A 17-year career in digital artistry, with almost as many years using a Wacom tablet, has not only enhanced my creative experience, but generated a few surprises too.
Many a tablet and pen has graced my work space throughout the years, from the smaller ‘cheap and cheerful’ models, to larger more expensive versions. It usually stands to reason that, the more you pay and the bigger you go, the better the device will be, particularly where technology is concerned.
My personal experience, however, has completely disproved this misconception, and supports the notion that size matters NOT where Wacom tablets are concerned.
Bigger Isn’t Always Better
Larger relates to occupation of space, complexity and overall cost.
- Size equates to the amount of physical space an object such as a tablet occupies in your environment, leaving less room for everything else you need to create. This could be the cup of coffee that eases you into your ‘zone’, inspirational prompts or other tools of your trade.
- A smaller tablet can help minimize the desk clutter, which in turn, will free up your mental capacity for more ingenuity and creativity in your craft. Many creatives, including myself, are directly impacted by the state of their environment and a mode of ‘creative chaos’ may not work for everyone.
- Bigger is often associated with complexity and monetary expense. When you pay more, you usually get more for your investment. You may not need all the included functionality, and the additional complexity can cost you precious time in actually making the artistry happen. Being tempted by the added ‘bells and whistles’ may also lead to a steeper learning curve and increased distractions.
Creativity on the Move
The world has become smaller with more people traveling larger distances on a more regular basis.
- Whether you are traveling to another country, or your local coffee shop, you are probably on the move a LOT more than your grandparents were in their generation. Size matters in terms of the portability of the items you wish to carry with you on your travels both near and far.
- Smaller devices and tools allow you to take more with you, provide more choice and options, in creating your artistry on the go. It’s the different between maneuverability with ease and lugging around a bulky and heavy appendage.
- It’s so much easier and more attractive to slip a small slim tablet alongside your laptop than to struggle to accommodate an additional large device.
Let the Technology Support the Artistry
Any tool used by an artist should be intuitive and enhance the creative experience.
- Wacom tablets offer a digital artist more precision than can be gleaned through the use of mouse, but it should also be an intuitive experience that mirrors the process of tracing, mark making and detail work found in tactile art mediums.
- A tablet can mapped to the size of your computer screen, but the size of tablet relates directly to the surface area, an artist’s hand must move, in order to create the desired results. A larger tablet has a greater surface area, over which the hand can or must move. This can also result in aches and pains resulting from over exaggerated mark making.
- The area of a smaller tablet is often more appropriate, and intuitive, in the case of writing, drawing or creating extractions from photos, unless your preference, of course, is to create oversized artwork.
Less is More
Larger tablets may be the more ostentatious choice with all the shiny gadgetry, but smaller tablets with their ease of use, shorter learning curve and less intrusive ‘footprint,’ will always be my preference.
This is why I see the new Wacom Intuos Pro Small being my new favorite tablet. My ability to trace, select, draw, extract photos and create digital artistry on-the-go become easier without losing the pro features, which are always so fun to play with. I get the best of BOTH worlds. I’ve added the new Wacom Pro Pen slim, a stylus with all the power of Wacom Pro Pen 2 technology in a slimmer form factor. It comes comes with an elegant case for portability too!
About Anna
Anna Aspnes designs DigitalART for people who want to create dynamic and effortless art. Her passion is to help you commemorate and honor your life by helping you to flex your creative muscles in a way that is both unique and truly exhilarating.
Before I could walk, I spent endless hours at a coffee table intent on creating magic with a crayon in hand. Today, I share this same magic at a different table by creating sophisticated contemporary DigitalART designed to be used by YOU. I offer digital art elements, mentorships and educational support through more than a decade of experience in modern memory-keeping and DigitalART creation.
