It's Not Rocket Science! by George Peter Gatsis - An Alternative To Expensive Art Tablets

[Rich Johnston]

George Peter Gatsis writes for Bleeding Cool;

Can't afford a $1200.00 to $2500.00 screen tablet?

OPTION #1:

How about building one for yourself at a reduced cost? of about $1,000.

• http://store.tabletmod.com/enlcdlcdcoki.html
• https://www.youtube.com/user/TabletMod?feature=watch
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL2U1aPtyug
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYwsFiVbHi8&feature=player_embedded#!

OPTION #2:

iPAD with a FOAM TIP stylus pen... NOT rubber tip. The rubber tip over time becomes cumbersome.



The Apps show above range from 99 cents to 10 dollars.

1. Adobe Ideas and Inkpad are vector base drawing programs.
2. SketchBook, Penultimate, Bamboo Paper and Inkpad are bitmap programs.
3. AnimationDesk... is straight forward to understand.
4. Pages is a powerful word processor and layout program.

So how does all this work in Option #2?

1. Sketch out the comic panel using anyone of the bitmap programs. Save it and...
2. Use anyone of the Vector programs to clean up and color the artwork. Save it and...
3. Use Pages to layout your page.

Below are 10 screen snapshots of creating art through OPTION #2.



Or just do all your panel art in SketchBook... Save it and place it in Pages to layout.

Cost all together... iPad about $500 - Bitmap App about 99 cents to $2 - Vector App about 99 cents to $2 - Page layout App about $10.

That sounds almost too easy... what's the catch?

Art is art in all it's many forms. Digital art is just as good as physical art.

WAIT WHAT!!? What the hell are you talking about!!? I can draw a commission piece on board or canvas and sell it. It's unique. No one else would have it. You can't do that with a digital commission.

Ahhh... but yes you can. Draw your digital illustration in black and white or in color or whatever else inbetween. Then do a high quality printout at any size you wish and on a wide range of surfaces... and then have it UV protected.

Make sure everything about the printout is perfect. Sign it... and then DESTROY THE DIGITAL FILE!

There you go. A one of a kind digital commission. There is no way you'll be able to reproduce it exactly like the first time... as long as you are true to yourself by destroying the digital file.

Everything in this article is a suggested starting point to discovering the many wonderful options to in-expensive alternative tools to create digital art by maintaining the HAND-EYE coordination ( pencil and paper ) we have all grown up with.

Sincerely,

George Peter Gatsis

[FarBeyondHalford]

Awesome!

If I had talent and a tablet, I would be all about this!

[Harley Quinn Romance]

How about building one for yourself at a reduced cost... of about $500.

The $500 figure you quote is for the kit TabletMod sells. That kit does not include the Wacom tablet the kit requires to function which costs $400-$500 (or more) and the Ergotron MX arm to hold up the screen which costs $100.

[Ivan_Marcondes]

Great piece. Is there any specific kind of stylus recommended for use with the iPad?

[Rootfireember]

iPad stuff-

I've tried rubber tip and foam tipped styluses, and prefer the jot/jot pro stylus. Feels more like drawing with a pen and let's you see better what you are drawing. The rubber tipped styluses can also smear, and the foam looses its cushion over time.

I tend to use sketchbook pro, and art rage, going back and forth to get the effects I want.

[Joe B. Pangrazio]

I like this guy and this series of articles. Keep them coming.

[Meyeraustin]

iPad stuff-

I've tried rubber tip and foam tipped styluses, and prefer the jot/jot pro stylus. Feels more like drawing with a pen and let's you see better what you are drawing. The rubber tipped styluses can also smear, and the foam looses its cushion over time.

I tend to use sketchbook pro, and art rage, going back and forth to get the effects I want.

What do you like about Sketchbook Pro. I just started drawing comics digitally. I'm using MangaStudio 4 EX now but I just got Sketchbook Pro for Christmas.

[kidsidekick]

Is there an android version of Pages or some equivelant?

[tbdeinc]

Hi everyone...

I am assuming Rich is up to his neck with many articles to weed thru and post...

until then, here is a working link to the 10 thumbnails in the article...

http://www.georgepetergatsis.com/blo..._xAmpL_000.jpg

[Rootfireember]

You can get a decent tablet for under $500.... or spend over $1k making your own. O,o
Doesn't quite make sense to me, but hey, if you want to craft something to better suit your needs, and style, more power to you.

Graphics tablet wise, the precursor to the bamboo (Graphire1) lasted me many years, until it was brutalized to death, and I loved the damn thing.
Sketching and creating on an ipad is great (as I've said before) but does take a while to find the right stylus that works for you. I've gone through a TON of styluses before finding my current fav.

I'd like to hear more about stuff for android users, though. I'm sure there are people with android tablets (or the kindle fire!!) out there who love to draw and scribble, too.

Anyone else here have an ipad or ipod or tablet and draw on it, or built their own device? I'd like to hear more input from people who've done this, and what their experiences are.