I'm buying from Wacom for sure (forums and ppl's online opinions).
I've looked on forums/interwebs, and it seems like Create and Intuos 4 are the best ones to get. However, apparently, the Intuos 4 has the nib wearing problem... : (. Both are the same price (~$200))

There's also the Capture and Connect.

I know I need something that has a reasonable amount of space to draw on (not postcard-size, at least) - my arms get cramped easily.

I'm buying a tablet so that I can use it to draw sprites, CGs, and Backgrounds for an otome game on Ren'py, if that helps. So yes, I will be starting from scratch and don't know much about tablets/using them.

Other things:
I'll be using Paint Tool Sai for all the cool visual things (sketching, colouring, shading, blending, etc.)
I'm an absolute beginner in drawing on Sai, though I don't know if that matters.

Edit: Oops, forgot to mention - For the Intuos 4, it'd be 3.9" x 6.2" active area and for the create 8.5"x5.4" active area. (not sure if that's right)

@drhell and littoJ: Thanks for the tips. However, currently, the only Intuos4 I'm looking at would be the small, not the medium (it's $500 D .

@melon-ramune-freak: I wish I could get UGEE, but I don't know how to read the settings (my madarin is only that of a 3-yr old or less). Plus, I'd have to wait at least another year to go back to Asia. Thanks for the tips, though

Last edited by WShin at 2:37 pm, Apr 15 2012

The nib problem on the intous4 is long "fixed" all new tablets come already with the new surface that doesn't wear the nibs so much is still some but nothing to die for, since about 2010? not sure.
But even if got older one you can replace the surface to the new one

Now personal advice the intous4 Large takes allot of space in the desk always had to get keyboard way and them is a pain if you want use more shortcuts, and involve larges movements to use the menus, drawing well that depends on the zoom

The small well maybe to small for most people that would use it for draw
So I would go with the medium I do regret getting the large (already sold it)

1 nib are supposed to last at least years even if you draw for many hours straight every day, so don't sweat it. And when you buy a new tablet, it'll always come with 3-5 spare nibs.

Wacom is definitely the best tablet you can get, but it's pricey. I heard it's very good and worth the money, but I have never tried any Wacom brand but Bamboo Fun, which I thought was okay, but not worth 100USD to buy.

Genius is the cheapest, high quality tablet you can get. It feels much different from regular tablets but most people who used it said that it's most definitely worth the money. I personally have never used it, so idk if it's really as good as people have said it was.

UGEE is relatively cheap and but similar to Wacom. I love this brand and use it all the time. I bought a UGEE Rainbow, which has a large drawing area for only about 60USD and I like it better than my Bamboo Fun. However, it is relatively obscure brand so if you want to buy another pen or nib from UGEE, you have to ship it from China. But, the nibs are a little thicker and wear out extremely slowly.

For the Intuos 4, you'd probably do a lot of zooming in and dragging to draw your images but it usually comes naturally once you get used to it so I don't think that would be a problem. I have one myself but I use it mainly for drawing in my spare time. If I remember correctly, the active area was just slightly bigger than a piece of A5? Only slightly though. Then it has quite a thick border but I'm guessing it's for you to rest your arm on? Depending on the size of your computer table, then the size of the medium tablet will not be a problem. I have a small table so I have to move my mouse out of the way in order for my to make space for it so :/

This is also my first tablet and the nib problem hasn't really affected me yet. It comes with 5 extra standard nibs anyway along with some special kind of nibs to let you feel like you're using the tools themselves (pencil, brush etc.) I'm not sure what changes they have done to the tablets lately since I got mine one or two years ago? So I think a medium might be suitable unless A5 is too small for you to draw with.

I just wanted to tell you what the medium is like but I have no other information about the other tablets so I hope I have somewhat helped

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I always recommend the Bamboo for any newbies - especially if they're on a budget and looking for decent quality.

Personally, I stay away from any "small" dimensions. Get medium (9x6) or larger. Though usually medium is enough...unless you have a ridiculously large screen.
You could actually get it waaaaaaay cheaper than $500 (I got mine for half of that). Find a store that has a student deal.

IF you can find an Intuos3 (they don't make 'em anymore), get that instead of the Intuos4. It feels more "natural"/paper-like compared to the slick surface of the Intuos4 (makes it slightly easier to get used to using a tablet) - this is even more so with the Bamboo (in my experience, at least).

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Everyday I'm tumblin'

Since it'd be your first time on a tablet, I'd recommend practicing not just drawing directly on it without guidelines when you get it and first try it out, but also scanning up an image and learn how to get comfortable with it. It's a matter of practice, because usually you would be used to seeing your drawing tool in your hand as you draw, but with tablets, you'll have to transfer that onto the screen before you.

If you're new with SAI, I'd suggest looking up some tutorials to get a feel for it, or fiddle around with it--one thing that SAI makes easy is blending, and it has a variety of tools, but you also have to keep in mind that the .sai size files can potentially be huge. I've a few that've gotten to the 100 MB-ish range, though that may have been because I work with big canvases. If you're not new to programs like that in general, then it's all a matter of importing your knowledge.

I don't know how it is for Bamboo Fun, but I know for sure (owning one myself) that the nibs for the Bamboo Pen need to be replaced because they get worn out. You're initially given five or so spare nibs with a ring to remove the nibs, but unless you live in the United States (or Asia or Europe because I think they have a set of stores in there, but I'm not sure seeing I was from Canada and neither of the wacom online stores shipped there), you can't get it shipped directly to you.

Thanks, NightAir - Yep, I'm a Cdn, so replacing nibs would be hard, I see...

About drawing on Sai - would drawing directly or scanning and stenciling be better?

I think I've set my budget to $200 for tablets...otherwise, I'd be broke. D:

@Scyfon - I really wanted to get the Intuos3, but it seems like I can only get the large and it's $350 (craigslist). The medium for Intuos4 is $500, while the small is $200.

Depending on your experience with a tablet, it really does depend. It took me a while to get used to using a tablet as well, and even then my beginning drawings didn't have a lot of time invested on them.

What you need to remember when using a tablet is that it's just like any other medium. It's going to take time, not cut down on it--whatever time's "cut down" will probably be used to fix it to make it perfect. Just because it's a tablet doesn't mean it's going to be just as easy to draw or colour, and even then standards of your work shouldn't change whether or it is traditional or digital. You're not upgrading or downgrading, but you're basically moving yourself to another playing field.

It really us up to you which one you would prefer, and how much time you have exactly. I never scanned and stencilled on SAI (it's really not worth it for me, but you can try), but I've drawn on SAI plenty of times using guidelines and using extra layers over that. Again, since you're planning on doing an otome game and drawing the sprites, I'd recommend drawing directly on it, that way you can change little things like facial expressions or bigger things like the movements of the body. However, if you're willing to put in the extra work traditional first, then you'll make things neither easier or harder, but just better in the overall end.

Can I ask if you got it in Canada? Other than Future Shop and Best Buy, I don't know if there's any other place where I can get them in...they don't have student deals, I think : (.

The intuos5 small is smaller than create, so maybe I'll get the create, then. The surface of the intuos5 does feel paper-like, though I don't know if I like that or not. I'm hooking it up to a laptop (15.6" screen). Is there any point in using different nibs (hard felt, flex, spring)? Or is it just to emulate drawing with a felt pen, etc.?

No, I did not get it in Canada
I got mine a couple years back from one of the many computer stores in Melbourne city (Australia). They had a student deal for a 9x6 Intuos4 and I took it. It was around $230.

In terms of nibs...
lol I'm still using an Intuos3 nib since the nibs I got with the 4 got eaten up so quickly (along with a bit of the tip of the stylus ) These babies lasts me long time... though, as drhell has mentioned, they've "fixed" that issue. I'll give them another go once I run out again.
I've experimented with pretty much all the nibs and I gotta say... they're a bit troublesome - at least when you only have ONE stylus that is.
It's all down to personal preference and what you're working on.
The specialized nibs makes certain tasks a tad easier (eg. spring nibs emulates a "real" brush), but nothing you can't really do with the standard nib IMO.

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Everyday I'm tumblin'

Thanks, Scyfon. Really? The tip of your stylus? How'd that happen?

So jealous...I wish I lived in Australia. The electronic dealers here only care about making $$$, I guess. Especially the big stores.

Is it worth buying a warranty? In your experience, how long does a tablet usually last? I've decided to buy the Create instead of the Intuos 5 small (simply because the active area is much smaller). I can get a warranty for two years for $40 (for store credit).

Any thoughts on this?

Last edited by WShin at 11:37 pm, Apr 16 2012

I've never bothered buying warranties for mine. It's up to you, I guess?
Do you foresee any acts of god that could potentially do harm to your tablet within the next 2 years?
A friend of mine sure could've used one when his cat decided to take a piss on his large Wacom3 though :'D

Oh and about the tip of my stylus - it was because I was pushing the limit of the Intuos4 nib and didn't realize until it was too late. It's alright though, it's sort of like a chip.

Last edited by Scyfon at 1:11 am, Apr 17 2012

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Everyday I'm tumblin'

I never bought warranties either until recently. I went with my cousin because he wanted to buy a Barnes&Noble Nook, and the warranty was pretty expensive so he declined. We went to my house and he opened one end of the box and the Nook slid out and landed on my tiled floor screen first and you can imagine how that turned out lmao...