The Love Affair with Digital Drawing

I'm not sorry that I'll probably gush about my new display tablet high for a while, but I'd also like to continue to talk about the pros and cons I come across, as well as how I make lemons into lemonade.

I've talked before about how Macs, while often perfect for my needs, aren't exactly flawless. For one, any lingering updates often gum things up. My Macs are also almost a decade old so they're not exactly spring chickens. My display driver got temperamental with me a couple of times, but the fixes were easy enough that it was only a hiccup. So here are a few of those incidents:

1.  Pen stopped working, mouse worked fine- this actually wasn't just from the pen running out of juice. I switched pens and it persisted. I keep the driver option in my Dock so it's always accessible and opened it up. Without doing anything else, the pen decided to work again. I got this.
2. Mouse left click not working at all- couldn't figure this one out, even with mouse settings. Restarting fixed this one.
3. Mouse left-click works but drop menus don't stay open- this only seems to happen on the display screen. It don't want no mouse telling it what to do. Using the pen seems to be the only way it works properly. Not a huge problem, but when I'm flipping between the display and the Mac screen, it's a little inconvenient to switch around.

Not a problem if you're good at wrestling computers, but calling this a beginner's tablet is deceptive. There are some other issues I've seen people mention before but, again, nothing too distracting. Because of the extreme angles of the display as it spreads towards the edges, the parallax (that fancy word for the gap between the stylus tip and the cursor's actual place) starts to wander a bit. I don't often get anywhere near the edges anyway, and it's less than an inch of screen all around where the change is noticeable. If you're used to digital drawing, it's not unfamiliar. Hell, if you have a small mouse pad, you already know the unconscious lift and adjust fix. In this case, zoom out if you need more room for a fluid line or drag and recenter.

It's nothing like drawing on paper. However, using a digital display, especially a big one, teaches you how to adjust for that. Using a screenless tablet, I was constantly trying to turn it like paper, which does the exact opposite you think you want it to. There are certain motions in your wrist that make perfect circles more attainable, certain gestures you get used to that will need a different solution. You absolutely can rotate a digital page, especially easy if you set a rotary slide key to do so, but I've found it's better to simply train your digital hand differently, or make use of tools to utilize shape. Learn how to use vector shapes alongside freehand.

If you're a beginner, a new learning curve will usually feel like it's just making things take longer or is more difficult. The tutorials you watch will take ten minutes to show you the ins and outs of what should take a few seconds. And for an advanced user, it actually does go quicker. The things that you must do to accomplish it become auto-tasks but it takes a lot of practice and trial and error.

Artists aren't necessarily bragging when they call a complex looking piece a 'doodle'. Given, some are badly lying about how quick it was done, but a good deal of them have taken months, years, decades to achieve that kind of result. It wasn't just the ten minutes they threw down to do it, but the discipline and practice that connected the quickest routes to the problem.

It used to take me several hours just to color a picture digitally, and I'm talking just the base colors with little shading. Color basing typically never takes more than an hour for a full page piece now. The line drafting, again, generally takes me anywhere from five minutes to an hour, depending on the complexity. Shading and detailing is where artists tend to camp out most; looking at two to twenty hours for most pictures but can easily pile on to hundreds if they choose to keep playing. Customizing tools, filters and textures is another place that can wind on for a long time.

The time crunch is pretty inconsequential to how well it's done. The demands of the problem and the workflow can help, but a deadline can help or hurt the turn-out. I often toggle layers just to experiment, but don't keep them around for the final presentation. Sometimes I just want to try something out without risking the work already done. I'll duplicate shading layers if I'm tempted to overwork them, just because it's hard to come back from a shading experiment gone wrong without starting over. Best to preserve it at certain stages then hide the evidence of overwork elsewhere. Sometimes the difference is just between wanting a soft blend or a darker, starker version. I can switch between the two and decide which I like better.

Of course, there are brave artists who blend it all on one layer like you would with an actual painting. I'm never that brave. I'll keep my alternating blends separate but also flatten out the layers in a duplicate to do the final blend (catching anywhere the overlays do make multiple layers too obvious). Print will inevitably punish any of your glaring mistakes. Obviously, print only has a flat dimension so all digital paintings can't escape that one.

There are always 'better' ways of doing things. There's nothing wrong with being secure in your knowledge while maintaining an openness to learning a way better suited to the task. Beginners often get discouraged because they aren't instant prodigies. Or if they do start out successful, they don't improve because of overconfidence and rigidity in their workflow.

Being open to possible issues is a very important part of enjoying and improving digital painting. You can't just look at the big picture. There are so many steps, so many techniques, so many reasons why it's better to honestly assess what you don't like in order to avoid doing that again and again. I'm not sure why some artists are so shy about mistakes or formative work. Sharing them is a better opportunity to gain insight into taste and technique.

I'm not one for organizing videos but there are already tons out there to display the amount of work that goes into solving and optimizing a visual. Watched a particularly interesting one from a YouTube Channel called Jazza where the guy goes on Fiverr to commission people to draw particular pieces of art based on his quick sketch and it's quite interesting how some artists undersell their talents while others might be a bit overpriced, especially when they exclude certain elements asked for. It gave even me some insight into how important it is to consider the market value of what I produce. What someone pays should advertise what they can expect in the quality of work. Making that too unstable makes it more difficult to justify how much time you'll spend on a project.

Anyhoo, enough digital babbling. More to work on this weekend, both reading and drawing, but crossing my fingers it fuels my urge to write as well.

Hot Weather on Blast and Video Game Glitch Fun

Temps rose up to the high 80s at the end of this week, making me (and my cats, to some degree) puddles of unproductivity. One thing I've always done since I started acquiring technology is to always operate them at optimal temperatures. Even if I were a little lax there, the heat that processors put off are enough of an incentive to give them a rest. The only saving grace being that I had the foresight to buy and install heat repelling window film on a cool morning before the heat wave started, so my sanctuary stayed at an uncomfortable high 80 range instead of the unbearable 100+ range that it normally cooks to under the punishing summer sun.

Unfortunately, it made for an irritable, restless weekend nonetheless and I ended up sprawled out and soggy, a whole limp box of greasy French fries instead of my usual grinning cheeseburger self. Even simple cleaning tasks like putting away laundry or organizing felt more like a five mile run and the sweat poured faster than I could rehydrate. Threw me off bad enough that my hormone levels went wonky and the irritability made me avoid human interaction more than usual. You know yourself long enough and you feel that set in your shoulders and prickle in your spine that lets you know that while you're not looking for a fight, you'll invent one, finish it, and likely carry it on a bit longer.

I did at least keep busy, attempt to meet basic needs, letting sheer exhaustion make sleeping possible. Again, knowing myself, sleep is usually impossible without cool air, curling up on my side, and a blanket with one foot sticking out, but exhaustion is the great equalizer. So I passed out in the heat, sprawled out on my back, no blankets.

In the meantime, I'd gone to a favorite mindless activity of mine: YouTube videos for themed video game glitches. Horrifying, funny, and just plain weird, there's something instant and visceral about placing yourself in a fantasy, immersing it as reality, then watching it defy logic. Sometimes, the pixel garbage gives me that horrifying twinge of wrongness that is hard to keep watching (that glitch in Skyrim where the assets don't load quite right when you walk through that wall in Windhelm) but some just fill me with a sense of wonder or scratch the surface with humor. Some are incorrectly named, being more exploitative or Easter egg by nature, but it's one of the reasons I love the Share feature of PS4. Though I don't actually share my own experiences on YouTube, I like having a personal library of glitches to trim and enjoy for myself.

I still wish that feature had been on the PS3 when I'd warped to Arkngtham ruins and turned to see Shadowmere had materialized over a tent where she was stuck bouncing upside down. Never been able to repeat that one or find any videos where it happened to someone else. Damn it... Though I hate to think of how many hours I might have wasted cackling over an upside down bouncing horse.

So while I wish I could do more creative work (as always the urge stronger for the difficulty of actually being able to), I'm at least keeping my brain and body plugging along. Luckily, my tablets are better equipped to handle this sort of weather, without adding to the heat. I can still type out some notes. Unfortunately, Google Docs on a tablet is glitchy as hell or I'd do some editing projects, but we've got a couple cool days coming up to squeeze that in. My AC unit was torn up when the tree outside of my window at the time had beaten it up, but my dad is installing a new one this week so it's not an issue that will put me off my game for long. As I've said, the window film makes a huge difference too.

In any case (preemptive pun intended), I purchased a sleeve case for my XP-Pen Artist12 display so I can keep it on my laptop table without these razor clawed cats damaging the screen.

I'm scattering a bit because I really want to watch more glitches... It's my visual crack when I need to take my mind to some interesting places. 

Catch ya later!

XP-Pen Artist 12 Digital Drawing Display Tablet Review!

I realize this is my third blog post today and I *could* schedule them apart, but why not just keep up the flow and be spontaneous!

Without further ado, let's get into the tablet review.

I decided to go with yet another XP-Pen tablet, if only to make sure having multiple brands' drivers on my computer didn't cause conflict. It happens and I was so happy with the 22E Pro anyway that it wasn't a sacrifice. Most complaints come from Wacom users having conflict with their drivers not playing nice...

What does it come with?

• the 11.5" widescreen drawing display tablet
• a screen glove
• a screen cloth
• an assortment of cords for *most* Mac and PC users
• power adapters for overseas use
• instructions for setup
• one no-charge stylus
• extra nibs in a pen case/stand

What it ISN'T: a standalone tablet or touch screen. A good deal of reviewers thought this would be akin to an iPad, have its own graphics software, or work without a stylus. Depending on where you shop, this tablet will run about $225-250, which no such technology would be this inexpensive. It is, however, akin to a Wacom Cintiq, as it is simply an extra display that can communicate with a stylus. Cintiq does have a touchscreen model, but you're looking to pay hundreds more.

THE SCREEN: HD, all the way. It's comparable to my MacBook Pro screen. It also has a screen protector pre-set, which I don't suggest removing. Some people insist it makes their screen blurry. My advice is to set the navigator or preview screen of your graphics program on your primary monitor to view it more clearly. No warranty covers scratches of the screen guard or the original screen, so protect your assets. However, I don't have an trouble seeing the work. Make use of zooming and the hand tool to improve the view for details.

THE HOT KEYS: There are six on this one, as well as a slider bar. The defaults suffice, but I changed the bottom three to Eyedropper and Zoom/In Out and the slider bar to brush size. The first three are brush, eraser, and undo. I may use Undo, but the first two are kind of useless with the default stylus options, which I'll get to. They click quietly when you push them and they're in a good place to not be accidentally hit even when you hold the tablet on that side to draw with the tablet in your lap. The options are easy to set in the driver's folder.

THE STYLUS: Love this even more than the 22E Pro! There is an eraser on top like my Wacom Intuos 4 and the grip is angular like holding a wooden pencil. The buttons are NOT easy to accidentally press as they are recessed into the grip rather than sticking out. It also works without charging. Very lightweight as well.

CALIBRATION/PARALLAX: Very simple, but beginners may have some difficulty getting used to it. It's not necessary to do this if you have the indicator cursor on, showing you where you'll make your marks anyway. Don't overthink this. Unless you're completely stationary, you'll have to calibrate it every time to make it 'perfect.' I've described the concept of parallax in my 22E Pro review, but it's basically the room between where the pen touches the glass and where it shows up. Some people complain about this, but again, it's not something that slows me down. For the money, it's pretty damn great and cuts down plenty of time from my Intuos' issues.

CONNECTIONS/POWER: I haven't had any trouble with the cords causing interruption when the tablet is moved, nor any faulty wiring. I have the MacBook adapter plugged into the HDMI, and the two USBs plugged into the USB ports. I also plugged the port that connects to the tablet with the wires not hanging over the power button. For some reason, I plugged it in the other way and there was some screen jittering. This issue went away when I flipped it. Not sure why you'd want to cover the power button anyway... Sometimes USB port warnings will pop up on laptops when they are using too much power, but I don't have that issue with the tablet (even though charging an ipod has given me that grief before). They do include a power adapter to use if that is an issue. They also include international power adapters so bonus for those using this as a mobile display.

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I only used it for an hour, so I can't speak for long-term heating issues, but I haven't seen complaints with that. The tablet itself only weighs a couple pounds, no more than the Intuos 4, so it's very comfortable using it in my lap. I did a little doodling in my favorite drawing program, Clip Studio Paint:

Me and my cyan lines on grey to draft...

Thoroughly enjoyed just playing with it a bit. Once again, I look forward to what all I can accomplish with this over time.

Oh, and as for SET-UP, the instructions take you to their website to install the drivers. Install discs are defunct in this day and age, so anticipate using the internet just for this. It's a small file size so it downloads quick even with a slow internet connection. I do still have the Wacom driver on my MacBook but it didn't cause issues. My computer automatically set the screens as separate when I powered on the tablet, but some people have to set up whether they want to mirror screens or treat them separately manually. You'll have the options to set buttons on the stylus, hotkeys on the tablet, calibration and screen operations from there.

I don't know why I thought this would be a big task. It was set and customized within 15 minutes and it's very intuitive for most artists. As long as you know how to use your graphics program, the tablet doesn't add a huge learning curve to that.

If I can think of anything I overlooked, I'll add it later (asking me in comments will also help me decide what to add). For now, I hope this convinces you to give this tablet a try! As nice as this tablet is, it's hard to believe Wacom could really be worth paying hundreds more for. It really is a joy to work with.

Hump Day News

My busy week is coming along, but I'll be glad when things slow down again. Got the doctor appt, cookie baking, bridal shower stuff done, but a waitressing shift and 5K walk still before I can enjoy the weekend.

My new XP-Pen Artist 12 display came. If you've been following the blog, I reviewed their 21E Pro tablet favorably, only disappointed that the size makes it anything but portable. While the 15" might've sufficed, I decided to try out the smallest (11.5"). The appeal of this was the stylus, just one with this model, doesn't need charged. While the battery life of the two in my big one isn't a problem, it could be a minor annoyance if I forget to plug it in. What I really wanted was something I could easily maneuver while using my laptop in bed, so the weight and size was pickier this time.

Again, I hope to actually try it this weekend and review it then. It's a small screen, but I do like the weight and orientation so far. The real test will be the driver setup, ease of use as planned, and screen quality. Reviews I've read do emphasize that it's a high def screen better than some of their computer screens, but without specifying the year and make of their primary computers, that doesn't tell me much.

I hope to finish up the image that will potentially be on my business card. That will be my next expense and I'm leaning towards a linen texture paper in cream. Still can't decide on rounded or standard corners but I'll play with that. I want to stick to a basic triangle because I'll be passing these out at a future ComicCon and want them to not be accidentally dropped while people juggle their collection of business cards. I hope the design does the work.

So that's where it's at for now. Pushing through this week and settling plans, raring up for a more creative week to come. This social week has been cleansing but exhausting and creative work will be more appreciated for the absence.

Added Review for XP-Pen Artist 22E Pro

Even though I scoured reviews prior to purchasing, like anyone about to drop a few hundred precious dollars on electronics, I realized that some of the points that people brought up were likely for previous models. 

For one, there was a complaint that the ports stick out directly from the back. However, on mine, they are parallel to the back and come out sideways. It's not a light piece of equipment so it's entirely possible to sit it on your lap but for any kind of marathon session, I'd say you're better off investing in a sturdy breakfast-in-bed kind of table. 

Another gripe was definitely fixed from older models, namely the addition of a textured screen protector that previous users had to apply themselves. Mine came with the anti-glare textured protector already applied and it is removable. I can see why some people might not like the very slight fuzziness that it causes but since I use my higher res computer display to preview it as I go, I don't find it to be the sort of hindrance that causes eye strain or irritation. Without it, the pen would slide on the glass and I do like the more paper-like resistance of a textured screen. It's worth nothing that the company also adds that their pen nibs will not cause any damage to the unprotected glass but I like to err on the side of caution and not run the risk that something dropped or accidental will occur to blemish what would be a lot more expensive to replace. Even a decent warranty doesn't cover cosmetic damage unless it damages functionality.

Another minor complaint I've heard concerns parallax. In case this term is unfamiliar, it is basically the gap between the glass and where the pixels actually appear. It may take working with the calibration and need to be changed if you're working from dynamic angles, but I haven't found this to be a frustrating issue. Insofar, I've kept it at the same angle I've calibrated it from and I don't do enough moving around to have a need to reset it. In CSP, and any other program for that matter, you can use onscreen icons to see where strokes will appear. If you're not used to pen sensitivity, that is a learning curve regardless. Just like you can turn off the marching ants effect of a selection tool to test how well bucket fills in a selected area are covering, indicators are no different.

The last concern is a supposed rainbow effect of the display screen, which often occurs under certain lighting conditions. Just like with a TV, light placement is often a consideration for optimal viewing. Keep any bright or hard lighting to the sides or back rather than behind you. Some people like working in the dark but I don't recommend that ever. The blue light of backlit screens is terrible for eye health and often soft but adequate back lighting is a great way to counter it. You can end up with eye spasms, focusing issues, headaches and insomnia if you work with poor lighting conditions. As an artist of any level, eye health is not something you can afford to disregard. For that matter, I hope you're taking adequate breaks to care for your wrists and other health needs to best enjoy your talents for many years to come.

I might keep adding more reviews over time. A company that cares about its products and consumers deserves recognition and I have no doubt that XP-Pen is a company that makes quality products at affordable prices, cutting cost corners at all the right places to make the technology accessible to more people. Indeed, my own search came from a budget and XP-Pen not only met my price point, but they have delivered a product I am happy with so far.

Though I've seen some gripes about customer service concerning product issues, I can't speak for that yet. I hope that they are able to improve this, but I believe they are a company not even two decades old and do show initiative for improvement and clearly have listened to customers concerning screen and port issues, so I'm willing to go into dealing with them openmindedly if an issue does crop up. 

Reviews concerning customer service often leave out the temperament of the frustrated customer and, in my own many experiences dealing with tech support, my own patience and experience goes a long way in getting effective results. If their support lines aren't effective, engage them on social media or other means. Companies often go out of their way to convince people to remove negative reviews so this is always a last-resort option. While, yes, we are entitled to a quality product, we can't forget that we are sometimes dealing with a new or outsourced worker and may need to speak to someone more skilled. Maybe because I've been the new girl many times over, I try to be the person that encourages support to improve rather than bully them and only hurt the process. It's worthwhile to increase your own value with patience and persistence. In some rare cases, I've even been asked to test products for free because my input is trusted and valued. While I don't have the reach of an influencer, I make good on my word to back companies with my honest and thorough assessments.

My humble claim to fame was a review for the 2009 iMac that was republished across many major retailers. Of course, a tech review tends to have a short shelf life but it does feel good that independent retailers used my honest review across platforms. I'm more than happy to do this whenever a product truly deserves it.

XP-Pen Artist 22E Pro Mini-Review

I just got it and set it up so this won't be terribly comprehensive for the time being...

I set this up on my 2010 MacBook Pro and also on my 2009 iMac. First off, it does have the HDMI adapter for the MacBook Pro but I had to rob the HDMI adapter I use for my TV to hook it up to the iMac. This may not be an issue at all if you have a newer iMac but heads up for the older iMacs. Reviews recommend removing all Wacom drivers driver's prior to installing XP-Pen, which I did, so there wasn't an issue. You'll need to hook up both the top connecting port to USB as well as the HDMI cable for everything to work. Both pens charge by USB. For the MacBook, a USB hub is the best option if you're plugging it all in at once.

Unfortunately, my MacBook Pro charger decided to crap out today so I didn't get to finish testing it. The connections work but I'll have to come back to this once I get another charger. No biggie, just a minor setback.

I got it up and running just fine on the iMac though. I shut off mirror displaying in the display options and set the menu bar on the iMac but made the XP-Pen the main display so programs open on it by default. I opened the pen tablet display options and added Clip Studio Paint then wrote down the sixteen default hotkeys, which I like as is for now, then opened a Stickie and typed out the hotkeys on that, dragging it to the iMac screen for reference. I also dragged the navigator display from the side menu of CSP to the iMac screen and blew it up. This will make it easier to view the overall size while zooming on the drawing canvas in the program. I calibrated the pen, which may take a few tries, but it's all good to go.

The screen is definitely grainer if you're used to retina displays but I truly don't see this as a deal breaker for the price. The pressure sensitivity is very smooth and useful but it can be turned off if you want uniform lines that conform to the brush size. I don't have any issue with the pen buttons and I like the defaults where the top toggles between pen and eraser and the bottom is a right click. I haven't had issues with hitting the buttons when I didn't want to, but I am a pen turner so prolonged use may mean I end up turning off the bottom click setting at least. I did a bit of doodling and enjoy the feel and size of the pen as well as the stand and angles. Everything feels well built and, even after using the Wacom Intuos 4, I didn't find this to be inferior.

I've only played with it for a couple hours but so far, I'm pleased with it. I'm looking forward to using it for digital comics and book covers.

As for what it comes with, you get a bunch of cables, two pens (one comes in the case with the extra nibs and it's stored in a drawstring pouch), a drawing glove and a cleaning cloth. The pens charge with a cable but I've read that they charge quickly. I don't find them uncomfortable to use even when attached and charging though. Even as a third finger drawer, the third finger being covered is not obtrusive. The glove is very lightweight and comfortable. It's handy to reduce the cleaning of smudge marks caused by the oils on your hands.

The stand is very easy to adjust. You pull up on the little tab that hangs out and then move the stand bar. It's firmly held in place when you drop the tab back in place. It's nonskid so it won't be sliding all over your desk when you're using it. Despite my reservations about drawing being awkward at a desk, I quickly realized it's much more comfortable than I thought. The only thing that might get old is reaching up for the hotkeys so I may invest in the remote for it.

All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with what I'm seeing. I'll wait until I've had time to run it on the MacBook to go into more details, but so far, I'm excited to reconnect with drawings appearing under my hand. It's already a lot less awkward in that respect. I have a lot of experience with vector drawing and screenless tablets but it never quite felt right. I'd turn the tablet like I would paper and my strokes were going all over the place. I really see this cutting down on the time it takes to draw and paint and I'm eager to assess this again once I've put some quality time into using it.