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d_monkeyboy
Participating Frequently
May 15, 2023
Question

Equipment for a Beginner to Draw Comics with Illustrator

  • May 15, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 1472 views

I have a long history (pre-computer) rendering with pencils, pens, chalk, painting,... That was a long time ago and technology has changed. I want to create comics but I'd like to undate my process to the digital method using Illustrator (or other app) on the computer. Since I had always drawn by hand on a drawing pad and I've seen electronic pads and digital pens that connect with a computer, I thought this might be a good method to explore, but I can't find recommendations on the working process and equipment. Please help.

Dan

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1 reply

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Community Expert
Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 15, 2023

In my humble opinion a large iPad Pro and Apple Pencil is going to give you the best bang for your buck in terms of equipment for drawing directly on-screen. I think the Apple Pencil works very well. The battery life is very good (and it re-charges pretty fast). I would still recommend augmenting such a setup with a full fledged desktop or notebook computer for certain kinds of tasks.

Wacom Cintiq pen displays and Mobile Studio computers are popular with some higher end users. But the devices cost quite a bit of money. A device like a Wacom Intuos tablet is the least costly option. You can buy one of those for a couple hundred or so dollars. The only downside is you're not going to be drawing directly on the screen, so it takes a bit of adjustment. But lot of computer users have been getting by with that approach for decades.

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d_monkeyboyAuthor
Participating Frequently
May 15, 2023

Thanks for responding Bobby. I want to keep my expenses to a minimum for starting AND I want to use the 30" cinema display so I can easily see my work as it develops and Illustrator is on my desktop computer. I already have an earlier version of the iPad and I don't like using it for much--the OS is not like computer Apple products. So, I'd like to add something to my desktop computer system for drawing rather than get a whole new set of things to get started. Thus, it's the connected-pad and pen or similar system I am envisioning. Years ago I saw a drawing pad and digital stylus for doing graphics, but technology and processes change. I am looking for ideas in that vein. Your recommendations in the 2nd half of your response look promising. They just need some exploration. I will say, I'm envisioning drawing directly on a pad so I get that hands-on creation element with the clear, sharp computer results.

Thanks again Bobby!

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Community Expert
Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 15, 2023

I have a Wacom Intuos Pro medium size pen tablet connected to my computer. Wacom has a variety of tablets in various sizes, capabilities and price ranges.
https://www.wacom.com/en-us/products/pen-tablets

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