iPad Pro for Illustration with $6 Worth of Apps and I'm in Love

I opened the lovely (and probably expensive) box of the iPad Pro and the iPencil.

I did not read any directions.

I signed up and entered the correct WiFi numbers.

Then I uploaded the three apps that the girl at the Apple store told me were good for illustrators: Procreate ($4.99), Tayasui Sketches (free), and Adobe Photshop Sketch (free), and one I found myself called Amaziograph ($.99), and after trying them for about five hours last night I am happy to say I am very happy with the results.

The learning curve is practically nil, and the results were better than anything I was ever able to create on the Cintiq after a year.

I love this thing. 

The apps make drawing very intuitive and take out the guess work. The brushes, pens, and airbrushes are listed with a large sample of each stroke, and one click takes you to a new page to modify if you like.

The iPencil is the perfect weight IMHO, and the tip can draw microscopic dots to super wide background fill, and everything in between. Charging is amazingly fast--fifteen seconds gives you thirty minutes of use. 

I have to give some accolades to the apps too. The additional $6 I spent turned this thing into a drawing machine. Yes, I just got it yesterday and of course I have not run the gamut of drawing situations, but I can only compare it to what I had been using in the digital world and the ease of use and results can't be beat. 

The iPad itself is a great size, light enough to use on your lap, and unencumbered by any cords.

I'll keep you updated as I progress and improve as I use the iPad Pro.

Fun with the Amaziograph app

I was up all night using this thing, and although I am tired today, I am looking forward to using it again today.

I'll be checking out some more apps this week--I'll post about them soon. Off to draw!

xo 

Cintiq vs. Surface Pro vs. iPad Pro IMHO

(Spoiler alert: I am not trying to find an all-in-one to get digital drawing and a laptop in one. I do not own the iPad Pro yet.)

As an illustrator I use paper and pen virtually all day. 

I sketch my images first with a 2H Staedtler pencil, then go over the whole thing with a Micron, brush pen, or crow quill, dipping every 10 to 20 seconds--and praying that I do not mess up the entire time.

I love to draw, but inking is scary stuff.

A few years ago I got a 13 inch Cintiq and had big dreams of transitioning from pen and pencil at least part of the time. Fast forward to today, I still have issues.

But I am getting ahead of myself here--back to inking.

Sketching is great because of erasers. But inking makes things real, real fast.

I have screwed up too many images than I care to remember, and I DO NOT like to start over. Ink blotches, hand shakes, and just outright mess-ups are inevitable, but then some of the magic is gone and I am aggravated.

Thus the Cintiq.

In my head I could mess up all I wanted, correct it, start some areas over...you get the picture. The reality was a bit different. 

I love the actual drawing area of the Cintiq. The surface has a slightly scratchy feel, not unlike a piece of nice drawing paper. The pen itself has buttons on it that are supposed to reduce the back and forth motion of changing modes, pens, tips, etc., but I found then to be a bit cumbersome. I accidentally click them often and wish they were not so close to the tip. And speaking of the tip, there is a gap between where the tip touches the screen and the line or stroke created. My Cintiq connects with cables to my laptop and to a wall socket. Again, kind of cumbersome. Also, the 3 in 1 cord has died several times and when I try to repurchase it has been on back order for weeks and weeks, leaving me with no Cintiq. I use Photoshop with the Cintiq, and find it counter intuitive.  

I eventually went back to paper, pen, and pencil, but my original issues still bothered me.

Back to the store. I tried the Surface Pro after several designers told me it is what their companies supply them with to work. I found it similar to the Cintiq in drawing capability, but with a smaller screen. I also realized it is probably great for work because it is also usable as a laptop--no need to connect your device to another device with wires. It also uses Photoshop.

Then I tried the iPad Pro with the iPencil and it seems to be exactly what I was looking for. With many apps to make drawing, sketching, editing, and designing simple, it feels like this will be the answer to my Photoshop dislike.

There is no space between pencil tip and drawing mark. There is no lag and no visible pixels, even when I make images bigger to correct a mistake. I can easily smooth lines and correct. The iPencil, (although a separate purchase) is a great size, feel, and weight. It charges super fast. Be aware that the iPad Pro cannot handle tiffs, and has no place to store or connect the pencil. The surface is as smooth as glass, so there is no nice scratchy, paper kind of surface feel. It is light, super portable, and uses no cords. The 12 inch surface is big, and when I rested my hand there was no interference at all, the iPencil kept working fine.

I will purchase the iPad Pro today and do an updated review after I use it for a week. 

I have also discovered some very cool apps for creating and coloring. See you in a week!

xo

Is Your Kid a Nerd? GOOD!

Years ago if you were a bookworm, band kid, or if you had a pair of glasses with dark, square frames, you could be considered a nerd.

Being a nerd could get you picked on, relegate you to a terrible school experience, and cause every member of the opposite sex to run for the hills.Nerds on television shows were constantly being made-over so they would appear acceptable and suddenly popular. 

Right now it is hip to be square, and being a nerd or geek is in. People emulate the smart and science-ish, so times are not as hard for the un-mainstream. Find some cool geek sites HERE.

Not too long ago kids could be teased for staring at a computer screen for hours on end, or practicing the drums, or drawing in their sketchbooks. Parents worried that these kids were not outside until the streetlights came on like the other kids on the block. They did not want to play football, dodge ball, or ANY ball for that matter. They had puzzles to solve, codes to figure, and only so many hours in the day. 

Geeks and nerds do not obsess about how they look, they do not stand in front of the mirror wondering if they are worthy. Drinking and smoking at night when they go out with friends? Probably not--they are more likely to be taking things apart and looking for new and interesting ways to put them back together. Happily, they are far too busy inventing, creating, and figuring to stress over image or trying cigarettes to fit in with the cool kids.

Some famous NERDS and GEEKS

Tim Burton
Being a geek and a loner was one of the best thing that ever happened to the film world. Burton spent time alone as a kid developing and using his creativity. He had plenty of hours to delve into the dark corners of his personality. Without him or his wonderful geekiness we would not have Edward Scissorhands, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, or any of the other dark and delightful movies his nerd-brain invented.

Nicola Tesla
Neon lights, remote control, the modern electric motor,  radar, and arguably the light bulb are all attributed to Tesla. He was also the inadvertent father of radio astronomy and builder of the first hydroelectric plant at Niagra Falls. He worked on and held patents for information that would later be used to develop transistors which have revolutionized electronics, (thanks for the info Dad!), 100 years before the actual invention. The list goes on. 

Steve Jobs
No need for an explanation here, many of you are probably reading this on an Apple product. But his geekdom started in a garage where he started his computer company in 1976. 

Bill Gates
During his time in high school, a local computer company offered the students computer time. A fundraising club used their proceeds to buy a teletype terminal for the students, and Bill Gates spent much of his free time learning there and working at the terminal. 

So don't be concerned if your kids aren't the perfect definition of popular, or if they have interests that you might not consider mainstream.

They could be working on something to change the world. Be proud of who they are, pocket protectors and all.

And truly, the GEEK shall inherit the earth.

xo