YOUR DESIGN COACH

Chou-Tac

Your Messages & Questions

London, UK I'm hoping to use it as a teaching aid for art classes, esp. for beginners...
i love drawing...
I am from Yorba Linda, california I have started and learning Procreate for Landscape pain...
I can feel your comment has a lot of positive energy Vanessa!...
Hey I'm from Nigeria. Learning sketch because I love fashion and have so many creative des...
I'm from New York, I just want to learn....
I am from Mackay, Queensland, Australia. I really want to learn how to sketch to improve m...
I'm from Nepal and a hobbyist...
I'm from Myanmar...
Mackay, QLD. Just looking to improve my teaching...
Hi :) I m from Poland, Wrocław. I'm industrial designer....
I am from india.i want to learn sketching products....
I am from the midlands in England...
I come from the Brazil and I’m looking forward to expanding my skillset!...
I'm from Cameroon, I love shoes and want to invent and create mines. I've being thinking a...
I am a hobbyist...
Hi i’m Midhun from India and I need to improve my sketching skills...
I´m from México. I would like to know what this book offers...
I'm from. Malaysia...and I admire the sketching artwork & love to make my own art...
I come from the Taiwan and I'm looking forward to expanding my skillset!...
I'm a design student from India and I want to improve my design sketching skills...
I come from the USA and am looking forward to expanding my skillset! :D...
To improve my architectural sketching...
I can't get my free book :(...
Ola Michael, Quizas te quieres el "Designer Starter Kit" en espanol. If yes, please send...
I discovered Nomad Sculpt on iPad. https://nomadsculpt.com/ It's crazy interesting. It ...
I am from Holland and I love to design or sketch or sculpt on my iPad...
Quero voltar a desenhar...
Hi Dalila, You are starting an amazing journey! Congrats !!...
Awesome. I hope learning drawing is helping you at your house building activity!...
Welcome Haonan :)...
Hi Rena, if you have any link where we could see your work, I am curious when you mention ...
Awesome! Hope you find valuable content and tips in the blog :)...
I'm from China, and I'm an industrial design student...
Hi! I study sculpture in High School of Fine Arts in Athens,Greece. I"ve just watched the...
I‘m from China,I am a student majoring in industrial design...
I'm from cameroon and i built houses...
I am from Algeria , I am first year industrial design student...
Minimalism is simple but often not easy to find the right curve or line. That is the beaut...
Hi Nicolas, You don't need to change any of your cables. You just need to buy a travel ad...
As another artist travelling US to france with a fat cintiq, a simple question: how did yo...
Like minimalism designs in my crafts...
sadhique from kerala, india...
Hi Mikhael, How are you doing? Thank you! The cover changed, but the guide remains the s...
Hello Rabia, Glad you are looking for sketching improvement besides your school :)...
Hi Marion, I made a beginner introduction to start drawing from imagination. It will help...
Hi Roy, You are starting an amazing journey! Congrats!...
I am Ajayce Roy From India Right now I am looking forward to study product design....
I love sketching but I would like to have more use of my imagination...
ı want to learn draw,ı am a student...
I see a new cover, then I'm curious to download it again, because the book is very solid a...
Hi Dalila, After you go through the Designer Starter Kit, I invite you to try this tutor...
Ola Ruben, If you want to receive the designer starter kit in Spanish, please send me an...
Hi James! Lack of patience is a double-sword quality! I am glad it brings you here. :)...
Hi Julius, awesome! Hope you will find valuable tips and techniques in the blog....
From Rwanda, looking forward to becoming an industrial designer...
USA. Art has always been in my life is various mediums. MY LACK OF PATIENCE seems to bring...
Hola, soy de México, me inspira mucho tu forma de enseñar a dibujar, tus videos y la inf...
I am from Algeria. Want to get better at sketching objects...
Want to get better at sketching objects...
Hi-I'm Terri. I want to learn to draw...
My pleasure Marcos. Estoy feliz para ayudar te a dibujar mejor cada dia. Hope my Spanish...
Superbe Shammi, Glad you are back in track for sketching :) Bravo!!...
My pleasure Sven, I hope you find helpful content for your drawing journey! Cheers, Chou-T...
Hello Eliss, Glad you love drawing and spend time to learn. Awesome! You are gonna do gre...
Hi Estelle, I am glad you enjoy the blog, and that it helps you in your sketching journey ...
Hi Chou-Tac, Your site on sketching is SO Inspiring! I am Estelle, I live in China. I am a...
Kelantan,Malaysia I want to learn to sketch because I love drawing.I always drawing when ...
Thanks Chou Tac for sharing. Love to improve my skills....
thanks, Chou-Tac, your tutorials are exactly what I needed to start sketching again. The b...
Eu sou do Brasil, gostaria de aprimorar minhas técnicas de desenho, muito obrigado....
Hi Vinicius, thank you for sharing about Worldskills. https://worldskills.org/skills/id/5...
Hi chan. My name is Vinícius Arduino, from Brazil. I'm a worldskills competitor, do you k...
I want to get book...
I am glad to accompany you on your learning design journey Gabriele :)...
Hi Musab, The book is free and it is delivered to you by email. Did you well receive it?...
Can I order this book?...
Eu sou do Brasil, e quero aprimorar e aprender mais sobre design. A artes me fascinam...
Hi Adrian, Oops, just saw your messages by chance. :) Please say hello to the team Creapo...
I'm from central California and have an interest in urban design. My goal is to design wal...
Thanks for sharing good information I read this post I really like this article....
I have always been interested in industrail design....
I'm from Japan. The reason I want to learn sketching is because I want to be a product de...
*Cheap*, sorry!...
Because of you I bought A5 Fabriano sketchbook and a couple of cheab BIC roundstick black ...
Thank you for sharing these awesome books for free. I’m from Myanmar. I always intereste...
I saw your Youtube tutorial...
Hi, I got my BA in 2010 at the age of 50. For my final project I wrote a short story and i...
ola a todos. sou do brasil....
brasil....
I was able to find it. Thank you! :)...
I was able to find it. Thank you! :)...
I'm ami from India and I'm looking for best technique and better skill for my design...
Hello! Maybe the beginner guide play hide and seek in the spam folder. Can you have...
Hey, I really appreciate it that you're able to provide beginners a free guide but I still...
Hi Sanjay, Glad to have you on board! You will get tutorials in the upcoming days and we...
A Mechanical product designer by profession learning to draw perspectives and human figure...
My pleasure Zahra. I am always happy to help, and glad you wanna improve. I learned s...
Hi Chou-Tac Chung, im so happy to find you again,my major is Industrial Design but im not ...
Hello Titi, Please thank the person who recommended the book to you. :) Feel free t...
That's an awesome goal you have Ruan! The gaming industry never stops growing. Bravo!...
I'm taking an animation degree and was referred to your book. I caught a glimpse on how to...
i like scathing...
I'm learning myself programming and game development on my own. And I want improve my draw...
I'm glad you enjoy David! By the way, in case you may be interested, the registration...
Hi, Chou-Tac Chung - Just wanted to say hi, and thanks for doing the videos. They're all r...
Estoy feliz porque te gustas la video de tutorial y ayudarte a dibujar las formas del arte...
Excelente contenido para aprender y para enseñar .Muchas Gracias por compartir...
Hey. How to determine in which scene I should be drawing a parallel source of light or a d...
Hi Daniel,  Yah, these days, it is better to rest if you feel any pain from your injur...
Hello I am from Montreal Canada, I've been sketching on and off for a while but more often...
I also hope you will find valuable content on the blog during your journey Deep. You sa...
Hi Stefan, I like your expression of a Chronic overthinker. You can find multiple vid...
Hi :-) hailing all the way from Denmark. I´m getting into portrait drawing and I was hopi...
Hi from Portugal I want to improve my drawings....
Hey, I am a Mechanical engineer, I like solving problems. But I want to explore my care...
Hy I'm Sabareesh, from India, basically I'm a graduate naval architect, who designs ships ...
Hi Mr Smith, I hope you find plenty of content that helps your high-school students....
Mr. Smith from Buffalo, NY I teach high school Architecture. I make every attempt to inc...
Hi i'm Jorge from Colombia and I need to improve my skills...
We can feel your high motivation Ian, awesome!! If you are a beginner, you may try this t...
Hope you find helpful content on the blog Salim :)...
Why the quality of image is decreasing when I'm posting on Instagram?...
Why the image quality decrease when I post it on Instagram?...
iwant improve my draeing...
i want improve my drawing...
I didn’t get a book yet please help me...
I WANT TO CREATE MY DESIGNS...
Hi Deanna, Do you mean the Designer starter kit? It is free. :) You can download ...
how much is the book?...
Hi Kathleen, I'm happy if it can be helpful to your art students. :) Thank you for s...
Great article. I'll share it with my high school art students! I always appreciate your ar...
Keep up Emmanuel! :D It is always worth pursuing what matters to you....
Thank you Chou-Tac. Your words inspire and give me hope....
Welcome on board Javier! :)...
Hello, I am Javier from Spain...
Hey Josh, Thank you for being an inspiration for the Design Sketchbook family and ...
Heck yea! I'm glad my question ended up making it as a full post! Hope it helps others as ...
Hi Asti, (Your name reminds me of a place I visited in Italy, where they produce amazi...
I am an Urban Sketcher and I want to improve my skills...
Hi Summer, Oops sorry for the late reply! Do you mind sending me an email at choutac@t...
I dont udernstant how you drawd your sphere and his shadow its says that you "will create ...
Hello! I’ve always loved to draw, and after observing how a lot of the artists I admire,...
Hi Graham, I do believe in "Quick wins". Basically about giving simple exercises th...
Hi I teach design in high school and I am looking for an easy way to teach my students to ...
Oh yeah, it's not free anymore. It's about 20$. I remember seeing a post from them on Fac...
Congratulation Ana for following your childhood dream. That's a great action you can def...
Avec plaisir Tania! N'hesites pas a partager dans les commentaires du blog, ou m'envoye...
Thank you for sharing Chris about the XP Pen tablet! :)...
Great article, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! I was looking to get a screen...
Bonjour ! Je dessine en autodidacte mais cela fait des années que j'ai arrêté. Donc app...
Thanks for sharing! But Sketchbook is not free anymore for Windows and Mac OS. I use Krit...
Hi, I'm Brazilian, my name is Ana, and i am an frustrated adult how quit drawing as kid be...
Hi, My name is Leon, From Liberia living in Nairobi. I love sketches and would love to lea...
hola yo vivo en Guyana, siempre me ha gustado dibujar, pero necesito mejorar....
hey.. hey,i am form india i love sketching and your words motivate me thank you sir...
Hi Oliver, I am glad you enjoy the drawing tutorials :). Sure, keep going learnin...
Hi, I really like hoe you teach drawing. Some time I started by using some book on techni...
Hi Gordon, It's all my pleasure. I am happy if the blog can help you during your a...
Hi Chou, Just wanted to say thank-you for all the work and wisdom you share. I am 54 a...
Hi! I'm not sure I see the difference between B and C. Are you just resting more lightly...
Soy de la ciudad de méxico, me interesa y me gusta mucho tu forma de exponer cada uno de ...
Soy de la ciudad de méxico, México es mi pais, y me interesa la información de tus libr...
Australia, For self paced learning for my kids at home....
Hello from Brazil! I wanto to learn the sketch to ilistrate n eBook on elkectronics! Best,...
I'm from Portugal. Need to learn more about perspective. Hope your book help me on that. C...
From California. Engineer who wants to learn to quickly sketch product ideas....
Me gusta dibujar desde pequeño y quisiera aprender más....
Yeah! I am happy it helps you refuel your motivation tank! :)...
hey, thanks a lot for this article! i got my college results recently and was feeling do...
am a land surveyor and love designing.......
am a land surveyor and love designing.......
Hello from Hawaii!...
Don here, from Hawaii. Always wanted to be able to draw, looking forward to learn here....
Actually I try to know and learn the systematic technique for sketching. It will help and...
Hi Susan, Thank you for sharing your creative apps selection on iPad. Do you draw ...
Hi there, I've been a professional fine artist for over twenty years. Before that I was a...
My name is Pablo and I'm interested in improving my art skills....
Hi, I'm Julius from Ghana. I've just started drawing and I'm looking for resources online ...
Hello, I have just sent an email to you :)...
I a brazilian and I want to improve my technique...
Is the “37 Secrets of Sneaker Designers'” book still available??? I sent for it, got t...
Hi Chou-Tac! I've been trying to get the book but it's not been sent to my mail, please c...
Hi Gino, Oops! Thanks to you, I realized I forgot to unlock the book delivery. Let ...
Is the "37 Secrets of Sneaker Designers'" book still available??? I sent for it, got the l...
My aim and passion to be designer I'll achieve this surely...
Hello Janet, Yes, the basics are perfect to start sketching the "correct way" as you...
Superb! It's definitely great to explore different styles and methods. :)...
Hi Kamil, As a carpenter, you may like this interview with Guillaume Bouvet. He's a ...
It is my pleasure to share! I also love illustration. Art and design are so interlinked....
Welcome on board Sam! Let me know how it goes, and do not hesitate to leave a comment or...
I'm a self trained set designer Wood worker from Lagos Nigeria Thanks for sharing I real...
Learning to sketch as a hobby and past time....
Hi from Belarus! I'm after illustration. I hope learning to sketch would help me to get i...
Hi! I come from Poland, but I live in Germany, Berlin. I am carpenter and want to learn sk...
Hello my name is Jan, I live in Perth, Western Australia. I am 72 years old and now disabl...
This is a great reminder to half things.. thanks...
I’m design garments and just expanding on sketching....
I’m looking forward to sharpening up my sketching skills for sneaker design. Thank you f...
i Come from Les Baux de Provence. Thé lockdown five me Time to draw and now i love it bu...
Thank you for sharing this with us...
Hi! I live in Mexico. Im arquitech and i want to improve my sketching styale. Thak's for g...
Hi , I’m trying to take my drawing to the next level ....
My name is Chris Richards from Asheville NC and I need to improve my skills to better pres...
I work as illustrator, I'm very curious about design techniques....
I'm from Arizona. I just started teaching myself how to draw because I've always wanted to...
how is you learn design product ?...
M a french student in a design school, i wish that you're book can help me in my work...
I'm from Brazil and sketching is my favorite hobby....
Very enlightening article. Been reading your blog little by little for some time now but ...
I want to crack the nid exam (National institute of designing)I am preparing for the exa...
Thank you so much for making this content and for your fantastic YouTube videos! I hope to...
I want to draw to open my business and as a hobby...
I'm a landscape architect and want to polish up my landscape drawing skills....
I'm theater design student and want to learn more about sketching....
I want to learn how to design for the industry....
I want to learn it so I can design environments for the industry....
Hello, I've tried signing-up several times for the book download, but no success. Nothing...
My major is industrial design. I'm a design sketch teacher. I'd read the book to improve m...
Gostaria de aprender outras técnicas de desenho porque faço Design de Calçados....
Hello Chou-Tac, I am Marina from Serbia. I study graphic design. Thank you for sharing thi...
Oroville, CA I want to learn it so I can design environments for the gaming and film in...
I've always loved drawing but geneRALLY REfused joining a course. I've always wanted to be...
I’m teaching designdraxing myself and want to have indpiration for my lessons...
Sacramento, CA...
I am a student of Design... but my drawing skills never developed well... when I was 12yo...
I want to improve my skills to better support my students when working on sketching design...
I’m learning how to be better at illustrating for animations...
Hi me prem...
Hi, I’m from Singapore. I am a teacher ,teaching design and technology. I want to be a...
I am a Mechanical Engineer. I do a lot of computer drawing every day, but I would like to ...
i want to be a product designer, sketching is the first building blog to be...
I want to learn how you learn how to draw what you see....
I am an art teacher and want to learn from other artists. I work in USA in Washington sta...
I am an art teacher and want to learn from other artists....
Hi Manuela, Yes there are some tutorials about straight lines. You can get them here...
Hi Nadya, I have just send it to you by email :) Chou-Tac...
Tried downloading book nothing happening. Can you please send me a copy. Thanks...
Hi chou-tac I love your videos. I have a question i always drawed feather lines. I am now...
I've always known I have the talent for drawing/sketching plus I love art but I didn't tak...
Well, I want to learn how to sketch so I can be a animator so I can make this animation fo...
I could relate to this post quite a lot. When I was in my third year I found myself questi...
I'm a student in 3D computer graphics for games and film, but want to improve my artistic ...
My pleasure Jan!...
Totally agree Bryan! :)...
Hi Greig, Hope you find plenty of helpful content on the blog. :) Please let me know...
Awesome Albert, Please, let me know how it goes with the students. :)...
Hello Sam, I am glad that you could correct your elbow position when you draw ellipses...
I have been drawing since I was a kid but never took it seriously enough to learn/study ho...
I would like to use the book for students who are having difficulties with drawing. Tha...
Awesome Usamah, It's such a great feeling to solve problems helping people (even if we...
when I studied mechanical engineering, it was very difficult because of the many calculati...
studying product design...
Trying to get back into sketching, I teach high school design technology and am looking fo...
I am a student and a freelancer, looking forward to be very good in design sketching and t...
Hello, I'm from Oklahoma. I'm interested in sketching because there are times words simp...
Thanks for the help and book to help and practice...
Congrats on your choice of the creative path Teertha! I am glad the sketching videos hel...
Just a student interested in design and wanted to know where to start...
Thank you. I'd like to learn to become a better sketcher....
Hello! I am going to apply for master's degree and found your videos to helpful for me....
Hello Richard, I am glad you enjoyed the video tutorial on perspective and found it be...
Hi Chou-Tac, Greetings for the day. My name is Mahendra and I'm from India. I love to dr...
Hi Dev, PLease find my reply on your email. :) See you there! Cheers, Chou-Tac...
Salut Paxon, Bienvenue a bord! Je serais curieux de ce que tu fais pour les scenogra...
I want to sign up for the sneaker sketching course . Vould you help me with that?...
Bonjour! Je viens de lire votre introduction et je voulais vous dire bonjour d’Austin a...
Chou-Tac I went through your 2 point perspective tutorial. You've done an outstanding job...
from Switzerland, Suisse romande, et je parle français, I live near the lake of Neuchâte...
I am a beginner at 68 and want excellent help....
Am darhnyell from Nigeria . I love art and am passionate about it right from childhood...
Hi, i´m glad to meet you, whith us I had the necesary I need learn to draw better. thanks...
Hi, I did not receive the book till now. I am very interested to learn sketching. I am sea...
I want to refine my skills to be the beat artist I can be. Always learning...
Design Technology Teacher Qld Australia teaching Design...
Hi Sandi, You got a great initiative. Handsketching will help you a lot in your journey...
Hi, I'm a product design engineer student. So I would love to be skillful at sketching not...
Hi Uyen, If you use a screen tablet like a iPad or Wacom Cintiq, it gets very similar t...
Hi Matthew, I am glad you enjoy sneaker design so much! I have just finished writing...
Hi Chou-Tac, it's nice to meet you... I came across your website by vigorous researching. ...
I also need to know moreabout technique. I watch video and the Pro Designer is using Ipad ...
Me too. I watch video and the Pro Designer is using Ipad for sketch book, I wonder do we d...
Hi, I studying at Art and design University and I want to learn more about sketching. Than...
I did not get the book. I asked for it Again today....
I checked spam every day but, no, I did not get the book. I asked for it agin today....
Hi Ojo, Happy you are back with your passion for drawing! I have sent an email to you ...
Hello Chou Tac. I'm a former student of yours I started the sketch like the pros course ...
HELLO! I'M GABE. I'M FROM BRASIL. I'M AN ART TEACHER AND UNPROFESSIONAL DESIGNER. I WAN...
WANTED TO LEARN RENDERING TECHNIQUES...
Hi Miguel, I agree, being able to draw the products you have in mind will drastically ...
Hi Alexandra, Your teacher is wise. The world is generous of discoveries! For us t...
Hey Kym, You are totally right, for a concept artist, the key is a good understanding ...
Hello Aquilla, Glad to see you here and explore how to keep improving your art skills....
Hi Andreas, The book is sent to your email. Did you receive it?...
Thanks Praveen, I am glad it helps you!...
That i s great you go back to your passion. Your ideas and concepts will definitely take...
Thank you for the update Michelle. I am glad you received it. Sometimes email like t...
I was able to download it today using a non-gmail account. I put in a temporary email and ...
These tips and tricks are so amazing and easy to follow. Great explanation of drawing sket...
Hi, I am from India and wanted to learn to sketch because currently whatever I am thinking...

Categories

The designer starter kit chou tac chung
Sneaker sketch book chou tac chung

This article is not a Wacom Cintiq 22 HD review trying to give a mark to the product. It’s just a share of my first impression and real experience with the digital tablet. You will see the plus and minus I met as a new Cintiq user who wondered for pretty long if I should buy a Wacom Cintiq.


Cintiq 22 HD or 24 HD?



Two different formats. XL or XXL?

The Cintiq 22 FULL HD is the digital tablet I started to target.
Then I saw the 24HD Touch for sale, second hand at Singapore.gumtree.sg at a similar price.

It was worth considering both.

I asked opinion to my friend Adrien Wira, designer at Adidas about which tablet would fit me better.

He owns the Cintiq 22HD, saw people using the 24HD and he especially knows the way I sketch (as we were classmates for 4 years at CREAPOLE-ESDI Design school in Paris).

Rotate the Wacom Cintiq 22 to draw
Rotate the Wacom Cintiq 22 to draw

Adrien warmly advised me the 22HD as:

  • It’s much easier to maneuver.
  • You can rotate the screen.

The 24HD is awesome but really big and heavy (40kg). Also, its adjustable stand doesn’t allow rotation.

We concluded that getting the 24HD was like buying a luxury Porsche that would be hard to control.

The day after I went to an IT shopping mall to look for trying these 2 digital tablets.


Touch or no touch?

I had to choose between two versions of the tablet: a Touch and non Touch. Take note that the Touch version is about 15% more expensive! It makes the Cintiq like a big Ipad.

You can Zoom in and out with your fingers, make also a keyboard appears and type on the screen.

However, according to Adrien, it is really common with the Touch version to have a conflict between the palm recognition and the pen. 

It means your palm would accidentally draw on your canvas.
Kind of irritating. Why pay more for an option I might deactivate?

Wrong usage of the Wacom Cintiq
What you see on the picture above (I took it from the Wacom official website) is impossible. You can’t use the zoom when your pen tip is on the screen. I guess it was also the first day the guy met the Wacom as well. Ahah. 

Buying the expo model?

The IT shop I went to gave me an offer. The price of the 22HD Touch EXPO model for cheaper than a NEW 22HD without Touch. Plus, I wouldn’t need to wait for him to order a new one. I could bring back home the graphic tablet immediately (any new Cintiq in Singapore needs to be preorder, there is no stock in any shop).

The expo model was out for 2 months in a non-crowded shop, but nobody bought it. I guess such material is pretty much for professionals.

The tablet was in great condition except for some fingerprint on it. Hehe. So I took the offer and bring back my new “20kg toy” at home with ”a banana smile”!!


FIRST IMPRESSIONS AFTER UNPACKED

I am super excited but also intimidated. Will I do a good usage of that machine? Time will tell. Cintiq or not Cintiq I aim to improve my skills. 🙂


Monster Size!

The tablet is wider than my shoulders. You rotate it like a truck steering.
My Asus EP121 vs the new Cintiq22HD.


Plan to get a Cintiq? Plan a big desk.

The way each device is oriented when I draw on it.
The way each device is oriented when I draw on it.

My desk being against the wall, the corner of the tablet was bumping it when I rotated it. So I shifted the desk of 15 cm from the wall.

My desk with Wacom Cintiq 22 and iMac
My desk with Wacom Cintiq 22 and iMac

I recommend a deep and wide desk to set up your tablet and your computer.  If you need to sketch on paper you can just put the Cintiq back in a vertical position.
The Cintiq 22HD in vertical position allows you to free some space for sketching on paper (Impossible with Cintiq 24HD).


DIGITAL PEN CALIBRATION

When you plug your tablet, you need to calibrate the pen to the screen. It was really easy, and relevant. And I always love the pen pressure sensitivity of Wacom’s products.

The Wacom Companion or my Asus tablet EP 121 tends to have a bug. The pointer getting further from the tip when you draw near the edges of the screen. This lack of precision was annoying. So I kept drawing only in the center.

With the Cintiq 22HD,
the digital pen calibration is perfect on 100% surface of the screen.


DRAWING LIKE PAPER FEELING

Wacom pen Cintiq with the set of nibs
Wacom pen Cintiq with the set of nibs
Wacom Cintiq 22 HD Touch nibs
Wacom Cintiq 22 HD Touch nibs

Wacom provides a set of nibs.
The felt nibs give a sensation closer to drawing on paper. However, it gets used with time, so you need to replace it once in a while.


Inclination and rotation of the tablet

Being used to Screen tablet, I thought I would adapt very fast to the Cintiq. But my first lines were clumsy. It gets better after a few hours of practice. Why?

I tried the tablet in multiple positions. I am not able today to draw with the vertical position. A small inclination bothers me. It happens that the 22HD can’t be fully horizontal. I need to practice some more for my arm to adapt to the new angles.

I am used to rotating the paper fast when I sketch. My previous tablet is portable so I could rotate the screen easily. Now, I feel more restricted in my movement. I can rotate the screen, but it is now an XL one.

To avoid drawing “like a contortionist”, I moved myself to my wheelchair to adjust my body position. Let’s see in the next few weeks how I will adapt better.

One of the main obstacles to progressing in the drawing is a bad posture.


UPDATE: I bought an ERGOTRON arm for my Cintiq. It’s like a mechanical arm that gives the free movement of the Cintiq.

Ergotron arm with my Cintiq 22HD
Ergotron arm with my Cintiq 22HD

The custom side buttons

Wacom added some side buttons. You can use them as a shortcut for your software. eg. Undo/redo, save.. any functions you need for Photoshop.

I thought it was a great idea but after testing them for a few hours, I have just deactivated the functions. Why? Because:

  • I am so used to the keyboard shortcuts.
  • Plus there are not enough buttons to cover the 12 main keyboard shortcuts I use the most.
  • I sometimes accidentally press a button while manipulating the tablet.

Left hand on the wireless keyboard for the shortcuts, right hand for drawing.

I feel lucky. Most of the shortcuts I use for Photoshop is on the left side of the keyboard.

  • Left side: I use the letters C, V, B, N, S, T, A, Z, F, D, TAB.
  • Right side, I only use 3 shortcuts: I, +, -.

I recommend you guys to practice Photoshop and Illustrator with the shortcuts. It won’t be natural at the start for sure! But in my opinion, it’s worth it. You will save a lot of time.


Conclusion about the touch option

The tablet can detect the presence of the pen a few cms from the screen. When detected, the touch option is automatically deactivated.

It is quite smart. However, I felt that it is not as reactive as I wish when I want to zoom in or out. It is not as good as Ipad.

I feel kind of excited having a much bigger digital workspace. Today is Day 1, I notice that I have lost in fluidity, the flexibility of movement, and speed. It is not as intuitive as I thought at the start. I am switching from the 13″ to 22″. I need to continue to practice more at it and get familiar with this wonderful machine. : )

If you already a Cintiq user, please let me know about your experience.
Feel free to leave a comment!

Chou-Tac

Hello! I am a Product Designer from France.

If the sketching methods I’ve acquired aid me in my life and in my industrial design career, I believe that they can also help you reach your design goal as a student or professional.

My aim is to help you all along with your design projects and journey!

Leave a comment in the blog or send me an email at choutac@thedesignsketchbook.com : )

Chou-Tac

View all posts

17 comments

Leave a Reply to Ashley Cancel reply

  • Great article, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!
    I was looking to get a screen tablet, but only really knew about the Wacom and was hesitant because of the price of the Cintiqs, but the XP-Pen Artist series display tablet really interested me.
    so I got a XP-Pen Artist 22 (2nd Generation) graphic display 22″ and loved it! Use it daily for drawing. Great for beginners and kind of accurate with Photoshop. I think it is great.

  • Hi I recently purchased a wacom pro 24. It is my first cintiq and im finding it very hard to adjust. It does not feel like paper at all to me and it just feels strange to draw on. Is this something you get used too or did I make a mistake.

    • Hello Andrew,

      That is a very cool first Wacom tablet you have.

      I had the chance to try it, and I personally went to choose the 21. Because you can rotate the screen while you draw. I like to get a similar feeling when I draw on paper and tablet as well.

      Don’t worry, the Wacom 24 is still amazing. However, you will need more time to adapt to it.
      The surface is huge and rotation is not possible.

      It is more like a traditional painting format.

      To get used to it, you will need to adapt your arm movement. I invite you to warm up with circles ellipses, straight lines… exercises you can find in the Designer Starter Kit.

      Remember to move your whole arm and use the ghost drawing – move your elbow backward for circles and ellipses.

      You may have the TOUCH option available.
      I personally do not like it much on WACOM. It is not very responsive like iPad Pro. I have the TOUCH option on my tablet 21 and I decided to deactivate it.

      Feel free to try to get your own opinion.

      About the surface paper feel, try the felt nib. It is awesome 🙂

      Another alternative to me if you can’t get used to it, it would be giving back the Wacom 24 and get a smaller one such as the 21 or 13 which is also great!

      Hope it helps!
      Cheers,
      Chou-Tac

  • 1.Recently Im wonderring that if it is worth to buy the Wacom DTHW1620H Mobile Studio Pro 16″ it that great?

    2.and i saw one of them sold on Amazon. why this one so much cheaper than others.
    https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-DTHW1620H-Mobile-Studio-Windows/dp/B01M5BBZ2E/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1492843947&sr=1-1&keywords=wacom+mobile+studio+pro

    3.I dont wanna connect to a Computer to use it. Or I just have to suffer >_<

    Dear Chou-Tac~~~ can u give me some suggestion?

    • Hello John,

      I did not had the chance to try it yet. However from what I saw from artist reviews on Youtube, it seams solving most of the big issues its predecessors have (Wacom Companion).

      I did tried to sketch on the Wacom Companion, and it was really decceiving.

      Anyway, this version seams to be great, I would highly recommend you to make a try !
      Make sure the pen is not jittering, no lag when you use a big brush on Photoshop, that your nib and cursor are matching with precision, and there is no big gap appearing when you nib goes on the side of your screen.

      The extra thing is make sure the battery life is enough for you. To me it’s still too low. I wish having a tablet I could bring all day without charging. Note that the charger seams not too big, still pretty ok to carry.

      If you need portability, I may consider the 13″ though.

      Cheers,
      Chou-Tac

      • thannnnnnnnnnnks Chou~Tac~
        that really help a lot!
        im wondering where i can try it in Singapore~its hard to find.
        And i wanna the 16″ because i can ues it all the time i think?
        if the DTHW1620H doesnt work out , maybe i will wait,just uesing my wacom intuos.

        the Cintiq 22HD seems too big for me?
        how u feel about it as uesing for sometime?

        • Yeah, it’s super tough to find places where you can try Wacom tablet in Singapore.
          I used to go tu Funan before. This is where I bought my 22HD.

          As you might know, Funan is not like before anymore.

          To me the 22HD is very big.I use it with an Ergotron arm.
          Actually I am even considering selling it to get the Mobile Studio Pro 16″ instead.

  • I am going to buy the 22D or 22D Touch for my daughter and was thinking the latter. The review on the touch are not great though- screen issues, etc. Any feedback on which way to go? Thank you!

    • Hello Renau,

      I never heard about issue with the screen because of the Touch.

      My Wacom Cintiq 22HD has the touch, and I personally never use this function. I simply deactivated it. It’s actually working very well, but it happens I do palm conflict sometime, and it irritates me hehe. (Even though I am a pretty zen person)

      It’s to me just a question of being used to it, and I have been personally trained using Photoshop or other softwares with the left hand on the keyboard to get all the shortcuts I need.

      If your daughter is already an experienced user of Photoshop, I would recommend her to use the keyboard. Otherwise, she can start training with the Touch, it is a great function for zoom in and rotate the Canvas. 🙂

      Hope it helps !

      Cheers,
      Chou-Tac

  • Bonjour Chou-Tac,

    I just bought my very first graphics tablet. It’s a second hand 21UX (2nd gen). It bigger than I thought! I really didn’t sketch much on A3, so it looks so big. But actually it feels natural, and having all that extra space on the tablet is great.

    I’m just learning my way around Sketchbook Pro. I just focusing a lot more on my sketching skills, and hope that developing sketching skills on paper and tablet will make me a more valuable industrial designer.

    How are you going along with yours after 2 years?

    • Hey Peter,

      I believe you made a great choice for your Wacom graphic tablet as the 21 is to me a better size than the 22 which is a even bigger.

      The Wacom 21 is easier to rotate, so the feel get more natural to me. 🙂

  • Thank you very much for so informative topic
    I am going to buy one at the same 22 H and it is a very important for me to know your opinion
    Thanks again

  • Hey! Glad you came visit the blog and that you dowloaded the Kit. Anytime, let me know about your progress. I am sure your skills will be back very soon. Thanks again for selling me the Cintiq. Sure I do like it. – From the buyer of the 22 HD. 😉

  • That fast u r back n start using it, I am Happy that you like it…
    Just DL theDesignerStarterKit, long time never draw, hope can start up soon…
    fr the Seller of 22HD 🙂

%d bloggers like this: