As of this past month, I’ve been drawing exclusively with Wacom products for just over five years now.

And, now that I’m a Sponsored Creator, I figured this would be a good time to give you all 5 Reasons Why I love their products. Yes, I may be a bit biased, but I assure you that bias is very well-founded.

Here is what I have experienced:

Long Lasting, High Quality Products

If you’re going to be drawing on something for hours upon days, upon weeks, upon months, upon years, over and over and over on a single screen . . . You’re going to want something built with durability in mind.

In all those years I’ve used my original Cintiq, I’ve never once had a single issue with it. Neither the software nor the hardware have given me a single hiccup, which has allowed me to focus on creating, rather than worrying about the integrity of my product.

Exceptionally Well-Designed Pen

Over the years, I’ve tried out a few other products, and something that constantly puts Wacom above these others is their trademark pen.

Designed to minimize hand fatigue to practically zero, you’ll never feel any sort of cramping or excessive tightness even if you’re a full-time (or greater than full-time) artist. With their updated Pro Pen 2 now actually having its weight centered at the tip, the ergonomics have only gotten better.

While some other brands out there have decent software/hardware combos, most of the time you simply feel like you’re using a bulky stylus, which just doesn’t feel good at all. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to be holding something for a cumulative total of years, I want it to be comfortable.

Powerful Screen Displays

Many digital artists, when they first begin their journeys, are usually stuck using simpler drawing pads that lack a display. What this means is you have an mouse-pad looking thing that attaches to your computer, which allows you to use a special pen to draw with more precision and detail. Wacom makes an excellent version of this called the Intuos, which is perfect for those looking to try their hand at digital art. But, there are plenty of artists (many much more accomplished than myself!), who actually prefer this set up.

However, what I find makes Wacom the BEST is the powerful screen displays of their upper level products like the Cintiq, Cintiq Pro, and Mobile Studios.

Immaculately designed for exceptionally fine work and detailed designing, the sensitivity of these screen displays offers a connection to your work unparalleled in just about any avenue. And, like I’ve already mentioned, the durability of this screen is top-notch, which means if you take care of it, it’ll never dull or lose its smooth surface.

Friendly People

This one is less about the product, and more about the individuals at Wacom themselves. I’ve always firmly believed that a company, no matter how good their products may be, is only as solid as the stand-up people who work there. Thankfully, over the past couple years, I’ve been able to build up a personal relationship with a few of them at the Portland Wacom Experience Center. To say their friendly and supportive would be an understatement.

Plus, their online and phone support will always be helpful with any issues you may experience, which will be minimal anyway.

New Features You Want and Need

Lastly, Wacom is a company who exclusively focuses on digital artistry. As such, their products reflect their mission and singular purpose. They’re not worried about adding unnecessary frills simply to make extra sales by appealing to everyone. What they’re going to do is make a product that is exactly what the digital artist, both aspiring and professional, actually want and need.

If you’ve been a loyal user of Wacom, you know exactly what I mean.

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Are you looking to begin your journey as a digital artist or webcomic creator? Or, do you need an upgrade to your current set up?

Check out what Wacom has to offer on their website:

https://wacom.com/en-us

They frequently have sales going on where you can save $100s, and they ship out their products quite quickly so you can get started ASAP. Plus, their newest release of the Wacom Cintiq 16 is a perfectly affordable, entry level pen display for those needing the next level item for their career.

I hope this was helpful and informative to you.

Until next time . . .

Stay strange, strangers!

The post 5 Reasons Why Wacom is the BEST appeared first on EOTERA.

Wacom has really outdone themselves this time around.

When I first started my journey as a digital artist 5 years ago, I remember saving up 100% of my paychecks from my first job at RadioShack for over six months in order to pay for my first drawing tablet, the Cintiq Companion Pro 13 HD.

Thankfully, I still lived with mom at the time (this was right after graduating high school, leave me alone haha), so this was much more achievable. Clocking in at a price tag of $1,200, it was definitely a bit of a doozy when it came to dropping some change on product. Which is still definitely a very real barrier of entry for those looking to get their foot in the door with digital art pen displays.

Which is also exactly why the new Cintiq 16 is such a game changer.

At almost less than half of the cost of my original tablet, an aspiring artist can finally say goodbye to their pen tablets and begin using actual pen displays:

Speaking of the display, that’s what I first noticed about this new tablet.

There’s just something about a product being bigger and sleeker that makes it very much feel like a legitimate upgrade. Although the Cintiq 16 is only 3 inches bigger than my original tablet, it seems so, so much larger, which also allows me to feel more connected to my work. Plus, if you’re the kind of individual who doesn’t exactly have the best posture in the world, that gigantic screen is going to have you less hunched over for hours on end, and therefore feeling less tight and constricted by the end of the day.

The stand!

Oh my goodness, the stand. I could almost go so far as to say that the stand made for the Wacom Cintiq 16 is my favorite thing ever. Most stands tend to fall into one of two categories: Either it is solidly attached, but doesn’t adjust much, or it adjusts a bunch, but feels a bit flimsy. This has the best of both, with none of the bad! This stand goes from a very comfortable slant good for those working on lower tables while seated, to nearly ninety degrees for those who prefer more standing positions. And, like I said, it takes up very little space overall since it’s attached to the tablet itself.

Additionally, I don’t know whether this was intentional or not, but with the stand attached, the cords for the Cintiq attaching to your computer fit perfectly behind it, making it a very efficient, minimalistic design.

As soon as I started playing around with the tablet itself though, what I noticed next was the improved Pro Pen 2. Wacom has taken the time to take what was already a solid, well-made pen and somehow made it feel even more comfortable and smooth. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to be holding something for over 8 hours a day, I’m going to want it to feel like it was made for my hand. Which is exactly what this feels like. With its weight centered at the tip, you’ll notice how it keeps the fatigue in your hand non-existent, even with hours upon hours of daily art practice.

Literally the only complaint I can give, is that the new Cintiq 16 does not come with any programmable buttons. This is something I’m quite used to having from my original display, but is also something you can easily overcome, especially if you work with a laptop computer. Ctrl+Z, anyone? Anyone? You know what I mean.

Overall, I would say the Cintiq 16 is the perfect option for the highly committed beginner who has a clear vision for how he or she wants to progress.

Its design is with this individual in mind, mainly because you honestly will never truly “outgrow” this product. Pen tablets are great for those who are simply dabbling in the craft, but having the tangible and instantaneous reactiveness of a display is what helps continuously inspire greater and greater aspirations. Once you’ve got this Cintiq in your hands, you will notice right away how having such a high-level tool already gets you itching to make better art.

If you want to see what I mean, why not watch the attached video above?

In it, Assistant Bean and I walk you through many of the features of this tablet, as well as give you an interesting perspective to glean from.

Have you ever wanted to see how a new product compares between a professional and a beginner? That’s what we help you see and understand, as each perspective has its unique value.

I’ve only had it for less than a week already, yet I’m already excited to see how this fresh device accelerates my abilities and production.

Want one for yourself?

Make it yours here:

https://wacom.com/en-us/products/pen-displays/wacom-cintiq

For the same price as a plane ticket across the country, you can start making your digital art career dreams a reality.

Let me know if you need any help.

Until then . . .

Stay strange, strangers.

The post The New Wacom Cintiq 16: The Perfect Pen Display for Dedicated Beginners appeared first on EOTERA.

I’ve got some really big, great news to share with you all:

I’m now a Sponsored Creator with Wacom, the largest producer of digital artistry tablets in the world!

As part of my recent sponsorship with them, they sent me a brand new Cintiq 16″ tablet to use and review. I have yet to actually use it yet, as Assistant Bean and I have been finishing up the Visitor Guide to Eotera this last week, but I did make an excited Unboxing Video:

Give it a watch to see what’s inside!

And, look forward to some more Wacom-specific content in the near future.

Want to get one of your own Wacom Cintiq tablets?

Check out Wacom’s products here:

https://www.wacom.com/en-us/products/pen-displays/wacom-cintiq-pro-16

At only around $650, it’s quite the steal of a deal for the above-entry-level artist.

The post Big News: Wacom Sponsorship & Cintiq Unboxing Video appeared first on EOTERA.

My very first Kickstarter!

This project is turning into something much larger than I expected (as all things tend to do), and I’m looking to crowdfund it to help pay for the design and editing of this doohicky. With it being my first ever project of this sort, I’m keeping the goal small at $500, as this should pay for everything needed to complete the Visitor’s Guide to Eotera while also being realistically achievable.

Here’s short video so you can learn more:

Here’s a larger sneak-peek at the cover page of my Visitor’s Guide:

Check out my Kickstarter page (the preview of it, at least) HERE. You can also click on the picture to be redirected to the appropriate page.

Please feel free to leave some feedback! Just . . . be nice about it.

I am a smol bean.

Stay strange, strangers.

The post A Visitor’s Guide to Eotera: Kickstarter Launching Jan. 4th, 2019 appeared first on EOTERA.

Puns are in.

Whether you like them for their own sake, or because they leave a feeling of mild rage in the hearts of your friends and family, puns are the best.

I recently made this one as another one of Eli’s favorite shirts that she will wear in the upcoming parts of Maiden in Disguise. As you may already know, Elianna loves herself a dorky shirt with a pun on it, so I’m going to keep making these until she gets sick of them (which she never will).

And, as you can see, this specific design looks absolutely great on a backpack, too! I don’t have myself one of these yet, myself, but I’m really itching for it. If you’ve got any kiddos that would love a completely unique back-to-school backpack, this is the perfect choice.

Interested in purchasing?

You can simply click on the pictures above to be redirected to my store’s respective pages for each item.

Just as well, here they are again:

T-shirt: https://thebitzrpublishings.com/product/seas-the-day-t-shirt/

Backpack: https://thebitzrpublishings.com/product/seas-the-day-backpack/

That’s all for today, friends!

Stay Strange.

The post New Product Art: Seas the Day! appeared first on EOTERA.