Luckily, I found refuge in Schoolhouse.world, a free global, online, and interactive peer-to-peer tutoring site where I could receive help in my AP classes. Schoolhouse.world offered me much more than just passively watching pre-recorded lectures from my bed –  learning became something I could be active in again. It wasn’t long before I found myself becoming a tutor as well, leading sessions from anywhere from 5 to 30 participants.

Becoming a tutor sounded straightforward, but I soon felt as though I had been unceremoniously dumped into the shoes of my teachers. While I loved hosting sessions, I found that meeting the individual needs of so many students, especially in a virtual format, proved a challenging hurdle to overcome.

Fortunately, this hurdle dramatically changed in March 2021, when Schoolhouse.world (through their partnership with Wacom) gifted me a One by Wacom tablet to use in my tutoring sessions. W.B. Yeats famously said that “education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire”, and my tablet became my kindling and tinder, a pipeline through which I could neatly and effortlessly transfer lessons to the screen in real time. Let me show you how this new “kindling and tinder” helped transform the way I light my fires.

Learning in the Virtual Setting

I first joined Schoolhouse as a learner in early July 2020, when I realized I needed all the help I could get in taking a truckload of online APs courses during my junior year. The platform’s live tutors and interactive sessions appealed to me from the start because my school’s virtual lectures were the exact opposite; I despised just watching my teachers speak for an hour and missed the energy and classroom interaction that we had when we were in our physical classrooms.

It wasn’t until I became a tutor myself on Schoolhouse did I sympathize with my teachers—it was difficult to lead interactive sessions in a virtual setting, especially when it came to writing things down on the screen.

“Lighting Fires” in the Virtual Setting

Here’s how a typical tutorial went: I would show up on Zoom with a pretty PowerPoint I spent hours preparing, thinking I had accounted for everything. Ten minutes in, a student would ask me to solve a math problem live. And I wouldn’t know how to answer it. I knew the math, of course, but writing it legibly on the screen was a different story. 

I tried solutions other tutors had proposed. I tried holding a camera over paper I could physically write on, but it never quite focused on the words on the paper, even when I used my thickest markers. I tried writing in an awkward position with my mouse, but it was tedious and my handwriting was atrocious.

I’m sure the learners also felt awkward. I remember in one session, a student I had spent multiple sessions with even became hesitant to ask questions because she felt the answering process was too much trouble for me. And if you’ve ever been to one of my sessions, you know how much I encourage questions (learners probably get annoyed at how many times I remind them to feel free to interrupt me whenever they’re confused). It felt awful knowing something out of my control was causing learners to stop asking questions.

My “Kindling and Tinder”

When I got my One by Wacom in late March, I instantly noticed how easy it had become to overcome old problems, such as writing on the screen or answering questions. The physical feel of the tablet and pen and the crisp online notes I can jot with ease combines the “old-school” feel I was accustomed to pre-pandemic and the virtual outputs necessary for Schoolhouse. The tablet allows me to have more control over my sessions, and I haven’t conducted a single tutorial without it since.

In sessions, I can work out problems learners have questions about quickly and legibly. Talking about my thought process in a problem while simultaneously writing the work on the screen comes much more naturally when I have a physical pen in my hand. By streamlining the answering process, I can answer more questions and help more learners, resulting in a more effective session overall.

Even outside of the session itself—for example, while preparing the visual aspects of a presentation—my tablet comes into use. I like to draw diagrams combining concepts from my favorite textbooks on Photoshop. It became very easy to convert my notes to a virtual format without losing the neatness and clarity; if anything, the variety of online tools makes neatness effortlessly achievable. Powerpoints that used to take me hours to finish can be completed in thirty minutes, and I also feel more confident when presenting a nicer, cleaner powerpoint to my learners.

Of course, I could simply draw the diagram on paper and insert a picture in my PowerPoint. I used to do that in my pre-tablet days, but I have grown to prefer the tools provided to me on Photoshop (the rulers, duplication tool, and variety of brush sizes, shapes, and colors come in handy). If you can’t already tell, I’m a big fan of visual appeal, and the sharpness of virtual platforms provides me with what I need to create them. The tablet just serves as the junction between the two—neat notes and sharp virtual media.

The One by Wacom tablet makes it easy to write equations that are clear and easy to read

Aside from increasing visual appeal, my Wacom tablet also makes it easier to encourage more involved student participation—something I value heavily due to my own experience with virtual learning. Recently, I have started asking learners to solve problems in sessions by having them explain their thought processes while I write the visual aspects of their work on the screen for others in the session to follow along with. This has become a straightforward way for me to combine visual and auditory aspects with active student participation, a feat I had trouble achieving early in my tutoring experience.

Wrap Up

When I first joined Schoolhouse, desperate for AP Calculus help, I never imagined that I would become a tutor, or that I would find new and improved ways to—as W.B. Yeats puts it—“light fires”. I am currently running an SAT Math series with over 100 learners, but it’s not as intimidating as my early 5-people sessions were because my Wacom tablet makes it much easier for me to do what Schoolhouse does best—connect individuals across the globe in an environment where we can all grow (and kindle fires) everywhere.

About Karen Ji

Karen Ji is one of the most experienced tutors at schoolhouse.world. Yet, even last year, she wouldn’t have imagined herself virtually tutoring hundreds of learners. In fact, she started off on Schoolhouse.world as just a student wishing to learn. After months of being active on Schoolhouse as a learner, she decided to step up and become a tutor herself. Now, she has held 130+ sessions and has helped countless learners just like her grow in learning.

The first Drawfest, held May 22 – 24 of this year, was viewed by approximately 10,000 artists worldwide with a watch time of more than 20,000 hours, of which approximately 65% were from outside of Japan. More than 1,000 people were in the Drawfest Discord voice servers at all times. Up to 300 people were streaming their drawing processes at any given time, so the participants were fully engaged and they came away from the event feeling inspired.

While pre-registration was required for last May’s event, Drawfest 2 organizers have decided to give everyone a chance to be able to participate and is opening up the online event to anyone who wants to jump in without pre-registering. However, please note that those who pre-register will have access to various gifts provided by the emceeing artists and sponsors.

Drawfest 2 Event Information

・Date & Time: Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 8:30 AM Pacific to Sunday, December 19 at 01:00 AM Pacific

・Languages: Japanese, English, partially Chinese (Simultaneous translation)

・Number of Programs: 7 slots

・Event Location: YouTube Live Public Livestream

・Participation Fee: Free of charge (Free pre-registration with gifts available)

・Event Details and Pre-registration here.

Drawfest 2 Schedule

8:30 – 10:00 [PST]

[Draw all together] Drawing your dream holiday with James Chapman.

Emcee Artist: James Chapman

Art Tool Sponsor: POSCA

James Chapman, an artist, specializing in a water-based paint marker brand “POSCA,” will be drawing exotic holiday scenes with a range of color schemes and answering questions along the way.

11:00 – 12:30 [PST]

[Draw all together] How to tell stories in your illustrations.

Emcee Artist: Kevin Hong

The program will focus on how to draw a scene and tell a story within an illustration. It will explore generating and brainstorming ideas for storytelling and using techniques like composition and color to build a narrative between characters and their environments.

13:30 – 15:00 [PST]

[Lecture] Color and shade long beautiful hair with Rosuuri.

Emcee Artist: Rosuuri

Rosuuri walks through her method for coloring and shading long and lovely hair. We start with assessing the character within a scene that includes mixed sources of shadows. She demonstrates how to choose the right colors and tools to quickly and beautifully bring the hair to life.

16:00 – 17:30 [PST]

[Lecture] Expression of light and space in artworks from an architectural point of view.

Emcee Artists: Shougo Kawata (teamLab) x Yutaka Kikuchi

Architects who have been involved in various museums, public architectures, and events around the world will provide expert advice on essential lighting theories for staging scenes, such as a relationship between locations (daylighting) and cultures.

18:30 – 20:00 [PST]

[Art Battle] Art Battle: Defeat Zeen Chin.

Emcee Artist: Zeen Chin

pixiv will bring you 3 themes for the art battle. Draw your best artworks to compete with Zeen Chin.

21:00 – 22:30 [PST]

[Lecture] The Legend of Hei – Behind the scenes of anime production.

Emcee Artist: XRiverN

Content Sponsor: Legend of Hei

An animator of a Chinese smash hit anime film “The Legend of Hei” will take the session to share the front line of its animation production process.

23:30 – 01:00 [PST]

[Lecture] First ever 3-language-rendition (Chinese, Japanese, English)! “KK Magic School” is coming to Drawfest.

Emcee Artist: Krenz

Krenz will lecture on basic techniques to draw accurate and convincing perspectives. This is his first class ever to hold not only in Chinese but Japanese and English as well.

Prize winners will have chances to have their entries published in sponsors’ media outlets. In addition to the Manga and Comic categories, there are many chances to win in the other comic-related categories, including Bande Dessinée, Webtoon, and Storyboard, where students draw a comic according to an assigned manuscript.

A variety of Japanese and international companies including Wacom, Shueisha, KADOKAWA, Kodansha,  BookLive, LINE Manga, pixiv, Ki-oon, Dupuis, and L SEVEN have signed on as Gold sponsors with six others providing Silver sponsorships and operational support from NGOs such as The Japan Cartoonists Association, Manga Japan, and the Digital Manga Association.

Starting in 2018 as a contest for European artists, the International Comic/Manga School Contest is now in its fifth year. Last year, the contest garnered over 1,500 compelling entries from 1,245 participating schools in 85 countries. The contest accepts entries regardless of language, so contest organizers expect a wide variety of entries from many countries and regions. The contest, targeted at current students, is a rare opportunity for future professional comic artists to make contact and network with media organizations around the world. 

The judging panel for this year’s contest will be led by DC Comics artist Javier Fernández and include other professional creators and sponsors. The contest sets itself  apart by providing the winning entries with detailed and specific critiques from the judging panel, which give not only the winners, but also other students, a springboard to improve their skills. 

 The winning entries will be translated into English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean for readers all over the world to enjoy.

Through this event, Celsys, together with leading figures in comic culture both in Japan and across the globe, continues to support young creators aspiring to become professional artists. 

How to Apply:

A teacher or a school staff member must register on behalf of the school or program in order for students to be eligible. Students will need to enter the school ID given at the time of registration when submitting their artwork. 

For more information, please see https://www.clipstudio.net/promotion/comiccontest/en/ 

School Registration: November 1, 2021  – March 15, 2022 – 09:00 GMT 

Submission Period: December 1, 2021  – April 8, 2022 – 09:00 GMT

Results announced: Early July 2022 

“The launch of the Cintiq Pro 16 puts the power of our flagship creative pen display line into an extremely portable device that is more adaptable than ever before – giving artists not only better precision, but also flexibility in how and where they work,” said Faik Karaoglu, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Wacom’s Creative Business Unit. “Wacom continues to build products that help artists and designers reach their full potential and reimagine what is possible.”

Enhanced comfort and control

The Wacom Cintiq Pro 16’s sleek and thin design makes it easy to slip into a laptop bag or backpack and is a smart choice for today’s digital content creators who find themselves moving between working locations and computers on a regular basis. “For professionals who are already using a Cintiq Pro 24 or 32 at their place of work, having a Cintiq Pro 16 at the home studio makes a great deal of sense as the device will be most familiar,” adds Karaoglu. “It also happens to be a wonderful choice for schools who are training the next generation for careers in animation, industrial design, game development, photography, etc.”

Wacom’s latest touch screen technology on the Cintiq Pro 16 offers better performance over previous generations. The option to use the pen and multi-touch together is still alive and well as many users enjoy using their fingers for easy and fast navigation as well as the ability to pinch, zoom and rotate illustrations, photos or models within supporting 2-D and 3-D creative software applications. For added customization and sophistication, the Cintiq Pro 16 features a physical switch on the top edge of the screen’s bezel for turning multi-touch on or off for those users who prefer having touch turned off while working. Additionally, eight ExpressKeys™, for integrating and customizing keyboard shortcuts and modifiers into one’s workflow, are conveniently placed on the rear edge sides (four on each side) of the display for better ergonomics and the added benefit of more screen real estate for drawing. States Karaoglu, “Moving the ExpressKeys to the rear of the device is more intuitive and improves ergonomics and haptic feedback as the keys are located in an area where most user’s hands will naturally gravitate to when working.”

Natural pen-on-screen performance

Wacom’s Pro Pen 2 offers unmatched creative control and precision to those who take their digital art seriously. Delivering four times greater accuracy and pressure sensitivity than the previous Pro Pen, the improved Pro Pen 2 creates an intuitive, free-flowing experience with virtually lag-free tracking on an anti-glare, etched glass surface that emulates the natural feel and feedback of a traditional pen or brush. In addition, optical bonding greatly reduces parallax for better performance when working with fine lines or details.

Handy accessories

The Wacom Adjustable Stand lets users focus on their work instead of having to draw or paint in a way that is counterintuitive to their style. Third party stands can also be attached to the unit’s VESA mount. For artists who like to experiment with different types of pens, the thin Pro Pen slim and Pro Pen 3D, with three customizable buttons, provide new ways to get creative. When color is critical, the Wacom Color Manager, with Wacom Calibrator hardware and Wacom Profiler software, helps make sure that the colors on your displays and finished work reproduce exactly as intended. Lastly, the handheld ExpressKey Remote is designed to boost productivity by creating software application shortcuts with its 17 customizable buttons and Touch Ring.

Configuration, pricing and availability

The Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 is compatible with both Mac^® and PC computers and features ultra HD 4K resolution (3840×2160) through either USB-C^® or HDMI^® connectivity. The device delivers vivid colors with 98 percent Adobe^® RGB. In addition, the display’s cables contain no PVC to meet recent SDG requirements that are aimed at cleaning up the environment. Priced at $1499.95 USD, the Cintiq Pro 16 is expected to be available online and at select retail locations in October.

Software partnerships

Continuing Wacom’s partnerships with leaders in the creative industry, the Cintiq Pro 16 will come with software trials for users wanting to explore new creative fields, including Clip Studio Paint and ToonBoom. Click here to learn more about the free software trials included with every Wacom purchase.

Visit Wacom’s US eStore to learn more about Wacom Cintiq Pro 16.

“Chromebook has been attracting attention among education sectors and by those seeking new solutions for working from home. Wacom is currently working on expanding Chromebook compatibility to include further Wacom devices and bring its intuitive and natural pen technology to a fast-growing number of Chromebook users,” says Faik Karaoglu, Executive Vice President of Wacom’s Branded Business. “Combining an Intuos tablet and Chromebook also enables young creatives to unleash their full art and design potential with a number of drawing and painting apps. A long-term collaborative partnership with Celsys offers Wacom Intuos users an opportunity to create spectacular art with the renowned drawing application, Clip Studio Paint.”

Plug in and start creating

Wacom Intuos Small non-wireless model connects seamlessly with any Chromebook featuring USB-A and the latest version of Chrome OS. No driver is required. The ergonomically designed and light-weight Wacom Pen boasts 4,096 levels of pressure and the company’s battery-free EMR technology. The responsive, ergonomic, pressure-sensitive pen gives users a natural way to write, sketch, draw or edit content on a dedicated tablet space.

Wacom Intuos also offers a great start to explore digital creativity with Chromebook. Wacom Intuos purchase entitles users to an inspirational software bundle, including a 3-month free subscription to Clip Studio Paint Pro, a powerful, easy-to-use drawing app for comics and manga. Collaboard, Limnu, Explain Everything and Kami, also included, are tailored apps for education.

Wacom Intuos Small non-wireless model is now compatible with Chrome OS, Windows, Mac and select Android devices. It uses a proprietary Wacom technology exclusively for the dedicated tablet surface and works independently from, and will not interfere with, on-screen pens based on the Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) pen standard that either comes with the Chromebooks or can be purchased as accessories. Wacom Intuos is available at the Wacom eStore and select electronics retailers with a recommended MSRP of $79.95 (USD).

The Intuos Small tablet and Chromebook open up all kinds of creative possibilities

* For further information on Wacom Intuos, please click here.

* Wacom Intuos (CTL-4100) is certified Works With Chromebook.

* ExpressKeys™ functionality is not available now for Chrome OS. It is supported on Windows and Mac.

* Some Chromebook devices require a USB-C adapter.

* Pen must be used with the tablet to function with Chrome OS.

* This product works with devices capable of running the latest version of Chrome OS and has been certified to meet Google’s compatibility standards. Google is not responsible for the operation of this product or its compliance with safety requirements.

* Google, Google Chrome, Chromebook, Works With Chromebook are trademarks of Google LLC.

Over the nearly twenty-five years I’d been drawing the strip, I’d changed materials a few times: Prismacolor to Faber-Castell Polychromos to a combo of Pitt Artist Pens and Polychromos, to lead holders and thick leads to Palomino Blackwings. I love pencil. I love the texture and nuance of the line. What I didn’t love was turning that into something digital as our method of delivery changed from frantic drop-offs at FedEx to modems and then the internet.

Through experimentation, my best reproduction method for newspaper was to spray the strip with hairspray (less toxic than fixative to stop pencil smears), make a photocopy (I had an 11×17 Minolta), then scan on my same size HP scanner, followed by a bunch of time cleaning up the scans and straightening the strips so I could apply the final touches of resizing and adding the Photoshop halftone screens that replaced the old Zip-a-tone dot films we used to use. Whew!

I had been using Wacom Intuos tablets for years to do Photoshop and Illustrator work, but never considered drawing the strip on the computer. All that changed at a breakfast in December 2014 in Columbus, Ohio with some cartoonist friends. Hilary Price, creator of Rhymes with Orange, had brought her Wacom Cintiq Companion, the first mobile Wacom computer display. She passed it around for all of us to try. We were a group of diehard paper lovers. Once I had my hands on it, I received an epiphany. I could see shedding myself of the copy machine and all of its paper waste, no more touching up scans—two big steps taken out of my workflow completely! And storage! I would never have to worry about where to put the stacks of strips. We had twenty-five year’s worth of originals. Was it necessary to have more than that?

Once I received my Cintiq Companion, I set out trying to replicate my pencil style in Photoshop, creating new brushes and tweaking them. Each iteration, I would send a drawing to Jerry to see if he could tell the difference between a Baby Blues drawing in real pencil and one done in Photoshop. Eventually, he couldn’t tell, and I was off to the digital races.

The copier? Gone, which opened up studio floor space. Next, the big expensive scanner. I was free.

What I didn’t count on was that Windows and I would never get along. I’d always been a Mac user. My first digital illustration was on an original Mac in 1984. I’d done a lot of freelance work with Fractal Design’s Painter and Adobe’s Photoshop and Illustrator.

After a year or so of using the Cintiq Companion as a standalone computer/display tablet, I couldn’t take the spontaneous disappearance of functions like Bluetooth, the inopportune times it decided to update itself, even though I’d set it not to. Windows glitches caused hours of down time and frustration. I bought a MacBook Pro and got the connector kit to work with the Companion. We were happy, for a while. We went for long periods without incident. The display was good, but not super sharp, and the screen was showing signs of wear in places where I drew frequently.

Then I heard about Wacom’s latest computer pen display, the MobileStudio Pro, and saw one in person. It was magnificent. The display is gorgeous, larger than the Companion’s and more suited to a comic strip. It’s sharp and the colors beautifully bright. The screen is a dream to draw on.

My home set up with the MobileStudio Pro

I still use a similar workflow that I used with the Companion. I draw the roughs in Clip Studio Paint, using a pen tool in a color similar to the non-photo blue pencil that I’d used for decades. I email the roughs to Jerry for last minute edits and suggestions. After that, I switch to a customized set of five pencil tools that I’ve tweaked (based on the Pastel tool). Using the custom pencils, I draw the strip.

I have templates, complete with lettering guidelines and different panel configurations in non-photo blue on different layers.

The process of drawing the finished daily strip:

Step 1: Letter dialogue with a dedicated pencil tool, sometimes switching to drawing pencil tools for lettering that is larger or with more character. I letter all of the strips, one after the other, so I can stay in the lettering zone, and not interrupt it with drawing.

Step 2: I draw each strip straight through, starting with the dialogue balloons, then all characters on one layer.

Step 3: Then, depending on the difficulty of drawing backgrounds or objects, I may draw those on a separate layer.

Step 4: Shading. On a separate layer, I’ll draw the shading, using a different pencil tool made just for that. It has a softer line. I use that for single line shading and crosshatching.

Step 5: Then borders. CSP allows your tool to follow guidelines with your pen tool line, so my border lines have a pencil look. I have a pre-made hand lettered copyright/web site lines that I copy and paste into the gutters of panels.

Step 6: Sign the strip.

Up close with Sunday’s comic strip

Once all the strips are done and saved as Photoshop files, I go into Photoshop and convert them to the correct final size, Bitmap, using Actions I’ve saved for these steps. I copy the B&W versions of the strips and then convert back to Grayscale to add gray tones, then I convert to halftone dots at the end.

This leaves me with two versions of each strip, one with halftone dots, one without. The non-halftone dotted strips are for the syndicate’s colorist to use for coloring, because I don’t like color being applied over black halftone dots. It gives us a cleaner look in the paper and online.

The Sunday strip is done essentially the same way, with the exception that I have my own colorist, Deborah McGarry, who colors the Sunday strip based on my custom palette for Baby Blues. After she works her magic, I do any tweaking of color, add any special effects I might want, and convert the files in Photoshop for delivery to the syndicate.

Then I start all over again.

Register now for Drawfest!

“Anime, the hand-drawn and computer animation style originating in Japan, has seen its popularity grow and practitioners and fans can now be found in virtually every country around the globe,” says Nobutaka Ide, CEO of Wacom Company Ltd. “By teaming with pixiv on Drawfest, we are creating a cross-boundary and cross-language platform for artists and designers to share their passion for drawing and learning from others.”

Art is universal and has a special way of helping break down regional and language barriers. Drawfest was born from the idea of providing an online event to give creators the chance to get together with other like-minded artists from all over the world so that everyone could interact and draw together.

“The pixiv online community is for all who share a love for art and fan art, and we are dedicated to increasing the value and networking opportunities of game, anime, manga and other illustrators all over,” says Shingo Kunieda, CEO of pixiv, Inc. “By collaborating with Wacom on Drawfest, we hope to revitalize artists, bring a smile to their faces and support them with an opportunity that is truly international in scope.”

Additional sponsorships from Adobe, hololive English, NetEase, Netflix, and WIT STUDIO, are helping provide sessions on specific anime themes, such as hololive English, Identity V, and GREAT PRETENDER.

To learn more about Drawfest and how to participate, please click here.

Event Information

Event Date: May 21 – 23, 2021 [PDT] 17:00 – 23:00 in each day

Language: English/Japanese live interpretation

Programs: 8 programs

Event Platform: YouTube Live (Private Livestream)

Price to View: Free to view (Pre-registration required)

Event website

*The pre-registration for the event may be closed early once it reaches the maximum number of registrations.

Day 1

Day 1, 17:00 – 18:00 PDT

[Lecture + Drawing All Together] How to draw realistic lighting

Speaker: Modare

Day 1, 19:00 – 21:00 PDT

[Drawing All Together] Let’s draw “Identity V” using Adobe Fresco, a free drawing tool!

Speakers: Melo Kyuba & Takashi Iwamoto

Sponsors: Adobe & NetEase

Day 1, 22:00 – 23:00 PDT

[Lecture + Drawing All Together] Let’s paint a magical moment together!

Speaker: Heikala

Day 2

Day 2, 17:00 – 21:00 PDT

[Lecture + Drawing All Together] Let’s learn the easiest way to create manga through yonkoma

Speaker: Toshiya Wakabayashi

Day 2, 21:30 – 23:30 PDT

[Drawing All Together] Happy Birthday, Ina! Let’s draw “Ninomae Ina’nis”!

Speaker: Ninomae Ina’nis

Sponsor: hololive English

Day 3

Day 3, 17:00 – 18:00 PDT

[Lecture + Drawing All Together] How to design a character with a strong thematic and iconic elements

Speaker: Zeronis

Day 3, 19:00 – 21:00 PDT

[Lecture + Drawing All Together] WIT Animator Academy Online! How to draw characters presented by a chief animation supervisor

Speaker: Hirotaka Kato

Sponsors: WIT Studio & Netflix

Day 3, 22:00 – 23:00 PDT

[Lecture + Drawing All Together] Going from sketch to color quickly and efficiently

Speaker: Loish

Artwork by: Felicia Chen

One by Wacom is the first pen tablet to receive the Works With Chromebook certification.

Combining a One by Wacom pen tablet with the advantages of Chromebook offers students and teachers a valuable upgrade to their existing set up and provides schools with a worry-free solution – be it on premise, in hybrid scenarios or for teaching and learning from home. Together they work with a wealth of online educational tools, so that teachers and students can easily connect, interact and collaborate from different locations and across multiple devices in real time.

Chromebooks give students, teachers and administrators a simple yet powerful solution for fast, intuitive, and easy-to-manage computing at a low total cost of ownership. And even though recent Chromebooks are often enabled with pens that work on their build-in screen, users now have an option to attach a simple accessory in case they want to upgrade or complement their Chromebooks with dedicated pen input on a separate surface other than the main screen. Wacom is therefore working with Google to expand compatibility to include additional Wacom devices and bring more pen tablets and displays to a growing group of Chromebook users.

One for easy beginnings

The One by Wacom pen tablet makes going digital easy as it connects seamlessly with any Chromebook featuring USB-A and the latest Chrome OS version. It is ready to use out-of-the-box and requires no drivers and no software. The responsive, ergonomic, pressure-sensitive pen gives users a natural way to write, sketch, draw or edit content on the Wacom pen tablet connected to the Chromebook. The pen is battery free and works without charging exclusively on the surface of this Wacom device. It is lightweight, perfectly balanced and comfortable to use for hours. The experience immediately feels familiar – like pen on paper or marker on a whiteboard.

One by Wacom and Chromebook also offers a great start to explore digital creativity with a growing number of drawing, painting and photo editing applications created especially for Chrome OS. One by Wacom is fully supported by Celsys’ recently launched CLIP STUDIO PAINT drawing software for Chrome OS.

Support and solutions from teachers for teachers

Wacom is committed to give teachers, tutors and students the tools and solutions they need for engaging online classes. Its vast network of local partners means customers can refer to local support in many languages. In addition, Wacom will launch its new Teachers for Teachers initiative, a network to connect teachers and communities for support and exchange experiences. To make the transition to online teaching as smooth as possible, Wacom partnered with five leading educational software applications, Collaboard, Explain Everything, Kami, Limnu and Pear Deck, to offer powerful interactive whiteboarding, video tutoring and online collaboration tools as learning and teaching shifts to the digital classroom. They are fully compatible with Mac, PC and Chromebook computers.

One by Wacom ($59.95 USD) can be found at the Wacom eStore, Amazon, B&H and retail locations such as Best Buy.

Wacom One is an economical 13” pen display for a new generation of creators. Beginning artists wanting to work with digital media, visual thinkers, especially teachers and students, who combine handwritten and drawn communication in their daily activities and social media content creators needing to artistically enhance photos or video to develop engaging posts can all benefit from Wacom One. Because it connects with Mac, Windows and compatible Android operating systems, Wacom One allows users to upgrade their existing computer and phone to a pen-enabled configuration, opening it up to all the new pen related features in Microsoft Office as well as other software applications, especially those built for creativity.

A shining star for someone special (Intuos Pro Small, $249.95 MSRP/ CAD $329.95 MSRP)

The Intuos Pro Small is one seriously portable and powerful pen and touch tablet that will be especially appealing to today’s on-the-go creatives. Built for those who are serious about their art and design, the space-saving tablet’s small footprint, wireless connectivity and battery-free pen technology that never needs charging makes setting up to work at coffee shops, meeting rooms, clients’ offices, home, school or studio fast and hassle free. In addition, incorporating both pen and touch on the tablet allows you to explore and navigate in a fresh new manner, making the whole creative experience more interactive. Additionally, the Intuos Pro comes with Wacom’s most advanced creative pen technology, the Pro Pen 2, featuring 8,192 levels of pressure, tilt recognition, lag-free tracking and incredible accuracy.

For the future artist in your family (Intuos family, starting at $79.95 MSRP / CAD $104.95 MSRP)

Targeted at creative beginners and enthusiasts and bundled with software from Corel and Celsys for drawing, painting and image editing, our Intuos tablet offers an immediate start into digital art. Anyone interested in getting creative on a digital level will be able to enjoy a natural pen experience, improved accuracy and enhanced, ergonomic navigation. Ideal for the classroom and remote learning, ambitious comic fans as well as hobby painters and photographers, the Intuos’ built-in wireless Bluetooth integration (on some models) delivers creative digital inking capabilities whenever and wherever you are. Available in small and medium sizes and two color choices. Works with PC, Mac and select Android devices.

In the video, Jeremy explains how the Intuos Pro‘s ExpressKeys (shortcut keys) can be set up to make ones workflow within Painter 2021 more fluid and productive. Remember, Jeremy’s suggestions are not written in stone, but are valuable in demonstrating the power and convenience a Wacom tablet can deliver to Corel Painter users. One of the wonderful things about Wacom tablets is that you can customize all of your software shortcuts and modifiers to fit “your” way of working.

The latest version of Painter’s vast selection of digital brushes emulates traditional media in the most vivid and natural way. Blank canvas painters as well as those interested in photo-art will appreciate the customized brushes and textures that Painter 2021 provides.

Jeremy has written numerous books on Painter and digital art and continues to share his creative process as a live event painter, performing all over the world at conferences, arts festivals and museums. He maintains a studio in San Francisco where he can be found teaching digital art classes or working on his next commissioned piece of art work.

When you purchase an Intuos, you get a free 90 day trial of Corel Painter Essentials 7.

• Visual Effects, Charly (Belgium)
• Game Development, Robert McCall (Canada)
• Concept Art, Quentin Marsollier (France)
• 3D Animation, Jeremy Schaefer (United States)
• 2D Animation, Diego Porral (United Kingdom)

The Rookies, established in 2010, is a community for non-professional digital artists. Whether a student or hobbyist, The Rookies online community is created  to help people become better artists, learn new skills and network with others who also have a passion for art and design. The Rookies offers users a cool way to showcase their work to the world. The custom built tools within The Rookies site allows users to upload everything they need – images, videos and galleries.

To learn more about The Rookies, click here.

The panel of five, consisting of teachers and technical administrators from secondary school and higher education, is moderated by Jon Bergmann of Flipped Learning Worldwide, a renowned expert on the topic of remote learning. The discussion centers around the role of technology in today’s classroom and the mindset as well as equipment needed to support onsite and online teaching during these very difficult times.

There will be two opportunities to listen to the panel during the month of July. The first, Thursday, July 23^rd at 9AM PDT | 12PM EDT, and the second, Friday, July 31^st at 11:30AM PDT | 2:30PM EDT. To register, please visit the Second Wave Summit 2020 registration page.

As Stacey often points out, it is practically impossible to create and solve math equations without the use of a pen/pencil, and Wacom’s family of pen tablets and pen displays, specifically the Intuos and Wacom One, featuring intuitive and precise inking capabilities, have the pedigree to help any teacher collaborate and interact with students more naturally. And, with Wacom tablets being able to connect easily to both PC and Mac, using a Wacom device is made that much easier.

Stacey uses a variety of software programs that work seamlessly with Wacom to interact with her students and she finds that teachers are extremely curious to find out more about the programs she employs on a regular basis. Pear Deck, for example, is an interactive presentation tool that she uses that allows every student in the class to actively take part in and contribute to online class discussions using a Wacom pen input device, Tablet PC or the like. She also uses EquatIO to create problems for students to solve. Additionally, she uses Flipgrid, a video discussion interface that offers students an anonymous way to share their thought process and work with the teacher and the rest of the class.

On May 12^th at 12:30PM PDT, Stacey will be offering her insight on remote learning and answering your questions on subjects related to technology, lesson planning, interactivity and more. Have your questions ready and Join Stacey in what is sure to be a fun and educational webinar.

For those not familiar with the concept of the flipped classroom, the basic idea is that the traditional instructional scenario – teacher stands in front of the class and lectures, then students do homework at home – is flipped. Now, teachers create videos (or teach live virtually) for students to view and absorb at home and class time at school is now dedicated to working on problems in a collaborative environment. It makes sense, especially for math and many of the sciences, where a teacher’s time and knowledge can be 100% focused on helping students with logic, difficult equations, etc. As Stacey states in her book, Tech with Heart, the flipped classroom allows teachers to “leverage technology to empower student voice, ease anxiety and create compassionate classrooms.”

Stacey employs a core of technology tools, both hardware and software, to create her lessons and interact with her students. The Wacom One pen display is Stacey’s current instrument of choice for designing lesson plans and interactive sessions. Compatible with Mac or PC, Wacom One allows a teacher to draw directly on screen with a precise, pressure-sensitive pen. It emulates the natural feel of pen on paper, which is a welcome surprise for newcomers to remote learning. During Stacey’s classroom sessions, her students use Wacom Intuos pen tablets connected to their laptops, a super easy and inexpensive way to allow students to incorporate a digital pen into their workflow.

Stacey also uses a variety of software programs to interact with her students that work seamlessly with Wacom. Pear Deck, for example, is an interactive presentation tool that she uses that allows every student in the class to actively take part in and contribute to online class discussions. In this educational video, Stacey demonstrates how she also uses the application, Notability, and the Wacom One to create lessons and correct student work. Additionally, she uses Flipgrid, a video discussion interface that offers students an anonymous way to share their thought process and work with the teacher and the rest of the class.

STAEDTLER, based in Nuremberg, Germany, has been making drawing and writing instruments since 1835. Pencils have always been their specialty and the Noris is certainly inspired by the company’s graphite pencils which people around the world having been using for decades. STAEDTLER teamed with Wacom, the digital pen technology expert, to help merge tradition and innovation into a single product by incorporating Wacom’s patented Electro-Magnetic Resonance (EMR) technology into the Noris.  When used with the compatible, newly-released Wacom One display, STAEDTLER’s Noris digital emulates the feel of traditional media. “I learned to draw using STAEDTLER 2B and HB pencils,” says Jason Chatfield, renowned cartoonist and President of the National Cartoonists Society. “Using the Noris gives me an odd sense of familiarity; a nostalgia for when I was still figuring out how to draw.”

Compatible tablets with Wacom’s digitizer technology provide power to the pencil through magnetic resonant coupling and no batteries or cords are required. As a result, the Noris digital never needs charging, unlike other digital pens. There are also virtually no consumables inside the pencil that will run down and need replacing, creating a long and virtually maintenance-free lifespan. Pencil tips can be replaced if needed. In addition, the pencil and digitizer communicate other vital information, such as pressure-sensitivity, tip orientation and on-screen location.

“As someone who learned to draw traditionally and still works in a hybrid of digital and traditional, I’m a staunch advocate for any tech that honors the traditions of a craft without eschewing them altogether. The STAEDTLER Noris does this,” continues Chatfield, who has been using the Wacom One pen display in his spare time for up-and-coming cartoonists.

This short video clip shows Jason drawing with the Noris digital pencil. “I learned to draw using pencils and thin pens, so there is absolutely no alteration in my style when using this. I’m impressed by the amount of technology placed into such a light pencil.”

If you’re ready to try the STAEDTLER Noris digital, grab a Wacom One and start drawing.

Jason Chatfield creates Australia’s favorite comic strip, Ginger Meggs, and is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker and other publications. Jason also serves as President of the National Cartoonists Society.

Introducing Wacom’s new MobileStudio Pro 13, the second generation of its high-end, Windows^® 10 mobile creative pen computer. Smaller and lighter than the MobileStudio Pro 16, launched last year, the MobileStudio Pro 13 gives artists, designers and engineers the power they need to run full versions of even the largest creative software applications and the freedom to work and create anywhere – on location, with clients, in art and design schools, while travelling, or simply as a standalone all-in-one solution to replace a desktop computer. Just like the Wacom Cintiq Pro pen displays and the Wacom Intuos Pro pen tablets, the Wacom MobileStudio Pro is part of Wacom’s dedicated product line for creative professionals, who expect the best performance, pen precision, power and flexibility in the creative tools they use. With this substantial upgrade, the new MobileStudio Pro 13 is well positioned to continue to lead the market with the best, most natural and precise creative experience available today.

The MobileStudio Pro 13 comes with a 512GB SSD, Intel^® Core i7^™ processor, Intel^® Iris^™ Plus 655 graphics card and the Windows 10 Professional operating system. Like all of Wacom’s professional products, the MobileStudio Pro 13 features Wacom’s Pro Pen 2, offering virtually lag-free pen performance with tilt response and 8,192 pen pressure levels for precision and control. And thanks to Wacom’s own battery-free, electro-magnetic resonance (EMR) technology, the well-balanced and ergonomically designed pens never need recharging, no matter how long a project takes.

Bonus: For a limited time MobileStudio Pro comes with Adobe Fresco!

The 13.3″ display offers a roomy digital canvas, large enough for even the biggest projects. Optical bonding reduces parallax while the etched glass surface creates the natural feel of pen on paper. The WQHD (2560×1440) display delivers crisp and vivid color and can be calibrated for consistency and reliability in color critical workflows. To meet a wide variety of artistic preferences, the Wacom MobileStudio Pro supports Wacom’s unique accessory pens. The Wacom Pro Pen Slim offers a thin, pencil-like form and the Wacom Pro Pen 3D speeds 3D workflows with the help of a third customizable switch. The previous generation of Classic Pen, Art Pen and Airbrush Pen are also available for use.

Users will also appreciate the power, speed and versatility of the MobileStudio Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. Its 40Gbps speed make it up to 8x faster than USB 3.0. Furthermore, Thunderbolt 3 connects to virtually any display and will work with a variety of protocols, including USB-C and DisplayPort.

The MobileStudio Pro continues to offer its unique hybrid capability as well, allowing Windows^® and Mac^® users to connect the device to their home or office PC or Mac desktop workstation using the Wacom Link adaptor (sold separately).

Eight customizable, application specific ExpressKeys™, Radial Menus, Multi-touch and the included Wacom Stand make for fast, efficient and comfortable work while the fingerprint sensor and Kensington security slot help to keep both files and device safe and secure. Additionally, the new back door feature allows easy replacement and upgrade of the SSD and DDR memory, making the Wacom MobileStudio Pro future proof for even the most challenging projects. The MobileStudio Pro also has the power professional creatives need to run the full versions of industry-standard applications such as Photoshop^® and Illustrator^® as well as demanding 3D and CAD creative software. Speaking of software, purchasers of the MobileStudio Pro 13 will appreciate the limited time subscription (6 months) offer of Adobe Fresco™, Adobe’s new illustration software that combines the expressiveness of your favorite Photoshop brushes with the precision of vector brushes.

The MobileStudio Pro 13 is available now in the U.S. at the Wacom eStore and Amazon.com. Take your studio with you wherever you go and discover what creativity with no boundaries is all about.

Works with Your Current Tech

Because it connects with Mac, Windows and compatible Android operating systems, Wacom One allows users to use their existing computer and phone to a pen-enabled configuration, opening current working set ups to all of the new pen related features in Microsoft Office as well as other software applications, especially those built for creativity. Wacom’s longstanding partnerships with leading manufacturers of stationary and mobile devices provides compatibility with several pens from leading manufacturers, giving users a choice of their favorite brand and style of pen for drawing and writing. New digital pens from Lamy, Samsung and STAEDTLER are just a few that can be used on the new Wacom One display.

Draw on Screen with Accuracy

Wacom One’s pressure-sensitive pen delivers accurate and precise pen and brush strokes and its EMR (Electro Magnetic Resonance) pen technology does not require a pen battery or recharge, ever. The 1920 x 1080 full HD display offers 72 percent NTSC color and anti-glare treated film. The new model’s attractive, compact design makes it easy to incorporate into virtually any workspace.

Wacom One purchase entitles users to an inspirational software bundle, including a six-month free subscription for a limited time of Clip Studio Paint Pro from Celsys, a powerful, easy-to-use drawing application for comic and manga creation and Wacom’s own Bamboo Paper, an ideal application for note-taking and sketching. Additionally, users will appreciate all the pen enabled features found within the Windows 10 and Mac operating systems.

The product’s features, bundled software options and attractive price will allow a new wave of digital artists, makers, social media content creators, photographers, students, educators and business people to express themselves artistically and make the world a more creative place.

Available now in the US and Canada with a MSRP of $399.95, Wacom One draws on the company’s 35 years of experience to deliver an accurate and natural pen experience for a wide range of new users. Wacom One can be found on the Wacom eStore, Amazon and at select Best Buy locations and other authorized Wacom partners.

Photo credit: Shalom Gibly

Wacom had a chance to talk with digital painting pioneer, Jeremy Sutton, about the tech he uses to create his masterpieces. Sutton has found himself painting luminaries such as Richard Branson and performers from renowned groups such as Cirque du Soleil with his Intuos Pro. We asked Sutton about the tools he uses for his digital painting.

Wacom: A Wacom pen tablet, specifically the Intuos Pro, has been instrumental to your digital painting career. What were your first impressions of working with a Wacom tablet and how does the Intuos Pro still motivate you today?

JS: From the very first moment I picked up a Wacom pen and started drawing with it on the tablet surface, back in 1991, it felt natural. It flowed smoothly and was surprisingly precise in its resolution and highly sensitive to pressure, even light pressure. My first impression was “wow! this is fun!!” It came very easily to me and felt very similar to the feel I was used to in using pastel crayons on paper. The pressure sensitivity was essential – it enabled me to forget that I was working in a digital world and instead just draw like I normally would. Today my Wacom Intuos Pro is an indispensable part of my computer set up whether working in my studio on my iMac, or traveling the world with my MacBook Air. I love the medium sized Wacom Intuos Pro since provides the perfect balance of convenience, ease-of-use and portability without being too small. In other words it’s very comfortable. Comfort is, for me, a key ingredient for digital creativity. When I am comfortable I can paint for hours without any adverse physical fatigue or stress, and I can also forget the digital and be focused and immersed in the zone of making art. What more motivation can you have than well designed and effective tools, like the Wacom Intuos Pro, that empower your creativity and are fun to use!

Wacom: Would you like to share with our readers some of your most recognized commissioned pieces that were done on an Intuos Pro?

JS: Large Heart on Union Square, San Francisco, and now in the permanent collection of Visa Corporation.

Digital artworks created live in the Tapis Rouge tent of the Cirque du Soleil Totem show, San Francisco.

Silicon Valley History Series of large digital paintings output onto metal and on permanent display at the San Jose Marriott

Wacom: You’ve been a great digital art teacher for many decades. How do you incorporate Wacom tablets in your teaching?

JS: Whenever I teach Corel Painter, Wacom tablets are an integral part of my teaching and every student uses one. For instance next year in February in the computer classroom at FOTOfusion at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre, West Palm Beach, FL, every computer will be equipped with the latest Wacom Intuos Pro pen tablet and later in the year in June at the East Coast School  in Raleigh, NC, every student will bring their own Wacom tablet.

Learn more about the best tablet for digital drawing.

Wacom: Your relationship with Corel Painter is well-known. Did they discover you or did you discover them?

JS: My relationship with the team behind Painter started at the MacWorld Be-In in January 1992 when I met John Derry and Steve Manousos demonstrating the first version of Fractal Design Painter. I started using Painter and then ended up demonstrating it for Fractal Design at trade shows throughout the world, traveling as far a field as MacWorld Tokyo on a couple of occasions. I got to know Painter’s original co-creators Mark Zimmer and Tom Hedges as well as the whole Fractal Design team, attending their annual picnics and events. The Painter community in those early days had a very close, friendly, family feel with industry partners, artists such as myself and other demo artists like Cher Thrienen-Pendarvis and Chelsea Sammel, customers and technologists all mingling.

So in answer to the question “Did they discover you or did you discover them?” the answer is a bit of both: I first discovered them and then they discovered me!

Wacom: Is there a particular moment or series of moments that inspired you to be an artist?

JS: In looking back I would lean towards the “series of moments” option versus “a particular moment” in identifying what inspired me to become an artist. As a child I was encouraged to make art at home – my parents said I could draw all over my bedroom wall as long as I left the rest of the house alone – and at school – one primary school teacher in particular, Miss Tipler, encouraged me at every opportunity. I went to Saturday morning art classes, visited the great art museums of London, and attended art lectures and outings. Later on I would spend time with different artists learning printmaking and sculpture. All this added up to loving art, doing a lot of drawing and feeling that art was important. I think that these early influences – many many moments over many formative years – are what inspired and motivated me to ultimately pursue art at a professional level, or, as the question puts it, “be an artist”.

Wacom: You are a pioneer of sorts in digital media, dating back to 1991. How did this all get started for you?

JS: Years ago, by fortuitous coincidence, I found myself living in the heart of Silicon Valley at the very period of time when four crucial technological components came together, also centered around Silicon Valley:

1. Powerful Macintosh computers (the IIfx in particular),
2. High resolution 8-bit color monitors offering millions of colors,
3. Pressure-sensitive Wacom pen tablets with Macintosh drivers, and,
4. Paint programs like PixelPaint Pro that took full advantage of the other three advances.

From the moment I first painted on the Mac with a Wacom tablet and PixelPaint Pro software I was hooked on digital paint and embarked on a mission to explore and experiment with technology, tools and devices for painting (and printing). That included experimenting with every paint program I came across, from Time Arts Oasis and ArtMixer to Fractal Design Painter. In the end Painter rose to the top of the bunch to be the predominant surviving paint program, and that was the program I started teaching, writing books on (including the “Painter Creativity: Digital Artists’ Handbook“ series) and presenting at conferences (such as SIGGRAPH, MacWorld, Imaging USA, etc). From the get go, my relationship with digital media has been closely associated with close relationships with the vendors who design, make, produce and market the media, tools and devices, Wacom being the first and foremost and most enduring to this day, twenty eight years later!

Wacom: What’s next for Jeremy Sutton?

JS: I am currently enjoying digital art explorations in many directions, from iPad painting and using Augmented Reality (AR) to extend my digital prints, to painting in 3D in Virtual Reality (VR) using Google Tilt Brush and the Oculus Rift. I’ve previously explored eye tracking and gesture control (Leap Motion) inputs for digital painting and am always open to new technologies and media. I love the excitement and creativity of live event painting, and look forward to continuing doing much more of that!

On the teaching front I will continue to have a mix of in-person classes and workshops plus will continue developing my online teaching resource PaintboxTV.com with its video tutorials and monthly interactive webinar sessions.

However the one constant that I know the future holds is that whatever technology, media and tools I explore, I will always come back to my solid, reliable Wacom Intuos Pro tablet when I am back in my studio or being productive on the road!

Thank you, Wacom!

Wacom and Adobe share a long history of cooperation in enabling digital creativity. Wacom’s renowned pressure-sensitive and battery-free digital pen products and Adobe’s software applications have continuously innovated and improved together, enabling countless artists and designers to realize their creative visions. When a Wacom pen tablet or creative pen display is connected to many Adobe products, features like pen pressure, pen-tilt sensitivity and even pen rotation are automatically enabled – features that mouse users would normally get to experience when using Adobe products.

Because of recent cooperative efforts between Wacom and Adobe, the new Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16, featuring the company’s advanced Pro Pen 2, is one of the first PC’s to be fully enabled to work with Fresco. When used in combination with the MobileStudio Pro, artists and designers will be treated to an amazingly natural, fluid and productive creative experience. Whether working on the road or in the studio, MobileStudio Pro has the onboard computing and graphics power to run not only Fresco, but virtually all Creative Cloud apps. Sketches or illustrations done in Fresco can immediately be brought into Photoshop or other Adobe creative applications for additional editing, development, completion and distribution.

Since we are now into the season of giving, Wacom’s participation at Adobe MAX is loosely coinciding with the introduction of several new Adobe software bundle offers for the holiday gifting season. With the purchase of a new Wacom Intuos Pro or Cintiq Pro, purchasers will have the choice of either a 2-month subscription to the Creative Cloud Photography Plan or Premier Rush^® (available with registration and download.) The Photography Plan includes Lightroom^®, Photoshop and 20GB’s of storage, while Premier Rush, Adobe’s new all-in-one video editing tool, is a wonderful choice for the YouTube video generation. Details here.

To kick things off, Wacom  hosted an event with Jason Scheier who demonstrated Adobe’s new Fresco drawing software on Wacom’s latest MobileStudio Pro 16. Currently serving as art director for Alcon Animation’s first feature film, Darkmouth, Jason brings a wealth of experience, having worked for some major studios (DreamWorks Animation SKG, Warner Brothers and Walt Disney Imagineering), and as an instructor at Art Center College of Design and the Computer Graphics Masters Academy.

And, for those attending Adobe MAX at the LA Convention Center, Wacom (booth #1201) will continue to spotlight the amazing creative experience of using the new Adobe Fresco painting and drawing application on Wacom’s MobileStudio Pro 16. In addition, Wacom will demonstrate the intuitive and natural pen-centric capabilities across Creative Cloud^® software applications including Photoshop^®, which will be included as part of a limited-time Photography Plan bundle with select Wacom professional products during the 2019 Holiday season.

Meet Dani Diamond at B&H.

Join renowned portrait and fashion photographer, Dani Diamond, from 9:30AM to 11:30AM on Wednesday, October 23^rd at the B&H store’s (420 9^th Ave., NY, NY) 2^nd floor event space. Dani will delight his audience with stories about his early days in photography and his more recent work as a pro photographer, and he’ll show the audience how to set up their workspace. If you can’t attend, be sure to check out the B&H livestream to follow along.

If you can’t make it to B&H, visit the Wacom booth (#258) at PDN’s annual PHOTOPLUS Expo, October 24 to 26, at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. We’ll have all of our products there to try, including our Intuos and Intuos Pro opaque pen tablets, as well as our family of Cintiq and Cintiq Pro pen displays. Attendees will even be able to try our new MobileStudio Pro 16, a full Windows 10 PC with Wacom’s full-featured Pro Pen 2 for the on-the-go photographer who needs to store large images and edit or retouch them whenever or wherever they are.

Additionally, Wacom’s content team will be busy throughout the duration of PhotoPlus week with interviews and images that will be shared on all the standard social media outlets. It’s going to be a great week.

Enter Wacom’s new MobileStudio Pro 16, the second generation of its high-end, Windows^® 10 mobile creative pen computer for the growing demands of today’s creative professional. It gives artists, designers and engineers the power they need to run full versions of even the largest creative software applications and the freedom to work and create anywhere – on location, with clients, in art and design schools, while travelling, between projects and studios or simply as a standalone all-in-one solution to replace a desktop computer. Just like the Wacom Cintiq Pro pen displays and the Wacom Intuos Pro pen tablets, the Wacom MobileStudio Pro is part of Wacom’s dedicated product line for creative professionals, who expect the best performance, pen precision, power and flexibility in the creative tools they use. With this substantial upgrade, the new MobileStudio Pro 16 is well positioned to continue to lead the market with the best, most natural and precise creative experience imaginable.

The MobileStudio Pro 16 packs everything a creative professional needs into one powerful device. Featuring the Wacom Pro Pen 2, it offers virtually lag-free pen performance with tilt response and 8,192 pen pressure levels for precision and control. And thanks to Wacom’s own battery-free, electro-magnetic resonance (EMR) technology, the well-balanced and ergonomically designed pens never need recharging, no matter how long a project takes.

The 15.6″ display offers a large active work area, wide enough for even the biggest projects. Optical bonding reduces parallax while the etched glass surface creates the natural feel of pen on paper. The 4k (3840 x 2160) display covers 85% of Adobe RGB color space (CIE 1931) and can be calibrated for consistency and reliability in color critical workflows. To meet a wide variety of artistic preferences, the Wacom MobileStudio Pro supports Wacom’s unique accessory pens. The Wacom Pro Pen Slim offers a thin, pencil-like form and the Wacom Pro Pen 3D speeds 3D workflows with the help of a third customizable switch. The previous generation of Classic Pen, Art Pen and Airbrush Pen are also available for use.

In addition to Wacom’s renowned pen performance, the MobileStudio Pro 16 comes with an Intel^® Core™ i7 Quad-core processor, allowing users to run demanding software applications at high framerates and better perform video editing and 3D rendering tasks thanks to the Core i7’s increased memory and data throughput. To further increase performance, the MobileStudio Pro employs NVIDIA^®’s Quadro^® graphics card, making it ideal for digital content creators and those working with computer-generated imagery.

Users will also appreciate the power, speed and versatility of the MobileStudio Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. Its 40Gbps speed make it up to 8x faster than USB 3.0 and it can run two 4K displays stress-free. Furthermore, Thunderbolt 3 connects to virtually any display and will work with a variety of protocols, including USB-C and DisplayPort.

The MobileStudio Pro continues to offer its unique hybrid capability as well, allowing Windows^® and Mac^® users to connect the device to their PC or Mac desktop workstation at their home or office and use it as a Cintiq display.

Eight customizable, application specific ExpressKeys™, Radial Menus and Multi-touch and the included Wacom Stand make for fast, efficient and comfortable work while the fingerprint sensor and Kensington security slot help to keep both files and device safe and secure.

The MobileStudio Pro has the power professional creatives need to run the full versions of industry-standard applications such as Photoshop^® and Illustrator^® as well as demanding 3D and CAD creative software. Users will enjoy the Wacom Link™ Plus adaptor (sold separately) for its ability to turn the MobileStudio Pro into a Cintiq pen display when connected to a Mac or PC. Additionallly, the new back door feature allows easy replacement and upgrade of the SSD and DDR memory, making the Wacom MobileStudio Pro future proof for even the most challenging projects.

The MobileStudio Pro 16 ($3,499 USD) will be available in the U.S. at the Wacom eStore and Amazon.com. Imagine the possibilities when you can take your studio with you wherever you go. That’s powerful stuff. That’s creativity with no boundaries.

The Cintiq 22 comes with Wacom’s Pro Pen 2 technology, offering professional-grade pen performance with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt response. Battery-free and cordless, the Pro Pen 2 never needs charging, ever. The device also features an adjustable stand that provides multiple working angles for maximum comfort while drawing.

Wacom’s family of creative pen displays have long been serving the professional illustration, animation, game development, industrial design and photography communities and the output created by these users quite literally touches all of our lives multiple times per day. From the most recent Hollywood animation viewed or video game last played to the sporty new shoes you just bought, discovering that a Wacom creative pen display had a key role in the design process is practically a guarantee. Now, we are taking all that we have learned from the professional ranks and extending the joy of working directly on screen and all the production benefits that come with it to a wider demographic. As always, Wacom looks forward to continuing to help people around the world create great digital art.

Learn more here.

Ready to get one? 

The Wacom booth, Hall G, booth #5336, is a mini-oasis where you can come draw on our latest pen tablets and creative pen displays. It’s a fabulous place to escape and to learn more about, not only your own drawing skills, but the whole digital process that goes into creating today’s comics, toys and collectibles. This year, Wacom has assembled another great group of digital artists to inspire Comic-Con attendees with their amazing drawing talents and share stories on such things as life in the studio, character development, tips and tricks, etc. Questions are encouraged, so feel free to ask our presenters anything about their career in the comics industry. Artists will be drawing on a Wacom wide-format Cintiq creative pen display and their work will be projected on a large screen for all to see. It’s always a treat to see what these talented artists produce in such a short period of time. Additionally, it’s a great way to see the role Wacom products play in the life of a comic artist.

Some of the artists presenting this year are: Alex Sinclair, DC Comics colorist, Mike Atniel of The Simpsons, Dan Katcher from Game of Thrones, Tuesday Bassen, illustrator and apparel designer, Luke McGarry, creator of Sad Chewie, Peter Han, instructor at Art Center College of Design, Sanford Greene, Marvel, Image Comics, Dark Horse and DC, and Joel Santana, renowned freelance illustrator.

Comic-Con runs from July 17 – 21. We look forward to seeing you there.

 

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We’re at @ncsfestofficial this weekend celebrating comics and cartoon art from all over the world. If you’re around, you should stop by the Wacom Big Tent at Surf City Pier to enjoy all the free events, meet amazing talent and try our product line. More info through the Linktree in our bio.

A post shared by Wacom (@wacom) on May 17, 2019 at 10:25am PDT

This year’s NCS weekend in Huntington Beach, California is very special as it will be the first time that the Society is organizing a comic arts festival for the public, dubbed NCS Fest. From Friday through Sunday, the town of Huntington Beach will be alive with events dedicated to the art form. The big tent down by the pier will be the place to be to catch some of your all-time favorite artists at work. It’s a veritable who’s who of the cartoon world and it’s a real treat to see the artist of a character one has followed for years creating it live right in front of your eyes. Follow this link for a schedule of events at the big tent on the pier plaza. All events are free.

Naturally, there will be locations for people to try out Wacom pen tablets and creative pen displays. The same digital drawing instruments that many comic artists have been using for years to produce their work. Discover Wacom products in the big tent down by the pier or the Patron room at the Hyatt.

For more information on the festival, including a list of artists, check out the NCS Fest site here. Watch Wacom’s community blog for more posts on the event as the weekend continues.