2008, I was about to graduate from college when I bought my first Wacom Pen Tablet, as a Christmas gift for myself. It was the Bamboo Fun model. I remember to have wondered what was the mouse for. But still, the pen tablet was magnificent.
Not until that one time that I dropped my pen and the nib broke. I tried replacing the nib, thanks to the nib donations from my friends. But it didn’t work. I didn’t want to buy an entirely new Wacom Pen Tablet set since the tablet wasn’t broken. And that’s when I found Ynzal Marketing, a tech and gadget store that had almost all Wacom products and, thank goodness, spare parts. At that time, they had a Bamboo Fun pen sold separately. And conveniently, Ynzal delivers it to you the next day!
2010, I dropped my pen again and it instantly broke, I figured it was about time to finally get myself a new Wacom set. After all, without the Wacom tablet, I wouldn’t be able to do my work and my other projects. So again, I ordered a Wacom set from Ynzal and had it delivered. This time, it was the very sleek and sexy Wacom Bamboo Pen Touch.
I can say that I’ve done a lot projects with the Bamboo Touch. I love it so much I even put a dymo of my name all over it. Our relationship was almost flawless until its USB cord, which wasn’t detachable and designed similar to that of Apple chargers, got crazy on me. There were times that with the slightest touch or movement, the connection will be cut. There were times it won’t connect at all. This time, there wasn’t any spare part replacement. 🙁
So I did what I always did – order from Ynzal. I didn’t bother going to the mall and checking stores one by one. Ynzal has all the Wacom thingies I need, at the lowest price. Got myself a Wacom Intuos. It’s the cheapest I could get! But how I wish Wacom retained their entry-level Bamboo line. I never really got convinced by the “high tech” extra advanced features of the more expensive Wacom models. Like what I always believed in — “It’s always the Indian, never the pana (bow).”
I ordered last Friday and I got it Saturday morning! Ynzal’s super reliable! 🙂 The new Wacom Intuos reminds me of my first Wacom in terms of design. The USB connectivity is detachable, using a generic USB mini. Which means if ever the USB cord wonks out, I could replace it with a generic one! But I hope the pen is not as easily broken as the Bamboo model.
I was so excited about my new Wacom that I spent most of my Saturday trying it out, getting myself used to the new model. I decided to practice my comic art skills and tried out sketching, inking and coloring, all digitally! Also, lately, I have been obsessed about Cameron Stewart‘s art style. His digital inking skills are amazing! And I kinda like the new look he gave to the Bat-Girl reboot!
So let me share with you my practice artwork. It’s based on one of Ellen Page’s still from her movie Whip It, but I tweaked her hair a bit to resemble Emma Stone’s new short bob (because I love it). And I changed the wardrobe a bit to look more like the Hurl Scouts’ uniform (Ellen Page’s roller derby team in Whip It).
I actually tried 3 different applications so I could find the best way to digitally ink my sketch: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Manga Studio 5. For inking, based on my research, Cameron Stewart uses Manga Studio 5. So I downloaded a trial version and explored. I must say, the brushes available in the app were great. The feel was almost seamless, just like I was inking using a real pen. However, I think I am more comfortable with how Adobe Illustrator’s brushes are snappy and a little corrective. Here’s a GIF of the evolution from sketch, ink and color.
And here’s the final artwork!
I’m starting to like doing comic art. Hopefully, I develop my own art style and maybe who knows, Wincy and I could come up with a comic series or a graphic novel. 🙂
NOTE: This is not a sponsored post for Ynzal Marketing nor Wacom. I’ve bought all my Wacom tablets from Ynzal (except the Bamboo Fun). I just wanted to write about how efficient and reliable they have been with me through the years. 🙂