(02-04-2016, 06:52 PM)Marcy Wrote: I've used an Intuous 4 for about five years (I think it's pretty much rebranded as the Pen&Touch now?). Last year I've invested into a Surface Pro 3, which has been an incredible asset to both my speed and productivity. I love this thing, had very few issues with it, and recently MS has released a series of "softer" nibs that allow for a range of glide/drag and feel more like pencils of different hardness.
It was between a SP3 and Cintiq Companion, and the Surface won. It's a full, portable workstation that runs a complete version of PS and has excellent battery power. I cannot recommend the Surface Book as the artists I know have had numerous software and hardware issues, but the Surface Pro 3 is still a solid piece of hardware.
The main problem behind the Ipad Pro/Apple Pencil, to me, is that it is really underpowered for the price. I did try to sketch on one, and it IS nice, but it just lacks the hardware and tools (*coughPScough*) needed to make complete work. It's a really, really expensive digital sketchbook.
Can't agree with this enough. I'm one of those people who picked up digital art too late to have mastered a wacom tablet in my youth, so I really struggle with the "disconnect" that comes from using one. I use an SP3 as my "poor woman's cintiq" (not that they're cheap, either <.<), and it's been perhaps the most invaluable tool I've ever invested in. If you do go this route, make sure to spring for the new pens with the interchangeable nibs as well -- they're worth it, and the stock pen the SP3 comes with won't endure hours of drawing anyway. I wound up somehow snapping the nib on mine. :/
If photoshop is too expensive/daunting, I highly recommend running Clip Studio Paint on it instead. It's like a TLDR version of photoshop, but is still a fairly powerful program that allows you to work quickly and efficiently. It comes with a ton of nice illustration resources, too. I honestly prefer it over Photoshop but I also primarily draw comics and cell-shaded style stuff, so ymmv. For more detailed stuff, PS is probably the way to go, although I've been able to pull off photorealism in CSPaint as well.
...man, I sound like a shill in this post. *laughs*
Eliane Dufresne
The Dufresne Bellworks
The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will.
The Dufresne Bellworks
The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will.
