【BLOG】About tools I use.

Hi, it’s Tem!

When I’m looking back, I’ve drawn pictures on the Internet for almost 10 years.

(Though I had not done it for a few years due to an accident…)

Actually, I bought a drawing tablet with a screen that I had wanted for years. It would cost me expensive, but I said excuses to myself such as “This month(May) is my birth month” and “This is not a waste of money, this is an investment for the future”, and yes, I finally bought it.

So today, I’ll introduce the drawing tools I’ve used. As well as the previous blog, I’ll be glad if you become interested in drawing.

And the history of my tools is…

1. Paper and a pen

2. PC(software: Sai) and drawing tablet(“bamboo” made by Wacom)

3. iPad air(app: procreate) and Apple Pencil

4. PC(software: clip studio paint pro) and drawing tablet with a screen(“cintiq16” made by Wacom)

I’ll write about my impressions on each of them, however, for sure there are individual differences. So these are just for reference purposes. Also, I don’t write about differences in PC software because every one of them can do almost the same things, I think.

1. Paper and a pen

I’ve used them from when I was little to when I was a high school student. You know, these are basic items for the drawing. Compared to digital drawing, you can check easier about the whole picture( your drawing), and of course, there’s no mechanical trouble. Also, they are easier on your eyes. As for me, I have a migraine, and staring at a PC or tablet screen sometimes causes a headache. However, I think digital drawing has many convenient functions, so now I can’t go back to pen and paper.

2. PC(software: Sai) and drawing tablet(“bamboo” made by Wacom)

I bought them when I was an undergraduate. I worked as a part-timer, and I spent all the money I had. To be honest, I don’t like using drawing tablets without a screen because the PC screen( on which my drawing appears) and my pen are separated and I feel like something is wrong. However, there are many people, even professional, prefer such a kind of tablets. So it really depends on each person. I don’t like it, but it was my first step to draw digital-art, so I was so excited and into it at that time.

3. iPad air(app: procreate) and Apple Pencil

I entered a company and I bought them. You know, they were so expensive…

But anyway, I’m sure it’s worth its price. In my opinion, this is the best tools for those who want to start digital drawing!

These are my favorite points;

1. So easy and convenient. When you want to draw, all you have to do is just start the app.

2. So speedy. There’s no slowdown.

3. You can draw like on paper.

4. Many convenient functions to draw

If I’m forced to say about a bad point, the size of its screen is small.

Also, when compared with Cintiq (I talk about it later), Cintiq provides you a great feeling about drawing.

Anyway, I was so shocked when I got the iPad. It’s really convenient because I can draw pictures anytime I want to do it. Additionally, you can use useful functions of digital paint, for example, if you want to move the position of what you draw, you can do it. All you have to do is just to surround what you want to move and drag it to where you want to put. That’s so easy. Also, actually I’m not good at drawing a face that turning to the right, but I can easily draw it when I use the function of “Flip Horizontal”.

Again, I recommend them to those who want to start to make digital drawings!

4. PC and a drawing tablet with a screen (“cintiq16” made by Wacom)

Oh, yes, I bought the tablet on impulse. And I use it mainly now.

This is it. (the comic book is for size-comparison.)

I saw many manga-ka use it and I wanted it. It’s expensive, but I say to myself “This is just a birthday present to me!” and…..I have it now.

These days, you can buy a cheaper tablet with a screen, but the name of “Wacom” is a guarantee of quality, so I decided to buy this one.

For the first time I got it, I put a paper-like film on it, but I was terrible. I used it for about 6 hours, the pen got scraped so fast and also it caused creaky sounds when I was drawing. The friction was too much strong.

So, I change the film into an “anti-glare film” like the original screen. Then, the texture of drawing became amazing! As for me, the feeling is better than the iPad.

Simply, focus on drawing, Cintiq is the best option, I think, but you need to turn on your PC. Also, PC is sometimes laggy, for example, the line you drew sometimes appears on the screen a little bit late. Of course, it depends on your PC spec. However, when I draw a draft, I move the pen fast, so it sometimes bothers me.

So today, I talk about some feedbacks about the tools I’ve used. Personally, drawing a draft with an iPad and making it look good with PC is the best way to draw.

If you want to start to draw pictures, and you don’t have a tablet, I really recommend the iPad. It really is smooth and has no stress.

At last, I put some pictures drawn by iPad and PC.

4 drawings made by iPad (app: procreate)

2 drawings made by PC (software: clip studio paint pro)

There’s no big difference, I think.

Anyway, I’m happy if you are interested in drawing after reading this post!

If you have a question, feel free to ask me.

Thank you!