The trends of digital artwork is always changing, which usually leads to some pretty interesting conversations between professionals. One such conversation brought up something that I hadn’t really considered. I guess you could even say, one of the down sides to going totally digital. As my friend pointed out that he really missed drawing and inking outside in the sun.
In terms of a geographical location, living in “Sunny” San Diego certainly does have it’s benefits especially regarding the climate. I typically look for a mobile option with everything I do, I hadn’t really considered the outside realm as part of the equation.
More so it seems that Wacom has heard the cry of the digital artist. Not just in mobility but in the stylus nib department. Having already reviewed the Intous Creative Stylus 1, my only real complaint came down to the size of the nib. (Or tip of the stylus) It felt much like sketching with your thumb. Well Wacom apparently is listening and cooked up the Creative Stylus 2, with yes folks a smaller nib.
Is it time for the digital artist to join the outside world. To un-tether themselves from their desk? Finally having the option to do some digital artwork in the sun?
Presentation
Far from a deal breaker for me, I have a soft spot when companies go that extra mile in terms of the overall design /
aesthetics of a device. My hope of finding some what of a balance between the design and functionality.
The name Wacom for me is synonymous with Stylus, as they’ve been in the business for as long as I can remember. While design certainly hasn’t changed drastically over the years, they’ve been really simplified the stylus to it’s core mechanics. With the Creative Stylus 2, Wacom has hit on something special. The weight class and handling of the stylus are a perfect blend. As it’s heavy enough not to feel cheap, but not too large that it feels cumbersome.
My favorite add on was its minimalist and very functional carrying case. The look is not only very sleek, but it’s small enough to toss in a pocket if necessary. The carrying case holds the pen alone with a very small charging wire.
Functionatly
We’ve talked about the aesthetics but what about function? I had somewhat of a checklist in my mind when shopping for a stylus, and I think the Creative Stylus 2 hits almost all of them. The biggest challenge for me with the Pogo or Creative Stylus 1 were the batteries.
My favorite feature of the Creative Stylus 2 was the fact that it’s rechargeable and the batteries seem to last quite a long time. In the carrying case there is a very small micro usb, that will charge the pen. Next up on my checklist was the nib, and for the first time I don’t feel like I’m drawing with my thumb. The nib is rather small, and more reminiscent of the Intous line of products. There is one draw back to this, you can’t just use the stylus outside of an application. Which to be honest works out, as the iPad really isn’t geared towards using a stylus. The Nib however made for some really detailed drawing. It is recommended that you play with the settings of whatever application you draw with. I personally use ProCreate and had to adjust some of the settings for my particular drawing style.
Overall
So the question remains, is the Creative Stylus 2 the ultimate stylus for mobile digital artwork? Right now, that’s a resounding yes. I’ve not seen anything on the market that can do what it does. That being said, it’s still not fully up to par with it’s desktop Intous line. Though it is pretty dang close. I recommend you take a look at this for you mobile digital artwork. Be sure though to really test out the settings, as there is a lot of power in this Stylus, you just need to learn how it can best compliment you work.