When you use a tablet interface to draw in photoshop, can you actually look at the pad and know what you're doing or do you watch the screen and hope your hand-eye coordination is up to par?

it takes a while to get used too, but you don't look at the tablet, you look at the computer screen and basically, yes, you hope your hand-eye coordination is up to par

Lovely. Well I'm screwed then.

Thanks ILR.

I've been using one tablet or another for years. Among my friends who use them, experience varies. I personally took to it immediately. Others have said it took them awhile, but as far as I've ever been able to tell, they were still productive pretty quickly.

Yes, you look at the screen, not your hand, but if you don't overthink it, it can flow quite easily. Even when you draw, you don't look at your pencil, you look at the marks appearing. However, if you've got thousands to spare, there is the Wacom Cintiq, which allows you to draw directly on the screen.

If you get a chance to try one out before buying, that would clearly be ideal for you. However, if you expect a tablet to make you a better artist, you're wrong. It's just another tool, like a brush, or pen. Keeping a sketchbook, and drawing every day will make you better. There's no substitute for practice

Later!

ah HA! there's some expert advice for you, Mycotis thanks Lar, i'll be sure to save up!

Wacom Cintiq 21ux

I want one *sobs uncontrollably* ;_; Life's so unfair!

I already have a wacom tablet!Woot!*smug grin*katamari'd*
Now I look at the screen instead of the tablet,
since I keep track of the cursor's movement.

Actually it's not that hard,it's the difference between
not installing the program and installing it which is
hard to get used to.

I'm trying to get a Modbook myself.

The one, the only, Tablet Mac.

If I ever save up enough money to buy a tablet, I don't know if I'd be able to get used to looking at the screen right off the bat XD It'll probably take me a week or two... or months... >.<

I want a tablet so bad. *decimates a medium-sized country in my frustration*

*razes third world country out of frustration* I feel your pain, Ish ;_;

Thanks Lar!
I do understand that it won't make me a better artist, but I do believe it can enhance the look.
Drawing isn't my problem, I'm really good at it, just that I have horrible hand-eye coordination.
I should be able to grow into it though, practice makes perfect.

Thanks again!

myco: Play video games. Just not the wii, that doesnt improve hand/eye too much.

....Wait, was?

are you kidding? the wii helped me alot. well, not that there was anything to help with... and how does that relate to a tablet??

Personally I spend about 16 hours a day on videogames.

My hand-eye coordination only sucks with non-controller related objects.

It's funny that I'm OK with the hand-eye coordination
when I'm drawing with the tablet,yet I officially sux
with anything regarding ball games.

You draw with a mouse, don't you? It's the same thing, except you get a comfortable 'pen' to hold, and that allows for a more natural feel, especially if you usually use a pencil or pen. Whatever you draw with a tablet will look more like something you draw on a piece of paper than something drawn with a mouse. Like Lar said, it won't increase your skills--it will just allow you to fully, or near-fully, use your natural skill while working in a computer program. I find using a mouse a little awkward, but I manage.

Or, at least, that's what I imagine. Like I said, I use a mouse (/emo), and have only used a friend's glitchy tablet for all of a few seconds, so I could be wrong...but I get the feeling I'm pretty damn close. At least, I hope I am.

I'm gonna be sucking, because I can't draw with a mouse to save me life. Pens and paper's what does it for me....

To me,I'm left-handed,and my left hand can't control the mouse at all.
As for my right,it can comtrol the mouse,but I can't draw with it.
So,if I want to draw on the comp,I need a tablet.

Oh hey. Maybe thats the problem.

Never thought of it like that....>.>

There are also programs that make the stylus work exactly like a pencil, down to how hard you press increases line thickness.

I think I've used a tablet once. Or tried to. It was something my aunt had, no bigger than a mousepad....*looks at mousepad* Actually, I'm pretty sure it was smaller than a mouse pad. At least, the screen part was. And it was bright blue.

I don't feel too bad about not being able to get it to work very well, in hindsight.