't strictly necessary unless you want to add some very large graphics (such as enormous bosses). I still find it useful, though. Bamboos are cheap enough that I'd recommend getting one either way.

[michael]

i use my widdle touch pad, and for the most part (especially the pixel parts) its quite fine. but for animations or larger paintings, it gets difficult. im also intereted to hear peoples specific recommendations.

[godsavant]

To the tablet owners who have posted, a sorta related question: Is it difficult to adjust to using a tablet?  When I first heard about tablets, I thought they were actually mini-screens where you could see what you were doing directly on a display, a la touchpad. But now that I've realized it's just a stylus and board...isn't it kind of awkward, dragging a pen across something and having to visualize where the mark will appear?

[Tanner]

it's no different than using a mouse, really.
it just feels more natural when drawing.

[godsavant]

Oh, okay. I was using one of those hp touchscreen computers the other day, and I tried pixelling w/ MS paint. It's unusable. Apparently nobody told the developers that the human finger is not small or dexterous enough to paint accurately. I feared that tablets would be the same way.

[Nate Kling]

tablets take a few days to fully get used to, but once you get over the very small learning curve youll never want to go back to using a mouse to paint.  I use mine for digital painting and pixel art.  I find that tablet helps me throw down ideas for characters quickly even in pixel art then i can go back in and add in the details.  I use a graphire that i got for around 200 dollars but the bamboos will only run you around 100 dollars and they work very well.

[deadeye]

I use one, yes.  Even for the tiniest of pixel arts.  As far as pixel art is concerned though, using a tablet is more of a habit thing than anything else, I'm just more comfortable with a stylus in my hand when I have Photoshop open.

Plus I can tap-tap-tap instead of click-click-click, and save wear and tear on my clicker finger.

To the tablet owners who have posted, a sorta related question: Is it difficult to adjust to using a tablet?

YES.  At least for me it was.  When I first touched a tablet it was like I suddenly had two left hands or something.  I hated it.  But it was for school so I was determined to get it down, and bought a little, cheap Wacom ($50 on sale at Office Depot).  Nothing fancy on it.  After a month or so of using it it finally felt comfortable.  And my photoshopping improved by like a million percent.

I still can't sketch with it though, I have to use real pencil and paper for that.  And it's not really all that handy for pixel art, like I said before it's more of a comfort thing.  I can't imagine doing computer art without one now.  I still have that same cheap little Wacom after five years and I love it.

Apparently nobody told the developers that the human finger is not small or dexterous enough to paint accurately. I feared that tablets would be the same way.

Oh, hell no.  Even my crummy (yet adorable) low-end model is accurate as fuck.

[Cray]

I wouldn't recommend them for pixel art. Everything else sure

Is it difficult to adjust to using a tablet?

You can try it yourself

Stick a couple mouse pads on top of each other, make them cold, and draw in the middle while looking at the screen. Takes a bit of getting used to but all depends on how you usually draw

I thought they were actually mini-screens where you could see what you were doing directly on a display, a la touchpad

They have those too. More expensive. Top of the line is the wacom cintiqs I think, but I use a tablet pc just fine. No pressure sensitivity with those tho

[Hideous]

I adjusted to using a tablet pretty fast. Unfortunately, I can only use it in school, however.

[JLJac]

 

[Xion]

I wouldn't recommend them for pixel art. Everything else sure

I think that's a bit of a matter of preference - I think Inane uses a tablet for both pixel and digital art, and I use it for pixel art too, in the earlier stages. Even then, it speeds up the process exponentially, and for any pixel scenes, backgrounds, or sprites of considerable size (relative to pixel art) I absolutely need it. I don't get how I did anything before I got a tablet.

[Microwave]

Tablets are for fools.

[The-Imp]

Tablets are for fools.

Jealous?
 

[JLJac]

Tablets are for fools.

Fool?

[Farbs]

The Bamboo tablet is fun and cheap.
Buy it.

[Powergloved Andy]

for spriting I haaaaaate using a tablet. It's like saying "Let's use this hammer and chisel to write the little letters on aspirin!"  :D