draw2much

I've been drawing since I was 5 yr old (maybe younger if you count the scribbles in my parents books) and started drawing digitally around 18 yrs old. I use a Wacom Bamboo Create and Manga Studio 5 for my inks. Sometimes I use Paint Tool SAI for coloring and occasionally Photoshop CS4.

I'm married (since 2003) to Aremke and own some adorable cats.

My hobbies are drawing, wasting time online, reading books, watching comic book movies, and occasionally bicycling (when weather permits). I've been with dA since practically the beginning but you'd never know it by my page views (heeh).



Beloved Journal Entries About Cheap Wacom Tablet Alternatives:
[Cheap] Alternatives to Wacom Intuos ProThis is a companion journal to go along with me "Cintiq Alternatives" entry. While Cintiq's are amazingly cool, and so are their alternatives, they are still $300 or more. A lot of people just DON'T have that money. So this journal focuses on drawing tablets that compare to Wacom's Intuos Pro line.
Note: This is a US based perspective, so most links will be referring to North American customers. However, many of these brands are available internationally!
There are several brands that offer up alternatives to Wacom tablets. They are Huion/Turcom, Monoprice, and Ugee.
Things to keep in mind with ALL of these tablets. They all come with battery powered pens. Either rechargeable or ones you need to manually replace (usually AAA batteries). I've never heard of the weight (from the battery) bothering anyone. The Cintiq Alternatives - Many and Varied!Updated: 5/3/15
I'm sure we all remember the first time we read about the Wacom Cintiq. A monitor you can draw on... a dream come true. Then you look at the price tag and your heart breaks a bit and your wallet wheezes. The smallest costs $800 and is 13" (as of this writing) and everything else is $999 and up. No mattter how fantastic a piece of hardware may be, it's really hard to justify that price tag. (Especially considering how old most the tech is that Wacom is using.)
Of course there are alternatives. It's possible to build something like a Cintiq all on your own. Of course, the risk to doing these kinds of things is that you could screw it up and end up with a broken monitor AND tablet.
So what to do? Give up?
NO says I! Just find ano

Review and FAQ:
Monoprice 12 x 9 Graphic Tablet ReviewWelcome to my review of
Monoprice 12 x 9 Graphic Tablet
NOTE: LOTS O' IMAGES!
and lots o' text too!
Problems with your Monoprice Tablet? Read my FAQ!
Check out some alternatives to Cintiqs!
Update: While Monoprice are still good tablets, unless you absolutely need a 12x9 tablet, I recommend getting a HUION or a UGEE tablet from places like Amazon.com. Huion and Ugee update their drivers and tend to be more compatible, plus they're pretty good at responding to questions.
I ordered directly from Monoprice's website, and received my item in 4 days using UPS ground. They accept Paypal and Google Checkout, so no credit card required!
THE COST:
Alternative Tablet FAQ for Windows 7If you are looking for a specific problem but don't want to read through the whole FAQ, press "Ctrl + f" in your browser. This will allow you to search for specific words (like "jitter" or "Paint Tool SAI") in the FAQ.
Got Windows 8? Head over to Jeremy's FAQ for Windows 8! (Note: A fix for Windows 8.1 is now available!) (Note 2: He's not currently troubleshooting. You can read his journal and read comments to see if he's already answered your questions though.)
Got a Tumblr account? Consider asking Morg for help at The Monoprice Messiah!
Searching for: Someone who knows Apple systems and can help Monoprice users on Mac systems!
ABOUT THESE TABLETS
This FAQ was originally written with Monoprice tablets in mind. Huion, Yiynov

Other Fun Journal Entries you Might be interested in:
Be a Digital Artist, without Pirating or Starving!Journal Updated: May 2015

It use to be, in ye olden times, it was difficult to break into the digital art field without some serious cash. Everyone insisted you needed Intuo (but you settled for a 4 x5 Graphire) and Photoshop or Painter was the way to go (which you pirated because you didn't have $500+ lying around). Having a computer that could run a resource heavy program like Photoshop was often difficult too (you dealt with it).
That was then, this is now. Breaking into the Digital Art field is a whole lot easier AND cheaper.
Method 1: "The Work With What You Have" Method
I know people are telling you to get a tablet and that you absolutely MUST use Photoshop. But did you know that just having access to a mouse and a scanner you can make digital art? (Heck, you don't even need the scanner if it comes down to it.) This is called VECTOR ART. Vector programs allow you "draw" lines and then manipulate them after How to Make Authentic Tasting Japanese CurryI lived in Japan for 4 years. I've tasted various kinds of Japanese curry and then attempted to mimic them at home. After many many MANY failures, I finally found the "sweet spot". I now share it with you, so that you TOO may enjoy a bit of genuine Japanese cuisine at home.
First, you need the right kind of curry mix. The most common curry found in the US stores is Golden Curry. It tastes OK but is salty and sort of heavy on the palate. Vermont Curry is my preferred choice. It's got a milder more balanced flavor. The problem is I can't find it in stores! I buy it from Amazon.com in packs of 10. (And, no, Indian Curry is not even remotely the same as Japanese curry. You must get actual Japanese curry for this recipe.)
Here's your ingredients: 
4.4 Ounce Vermont Curry - 2
Potatoes, Med - 4 to 6
Carrots, Med - 1 to 2
Onions, Med - 1
Beef steak* - 1 pound or so
5 Cup

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