Getting a new digital tablet can feel overwhelming at first.
I remember when I first got my Wacom Graphire 2—bright, colorful, and a bit tricky to handle. It took about a week for my brain and hand to work together smoothly. So, if you’re struggling right now, don’t worry. It’s completely normal!
Take Your Time to Get Used to It
When I started with the Wacom Cintiq 22 HD, I expected to be a pro right away. But honestly, it was a different story. It took me hours just to get some decent results. Your muscles need to learn the new movements, and your brain needs to recalibrate. So, relax—you’re learning a new skill, and that takes time.
Practice Moving Your Hand and Calibrating
You can’t draw fully horizontal on that tablet. So my hand needed some training to recalibrate. Compared to drawing on paper, it gave me an awkward feel that I couldn’t master my own body. I felt a bit disoriented. However, a bit of practice solved this.
One trick that helped me was taping a sheet of printing paper on the top surface of the tablet. It felt more like sketching on paper, and the extra grip stopped the nib from sliding too much. Plus, drawing on paper helps your hand get used to the pressure and flow. Be prepared to replace nibs regularly—drawing for hours wears them out faster.
Adjusting to the Unique Feel of Your Tablet
The Cintiq 22 HD isn’t fully horizontal—it needs some practice to get comfortable. My hand felt awkward at first, and I couldn’t control my strokes well, but a little practice made a big difference. Patience is key!
Keep Practicing and Be Patient
My first sketch on the new tablet was stiff and clumsy. But with time, I regained the fluidity I used to have on paper. Every day, I practice to get more comfortable, and slowly, my drawings improve. That’s all you need—time and a bit of patience.
I’m Celebrating Small Wins!
After I shared my experience on Tumblr, I found out that Wacom is actually paying attention to my work! They are now following my account.
It’s a small victory, but it made me even more motivated to keep learning.
How About You?
What about you? How was your first experience with a new tablet?
Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your story and see your progress!
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I’ve got my first graphic tablet from a client,for a good finished work.It was genius i608x.It was not bad for a complete beginner.Then when I earned more money from my freelance job,I bought me a genius easypen m506a.It worked great and precise,but after 3 years I think,it stopped working several weeks ago.My priority is not sketching,it’s just my way to recharge my creative soul,so I bought chipper and older wacom bamboo one M version.Now I’m practicing my design sketching every day with Sketchbook pro 7 software and I’m learning about it also from this blog.
I also bought me android pc tablet,cause I thought I will sketch better.It is just 8inch screen and it’s small.I have also bought a wacom stylus cs100 for capacitative screens,but the rubber tip is pretty thick for my small tablet screen.Unfortenately I can’t afford tablets with bigger screens,so I sketch my ideas with what I’ve got.Now I’m thinking about buying a stylus for capacitative screens with smaller tip.If you know which could be good for me please let me know.Check it out on link below some of my works created last year on my 8 inch tablet.There are some shoes and car sketches,but cause thicker tip and small screen I lost my confidence and will for sketching.I can zoom in,but I loose then the momentum and inspiration.
http://koleos33.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24
Took my a few days to learn how the tablet work… the program I use however…. I am still learning, and I have been drawing digital for a year new. Im using Photoshop and Corel Painter, Its not like I am trying to learn everything about the programs, but I am still trying to figure things out and see what works.
Photoshop and Painter are great also. It will just take you a bit more time to get use to them. For a quick start at Design sketching, may I recommend you to try Sketchbook Pro.
You can download a free version of it online. Many designers love that software. It’s light, easy to use and give a great feel when you trace your lines with the Pencil tool.
An example here: https://www.thedesignsketchbook.com/lack-of-inspiration-look-around-you/
Extra info: I personally use Sketchbook Pro for the sketch itself. Then for the rendering I import the lines on Photoshop or Illustrator.
I love my bamboo fun, Which I acquired a few years ago! But I have trouble with it, for too long. Actually it has been only recently that I felt more comfortable with my bamboo than the analog sketchbook.
I think the root to my problem was the lack of exercising the basic warm ups.
If I could suggest some ways to have this process faster I would say, extensive line work, straight lines, circles, fast 3 and 2 point perspectives and of course writing your own name and sign are on top of my list.
If only I have tried to do these earlier, Probably I could acquire the level of fluency that I have today a few years ago! 🙂
Yeah sometime, it’s all about having the right information. Thanks for your sharing tips.