How to...

A member asked what I use for these videos. I draw them using Alias Sketch which is a great quick sketching program. Just load it and draw...it's set up for quick load and go. I might switch over to Artrage 'coz it has other tools allowing for more different types of drawing. Again this is also a program setup for quick load it and draw. For more detailed videos in the future I'll use the workhorse Photoshop.

Great thing about both Sketch and Artrage they have free versions. I use Debut a free screen recorder. It does high rez recording but doesn't compress as nicely as other paid software so I do compression by setting an initially small screen reduction size as I record the original video. It does the job quick and easy tho'.

I draw all this whether I am home, or in my backyard, or in my car while waiting for the wifey to shop on a brand new tablet...the Gateway C-140x. This is the first tablet made for artist. It has a large 14 inch wide screen. All other tablets traditionally have 12 inch screens to keep the unit light weight for portability. This again is an artist tablet so the bigger wide screen helps out so much in terms of how much more of the drawing I can see as I draw.

It also is the first tablet with actual new processors...mine is a dual core 2.o. Again, traditionally tablets have last years processors so as not to drain the battery quickly. So this is more like a new laptop than a new tablet. Traditionally new tablets are much slower than new laptops. Again in an effort to keep it small and portable.

So with this fast processor and its dedicated ATI graphics chip it burns battery cycles like crazy so mines has the HUGE high capacity battery which gives me up to eight hours of battery usage with highest brightness settings. Typically tablets with the slower processors and smaller battery's give at average two hours of battery time. Again this is perfect for an artist for extended drawing sessions. The tradoff is the battery is huge and actually extends beyond the tablet itself which makes the tablet bigger and heavier...this is a heavy tablet. It feels like a big 21 inch widescreen laptop. Some have said and I agree that the extended battery gives you a nice grip to hold the tablet while you draw. Again this is a tablet made for sitting down and drawing/painting not for portability...an artist tablet...

The dedicated graphics cards is fantastic so there is no cursor lag which made me stop using my old first generation tablet. This was a concern of mine because these Gateway's come loaded with Vista. I can draw at full high rez with Vista running underneath with full video settings and get no lag while drawing. In fact I have sidebar on at all times running to the right side of my desktop running a real time ticking clock and a small tv screen running the online version of the cartoon channel continuously while I work.

There are minor things that are slightly irratating but with the wide screen, fast processor, dedicated graphics card, and long battery times this is easily the holy grail for artist. Thru the years I've tried wacom tablets, dedicated Cintiq LCD tablets, SONY Vaio tablet computers and this is by far the best solution whether I am in my studio on a deadline or on the go at a CONvention...thanx Gateway, please let there be a second and third generation tablet like this. In fact, label this tablet specifically as an Artist tablet and strictly market it for artist only...I'll be there...Whilce...