I highly recommend the Bamboo Create. I got it for my doodlings and I was VERY impressed with it. the sensitivity and response is FANTASTIC! However, I suggest getting it with WiFi! :D

http://wacom.com/en/Products/Bamboo.....booCreate.aspx

Best of luck, Beetle!

I will have to second this. Out of all of the tablets I've owned - 3 in total! - the Bamboo Create is my favorite for it's precise pressure sensitivity. My itty bitty little Bamboo 'Pen & touch' tablet rivaled it closely in pressure sensitivity, so that's another option for you if you don't want to spend too much, but the Bamboo create is HUUUGE and not significantly more expensive (IMO).

I third this! :D amazin tablet, and less than 200 bucks!

I have a BAMBOO drawing tablet, I got him now for one week and I like it.
He is not to expensive but still good XD.

I stand behind the bamboo series. My second one was a bamboo and it was a wonderful tablet.

I currently have an old Wacom Bamboo MTE-450. I've had mine for about 3-4 years now without any problems at all and it still works like new! It's far from top-of-the-line, but it works very well for what it needs to be used for :'3

I don't think that the exact model I own is in production anymore (you could possibly find one on ebay if you really wanted), but there's a new line in the Bamboo series. My roommate, gypsycat6669 just got one a couple months ago and it seems to work out really well for her.

Wacom's a really great tablet producer. They're definitely worth a look.

I have and HP TouchSmart tm2, a drawing laptop tablet, allowing me to sketch away on the surface and see what I'm doing at the same time. I've used both, and I prefer being able to see what I'm drawing on the same surface instead of looking at a screen. My mate uses the pen and tablet with his monitor and its massive, but old, Adesso sypertablet 12000.. yeah old, but he loves it and its HUGE!

I would try the Kanvus, or a Intous, Kavus 127 only cost $115. and it's meant for drawing, unlike the bamboo products. I've had three bamboo's in the last five years and they do not last. Kanvus is lovely.

Well, personally I started out with a bamboo pen. (it cost me around $100 at the time.)

Thing is, it gets really limiting really fast... Not to mention they break easily. Mine kicked the bucket due to a wiring problem with a little over a year of use.

I now have a medium intuos4, and it was worth every penny in my mind. I absolutely recommend getting one. The pen is super comfortable, the drawing surface is big enough without being "too big" or inconvenient, and I've had mine going on a year now with absolutely no problems whatsoever.

The bamboo series is for beginners - the intuos line is more professional. The difference between the two is limitation. If you start on a bamboo, somewhere along the line you're going to feel yourself get stuck and limited. If you start on an intuos, you won't.

TL;DR Intuos4 trumps bamboo. xD

I agree completely with this.

Couldn't have said it better :D

If possible/available, could you show me an example of something you've drown using the Bamboo vs the Intuos4? How does the Bamboo get limiting exactly?

It's sort of hard to explain, but after a while of using a bamboo you start feeling like you need more room to work, and more pressure sensitivity levels. Not to mention they have some software hiccups every now and then, such as pressure sensitivity randomly not working.

I can show you a comparison from bamboo to intuos, but please keep in mind that I've done the bulk of my improvement as an artist over this time period, so the quality of the art itself may not be attributable to the tablets, but my own personal progress instead. xD

October of 2010, using bamboo tablet (oh my god the anatomy) http://natashacheyanne.webs.com/wol.....commission.png
April of 2011, first drawing done with my intuos4 http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5747610/

Hope this helps! ^^;

Anything by wacom is brilliant. :D

I personally have a wacom bamboo but I have tried other models (most notably the intous) and they only get better (even MORE sensitive) the higher up you go.

Only draw back with tablets is that they require a bit of use before you can properly draw on the sleek surfaces (the intous is like drawing on glass).

The intuos4 surface has a lot more tooth to it than previous models. :)

The only issue with that is the fact that your first couple nibs wear down really fast. xD

I never understood how people can wear down their nibs D:

I've had my graphire for 6-7 years and never had to replace the nib. Its slanted to once side, but thats about it o:

It depends on the tablet surface, nib material, and the person using the tablet. xD

I used to press a lot harder than I do now. That said, my tablet had a much more toothy drawing surface when I first started on it, so I went through a couple of nibs. Now that it's worn down a bit, I haven't changed my nib in at least 6 months. ^^

I never wore down my nib on my Intuos3, but I've only had my Intuos4 for less than a year and have already gone through 2 nibs e.e The surface is very different and much more rough on the poor nibs!

Seconded here. Wacom has better Linux support, which sways me. They are active in the Linux dev community.

Intuos4! I use a medium and getting this after having a little bamboo pen and touch was fantastic ;u;

I have the newest? Wacom Bamboo with the touch abilities.

I love it. <3

Just like everyone else - the Wacom Bamboo series. I use what's called the 'Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch' here in the UK. We have a pen, the touch, the pen and touch and then the bamboo pen and touch (in 2 sizes) ... then they get more expensive with the intuos range.

I keep going back to the bamboo fun though - it's just incredible - I'vae had pretty much all of them (as I have terrible luck with technology, however all of the stores I have been to have said they've had very few returned. I probably make up for well over 50% of them xD). They work excellently, they come with great software - it's all incredible - especially for a beginner.

I agree with this. I have the bamboo Fun. :) I looove it.

Do you have an example of something drawn on the Bamboo Fun that I could see?

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7182444
This and the rest of the things in my gallery (some of them absolutely terrible. xD) were drawn and painted using a Bamboo Fun.
Hope this helps.
The tablet itself is tiny (about 8.5 inches across and 7.75 inches from top to bottom, very thin), but the size of it has never bothered me.

I should also mention that the Bamboo Fun is a bit on the cheap side (and comes with Photoshop Elements... not the greatest program, but covers the basics thoroughly and Corel Painter, the latter which I never use) roughly 100 in USD.
The only issue I've had with it is the annoyingness of short USB cord.

http://paperlightning.deviantart.co.....llery/26371465

Anything in this gallery here that is digital will be the bamboo fun, I think. If not, the bamboo pen which is not as good.

I'm not the best artist, but that's the best I can show you (:

Definitely a Wacom-brand tablet! What series/size depends on how you use it. I have always had the Intuos series (never tried Bamboo before), but from what I've read and seen others review, the Bamboo is great for beginners and people starting out in the digital art scene, but not great for professionals and those who use it a lot. I got my Intuos3 about 7 years ago and it lasted me up to last year, when I replaced it with an Intuos4. Super hardy, amazing things they are :)

As for size, I really think you should physically test some to find out which size is best for you. I use the large size because I make large strokes in my artwork and like drawing big. It sits in my lap (not enough desk space) and that position is most comfortable for me. A friend of mine got a small size and it worked great for her; working in short strokes and like drawing with it up on her desk. I tried using hers and just couldn't draw right! It really depends on your style of drawing.

Is there a place to test tablets? Or so you mean blocking off a piece of paper to the drawing surface dimensions. Is that a similar enough experience to be a good test?

I don't know of places to test them out, really, unless you have a friend who has one. I'm trying to think if electronic stores like Best Buy may have a display but I don't know o.-
I'm not sure about the piece of paper, I suppose that could work! But I think the main thing is when you're drawing on the tablet but looking at a computer screen. It sort of changes things!

Yeah I don't think there is anyone around locally with a tablet unfortunately. And I never thought to ask to use one when I was at a convention or whatnot ><

Yea that can be hard D: I was just thinking there's a lot at conventions!
If you want one soon without trying, I think a medium would be pretty safe. I mean, if anything, you learn to draw with whatever size you have!

I use the Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch (Personally I could have bought the Reg Pen only, I never use the touch part) I have wonderful progress with it, I've been drawing for 2 years now, I can show you some examples from beginning to now, I'm still practicing with pen sensitivity and such, but all that is preference, I do sometimes wonder if I used a different tablet if the pressure had more options. Bamboo has a range from hard to soft, then the program you use has settings with the actual brush you use. All a matter of how you draw I suppose.

I would love to get an intuos but since I am currently without the money for it, I am happy with my tablet :)

Just stay the hell away from the Monoprice brand ones. They're pretty shitty in comparison to the Wacom ones. Or at least the one I have is. ;P

I've had three tablets before the one I have now (the Monoprice one) and they all worked just fine, they just wore out over time. Of course, they were all Wacom, so I can't tell you much about other brands. I've had a Wacom PenPartner (mid-90-s to around oh, early 2000's, I think), then a Wacom Graphire (from about 2000-2003, maybe longer), and then a Wacom Intuos 2 up until a few months ago. I would shop around Amazon.com for reviews and usually much better prices than most. Of course, they also have that free shipping thing for orders over $25 too.

As a final note, I've heard a lot of good things about the Genius brand of tablets, so you may wanna look into those. I have no actual experience with these things, but I thought it might be useful to put that out there.

Good luck with whatever you choose to go with!

I LOVE my intuous 3 which I've had for years. The 4th one wasnt out yet so that is why I didn't buy it. I would go for the medium size, and prob the intuous 4 since im sure it is more sensitive to pressure than mine. Good luck! Don't get disheartened at first.. since there is a bit of a learning curve no matter which model you buy

Intous 3 or 4 are your best bet.
Bigger and more reliable than the bamboos with more pressure sensitivity and a more paper like feel.

Both can be picked up second hand fairly cheaply on ebay and the like.
Wacom also sell refurbished models in brilliant condition if your looking to save money.

I started with a graphire and worked from bamboo to intous and now a cintiq.

Personally, I've used both a Graphire and a basic Bamboo (back when there was only 2 models : bamboo & Bamboo fun). Neither were of the larger sizes (like 4x6 area), but honestly... you get used to it. The only reason I ever switched to the Bamboo was because my poor graphire was a few years old an I wore through the cord. x_x

I've never really found the small-size limiting because I don't like making long lines on the tablet. I prefer to zoom in and control how my lines wiggle. Or zoom out and do it all in one go so it's a short stroke still. I don't think I'd know what to do with a bigger one at this point. ^^;

I've got a wacom intuos 3. I love it.

I highly recommend anything by Wacom too.
I bought a Trust tablet to begin with and it never worked right, didn't even last a month until it was in the trash.

But I bought a Bamboo ONE and have had it for about 5 years now.
Not a single problem with it and it's still going strong, only just now am I looking at needing to get a new pen for it because the nib has worn down.
It's only A5 in size but it does me fine. Not so great on widescreen monitors though.

Hanvon tablets...they're an off brand but I've had not a SINGLE problem with them...and they're a whole lot cheaper than the brand name ones...I have a 7" x 9" one and only paid about $70. It has pressure sensitivity, travels well (i'm rough on my stuff), comes with extra nibs (little plastic tips) and has a border around the work surface to rest your arm on...overall? I've tried other tablets (ie expensive ones) and I STILL prefer this tablet

I greatly recommend a wacom intuos tablet. I have... 3! 2 inuos 2's and 1 intuos 3. The 3 is only 6x5 or something and I use it for like 60% of my digital art.. if not more. XD I used to use my old ass 12x12 intuos for years and years but ever since I got this tiny portable one and my cintiq i haven't touched it. The other intuos is uh.. widscreen size and pretty big but not 12x12 HUGE. It was a gift and didn't come with a pen (used) so the pen from my 12x12 has to be used with it. My boyfriend uses it on occasion. XD

But yeah... from my experience the size doesn't really seem to matter all that much. I usually use the bigger tablets/cintiq for detailed 3D texture work but for drawing I tend to prefer the mini one, I really don't know why! You get used to it I guess. I have been using tablets for about 10 years now... holycrap.

Yup, anything by Wacom, definitely =P

I had my old Wacom Graphire4 (discontinued line now, unfortunately) and it worked like a charm for 5+ years. I never had any problems whatsoever with it. I've now upgraded to an Intuos4 and it's amazing, but it also is pretty expensive. From all I hear, the Bamboo tablets are good for starters, so I'd recommend it even though I've never tried one xD If they're anything like the Graphires, they'll be good C:

I have the Bamboo Capture. It was only 100 and you get a free version of photoshop and a little sketchbook thing that I use. I like the cleaner interface of the Sketchbook more than the PS. Anyway, I'd say it was a very worthy purchase and I wish you luck :3

the lowest i would go for preshre sensitivity is a bamboo tablet, the next lvl up in my book is the Intuos4
both are good, but the Intuos4 is the better out of the two and worth the extra money

however niether of them even come close to the wacom cintiq, which has: 1800 lvls of pressure sensitivity, programable buttons, scroll bars, prop stands, tilt sensitivity, a wireless and batteryless pen(which also has extra nibs, a pressure sentative earaser, and more programable buttons), and an actual screen that you can draw on, it's essentially a computerized sketchbook
and that's the cheap one(granted the "cheap" one = $1000)
http://www.wacom.com/en/products/ci.....intiq12wx.aspx

I gotta say that being able to draw on the screen makes a hell of a difference, it feals more natural and it doesn't stress out your neck
for that reason alone I would never go back to a traditional tablet, I just love my cintique way too much <3

Man.. I LOVE the idea of seeing what you draw (since that's the most like real media) but ugh.. $1K is a big swallow for something I'm unlikely to make much money on haha XD

yeah it took me 2 years of saving my pennies before I landed that baby '9w9 but it was totally worth it
I mean what it's cost me in money it's deffinitly saved me in pain. If I want to draw I just sit down and draw, without having to worry about cricks in my neck or back. ^w^
and sure, the big version is nicer and more studio like, but the smaller version is more portable and can be used anywhere. (so long as there's an outlet that is, I like to draw with it on my bed :P )

The grip on the pen is coming off (makes it a little awkward to use), but my old Grapphire4 still works... it lasted me years. I was going to get a new pen, but then my boyfriend surprised me with a new Intuos4, so woo~

I don't think they *make* them anymore, but you can buy one online for around $100 it looks like, less if used. I think it'd be a good choice for a first tablet.

I love my new tablet, but had it not been a gift I probably would have purchased myself another cheaper Wacom. From reading reviews they all seem to be high quality.

I have an intuos 3 that i've had for about 4 years...

I like how it works, plenty sensitive enough, and lots of space (9*12), so. Something intuos-y would be a good point to aim for if you want to have less technology restrictions.

WHEE

Save up and get a Wacom Cintiq. You'll love it.

I had a Bamboo Connect. It broke in a couple weeks. Only used it a few times too. The cord shorted out.

Don't buy one.

if you like something you can draw on, without the price of a cintiq, then i highly recommend getting a fujitsu tablet laptop. i've had a bamboo pen and touch (which was great once i got used to it, but it seems that bamboos have a tendency to wiring issues-my wires started screwing up less than 6 months after i got it, and i've heard plenty of other stories about stuff like that.), an old, 15x cintiq i got off ebay (don't waste your money, they weigh a TON, i can't even use mine because it's too heavy and bulky.), and the fujitsu tablet laptop i have now. i got it refurbished on ebay for around $400 (including shipping, currency conversion, and a new cord, since i didn't think of the fact that coming from australia the cord wouldn't work in the us X3), and i use it all the time. with the one i got, there -is- an update that you need to download before the pressure sensitivity will work, but it's really easy to do and takes about 2-3 minutes on a decent internet connection. the one thing i don't really like about it is that the canvas size in sai is limited to smaller than on my regular laptop, but that's because the fujitsu i have only has 1gb of ram, versus the 3gb of my laptop. the fujitsu still handles 3000x4000 quite well, though, and there are plenty with more than 1gb of ram.

If you're interested, I have a brand new Small Intuos 4, it's only been used once, and is missing one pen nib. They go for $229.00 but I'd sell it for less :3 Tell me if you're interested.

If you have never drawn on a tablet before then I suggest starting with something on the cheaper end first. You may or may not like using a tablet and you wouldn't want to spend a ton on it for you to not use it. But on the other hand you may love it, so it depends if you want to take a conservative rout or not.

I bought a Manhattan tablet, I think it was around $80CAN And it is great considering how cheap it was. It has short cut keys all around the perimeter, a fairly large surface area, and the surface has a little tooth to it however not to much which is nice.

Its a great starter tablet for a good price without having to limit you to a small work surface. You will want to upgrade after a while, I plan on buying an intuos (or maybe even a cintiq lol) after I buy a new computer.

Which ever tablet you end up choosing don't get a small surface to save on money. You will regret it (my first tablet was a wacom something 3x4 OMG useless.. I don't know if they make them that small anymore lol)

so i have a gpen 600 (or something)
it was like $80 on newegg, 2 years ago. It's pressure sensitive, really big drawing space, great deal for a beginner tablet.
because i took it with me across country and packed it funny, sometimes it wonks out on me, but restarting SAI fixes that.
this is what i have, f610
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&safe=off&q=gpen+f610&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=3507l10313l0l10520l5l5l0l0l0l0l231l552l1.2.1l4l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&ix=seb&ion=1&biw=1600&bih=775&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=9243388221238484724&sa=X&ei=A31ET5qdCeixiQLy1IXFDg&ved=0CEUQ8gIwAQ

diff link, hope this works : http://geniusnet.com/wSite/ct?xItem=16834&ctNode=174

I've always used Wacom. I had a Wacom Graphire III for about... 8 years? And it served me very well during that time. But the tech was outdated and I had it pointed out to me that my lines would be neater with an update. And my toddlebit had worn out one of the mouse buttons by chucking the mouse against the wall a few too many (dozen) times. I replaced it in December with a Wacom Bamboo Capture. And... it's amazing! It's one of the more inexpensive options ($99) but works beautifully. There's a pen input and you can use Touch on the pad as well; it has swipe functions n stuff like an ipad type tablet. The only downside to this model is that there is a slight texture to the tablet surface that wears on the nibs, I'm already noticing the wear on mine. It comes with extras, though, and I've heard that putting some clear contact paper on the tablet stops the nib wear without messing up the tablet function.

Definitely go with Bamboo, though, https://www.wacom.com. There are models for every budget and it's held to be the most reliable brand among artists.

Personally I think the best route, that is if your going to be using it a lot and taking your digital drawing seriously, is Wacom inutos4. I have an intuos3 6x8 tablet. If your going to get a tablet I would recommend to get something that is closest to your computer screen size (this would be less awkward when learning to use one, since the dimensions would match up more and it's resemble more closely to you drawing on paper). So you'd definitely go with large. BUT a medium isn't a bad choice either considering that's what I got (although it's an older model) and I have had nothing but good things to say about it. The downside to the Intuos series is they are pricey. But I find that it's VERY much worth the price.

Although since it is your first time using a tablet, perhaps you would like to use a cheaper brand just in case you don't really like it. But I learned and started on a intuos and I'm glad I did.

I use a Wacom pen and touch. Overall I am happy with it but I had a software malfunction and it no longer works with my Mac.
Its really rare that this happens but it does and unfortunately its not just a driver problem but a major malfunction in my perl libraries.
To fix it the easiest way is to reinstall the operating system which I plan on doing at some point.
But other than that it works GREAT on my windows and Linux machines.
I'd highly recommend it as my software error is a rare case and I doubt you'd encounter it.
Figured I'd throw in my 2 cents so there you have it.

Make sure you take note of how big the drawing area is, sometimes they will only tell you the dimensions of the actual tablet.

My Bamboo Fun, is about the size of computer paper, it's big, but I have a desk so it's alright. I like how spacious it is. OLD Wacom tablets would pretend like the tablet is a mousepad and you would scroll with your pen the old-fashioned way (without scroll wheel) by running your mouse to the edge of the mousepad, lifting it up, placing it to the middle again, and slowly inching your way around the screen. NEW Wacom tablets pretend the drawing area is your screen, so wherever you place your pen, it will land in an identical place on your screen. Pretty nifty, but it means that with such a big pad, you are moving your hand around a large piece of paper the whole time, like a real drawing pad. There's also a nice program that comes with it, you can program the buttons to link to whatever you want. Bamboo Desk is a fantastic program, I've just downloaded a fan-made animation app for it that I can't wait to try out. There are other games on it as well, that are similar to the iPhones Angry Birds, puzzle games, and other art-related apps. Now that I've talked about the Good, now for the Bad and the Ugly..

"NIIIIIBS.... Wacoms New Sales Gimmick!"

One thing I'm not happy about is the new idea of "lets give the drawing area a toothy texture so it feels like paper." What it really means is "lets not make the drawing area as smooth as the old Wacoms drawing surface so we can charge extra for all the tiny $5.00 4-packs of nibs they'll have to buy to continue to use our product." On the OLD wacoms, the nib was a hard plastic, indestructible permanent part of the pen. In the NEW Wacoms, they now have replaceable nibs made of cheap wax-like plastic that wears away over time like a real pencil. The worst part is that most of the nib isn't usable, because it sticks too far inside the pen, which also makes you burn through them faster. I've had mine since December 2010, I burned through the first nib in 3 months, drawing maybe 3-4 pictures. I use it sparingly now. All i'm saying is, stock up on those babies because who knows when the new fancy tablet with come along, yours will be discontinued and you'll be stuck with no nibs. XD

Overall, I'm happy using the Bamboo Fun, I love using it with GIMP. I like how big it is. But.. NIIIIIIIBZ.....

OH! I forgot to mention, I got my tablet ON SALE during all the insane Black Friday sales on Amazon.com. If you aren't in a hurry, save up some cash, research which model you want to buy, and get a good deal on a tablet in November. :3

Ask for Amazon gift cards from relatives too, for birthdays and all other holidays. Use them all on a tablet. That's what I did. LOL Then you spend a minimal amount on a decent tablet, and if you don't like it, save it for a few years and see if you are up to the challenge again. (also what I did.. and I was able to use one since then!)

Or sell it on eBay. LOL

I have a medium Wacom Intuos4 that I got just two months ago. I'm still sort of adjusting to it because I spent nearly 7 years with my previous tablet. If you're going to get an Intuos4 be sure it's a newer one! The earlier versions of it have a much more textured drawing area that makes the nibs wear out quickly!

While, as I said, I'm still adjusting to the increased surface area and increased pressure sensitivity, here are some examples of what I've done with it:

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l.....z75zo1_500.png
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.....75zo1_1280.png
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.....75zo1_1280.png

Wacom Bamboo :)

I have one and it is lovely. I used to have an intuous 2 back in the day.. but was forced to get a new one when the adapter was not compatible with our new computer (USB has taken over everything!) They were both the same size, the small what is it, 4 X 6 ? post card sized tablets, and it takes a few weeks to get used to, especially if you are used to drawing traditionally to ease into digital, but once you get the hang of it it's really fun!

Drawings done using Bamboo:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6581219/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6569274/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6541036/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6581070/

I forgot the brand name of mine, and the cost but i think mine only cost 20 bucks. And let me say i love it to the death. its pressure sensitive and super easy to use, and has the entire computer screen on it, so you dont constantly have to keep scrolling it ;3 and it has little buttons on the side that you can press that says close page, page up and page down, things like that and they work :D