Physical Layout with Keyboard

[PianoAl]

Here’s the physical layout of my workspace. It makes using the keyboard cumbersome. Do you have a layout that works better? Thanks!

[Richard314]

I just have my tablet in front of my keyboard, but your desk might not have room for that. Your stylus looks like it has lots of macro keys on it, so maybe you can avoid using the keyboard if you map krita functions to those macro buttons. Another option along the same lines would be to get one of those small macro button keyboards, it would take up less space than a full keyboard so it could be laid right next to the stylus.

[PianoAl]

Thanks. Yeah, I have a number of keys programmed into the tablet, but when I have to rename a layer, for example, it doesn’t work great. I don’t need to do that often, fortunately.

The small macro keyboard is a great idea!

[HipnoTanatos]

In theory both, keyboard and tablet, need to be directly in front of you. Obviously that is problematic
I put my tablet in front of me, with a stand that tilts it about 30 - 45 degrees and raises, from the lower edge, about 10cm from the desk, directly underneath the tablet I put the keyboard
And I really think it is a very comfortable configuration that allows you to use both without awkward postures to write with both hands or draw, leaving aside the fact that you need to create a solid and stable support that holds it.

[PianoAl]

Ah, yes, putting the keyboard under the tablet sounds like the way to go. Do you find that tilting the tablet helps a lot?

Thanks.

[HipnoTanatos]

Objectively, it’s better to tilt the tablet. The wrist doesn’t have to be forced into an uncomfortable position, helps prevent resting your hand on the tablet’s surface while drawing, encourages drawing with arm movement and reduces the need to stretch your arm as much to reach the upper part of the tablet (relative to the lower part).
But it is ultimately your decision. If you’re not used to using the tablet this way and don’t want to, just keep it straight. A tilted tablet requires more vertical space and may force you to sit farther from the desk, so it can be a significant change that might not be worth it if you don’t feel the need for it.

[Sketchy]

That’s pretty much the exact layout I use.

[mmiller]

I have more space on my desk, so my keyboard is between the wacom and the monitor.

[noadiart]

I have my monitor and tablet on adjustable arms so my keyboard sits directly under my tablet. I use way more shortcuts than I can program on the buttons so it’s a much more convenient layout for me. Sorry for the dark lighting, my partner is taking a nap so I have the lights low. You do need a desk that you can clamp monitor arms to, and you actually could do this with a pad tablet. My display tablet doesn’t have a monitor mount so I used a VESA adapter and piece of half inch foam floor tile cut to the size of my tablet to use as a spacer.

[PianoAl]

Good tips. I experimented with using some books to put my pen tablet above the keyboard, but I couldn’t get a good arrangement ergonomically. Anything that involves too much reaching doesn’t work for my 71-year-old shoulder.

I’m going to buy this, prompted by @ Richard314’s suggestion.

[PianoAl]

This arrangement works great. Thanks again, @Richard314

Here are the keys I’ve assigned:

[Richard314]

Oooh that’s great, am glad you found a solution. That looks like a really nice set of keys you found. Happy painting!

[NotBob]

That looks like a very nice roll top desk.

One thing I thought of would be to raise the monitor base enough to slip the keyboard underneath. Make it accessible for renaming layers, setting custom zoom, naming files.

[KNap]

It’s a sketch made over a photo (to not share all the mess and notes on my desk).

The surface the keyboard rests on used to be a regular drawer, but - since I needed more space and not a drawer - I took off its front side, added some pieces of wood on the bottom to strengthen it and remade it into a keyboard shelf. It can still be moved back and forth when needed.

The tablet has two legs in the back which allow it to be placed at an angle, but it wasn’t a big enough angle for me, so I put a book and a long piece of wood underneath them. Likewise, the monitor also stands on a book to be a bit higher.

I use my old phone (not the one I normally use) as both a camera and a microphone. It doesn’t cover the screen from my usual point of view. It’s also standing on some other things to be on the right height.

[sooz]

That looks super smart, @KNap.

[KNap]

Thank you.

[NotBob]

That is exactly the layout I plan to set up for myself in the future. Going to be some renovations first though.

I tried to use my Wacom Cintiq 16 as the only monitor in one setup last fall. The desktop graphics died after a week. Don’t know if it was the tablets fault, or something else coincidental. Never tried it again, as you can imagine.