If I were to own a retail business, there is only one kind I would opt for: art supplies.
To say I LOVE art supplies and art supply stores is like saying I love to breathe. Whenever I go into town for paints I m always full of wonder and dying to try just about anything they carry. And sometimes I actually convince myself that I WILL find time to give new methods and materials a try, so I actually buy them.
I am STILL waiting to try my hand at crackling my painted illustrations.Got that crackle stuff. And gessos--I have a ton of different gessos with all kinds of textures, from sandy to gravel. Plus papers-can never have too many kinds of Hot Press laying around. Don't even get me started about my gazillion dollars worth of scrap booking crapola...
So, in keeping with my love of new materials, and ways to create images, I have become enamored of my computer, since I also do some work digitally. I love digital cameras, printers, scanners and so on. And what better "material" to covet and get than the new CINTIQ by Wacom? I just bought the 20 inch wide screen and I am in digital heaven. This is about as close to feeling like I am working on real paper with real materials as I have ever felt on a computer.
If you are not aware of the Cintiq then check out the videos available. I am telling you--this thing is as good as it looks.
This is NOT me below, of course, but I do feel as cool as this Youtube Video sounds....
This is very cool. Hope you're getting alot of work done!
Posted by: Vivian | March 12, 2008 at 09:07 PM
I bought one of these a few months back and it has changed my life!! I love it!! Congrats!
Posted by: Sherry Rogers | March 13, 2008 at 02:46 AM
Luckily I'm immune to wanting one... I still like just plain paper, pencils, paints and Photoshop combined.
And I never wanted a laptop computer either!
Also I am sooo relieved that I don't have to upgrade to a new computer for years now. I was afraid I might have to... but it turns out the old PowerMac can handle everything I need so far!
:0)
jn
Posted by: john nez | March 14, 2008 at 06:39 PM
Hi Barbara -- I keep coming back to watch this demo of the Cintiq. I am feeling bewitched by it, but I'm leery of the cost... because what if it doesn't really work for me -- what if I can't draw on it? Is there a way to test-drive a Cintiq?
(love your blog, btw....thanks!)
rebecca
Posted by: Rebecca | March 15, 2008 at 09:42 AM
Hi Guys--Vivian, Sherry, John, Rebecca! Thanks for stopping by. Sherry, isn't it the best thing to come along in a long time? It really has changed the way I work, too.
Rebecca, I wish I knew how to tell you the way the try one out. That is what my husband thought I should do. But, I am impulsive and I also knew I had to get to work on a job that I needed to do digitally: the next Bones book (the last 2 of the 6 out so far were done in PAINTER) , so I dove in.
One thing I did know: friends of mine who bought it before I did absolutely SANG its praises.
Do you work on a Wacom tablet now? This is infinitely better. I find that I am actually sketching right on it, as opposed to sketching on paper first, scanning, then cleaning up on the computer. This has a more natural feel than the Intuos Wacom tablet.
Feel free to ask me any questions.
Posted by: Barbara Johansen Newman | March 15, 2008 at 04:04 PM