The Wacom Intuos: A Beautiful Throwback in the World of Digital Art

If you’re into any type of digital art, or even just art in general, it’s a great time to try a graphic drawing tablet! 

I’ve been using graphic drawing tablets for years; my trusty Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch has survived many years of art school and beyond. Several years ago, I decided to graduate to an iPad with the Apple Pencil, thinking it would elevate my art, however it was just more convenient, as you could carry it with you wherever you went. As such, I donated my old Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch to a friend and haven’t looked back since. 

When I was told we were getting a Wacom drawing tablet in the Library of Things, I was very excited! Wacom’s been such a huge industry standard in the animation industry, and as such, they have a fantastic reputation. Having owned one in the past, I was excited to try it out.

Setting it up was simple: all you need to do is download the software indicated on the Quick Start Guide, and then the pen is ready to go. I like that there are different settings to configure the pen nib however you want, although the default settings are more than enough for me. 

Drawing on the Wacom Intuos felt like coming home. It was so smooth and offered resistance and surface texture that mimicked sketching on paper. Keep in mind that the surface’s texture does not actually feel like paper, it just mimics the drag of a pencil on it. Of course, there are settings to change the pen nib experience, if paper sketching is not your preferred way to draw. However, for me, it’s what I grew up doing, so I find it easier to sketch on. 

Do keep in mind that there is a learning curve, if you’ve never used a USB connected drawing tablet before. Compared to iPads where you see the surface you are drawing on, within the tablet, with a USB connected drawing tablet like the Wacom Intuos, your computer screen shows you what you are drawing, instead of the tablet. Getting used to looking at your computer screen instead of the equipment you are using, can be a bit confusing, but once you get the hang of it, it’s quite hard to forget! 

Overall, I loved using the Wacom Intuos drawing tablet and would highly recommend checking it out!