An Ode to the iPad Pro – An Artist’s Review

Good morning! ❀

I previously made a post talking about my favourite art materials as an illustrator, but there’s one piece of equipment that has really transformed my practice and stood out amongst the others.

 

 

Digital art is on the rise and it’s still a subject of controversy about whether it’s replacing traditional technique too much, but this is my honest unbiased review of something that I want to use in conjunction with my traditional methods of working. I’m by no means a tech expert so this won’t get too far into the specifics- this is more of an overview of the iPad when used for creative purposes.

Making artwork on my iPad Pro has been a pretty big turning point in my illustrations so far- I used to loathe digital work because using my Wacom Intuos tablet was so fiddly and unnatural, but getting the iPad Pro has made it so much more intuitive and wholesome feeling~

First of all, some specs of my own iPad Pro and Apple Pencil:

iPad Pro

• 2nd Gen WiFi, 64GB (2017)
• 10.5-inch screen (measured diagonally)
• LED Retina Display with TrueTone
• Lightning Port/Headphone Jack
• £619 via Apple

Apple Pencil

• Bluetooth connectivity
• Magnetic ‘cap’ with Lightning Charger (can charge using iPad)
• Replaceable nib
• 17.5cm length/21g weight
• £89 via Apple

 

Put simply, the iPad Pro is brilliant for making artwork- I find the 10.5 inch more than large enough to support all of my ideas, with ample storage space for files that will grow in size as I continue to work on them. The display is stunning, with TrueTone technology that allows the colours on screen to adapt based on your surrounding lighting.

The iPad Pro is light enough to carry around on a daily basis, weighing in at only 469g for the 10.5in Wifi version. Add a nice case (mine also houses the Apple Pencil alongside the tablet), and you’re looking at around 600g… much lighter than most laptops and traditional art setups! I love taking mine travelling with me to record what I discover.

Now, there is one major sticking point with the iPad Pro, and that is that it does *not* support Photoshop, Illustrator or any of the other full Adobe CC software packages. I debated for a long while whether to purchase one because of this, but after some feedback about it from an illustrator friend, I found Procreate to be more than worthy enough to stand in for Photoshop- it even has .psd compatibility, which makes transferring files between programs a total breeze. And at a one-off payment of £12.99, it’s very budget friendly (which you might need to consider after dropping £700+ on this Pencil/iPad package!)

Working digitally has really allowed me to improve on my proportions and layouts (although there’s still a long way to go!), as well as making me less fearful to make bold strokes and quick mark making in the initial stages of a sketch- I was always a bit hesitant to do this traditionally as too many erased errors can really drag down the finished appearance of a piece. It’s also amazing to have loads of brush styles at your fingertips (literally)- this makes the iPad the best portable device for creating on the go c:

 

 

I also wholly recommend the Apple Pencil- it’s nice and sturdy feeling with a good weight to it, and also works seamlessly with programs such as ProCreate (Savage Interactive Ltd, 2019) and the Adobe collection of iPad software (Adobe, 2019). There’s tilt dynamics for brushes, as well as lots of different points of pressure that really enhance the natural feeling when using this stylus. The pencil tips last a long time (much longer than Wacom nibs!) and are cheap-ish to replace considering their longevity- a 4 pack of nibs are £19 from Apple (Apple, 2015).

Since I bought mine in Summer 2018 there is of course a new version out already, complete with a snazzier Apple Pencil companion that boasts gesture controls and wireless charging capabilities. I’m still really happy with my iPad Pro (2nd Gen, 10.5in) and Apple Pencil- technology is so ridiculous now it just makes you wonder what sort of upgrade will come next~

Thanks for reading my wee review! I’m so grateful to have my iPad and Pencil, and I hope more artists discover how great the combo can be for both quick sketches and fully realised detailed artwork ♥

 

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References

Adobe (2019). Adobe Creative Cloud Mobile Apps. [Software]. Available at: https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/catalog/mobile.html  [Accessed 26 Jan 2019].

Apple. (2015). Apple Pencil 1st Generation [Product]. Available at: https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/MK0C2ZM/A/apple-pencil  [Accessed 26 Jan 2019].

Apple. (2015). Apple Pencil Tips- 4 Pack [Product]. Available at: https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/MLUN2ZM/A/apple-pencil-tips-4-pack  [Accessed 26 Jan 2019].

Apple. (2017). iPad Pro 10.5 inch/2nd Generation/64GB/Rose Gold [Product]. Available at: https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-ipad/ipad-pro-10-5/rose-gold-64gb-wifi  [Accessed 26 Jan 2019].

Collingwood, C. (2019). Apple iPad Pro 10.5 Inch, Rose Gold and Folio Case [Photograph].

Collingwood C, (2019). iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Stylus [Photograph].

Savage Interactive Ltd. (2019). Procreate [Software]. Available at: https://procreate.art  [Accessed 26 Jan 2019].