wacom intuos art pen and touch digital graphics, drawing & painting tablet medium: (cth690ak)

The Intuos Comic, Photo, Art & Draw Review in Few Words (Mini Review)

The new Intuos tablets from Wacom, which come in 4 models, The Intuos Art, Photo, Comic & Draw, are good tablets to for those who want an affordable tablet from a known brand. They offer a good amount of pressure sensitivity, come with a bundled software that suits the purpose for they were made for. They are small enough to be carried around, and on the top of that, they all look very stylish, with the choice of two colours in some of the models.

As long you don't care about the small size in most of these new models, you are very likely going to like the new Intuos tablets. On the other hand, if you don't care about brands, or if you want more features for your money, you may want to check out some of the other affordable graphics tablets I reviewed.

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Pros

Very small & portable tablets to carry around.
An easy entry to digital art, especially with their easy installation.
Come bundled with different software to suits your needs.
Looks & feel very good, something that is typical of Wacom.
A great graphics tablet for those who want an affordable graphics tablet from a known brand.
Support application-Specific express keys.
Allows you to draw easier than a mouse.

Cons

These small-sized tablets are small for some uses, like in case you have a monitor with high resolution, or to create very detailed drawings.
The pen may not fit easily into the loop that is made for it. :O
It would have been nice if these Intuos tablets were bundled with Wacom Wireless Kit.
The bundled software are downloadable versions, with some limitations to their download condition.
The pen has no eraser on its tip.

Technical Specifications (Click here for a detailed comparison table of all the new Intuos Photo, Draw, Art, Comic models)

The new Intuos comes in 4 variations:-
- Intuos Draw.
- Intuos Photo.
- Intuos Art.
- Intuos Comic.
Resolution of all the 4 models:- 2540 lpi.
Pressure sensitivity levels of the 4 models:- 1024 levels.
These 4 Intuos models allows you to sketch, ink, and color frames quite easily, with pressure-sensitive pen that imitates the way traditional pencils work.
Has multi-touch gestures, which allows you to use your fingers to navigate, scroll, zoom your artwork. Something that can boost your productivity if used correctly.
Come with a a bundled software, which differs depending on the model you chose.
Each of the new Intuos models has 4 customisable Express Keys that put your favourite shortcuts like undo or copy/paste at your fingertips.
Compatible with both Windows & Mac OSX.(Windows 7,8,10, Mac OSX 10.8.5).
Compatible with all art programs.
Small Compact size, 8.25-by-6.7 inches for the small model, which is perfect for limited desktop areas.
Comes in different colours. (Colours details are explained below).
Suitable for both left-handed & right handed people.
Come with 3 replacement nibs on the battery compartment in the back.

From the first look on the new Intuos, which is the entry model of Wacom tablets, it seems like Wacom is trying to cater for the different kind of artists. Which they try to do by releasing 4 variation of the same tablet, each with a different name, and come with a different bundled software to suit a certain kind of uses. As well as by offering an affordable version that doesn't include a bonus features like the multi-touch gestures.

These 4 models of the new Intuos are:-

Intuos Draw
Intuos Art
Intuos Photo
Intuos Comic

I will talk about each of the 4 models in details below, now let's take a look at the general features of the 4 models.

Graphics tablets – A Quick definition

If you are new to graphics tablets, which could be the case if you are reading this article, they are devices that allows you to control the mouse & draw similar to how you do with regular pencils. Each point of the tablet correspond to a point on the screen, for example, if you placed the pen on the upper-right corner of your graphics tablet, then the cursor on the screen will immediately jump to that point.

If you have more than one monitor, you can set the tablet so that it it moves the cursor only on the screen you want, which is likely to be the screen that contains the canvas. This is very useful to ensure you draw more accurately.

Hovering the pen on the graphics tablet surface without touching it moves the mouse without drawing on the canvas. Which mean that Graphics tablets can replace the mouse completely. And that's good news for people with health problems like tennis elbow or carpal tunnel syndrome.

A quick look over the new Intuos tablets, the Intuos Draw, Art, Photo, and Comic

The 4 new Intuos has a nice look & Feel, each of the graphics tablets has a rubber feet at the bottom of it to keep on the table. And on the top of each Intuos, there is a band that is designed to hold the pen in case you are carrying it around or something. This rubber band may be small to fit the pen easily, but it does the job.

Each of the 2 black ellipses you see on the top has 2 keys you can press. These buttons are called express keys. You have 4 Express keys in total, each of them can be customised to do various of the functions that you need on a regular basis. Like Undo, switching to a certain tool, or opening a dialog.

Just like the case with Wacom graphics tablets, all these express keys are application-specific, meaning that you can assign a different functionality to to each of the keys depending on the program you are using at the moment.

3 out of the 4 new Intuos models, the Intuos Art, Photo, and Comic support multi-touch gestures, these gestures are similar to what we have on smartphones, some of the main gestures available are pinch-to-zoom, rotate & panning the canvas.

Intuos-Art-Multi-Gestures

In case you totally don't want touch, the Intuos draw does't have that feature, which is the main reason it is more affordable than the other 3 models. In case you want the touch feature but are afraid of it getting in your way, you can turn it on & off whenever you want to.

The new Intuos tablets are very small, the small version of these tablets is about 6.7 x 8.25 inches. Which is nice for carrying them around, but they can be small to be used for accurate drawing in case you have a screen with a high resolution. The Intuos Art has a medium version at the time of writing this review, so you may consider getting that one in case you need a bigger graphics tablet.

Intuos-Draw-Size1

The Pen & The extra nibs

Each of these 4 tablets comes with a nice looking pen, which doesn't require any sort of battery to run, as it gets its power from the graphics tablet itself. The pen has two buttons that you can customise to your needs, similar to what you can do with the express keys. The one down side of the pen is that is has no eraser on its tip. Which is a feature that allows you to flip the pen and erase your drawing mistakes, without having to switch to the eraser tool in your art program.

Behind each of the tablets, there are 3 replacement nibs, which is a nice addition from Wacom, as the more you use your Intuos graphics tablet, the more the pen nib will wear off, which may cause the nib to become pointy, and thus lead it to scratch your tablet. To avoid that, you will need to replace the nib once it gets pointy. How much each nib lasts depends on the how much you press the pen on the tablet, the model of the tablet, and how much you work on it every day.
Bundled Software.

Each of the Intuos Draw, Art, Photo & Comic comes with a software that suits the purpose it was made for. If you counted the value of the software, the new Intuos can be very attractive to get in case you don' have any software, but bear in mind that these are software download, with some limits on how much you can download them (click here for more details on that).
Wireless Support.

Wireless Support

Intuos-Pro-Wireless-Kit-300x225

Just like the case with many Wacom graphics tablets, the new Intuos Draw, Photo, Art & Comic support Wacom Wireless Kit, which allows you to use your tablet without the need of cable, which is a very nice feature for those who use their tablets away from their computer. The thing is, the wireless kit does't come with the Intuos line of tablets, and you have to buy it separately. Unlike the Intuos pro, which comes bundled with it.

Feel free to check out my Wacom Wireless kit review if you are interested in knowing more about it. ^^

So, what is the difference between the Intuos Draw, Art, Photo & Comic?

From the usage point of view, you can use any of the 4 Intuos models for anything you want, as long you have the right software for that. For example, if you chose to get the Intuos Comic, but then decided to use it for retouching photos, you can still do that if you have Photoshop or any other photo-editing software installed.

Note:- The sizes available for each of the Intuos models are by the time of writhing this review, there is a good chance more models will be available in the future, in which case this review will be updated to reflect that. :D

The Intuos Draw

"If you're just starting out and finding your own style, Intuos Draw can help take your work to the next level" – Wacom.

Intuos-Draw-Mint Intuos-Draw-White

This is the entry level among the 4 new Intuos models, it supports 1024 level of pressure sensitivity. While the pressure sensitivity here is lower than the higher-end graphics tablets, which mostly provide 2048 level of pressure, 1024 levels is more than enough for many uses, as long you know you to use your art program correctly.

The Intuos Draw is only available in small size, which features an active area of 6.0 x 3.7 inches (the active area is the area that responds to the pen, and and it is different than the tablet area). Just like I mentioned earlier in this review, the small size of the Intuos Draw makes it a very portable tablet to carry around, something you will appreciate if you are an art student or someone who likes to work on the go. The only bad thing about the small size is that it may not be very comfortable for working with a screen with a very high resolution, where you are more likely going to appreciate a medium-sized tablet.

The Intuos Draw comes with Artrage Lite, which is a very nice at software by the way.

Intuos draw is the only Intuos model that doesn't have Multi-touch support, and that is what makes it the most affordable one among them.

Intuos Draw is available in two colours:- Mint or White, I personally like the Mint colour among the two.

If you want an affordable graphics tablet, and don't care about touch, then the Intuos draw is the one for you.

Intuos Art

"So, you've already got skills in the locker? Show them off to the world with Intuos Art. Create awesome artwork, print your paintings or share them online" – Wacom.

Intuos-Art-Mint Intuos-Art-Black

In the first glance, the Intuos Art looks very similar to the Intuos Draw, which is true to some extent, as the Intuos art has the same amount of pressure sensitivity as the Intuos Draw (1024). And it has the same application-specific express keys.

Now, there are 4 main things that makes the Intuos Art different, first, the Intuos art comes in two sizes, small or medium, the medium size can be considered as a very good solution for those have a high resolution screen, or those who want a larger drawing area.

The second difference of the Intuos Art is that it supports multi-touch gestures, which allows you to do many gestures that you do on your smartphone.

The third difference is the bundled software. The Intuos Art comes with Corel Painter Essentials 5, which you can download a trial version of here if you want, along with many other Corel programs.

The last difference of the Intuos Art is the colour, it comes with black or blue.

Intuos Photo

Intuos-Photo-Black

"Your pictures tell a story. Make yours beautiful with Intuos Photo. Perfect your images for printing, push your creative boundaries, and share with your friends and family" – Wacom.

Intuos Photo is similar to Intuos Art, in that it supports multi-touch. Except that it doesn't have a medium size. And it comes in black only.

When it comes to the bundled software, the Intuos Photo comes with following software:-

For Windows:-

Corel® PaintShop® Pro X8.
Corel® Aftershot® Pro 2.

For Mac OS X:-

Corel® Aftershot® Pro 2.
Macphun Creative Kit (Tonality Pro, Intensify Pro, Snapheal Pro, Noiseless Pro).

You can click on the software link to download a trial version of it.

Intuos Comic

"If seeing your comic or manga characters in print is your dream, Intuos Comic is your perfect sidekick. Sketch, ink and color page after page, and bring your story to life" – Wacom.

Intuos Comic-Mint Intuos-Comic-Black

Similar to the Intuos Photo, the Intuos Comic also supports multi-touch gestures, and has a small size only. But it comes in Black or Blue.

When it comes to the bundled software, the Intuos comic comes with Clip Studio Paint Pro, & Anime Studio® Debut 10. Making it a good choice for those who want to create Anime or comics with it.

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What you need to know about downloading the bundled software?

The bundled software can be downloaded & installed on one computer only, and one operating system, according to Wacom's term of service.
When you register, make sure you choose all the applications available, as you won't be able to go back and select new ones a later time.

Comparison Table of the Intuos Tablets

Following is a comparison table of all the 4 models, as well as the previous Pen & Touch, which you may want to consider getting depending on your needs.

	Draw (CTL490DW,CTL490DB)	Art (CTH490AK,CTH490AB)	Art (CTH690AK,CTH690AB)	Photo (CTH490PK )	Comic (CTH490CK,CTH490CB)	Intuos Pen and Touch
Size	Small	Small	Medium	Small	Small	Small , Medium
Dimentions	6.7 inches x 8.25 inches x 0.4 inches	6.7 inches x 8.25 inches x 0.4 inches	8.5 inches x 10.75 inches x 0.25 inches	6.7 inches x 8.25 inches x 0.4 inches	6.7 inches x 8.25 inches x 0.4 inches	6.0 inches x 3.7 inches (small), 8.5 x 5.3 inches (medium)
Pressure sensitivity	1024	1024	1024	1024	1024	1024
Active Area (Approximate)	152 x 95 mm (6.0 x 3.7 in)	152 x 95 mm (6.0 x 3.7 in)	N/A	152 x 95 mm (6.0 x 3.7 in)	152 x 95 mm (6.0 x 3.7 in)	3.25 inches x 2.72 inches x 0.16 inches (Small), 10.8 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches (medium)
Bundled Software	ArtRage Lite	Corel Painter Essentials 5	Corel Painter Essentials 5	Corel® PaintShop® Pro X8, and Corel® Aftershot® Pro 2 for Windows. Corel® Aftershot® Pro 2, Macphun Creative Kit (Tonality Pro, Intensify Pro, Snapheal Pro, Noiseless Pro) for Mac	Clip Studio Paint Pro, Anime Studio® Debut 10,	Autodesk Sketchbook Express & ArtRage Studio
Colors	White , Blue	Black , Blue	Black , Blue	Black	Black , Blue	Black & Silver
Multitouch Support	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	With the Touch models only
Express Keys	4	4	4	4	4	4
Resolution	2540 lpi	2540 lpi	2540 lpi	2540 lpi	2540 lpi	2540 lpi
Wireless Support	Yes (But not included)	Yes (But not included)	Yes (But not included)	Yes (But not included)	Yes (But not included)	Yes (But not included)
Windows Support	Windows® 7, 8 or 10	Windows® 7, 8 or 10	Windows® 7, 8 or 10	Windows® 7, 8 or 10	Windows® 7, 8 or 10	Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 (64 or 32-bits) Windows 8, Windows 10
Mac OSX Support	Mac OS X 10.8.5 or later	Mac OS X 10.8.5 or later	Mac OS X 10.8.5 or later	Mac OS X 10.8.5 or later	Mac OS X 10.8.5 or later	Mac OS X 10.6 or later

And Finally

The new Intuos tablets give you a lot in one package, you get a graphics tablet, touch capability & bundled software, in case you want all that, these is a great graphics tablets to start your journey with digital art.

Buying Options

#CommissionsEarned
See more graphics tablets in Amazon
See more graphics tablets in Amazon.ca
See more graphics tablets in Amazon.co.uk
See more graphics tablets in Amazon.it

See more graphics tablets in eBay

Review credit:-

The quotes from Wacom are all taken from the new Intuos page on their site.