Happy 4th of July!

Fourth of July 2020 already... this year has been an incredibly crazy year. Shocked that it's already over halfway over. Here's praying that 2021 is a better year without all the chaos!

Here's a little celebratory dog for the occasion. He's a cute little GSP (German Shorthair Pointer). I love these dogs! Prints of this guy are available here if you are interested.

For anyone who's read my original post, much has changed (besides several years).

I ended up buying a 2nd generation iPad Pro 12.9 inch and absolutely love it. It is by far the best mobile drawing experience I've ever had. The battery lasts forever, the battery in the pen lasts forever, and it's so darn natural. The hand gestures are amazing, the palm-rejection is amazing, and it feels like drawing with a pencil. I added a pen-grip to my pencil and love it.

I did run into one problem with the ipad though... at one point I noticed the lines were wavy. I purchased this ipad specifically because the lines were perfect! After much frustration, I thought my ipad was permanently broken - or some update ruined everyone's lines. But few people were complaining... then one day I realized my lines were perfect before I added a screen protector. I thought, "No way! It can't be that!".... it was that. I only added the screen protector in the first place after finding scratches on the screen.

And so began the search for a new screen protector.

To make the story short, I ended up getting a Paperlike. No more wavy lines and it feels pretty nice too! The ipad pro is truly a joy to draw and paint on. I did not expect to be a fan, but I am.

This has become my daily carrier. I have not seen the benefit to upgrading, so I'm sticking with the 2nd gen until further notice. If anyone asks, I can give my input on painting applications. To put it simply, though, my favorite is by far and away Clip Studio Pro. Absolutely love it.

Having said all that, I also purchased a cintiq companion 2 and use that at home when I want a break from my art desk. The dog above was painted using this and Painter 2020. There's something nice about how the application behaves with certain brushes.

New painting, gift for my fiance

New work...

Actually, there's been a lot of new work since the last post. Perhaps I'll get this thing going more, eh?

Here's an anniversary painting I did for my fiance. She hasn't seen it yet... shhh ;)

This painting was done completely on an ipad pro 12.9. I believe the 2nd edition (with the old ipad pencil). Amazing tablet for painting!

Cintiq Companion – "cya!"

I recently lost the use of my cintiq companion, which has forced me to decide whether to fix the cintiq, get a new one, or use a back-up solution.

I will be posting a review of the cintiq companion and several other products (surface pro 3, helix 2^nd gen, thinkpad 10, galaxy note 10.1 2014 edition) soon. But, to make a long story short, I have decided to NOT fix the cintiq companion.

Why?

Wacom wants $940 dollars to fix the device. What happened to require such an expensive repair? The cintiq landed on it's side with the power cord plugged in. The  power port on the motherboard was quite busted - the inside of the power port were floating around inside the cintiq. The motherboard was quite fine, as was everything else on the device. The device was fully charged, and it worked perfect until it finally ran out of juice.

Wacom said the only way to fix the port is to replace the motherboard, which they charge a hefty $940 to do. I got a second opinion through a local repair shop, who did some research and came to the same conclusion. More importantly, the local shop said the parts are not available and I'd have to go through Wacom.

$940 bucks. And no warranty. It must be nice giving customers no other option! 

I compared this price to a newly refurbished 1^st gen cintiq (the same as what I have), which was around $1100. That includes the pen, case, free shipping, etc. Oh, and a warranty. Wacom is wanting to charge an absurd amount of money for a motherboard that is likely less than $100. So - do I really need a cintiq companion? Should I instead buy a refurbished unit? Should I  buy a 2^nd generation cintiq?

I chose option D. I ditched the cintiq companion entirely.

I had already purchased a "mobile sketchbook" device, the Helix 2nd gen. The tablet is smaller, only has pressure sensitivity (no tilt, no rotation), but it's amazing nonetheless. It is GREAT as a mobile digital sketchbook. The cintiq companion is mobile... but not really. It's a bit heavy, a bit bulky, and does not have a decent case for "mobile" use. I decided to test the Helix to see how well it can handle bringing a piece to a finish. The vast majority of my latest peice was done on the Helix. I'm quite happy with the results!

(Click to view full size, or view full size on my website or on DA)

I do miss the pen-tilt and rotation of the cintiq companion, but the Helix is proving to be more than adequate as an alternative. It also has a 3 year warranty :).