Does anyone have a cintiq? If so can you tell me if it's a good investment? I heard for webcomic artists the things a dream and really speeds up you drawing ability.

I've been using a Cintiq for about five years and I love it. Like anything it takes getting used to, but is very natural once you do and I've considered it a very sound investment. That said the recent switch they made to touch-sensitivity was a bit of a fumble. Stray marks are a problem with the Touch series, as are snap commands, where the tablet will read random commands and respond unpredictably to the side of your hand as you rest it on the tablet to draw. Recent driver updates first addressed, then worsened these problems do you have to use trial and error to find the driver version that works best and that's a bit of a pain.

It's also way expensive, so I usually start saving for the next one when I buy a new tablet - I use a 13" model that cost me $1000. Not cheap.

Overall, though, yes I recommend the Cintiq. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks. The biggest thing for me is being able to sketch directly in Photoshop, which saves a huge amount of time in processing drawings, which I used to do with layers of trace, then transfer to Bristol paper, ink, scan, piece together, adjust for opacity... It was a hassle. Also I can draw much bigger much more comfortably: on a Photoshop canvas with a tablet, I can draw full size originals at 12"x34" in full detail, which, much as I'd love to do the same with traditional media, takes up way too much time and space for a weekly comic.

I have the 13HD tablet and have been using it for three years. It did not require me any getting used to, that tablet is the same size as an A4 sheet of paper, which is what I always drew on. Drawing on a screen just felt like drawing on a surface that's harder and smoother than usual, I liked the feel back when I noticed it, but I stopped noticing it a very long time ago. And yes, being able to draw straight into photoshop is very convenient, I would not want to do it any other way at this point.

I do have a big complaint though, and it's that the screen wore down really fast and in a really strange manner. The screen just started shining with millions of little rainbows, and the people on the wacom support forum had no idea what that was about, and I didn't have the money to send it in for repairs (the tablet itself cost a thousand dollars... like hell I'll be left with a stash of disposable income after that). So I was basically stuck drawing like that, and I've gotten used it at this point, though you'd think you wouldn't have to get used to something so strange when you've paid so much money... Also, at this point, some medium-sized pale spots are starting to show up on the screen too? I feel like the tablet will be going to the crapper in the next year or so, and I don't really feel like it was worth the money.

I guess the lesson to be learnt here is: drawing on a screen is awesome, but don't get something as expensive as a cintiq if you won't have money for repairs.

I use a Cintiq 22HD, without touch as it seemed too expensive for me not having much use for the touch function. Didn't regret that, either.

Before that I used a Bamboo, which I was basically happy with, but line quality, precision and speed were considerably lower than now. It didn't need getting used to on my end, it's a very natural process I'd say.

I did have the opportunity to use a friend's cintiq before spending all that money, tough. If you have that option I'd definitely recommend testing it yourself to see if you like working with it, too.

I currently use a cintiq companion and I love the dang thing! As Mr. Average said there's a bit of a learning curve on it. And being a Tablet I do have to contend with "splats" (The tablet thinking my hand is touching outside the drawing area and taking away sensitivity momentarily on the Photoshop program). Yes it is touch sensitive.

But I like the idea of looking at my screen and drawing directly, vice using the Intuos 4 where I had to look at the screen and not my hand.

It also has a decent drawing area (13.5 I think?)

The other advantage is that the companion is a fully loaded computer so I was able to replace my laptop and all that good stuff with this one device.

The one disadvantage I've seen in recent years (IE Since I bought mine) is that they went up to the Companion 2 which has less internal storage for more money than mine. X( Still they're slightly less than the professional Cintiqs.

I've got a Cintiq Companion 2, which has drastically improved my life insofar as webcomic work is concerned. Specifically, like Darwin said, I like that the Companion tablets can travel. I can bring it to the office and work on a page during my lunch break, or I can sit on the couch and work while my wife plays video games. I can bring it on a long weekend away from the apartment. I can bring it to a cafe. I can... you get the picture.

The bit about leaning on the screen and getting weird input reads is definitely true, but I recently bought a drawing glove, and that improved matters a great deal. Leaning too hard with my hand will still trigger pressure responses, but the glove lets me lean lightly and glide my hand along the screen without drawing unintended lines.

The one thing I did need to adjust to is, well, drawing where I'm looking. I used Intuos tablets for years--since the year before I got into Spiderforest--and while I never *liked* drawing on my lap/desk and looking to see what came out on the screen, I did apparently forget that when you draw directly onto the surface you're looking at, your hand can block your field of vision. I definitely had an early moment of, "Why can't I see that line? Oh, because my hand's in the way. I need invisible hands."

Anyway, if you've got the funds available, I can't really recommend one of these enough. And, if you're like me and need to move around and not stay cooped up in the same room all day for art purposes, the Companion line is a thing of beauty.

I spent 8 years drawing with an Intuos 3 tablet, was introduced to the joys of Cintiqs in college, and bought one for myself back in 2014. I really, really can't recommend them enough. I have a 13HD, but since mine is a slightly older model it isn't touch sensitive, which I actually prefer. Touch sensitivity sounds annoying.

There is an exponential speed and accuracy increase when working on a tablet like a Cintiq. It completely removes the need for a middleman (IE, drawing on a tablet and looking at a screen that's completely separate, vs drawing in a sketchbook), so I found myself using the undo shortcut a lot less. The 1:1 ratio is SO much nicer than using a traditional tablet, and going back to my Intuos feels like stepping back into the dark ages.

I know there are cheaper alternatives- I've heard good things about Monoprice drawing displays- but Cintiq has really become the standard. If you can save up I'd recommend getting a name brand one.

My one complaint about the 13HD is that, unlike the Companion, it isn't mobile. It requires a power source separate from my laptop, so I'm pretty much chained to my work station when I'm using it. Which I've gotten used to, but can be considered a drawback.

Clarification!!

For real, though? My laptop and tablet are getting along in age, and I know sometime in the not too distant future I'll have to replace them. Being that... that hasn't happened yet, I haven't put any research into it, but I did think a tablet PC (or companion) was the way to go. What OS does it run? Windows? An Android build? Does it work well as just a computer, too? How is general web surfing and typing?

I can answer part of that question! The Cintiq Companion line runs Windows. They've got 8.1 at purchase, and can upgrade to 10. I use Chrome on it sometimes, but since I purchased it specifically to be an art tool I haven't tested it's actual computing power.

Yes As Mitsu said it runs Windows 8.1 to start but I upgraded mine to windows ten with little difficulty. Mine is a 256gb hd with 16GB ram. It does NOT (As a tablet) have a dvd drive however and only two usb ports. But it runs fast enough that I can do skype, Photoshop, Pandora, Lazy Nazumi, surf the internet and do word processing all at the same time with no slowdown.
I have NOT ever regretted getting this tablet!

I do recommend a external keyboard (bluetooth or wireless) so that you can type. The on screen keyboard is there, but I need feedback, and I make more mistakes directly on the tablet than a keyboard!~

I hadn't put Lazy Nezumi on mine because I like to keep the screen clear (my desktop is dual monitor), but if it works well...

I use a 22HD cintiq at work and I love it! I really want to get one for home as soon as I finish my current comic (which is all-traditional) and transition to a more digital-intensive workflow. I like the 22HD model, though I'd also settle for a used/refurbished 21UX if I could get ahold of it. I like being able to see all of my image while I work digitally, but I also like to be able to work in details; having a big monitor definitely helps that, though I wouldn't want to go any bigger.

Oh, me too! Haha.

I got the 12wx, it's not a top of the line one, and because it's older, one of the cords has a short that's causing me some trouble now... fortunately I can replace it over Amazon once it does bite the dust. It is absolutely worth every penny you might pay, even for an older one you might prefer to leave on your desk (though I did lug this baby around quite a bit), with tons of cords. It makes the drawing experience far more natural. I would normally not argue that the tool has anything to do with it, that it's all the artist's skill, yada yada etc... but a Cintiq really allows you to unlock your potential as a digital artist. I might not go with it if I were only cel-shading... but if you're digitally inking, lettering by hand, doing any shading more complex than cels... yeah, it's worth it. I've lost the skill I used to have with my Intuos though, which is a bit frustrating, I can't travel with the lighter one because I can't even ink with it! I have to stare at it and try desperately to imagine moving my hand, my hand is at an angle I don't find as natural as the tilt of the Cintiq... I can't do sweeping painting type gestures and see the response...

Man, I remember I used to digitally paint with a mouse. I love digital work, always have, and there's a reason technology keeps getting made for it. We haven't spent the thousands of years refining digital processes in the same way we have, say, oil paints. The tool makes a huge difference. If you have the money or the inclination to save for one, I'd absolutely go for it, knowing what I do of your art.

I wouldn't want a touch sensitive one myself, though. I hate the idea of having to wear a 'drawing glove'.

But.... the glove is so fashionable!

The touch sensitivity can actually be disabled on the Companion 2. Or, at least, you can turn it off within Manga Studio/Clip Studio Paint. I like to leave it on, though, because I can go from drawing with the stylus to dragging the canvas around the screen with my fingertip. It's all personal preference, obviously.

I haven't fully read the other posts in the thread yet (I'm on a short work break :/ ) but I strongly encourage that you (Clause) try using a Cintiq before dropping hundreds of dollars on one, because I know you're less comfortable drawing on paper than on the computer. If that's simply due to having an undo button, you might find you like the Cintiq, but if it's just down to the feel of drawing on a tablet, you may not. Most people like Cintiqs because it more accurately reproduces the feeling of drawing on paper or another physical surface. My good friend Riana (of Suihira) always preferred drawing/painting on tablets to drawing on paper, and when she had to use a Cintiq at her school, she found that she still preferred the tablet to the Cintiq. A Cintiq is a huge investment, so it would be prudent to make sure that wouldn't also be the case with you.