I would love to get into digital sculpture and I was wondering it it is worth doing if you dont have a drawing tablet. Is a drawing tablet essential or can you get decent results without.
thanks
anthony pittarelli
Personally I think Tablet is a must for ZBrush 
Sculpting without a tablet is like drawing with your left hand (if you’re right handed or vice versa). You can still “touch” and manipulate your 3D object but you add an extra degree of seperation between you and your sculpture. If you are going to be able to save/get the money to buy the program, then it’s worth it to save/get the money to buy a decent Wacom intuos tablet in my own opinion. That tablet is the single greatest computer/electronic device I’ve ever invested in bar-none!
ok, i just got off the phone w/ pixologic, and they told me the tablet is NOT absolutely essential initially…eventually, yes, but for a noob like me, who is limited on funds as it is, working w/ the mouse for the first 10hrs (or however it takes me to get up to speed) will be fine.
having said this, they also recommended that when i do get the tablet, i buy a 6"x8" wacom brand tablet. any other thoughts and/or suggestions?
fyi: i wanna create 6" scale action fig prototype designs using zbrush.
thx again, folks!
AFR
I’ve used several wacom over the last few years, but I’ve never used or seen a Cintiq…
I read an article in Highend about that, but before spend so much money in a single piece of hardware I would like to hear some opinions about that tablet.
Is really so much better?
Does really worth it?
Why the smaller models vanished?
I’m happy with my actual intuos, but if the different is so huge I would change it right now.
you can do alot with a mouse in ZBrush, but I consider a tablet essential for freehand sculpting
I use an Intuous 3 6x8 and it’s perfect for me… the express keys are wonderfully convenient for ZBrush sculpting and the responsiveness is smooth as silk, just like the software
I have a friend with a Cintiq and I’ve tried it out… it’s a gorgeous screen and just as responsive as the Intuous, and being able to draw directly on the screen is amazing… but at the same time, I love being able to work without my hand in the way of what I’m doing… I think that, even if I had the money, I would pass up on the Cintiq just for that
Put it this way. You can do most things with bad equipment. You can go bushwalking barefoot. Indeed many indiginous people do. But is it something you’d choose to do, especially when bushwalking my be a part of your job or even a relaxing hobby.
With decent shoes you can enjoy the scenery more. Not only that but if you know you are going to get some good shoes in a few months then why wait unless you have no option.
Thus it goes for tablets. To some programs tablets are what shoes are to bushwalking. Like Painter and Zbrush.
Bear in mind that a tablet is not like true love, it is more like herpes. That is, forever. Get a good tablet (wacom) and look after it and you’ll be migrating from computer to computer with it till the end of your life.
If you are planning on getting a tablet one day and you can afford it then get it as soon as possible.
$0.02
Hi i want to buy a wacom tablet… but i cant aford a intuos 
, what tablet u recomend? a zaphire or a bamboo? thanks
Thanks for info guys. I will have to amass the funds to purchas a wacome tablet as soonn as possible.
Anthony Pittarelli
Graphire is ok for newbies
not as good as intuos, but you will be able to do everything you want, sometimes with a mouse is almost imposible to sculpt.
I recomend a graphire if you are not sure if you want to do this for living, if you know that you are going to be in the artist way for at least 10 years then… buy the best you can afford because a tablet is something that lasts forever… (almost)
if you’re going to be doing artwork frequently, then your tablet is going to be your #1 tool… even more than your software, I would say, because its use is going to carry over into any software you use… trying to draw in photoshop or sculpt in ZBrush with a mouse is like tying a pencil to the end of a stick and trying to draw with it… it’s far too clumsy to be practical
a little practice with a good tablet, though, and suddenly you’ll find that one tool with some decent software holds all the power of every pencil, pen, paintbrush, or other artist’s tool ever made combined – plus some… it may never perfectly emulate the experience of using any one of those tools in its genuine form, but it can come pretty damn close (try using the pencil in sketchbook - it’s spot on), plus the digital format opens up worlds of flexibility and power that are unheard of by any traditional method… the power of undo alone is a huge advantage
if you’re working mostly with vectors or pulling vertices around/drudging through menus in Maya or something along those lines, then a tablet doesnt help much… but if you’re frequently trying to freehand sculpt or draw in something like zbrush or photoshop, then your tablet is going to be your best friend for years
unless your getting a Cintiq, the price range on all the other tablets isn’t that large (in my opinion), and as such I would base my decision on just how important it actually is to your work, and not so much on price… a $300 Intuous is one hell of a bargain for a great tool that will be essential to your work every day for a matter of years