The DMC’s Audio Recording Studio already has the Wacom Intuos4 tablet driver and Paintbrush installed. Camtasia 2 is also available to create video recordings of your illustrations. For instruction on how to use Camtasia to record onscreen activities, please click here.
To install the tablet driver on your own computer, go to http://us.wacom.com/en/support/drivers, scroll down to “Latest Driver for Intuos,” and select the driver corresponding to your operating system. You can download Paintbrush at http://paintbrush.sourceforge.net/downloads/. If you would like to make a video recording (e.g., to create a whiteboard-style animation), you will also need screen capture software.
Getting Started: Once you have the driver, all you need to do is plug the tablet into your computer’s USB port. A cable is included to connect the tablet’s mini-USB port (on the side opposite the buttons) to your computer.
For general information about using the tablet, see the DMC’s quick start guide: http://library.rice.edu/services/dmc/guides/equipment/TipsforWacomTablet.pdf.
Once the tablet is connected to the computer, you will be able to use it in Paintbrush without further setup — you can just open the program, select the desired canvas size, and start drawing.
Tools: If you’ve used Microsoft Paint, the tools in Paintbrush will be very familiar to you. All of the tools are compatible with the Wacom tablet.
 | The Brush tool will allow you to use the tablet’s pen just like a regular pen, paintbrush, or whiteboard marker. While it will take some practice getting used to writing and drawing on the tablet but looking at your computer screen, the tablet will help you sketch clear illustrations and write legibly. |
| Use the Stroke setting toward the bottom of the tool panel to change the thickness of the brush. Clicking with your mouse or tablet pen on the color swatches beneath the Stroke slider will allow you to change the color. | |
The Eraser works just like the brush tool and is good for erasing a specific part of your image. To erase everything at once, select the Bomb tool and click anywhere on the canvas; the entire canvas will be recolored into the background color (the one that appears behind the color you’re working with on the tool panel). You can also experiment with the other tools to draw lines, shapes, and more! | |
| Pen Nibs: You can unscrew the bottom of the tablet’s pen holder to find a selection of replacement nibs (tips) for the pen. These can be used to change the feel of the pen on the tablet; try a few of them to see which you like best! |
The white stroke nib is soft and provides a brush-like feeling. The white-and-black flex nib is also soft but feels more like a pencil. The gray felt tips are hard and have a higher friction than the standard black nib.
To change the nib, pull the circular metal piece out of the center of the replacement nib holder. This piece has an opening that can be used as a clamp to pull the nib out of the pen. Next, just push the replacement nib into the end of the pen, and you’ll be ready to go.