DIFFERENT TOOLS

Where Do You Start?

The motion graphics industry is overflowing with a plethora of handy tools - physical and
digital. So how do you know which ones are best for you? How can you tell which tools are
unnecessary? Well, that all really depends on you. Ask yourself a few questions:

1. How much are you willing to spend?

2. Do you typically like to stay up to date on all the coolest, newest products & features?
3. Or are you more interested in just having good, sturdy gear that lasts forever?
4. Do you constantly move your workspace setup, or can you leave it in one place?

Tools I’ve Used

I’m no expert when it comes to physical tools and hardware, but I have played with my fair
share of them and will outline some benefits and pitfalls of the ones I’ve tried. I personally
don’t have the latest versions of each product so I’ll just be reviewing the tools I currently
have access to.

Pen and Paper

Regular ol’ pen & paper may be the best way for most of you to start the beginning of each
exercise, especially if you’re more comfortable with drawing on paper than using digital
tools. You could potentially refine your sketches on paper, take a photo of them with your
phone and finish the illustration in Photoshop using a mouse or a tablet. I’m not going to lie,
though - this class may be a bit difficult for you if you don’t have some sort of drawing tablet.
A mouse can be extremely challenging to illustrate with, and you won’t be able try out many
of the tips & shortcuts I suggest along the way. You can definitely get by, but it will be a bit
more tricky and you’ll have to adapt.
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iPad Pro
$799 and up depending on configuration

The iPad Pro, of course, is more than just a drawing tablet. When you buy an iPad Pro, you’re
investing in a very powerful tool. It’s great because you can use apps to illustrate, but you
also have access to Pinterest, writing tools, presentation apps and more. It’s like a laptop
without a keyboard.

Currently, as I’m writing this, a full Photoshop app is not yet available on the iPad (but will
be soon). Right now, the best drawing apps available to you will be Procreate & Adobe
Photoshop Sketch. Both are great, but I wouldn’t recommend them over using the full Adobe
apps on a computer with a tablet or pen display. These apps definitely have their limitations.

If you have an iPad as well as a tablet, I’d recommend using the iPad for the sketching phase
and then transferring your artwork to the computer/Photoshop for coloring & detailing.

iPad Benefits
• Portable, easy to carry around.
• Great for on-the-go sketching - in coffee shops or on the couch.
• The Apple Pencil has great pressure sensitivity and feels a lot like a real pencil.
• You can purchase a screen protector that makes it feel like you’re drawing on real paper.
• It’s nice to interact with the screen using your hand, rather than a mouse or tablet pen.
• Can be converted into a graphics tablet using Astropad Studio.
• Has most of the same apps and functionality as a laptop.

iPad Pitfalls
• You can’t use keyboard shortcuts (unless you get a Smart Keyboard).
• You’ll have to eventually add the artwork to your computer if you want to set up
your file for animation (when using Procreate, Photoshop Sketch or Illustrator Draw).
• The shiny screen allows for more fingerprints and feels less like paper than a Wacom tab-
let or pen display. It’s a bit more awkward to drag your hand across the screen. If you do
invest in an iPad, I recommend purchasing the matte screen protector called Paperlike.

Paperlike for iPad iPad Pro Smart Keyboard

Click the images to visit websites

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iPad Apps

Procreate Benefits
• Has many similar features to Photoshop, including layers, clipping masks and layer masks.
• You can export your Procreate files to PSD layers.
• Creates a timelapse of your canvas that you can export to show your process.
• The “Streamline” feature is similar to “Smoothing” in Photoshop, it smooths your strokes.
• The “Quick Shape” feature allows you to draw perfect shapes. Instead of picking up your
pencil, hold it down and it will automatically snap into a perfect form.

Procreate Pitfalls
• Procreate is not Photoshop and therefore won’t have the same shortcuts.
• The tool tips that I teach in this course won’t apply to Procreate.
• You can’t create custom actions like you can in Photoshop.
• Photoshop brushes don’t work in Procreate and vice versa.
• This might make it difficult if you’ve been assigned to use a
certain Photoshop brush for a particular client project.
• Doesn’t have adjustment layers.
• You can’t mask a group (only individual layers).
• Procreate limits your number of layers depending on how large your canvas size is.

Procreate
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Adobe Photoshop Sketch Overview

• Raster-based.
• Great for doodling and sketching with textured brushes.
• Has layers.
• Has a timelapse feature.
• Offers enough to get you started on a project, but does not include
many of the pro-level features that Photoshop and/or Procreate do.

Adobe Illustrator Draw Overview

• Vector-based.
• More limited brush options.
• Good for doodling, but since it’s vector based, it’s better for smoother,
more polished drawings. (I find “Sketch” better for sketching & ideating).
• Has a timelapse feature.
• Offers enough to get you started on a project, but does not
include many of the pro-level features that Illustrator does.

Astropad Studio Overview

• Essentially turns your iPad into a mini Cintiq, mirroring your
computer screen onto your iPad for drawing capability.
• Because it mirrors your monitor, it does not act as a second display.
• Incorporates iPad hand gestures into your everyday Adobe apps.
• Can be a bit laggy.

Adobe Photoshop Sketch Adobe Illustrator Draw

Astropad Studio
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Wacom Intuos Tablet

$99 - $499

Wacom is pretty much the go-to brand for professional tablets & pen displays in the creative
industry. You can find Wacom tablets in art colleges and at Disney alike. While I haven’t tried
the standard Wacom Intuos tablet, I can safely say that the Intuos Pro tablet is a great tool.
It’s affordable, portable and easy to use. I would say this is the base level of hardware options
available to you as a creative professional.

Intuos Benefits
• Affordable.
• Light, easy to travel with.
• Simple, no mess cord situation (1 cord).
• Compatible with Adobe software.

Intuos Pitfalls
• Less intuitive as you’re not drawing directly on a screen.
• Takes a bit more practice to get used to it.

Wacom Intuos

Wacom Intuos Pro

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Wacom Cintiq 13HD Pen Display

$550 - $800

Wacom Cintiqs are my absolute favorite tool. Drawing directly on the screen is key for me.
I love that they hook up to my computer, which gives me easy access to everything that
I need. No extra steps of downloading extra apps or exporting my files to another device.
I also like that it gives me two screen displays to work off of. Most times, I’ll drag all of my
inspiration windows to my laptop screen, leaving only Photoshop open on my Cintiq screen.

This 13” tablet is a nifty, more affordable alternative to the larger 22” Cintiq. I purchased one
of these before investing in the larger one and it was totally worth it.

A note: Don’t get the Pen Display confused with the Cintiq Companion. With the Companion,
you’re actually buying a whole computer with a Windows operating system. It can hook up to
your computer as well, but I personally don’t think it’s worth the extra money to have a whole
new computer built-in (unless you don’t have a computer to use it with already).

Cintiq 13HD Benefits

• Drawing directly on the screen is very intuitive, like drawing on paper.
• Matte texture of the screen feels more natural.
• Hooks up to your computer as a second display.
• This smaller Cintiq is easy to transport (very similar in size to the Intuos Tablet).

Cintiq 13HD Pitfalls

• Smaller size makes it difficult to tell if you’re making mistakes.
• Provides less room for you to create big, sweeping strokes.

Cintiq 13HD Creative Pen Display

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Wacom Cintiq 22HD Pen Display

Around $1,700

This size is my preferred Cintiq size. The 22” is what I use for work everyday. While it’s not
easy to travel with (I use my 13” Cintiq for that), it is definitely wonderful having a giant
screen. It makes it easier for me to use my whole arm while drawing. It also allows for me to
see my work in high
definition and spot my mistakes quickly.

A new line of “Pro” Cintiqs are now available that come in even bigger sizes. I’ve heard
they’re great, but I haven’t tried one yet (they can run up to $4000).

And if you’re wondering, I have never used the “Touch” feature for either of my Cintiqs, so I
didn’t pay the extra money to include it. I’m not entirely sure what I would use it for - I per-
sonally find having the “Touch” option turned on is more annoying than anything.

Cintiq 22HD Benefits

• Drawing directly on the screen is very intuitive, like drawing on paper.
• Matte texture of the screen feels more natural.
• Hooks up to your computer as a second display.
• Higher definition makes it much easier to spot mistakes in your work.
• Much more room on the screen for multiple windows to be open at once.

Cintiq 22HD Pitfalls

• Large & heavy, difficult to transport.
• Expensive (although buying a refurbished Cintiq is never a bad idea!).

Cintiq 22HD Creative Pen Display

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Whew, that was a lot of information!

In conclusion, all of these tools are great and will benefit you during this course. It’s up
to you and your budget to decide which one is the best fit. If you’re having a hard time
deciding what to purchase, try a friend’s tablet or Cintiq out before investing. Do more
extensive research and watch YouTube reviews if you don’t know anyone with these tools.
It’s hard to go wrong if you choose one of the tools listed here!

Llama from the Pitch Graveyard by Sarah Beth Morgan