Wacom
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Wacom Tablet Overview
The Wacom tablet is an electronic drawing tool that plugs directly into a computer using an available USB port. It comes with a pen, mouse pad, and mouse.
The pen is similar to a normal pencil, where one end is meant to draw and the other to erase. Different software supports this differently, but with Corel Painter Essentials and Adobe Elements, it works fine (which comes with the Wacom Tablet).
Depending on the drawing software that you're using, you'll have the ability to use any brush or pencil available, change your brush size and shape, and use whatever color you'd like. One of the best features is the fact that you won't inadvertently smudge your paper since there is no graphite to mess with. Of course, with the tools available in the different art programs, you can smear, blend, and smudge anything that you'd like.
Uses for the Tablet
Typically, this is a device for digital artists, but anybody that needs a little more control over their mouse could benefit from having one of these such as people that would like to write down notes electronically.
Things that can be done with the Wacom Tablet include:
- Digitally Sketching, Drawing, Painting
- Photo Restoration & Enhancing
- Writing, Taking Notes, etc
- Tracing
- Teaching others how to draw by letting them see your brush/pencil strokes while you work (and possibly with additional software, recording your work in progress).
Size
It comes in several different sizes. The 4x5 drawing area has a tablet that's about the size of a normal mouse pad. This device is small enough and thin enough to be easily carried in a laptop briefcase, which is how I use mine. There's also a larger 6x8 version that isn't as portable, but lessens the amount of scrolling that you would need to do on the screen.
Software
Adobe PhotoShop Elements and Corel Painter come with the tablet along with several different note-taking programs such as JustWrite and EverNote Plus.
Elements by itself costs $80-$100, where the basic Wacom tablet is around $100, so if anybody was planning on buying Elements, I'd recommend buying the tablet since it comes with a full version of Elements for free.
The Wacom tablet, since it is just a fancy mouse pointer, will work with any application that supports mice, so you'll be able to continue using your favorite art or note-taking program.
About the Author
Brian Broderick (http://www.brianbroderick.com) is a semi-pro nature photographer and the creator of The Lens Flare. His hobbies include hiking, skiing, and computer graphics, and is currently a web programmer.
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