Hello there, i would like to have some thoughts or recommendations refering graphic tablets, since i would like to switch from the classic pencil + rubber to ... a digital pencil + digital rubber.

I have an idea about pencil pressure strenght/stages and so on, but i would like to know what's best for actual detailed, professional digital art. I read something about the Wacom Bamboo for beginning, but i don't really know if this tablet really fits for intensive employment with digital art. It has, i think, like 1.000 pressure stages (?). Then i also read something about the more "professional" tablet, the Wacom Intuos 4, which has like 2.500 pressure stages or w/e. Also i don't know, what size is the best for that theme.

My budget is to like 450 € +/- i would say. Could you explain me, which tablet may be nice for serious digital art? Or should i just go with the Bamboo for beginning?

Thanks, have a good one.

If you're not sure if you want to continue doing drawing with a graphic tablet I would just recommend the Wacom Bamboo. I used it too, and it does the trick nicely for me. Amazing price for amazing quality. I am not able to recommend any more expensive tablets though.

Hm okay, thanks for your respond. I won't question the quality of Wacom, but is the Bamboo good for advanced digital painting? The price - performance ratio is overwhelming for the Bamboo, yea.

how good is "advanced" digital painting? a better graphics tablet will not make you create better art. Sure spending another 100-200$ will get you something nicer but do you actually need something nicer for what you are doing?

As he said, and it depends on your art skills and your hands, doesn't depend on your tablet.
Maybe better performance, but quality of are will not have big difference.

I use an intuos 4 WL


It's great. The thing to remember is anything intuos 4+ is 2048 levels and anything intuos <3 is 1024. Bamboo and whatnot are great, but for me it was about the same price to get an intuos second hand, so I grabbed one of them.

Remember that tablet's don't instantly make you a better artist. You can grab pretty much whatever size or model you want, they are all good you will just get used to it. Some people like the bigger ones because there's more room to do brush strokes, other people's styles don't really use that kind of thing.

what immortalpig said.
Im good at drawing, then got a tablet and wasnt instantly a digital god.
pretty useless with it tbh, i barely use it.

Thank you for the replys. And also thank you for saying me four times in a row that a tablet won't increase my skills.
I know that. And i never said that i need a tablet for getting better. I just want a quality unit for digital art. I was just wondering, if the Bamboo has a good quality for it's price.

Reading out of your replys i could say, that it's more important to get used to one and it's size? So there is no extreme difference to the more expensive ones? Just that their working area is larger? So would you say the Bamboo is doing it for the beginning? If it's fancy, it would convince me because of it's price.

bamboo is fine.

But I'd check local second hand places (for me I checked ebay, amazon, gumtree) and maybe there's a bigger higher end model second hand for the same price.

buying something used does give you the option of a better quality tablet, like immortal pig said, but a starter tablet will be good for all levels of art plus the price is good. A basic tablet will provide everything you need, it will allow you to render things in a more natural way with your arm. Technically you could do a digital painting with a mouse, or a track pad, it would just feel awkward. I recommend saving your money for art supplies or programs and going with an affordable basic tablet.