Wacom Intuos S BT (2018) Creative Pen Tablet – Review

As a digital artist who uses products from Wacom, I was very excited to try out the Wacom Intuos S BT model. I would say that it’s a very budget-friendly and screen-free tablet for those wanting something portable and easy to use.

I was provided with a free Wacom Intuos S BT (2018 model) digital drawing tablet for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

Right off the bat, you will notice that this Wacom Intuos tablet is on the smaller side. It only measures 7.87 x 6.3 x 0.35 inches (with the active area being 6.0 x 3.7 inches), which is great if you want a digital tablet that you can simply put in a bag while traveling. It has Bluetooth capability, allowing you not to worry about carrying the USB cable if you don’t feel like it, and the tablet is well-charged. The accompanying pen or stylus also fits snugly in the loop present at the top of the tablet.

I began my digital drawing journey a bunch of years ago by using the Wacom Intuos Art, Comic, Photo, 3D (2015) medium model. The active area for that particular model comes in at 8.5 x 5.3 inches. So, I was very interested in seeing if such a difference in the size of the active areas would impact the way I drew. I have to say that I noticed no change.

I was able to move the pen on the smaller model basically the same way as I would on the larger model when creating something. But then again, that’s just me. Some of you out there might prefer having a bigger active area when putting down your creative pen strokes. And while the surface of the tablet is smooth to the touch, you will feel some friction when you start using the pen on said surface. To me, it does feel like you’re using an actual ink pen on a piece of paper. The good news is that I experienced no delays between moving the pen and what appeared on my laptop screen. Applying pressure on the pen led to thicker lines while releasing pressure resulted in thinner lines.

The tablet does have these rubbery circles, underneath, at the four corners so it doesn’t move or slide as you draw. The top of the tablet has four quick-action buttons or ExpressKeys which you can customize. Frankly, I’m not into quick-access buttons. But they are there for those who want them. The button panel, which also has the Bluetooth button, has a concave shape that allows you to place the pen inside when you’re not using it.

Talking about the approximately 6-inch, cordless, 4,096 levels pressure-sensitive, and battery-free 4K pen (yes, she’s got a lot going on for her), it does feel durable. I mean, I didn’t dare drop it on the floor for a durability test, but it felt sturdy enough in my hand. You can find three extra nibs stored at the back of the pen after unscrewing the cap. The pen also has two quick-access customizable buttons, if you’re into using them.

Setting up this Wacom tablet was easy. You only need to download and install the required driver from the Wacom website. Registering the device, by following the instructions after logging into your Wacom ID, was quick.

This tablet will give you free access to a bunch of software. So, you’re getting more than just paying for the tablet. The free software, also mentioned at the back of the box, are:

• Clip Studio Paint Pro for comics and manga.
• Corel AfterShot (64-bit) for photo editing.
• Corel Painter Essentials (64-bit) for digital painting.

I didn’t try any of the software. Me going through each of them would warrant a whole software-review series. And besides, I’m more of a FireAlpaca person.

Here’s an entire unboxing video I filmed. It also includes footage of me showcasing the images I created using this tablet for my fanvid about fixing the ending Deran Cody got in Animal Kingdom season 6.

Priced at approximately $70 USD, from what I can see on Amazon, I would recommend going for the Wacom Intuos S BT tablet if you’re thinking of trying out digital art at an affordable rate. It is also useful for those who would like to have an extra tablet around during travel.

Do you use tablets from Wacom? Let us know.

Also, you can check out more of my art over at the AJ Raven Redbubble shop. Purchasing items helps to financially support The Geekiary. 

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

Twitter

Help support independent journalism. Subscribe to our Patreon.

Copyright © The Geekiary