While I’m a digital artist, I’ve always been tethered to my desk. Armed with my trusty Sketchbook, Scanner and Wacom, doing digital artwork can be a bit of a chore. While the advent of the Tablet certainly changed the playing field, Pogo has stepped in with the ultimate tool for any digital artist.
I’m referring to the Pogo Connect, a bluetooth pen that connects with your tablet to give you that pressure sensitivity that you’ve grown accustom to with your Wacom.
How does the Pogo Connect stack up to the Wacom? Is this the pen you’ve sought to unchain you from your desk, and become a mobile artist?
In short, yes. In very little time, the Pogo Connect simplified my workflow and cut down on the weight I needed to carry – no need for a variety of pens, or a sketchbook. With the Pogo Connect, most if not all work can now be done on a Tablet.
Features
The Pogo Connect has a very simplified but elegant design. Like most digital art pens, it features a nub (or tip) and button located towards the tip of the pen. The button function is defined by the App you use. While the pen can connect to through Bluetooth, you will need an app to support it’s functions. One of the best drawing Apps that highly recommended is Procreate. While using Procreate for the iPad 4 the button was assigned to the undo button.
The nub (or tip) of the pen is a rubber-like material designed to simulate your fingers, as currently the iPad doesn’t support a stylus. The only complaint I had about the device was the nub. It’s a little thicker than I like for drawing, but it never hindered my artwork and always felt smooth when drawing. The Pogo Connect also features a magnetic link to the pen so you can easily replace or change it out. While the pen can connect to Bluetooth 4.0, this means the pen will need a power source – the Pogo Connect uses a single AAA battery, which lasts a fairly long time. I haven’t had to change the battery since I put it in.
Feel
Styluses sometimes seem a dime a dozen – and the smaller they are, the easier they are to learn. My main concern with the Pogo Connect was it’s smaller form factor, as I have rather large hands. But I was impressed to see just how balanced the device is, neither to large or to small with a very nice weight that makes drawing with the pen a breeze. Just be forewarned – since the device is small, it’s easily lost. I tried carrying it in my pocket on the go and found it slipping out from time to time.
Overall
Overall, the Pogo Connect is a really amazing device I’ve grown accustomed to using in my artwork. It almost eliminates the need for sketchbooks and really gives you a glimpse of the future for digital art. The Pogo Connect is highly recommend for the artist on the go (though please keep in mind that you’ll need a tablet to use it).
Be sure to also download ProCreate to really give the Pogo Connect a spin.