Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Cintiq


Well, After some encouragement from Illustrator friends and family, I think I'm finally just going to go for it. I have been obsessing over a decision on getting a Cintiq off and on for several months. Well, actually, a couple of years. =o) I got an Intuous 4 tablet last summer to buy myself some time and ,oh boy, it was such a dramatic change to my work flow after using a mouse.

But now I'm back onto the Cintiq. Mainly because I have steady work through January and I am hoping it will help me with my shoulder pain not to mention help improve work time.

So it's yes to getting one but now the next big question is, which size?

I have been glued to review pages for the past couple of days and also asking the opinions of others that work with a Cintiq. The consensus is to get the larger one if budget allows.

I was seriously looking at getting the smaller one because of the price and size (it looks like it's similar in size to my intuous4 which appealed) but there are issues with it that are concerning me:


*Not as portable as it claims to be due to a heavy box /cables.
*Gets extremely hot under your hand after a couple of hours.
*Screen resolution not that great which is a necessity in this profession.

However, if there is anyone out there that has the 12wx, I'm all ears!

I will keep you posted but for now, check out these posts from Paula Becker and Rachel Anne Miller about their tablets. Very informative and helpful.




8 comments:

Deb Johnson said...

I had considered the Cintiq last year and reviewed both sizes; talked to several people who owned them; read the reviews 100 times. Bottom Line - The large one is the best for the money. I have the i4 Wacom tablet and LOVE IT!

I made the decision to wait and instead I bought the 27" i7 iMac. Then came the CS5 purchase...once my wallet recovers A Cintiq is next on the list of must haves :)

Can't wait to see how you like your Cintiq!
Deb

paula said...

Great posting, Roz! And thanks for the link.

I should add that, as far as the 12" being portable, I take it with me when I fly to Texas, but I don't keep it in the box. I use bubble wrap to project it but it (and all the cables) fit very nicely in my carry-on. It's survived several trips like that. If I were driving, though, I'd box it.

Also, that post of mine is from late 2008. I am still most happy with the Cintiqs and, again, would recommend the 20". I guarantee you'll be happy with it!

paula said...

Sorry...That's "protect" and the size of the larger is...uhm, 21", right? Man, am I ever still waking up!

Alicia PadrĂ³n said...

Yay! I think you should get one Rozzita. I've been toying with the idea too. But you work digital all the way so I think it will be life changing for you to have one. Go for it!

Gina Perry said...

I'm so excited for you! This is going to be a big deal for you - you've been so busy, it really seems like the time to do it. Enjoy the big decision (yes, go BIG!)

Jannie aka Chickengirl said...

I was wondering about what sizes to get when I saw both sizes in person. Get the bigger one. Its no contest.

Now you really got me going, I'm going to get one for my birthday for sure :-)

roz said...

HEY all, thanks so much, I'm so excited now that I've finally just done it. Yes, Jannie, your turn!!!

Paula, your blog post really helped, thx. I still really like the idea of the smaller one.
I'm glad to read from someone that is happy with theirs.

Unknown said...

i am so glad you are going for it. it will change things for you. it did for me. ive only ever heard of one artist that did not enjoy working on it. there is a learning curve, but in my experience, it is without hesitation worth it, and it has been the biggest thing to 'happen' to my digital artwork - approach to it, workflow, everything is different. And better!

Oh one other artist I forgot to mention to you is Carlyn Beccia. She is the first artist who initially introduced the Cintiq to me (and a bunch of other conference-goers, at her NESCBWI workshop in 2008). That and subsequent q and a with Carlyn ultimately led me to going for it. I do not regret it! In fact i want to upgrade (my monitor screen seems to gotten a little bit darker over time) but i think it is going to be awhile before that happens :)