STEP DOWN The Cintiq 16 drops both the Pro designation and the price. We find out if Wacom has stripped out key features to make this work.
There was a time when Wacom was the only real choice for artists wanting a graphic tablet or creative display, and its Cintiq range has always been a byword for quality – albeit at a price. Fast forward to today and there are numerous options to consider across a range of budgets. These include the relatively unknown Artisul D13 right up to the Apple iPad Pro.
Wacom, wanting to regain the initiative, has released the Cintiq 16. It’s clear the company is going after a specific market and the tablet’s headline feature is the price, which is less than half the cost of the device’s Pro-monikered sibling. A 1,920x1,080 HD display, a supplied Pro Pen 2 and 72 per cent colour gamut are all fairly standard features, but there’s also 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, the ability to use the newer Pro Pen 3D, and minimal parallax (the distance between your nib and your on-screen stroke).
Money Talks
The price needs to be addressed before we look at anything else. The device costs £530, while the Cintiq Pro 16 is £1,400. The Cintiq 16’s closest competitor is the Huion KAMVAS GT- 156HD V2, which hovers around the £450 mark. Although Wacom has its history and market dominance in its favour, the similar specs of the Cintiq 16 and Huion’s model means artists will now want to consider all tablet options before making a purchase. That’s very different from back in the day, when the choice was essentially a Wacom product costing either £450 or £1,400. It hardly needs pointing out that if a lot of artists can do without the pro-level features absent in this cheaper model, then Wacom may be eating into its own high-end market.
This story is from the April 2019 edition of ImagineFX.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2019 edition of ImagineFX.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A Tribute To Akira Toriyama
Remembering a legend Artists from across the world pay homage to the influential manga artist and genius creator of Dragon Ball
First Impressions
The illustrator reveals his journey through the world of art
DEVELOP 3D SKILLS FOR CONCEPT ART
Gaëlle Seguillon creates a breathtaking fantasy environment by combining a selection of techniques within her workflow
DRAW FUTURISTIC VEHICLE DESIGNS
John A. Frye uses just a single brush to transform his messy thumbnail into a bold and colourful hard-surface creation
PART 5: SIMPLIFY THE VALUE SCALE
Charlie Pickard introduces his top advice for achieving strong values in your artwork to create clear and powerful imagery
Charles Ratteray
Page-turner Library meets laboratory in the artist's studio, packed with inspiration and a mix of media
How to tell a story in an image
Narrative masters Tanya Combrinck talks to four artists about using visual elements to imbue their work with personal and universal human stories
ILLUSTRATE A MAGICAL CHARACTER
For this illustration, I was asked to create a fun, bright image with the theme of making artwork magical by the developers behind the digital drawing app Clip Studio Paint.
First Impressions - Glenn Arthur
Influences from Disneyland shape the artist’s work
THE ART OF BRIAN SUM
Dominic Carter talks to the mech master about honing his cyberpunk visions, character designs, and his new artbook