I absolutely love drawing on my iPad Pro now with the Apple Pencil. And I think I’ve FINALLY found an app I love. Procreate is lean, mean, and has lots of great brushes. Plus there’s a lot of brush packs out there that people have made, some free and some to purchase, that you can easily add on. I’m just starting out in the app, but I like where I’m headed. An added bonus? Procreate captures video of what you draw. So here’s one I drew at an event last night. I thought I’d share it with you:
First Watch Breakfast Cafe has been on Sand Lake Road ( aka Restaurant Row ) here in Orlando for as long as I’ve lived in the area, and it’s always been popular. Lines out the door kind of popular. But I just never quite “got it” until NOW.
Now that it’s changed so much for the better! I love the remodel of this place! Rustic, but a more modern feel at the same time. Not the same old bright yellow walls and tacky framed photos that it used to have. The menu at this one has been updated as well, and isn’t the old laminated one with the photos that it always had before.
There’s also so many great new items on the menu! I love the quinoa bowls, and the Market Veg Omelet. Coffee and service here is top notch as well!
Oh, and that line out the door? Still there, but the NoWait app works great for First Watch! Every time I use it, we get to walk right in and have an amazing meal. I’m finally a FirstWatch fan!
( Drawn in an actual sketchbook, with actual pen and ink! #goingoldschool )
I’m in NYC this weekend drawing Fashion Sketches at a big event. So yesterday on the flight here, I thought I’d try some sketching on my new iPad Pro with the iPad Pencil. This was in Medibang Paint, a free app that is probably my favorite drawing app on the iPad. It has great pressure sensitivity and some fantastic brushes. It’s so cool to actually be able to draw on an iPad now! Forgive my non-straight lines in this sketch. LOL. It was a little bit bumpy ride at times. 😳
A little sketching today at one of my favorite local lunch hangs, Hot Krust….
The initial gray marker sketch:
Remember, when you’re eating out, you never know if I might be there sketching you….
I did this one for a client’s website a couple of years ago, and just came across it while cleaning up my computer files. I really like the how the animals turned out.
Well, hot off the computer screen, actually. Here’s some artwork I did for a client today. It’s for a Church, a they wanted an “Incredibles” type family that ISN’T the Incredibles, for some upcoming Sermon series. They also may be using it for other purposes down the road as well.
Hmmm….being paid to sit in my home studio, listen to podcasts, and draw cartoony superheroes? It’s a good day…
Its been awhile since I’ve done of these, but last week was a Vacation week! I was at Cocoa Beach revisiting all of my favorite places, and even on vacation, I couldn’t NOT draw. LOL. (We actually travel frequently in the Summer, so hopefully I’ll be doing lots more of these updates).
So, I’ll share some of what I was drawing. For this post, let’s talk about Barrier Jack’s…..
A classic, greasy spoon kind of breakfast and lunch place, ( and I mean that in the best way), Barrier Jacks has some great food and some great service! My personal fave is the Seafood Omelette. Crab, scallops, and shrimp…. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! YUMMMMM. The Breakfast Sandwich is also great, I have been told. The inside can get kind of crowded, since it’s small. But if you can handle the heat ( being from Florida, my family and I CAN), the outdoor patio is first come first serve seating. And unlike other places I’ve been, the inside servers do NOT forget you’re out there. Jack ( yes, Virginia, there is a real Jack) and his staff do a really great job here. If you’re in Cocoa, you have to give it a try.
They had me at the cartoon of Jack himself on the menu.
See you next time, Jack!
I am in love. After two iPads, an iPad mini, and a Wacom Cintiq Companion, I’ve finally found a TRULY portable digital drawing device- the Toshiba Encore Write 2. Yeah, I know, I hate that cumbersome name, too. But I LOVE THIS TABLET. And get this… Its just under $400! I’ve been meaning to write this review since February when I bought this device, but I’ve simply been too busy… drawing on it!
The 10 inch Toshiba ( as I will call it for the rest of this review ), is incredibly light (lighter than an iPad and therefore WAYYYYY lighter than the Companion, which is a monster IMO), and a great looking tablet PC. It runs Windows ( as a Mac guy, I’m still making my peace with that), and is a full computer. With an HDMI port and a USB port. It’s battery life is great, too. Although it will run down, even when turned off and not using. So you have to plug it in regularly.
Alright, I’m not a tech-y guy, so that enough of that talk. Well, okay, one more thing… The Toshiba pen is powered by Wacom FEEL. So you artists out there should know what that means…. Yep, it has PRESSURE sensitivity! No more trying to draw with a stick with a pillow on the end of it, or trying to keep your Bluetooth connection to get some semblance of line variation ( both are iPad references, for those who don’t know).
Clip Studio, the digital version of Manga Studio, runs great on this thing. Ever since Photoshop has made their software “Cloud only”, I have used Clip Studio, opting out of paying Adobe every month. I am NOT a sheeple. I read some specs on the Toshiba that said it would have an issue running PS anyway, with its processor speed or something like that. But Clip Studio runs beautifully.
I use Kyle Websters great Manga/Clip Studio brushes, and they are amazing. These past few months, I’ve drawn a ton of things on the Toshiba. Caricatures…..
Figure drawings….
And comic strips. And I’ve done them at live events, coffee shops, hotel rooms… Anywhere and everywhere.
Because this thing is SO portable. So far six other illustrator friends of mine have bought one of these after my recommendation, and they all love it. Hmmmm…. Maybe I should be getting a commission. LOL.
SerIously, if you want a great, TRULY PORTABLE drawing device, give the Toshiba Encore Write 2 a shot ( okay, I said that name one last time).
My latest sketch and review. Another local fave, Burger Craft:
From the cool interior, to the always present, always welcoming owner, to the great burgers, this is my favorite burger spot whenever I’m in Clermont. ( I am from nearby Orlando, but find myself up in Clermont fairly regularly.). The beef is hormone free, they have gluten free buns, and they buy everything from local vendors- what’s not to love? I’m not at all sure why there are so many negative Yelp reviews on this place. Maybe it’s because it’s Clermont? My apologies to my friends who live there, but this is the land of chain restaurants. And this isn’t one. This place would thrive in Orlando, where there is more of a foodie presence. I can’t wait till my next visit!
Here’s a drawing I did live at a wedding reception a couple of weeks ago, that I thought turned out cool. This reception was at Disney’s Living Seas in a super elegant, super private room that is on the other side of the water tank. Park guests never see this room, and it’s cool to see fish, sharks, and even sometimes Mickey himself swim by ( in his scuba gear ), as you’re working.
Keelan Parham.com 