I chose this drawing programme a while ago so I felt it was a good place to start for Learn Avec Moi – also I didn’t want the effort of choosing another one! Also, when I looked into a few years ago, it was considered a good programme for those looking for a traditional experience digitally. As far as I can see that remains to be the case.
For me, that is a good starting point but expect to eventually end up using one of the big boys in this field.
Sketchbook Pro used to be part of Autodesk but now is separate from it. It used to be free but it is now a paid App. If you plan on using this App and find it free then it is either the old version or an illegal copy so be careful.
I do also have a small Wacom pen tablet but do not as yet use it with Sketchbook Pro.
I spent a lot of time working my way through the different options before deciding on a pen display.
The options were:
Pen tablet: basically an external mouse pad that works with a type of pen.
Tablet: your ipads, samsungs etc.
Pen Display: an external monitor that is a touchscreen that only works with a type of pen.
The pros and cons are as follows:
Hardware | Pro | Cons |
Pen tablet | Cheap, portable | Steep learning curve to draw as very different from drawing traditionally |
Tablet | Multi purpose, good range of software, really portable | Can be expensive when you want similar specs to a desktop, screen size limits |
Pen Display | Range of prices and sizes, close to drawing traditionally, can get a good size, uses specs of desktop or laptop | Space, not portable |
I think you can get pen displays that are standalone computers as well but those are expensive and when you have a good laptop or desktop, totally unnecessary.
For me, I wanted to mimic as close as possible drawing traditionally but digitally which left a tablet or pen display. Tablet was a close run thing but in the end, to get the same specs as I could get with a pen display with my computer, tablets became ridiculously expensive.
Once I chose a pen display, I couldn’t justify a Wacom but then had to choose which one and this was one of the few times where I’ve wholly relied upon youtubers to choose this particular brand.
In fact my go to youtubers for this area are:
Brad Colbow
If you search art and tech in youtube, then this guy’s youtube will appear. He is very clear and fun.
Aaron Rutten
This guy has a number of channels but I’ve used his tech ones mainly. Also excellent in the way imparts know-how.
I did regret buying the Huion 22 because it is massive (see the photo below)! I’ve basically had to have a separate desk for it using an old lap top to power it. At the time, the smaller one wasn’t available and rather than wait, I went for the 22 inch. Given how little I used it before Learn Avec Moi, I was better off waiting for the smaller versions. Lesson learnt!!
July 2022