So anyone who knows my family knows that our daughter has been in the hospital for two months now. Since we obviously want to be at the hospital as much as we can, it was becoming very hard to get any of my work done. I have commissions that I needed to work on and it's not like I could pack my desktop computer in there.
Most of what I do is concept art so I can get by with a couple sketch pads and a travel watercolor set most of the time. But I was past the sketches and needed to move on to digital. So after stumbling across some info on tablet computers I did some research. I originally looked into the Motion Computing ls800, and found some reviews comparing it to the ipad as a digital sketchbook. Of course the ipad is a little more stylish and everyone wants one, but unlike the ipad, earlier Motion Computing tablets have Wacom digitizers. So that means they're pressure sensitive, which is a big deal for digital artists. After reading up on the specs I decided it wasn't powerful enough for what I needed. I wanted to be able to run Photoshop, Illustrator, Painter, and the tablet pc staple Sketchbook Pro. I found the Motion Computing le1700 would definitely be up to the task. It has a dual core processor and can be upgraded to four gigs of ram.
After searching on Ebay however, I settled on a really good deal on an le1600, and I am very happy with it. So far I have only used Sketchbook Pro, but the interaction is amazing. It feels even more natural than my Intuos because there is no detachment from the screen. It's been awhile since I was able to use Cintiqs at school and I forgot how natural it felt. I can use a regular tablet to paint with my desktop, but nothing replaces how natural it feels to have your pen strokes appear right below the tip of your stylus. I installed Photoshop and Illustrator, and soon I'll install Painter, so check back for a review of the Motion Computing le1600's ability to work with these programs later. For right now, here is my first drawing with my new tablet made in Sketchbook Pro. My daughter Eleanor.
The reason I still use Photoshop for most of my work is the ability to use custom brushes. This allows a lot of freedom in the design process. I use custom brushes through every stage of image creation. I like to get started scribbling shapes and just laying down big splotches of texture, I usually don't even look at the image as I'm doing it so I can try to keep from creating shapes I use frequently. It's a technique to trick my brain into getting outside what I'm used to drawing. Eventually out of that scribbling I'll start to see something. Then I can follow what I pick up to begin to create an image.
