After a few years using cheap styluses (stylii?) with an iPad I wanted to get a better tool as a Christmas present for myself. After some research, I decided for the Pencil 53. I finally received it last Friday and decided to take it for a test run sketching on location. My first impression has been very good so far. It definitely feels much better than the tiny cheap stylus I had before. This time I sketched on the Paper 53 app instead of the more familiar Procreate, as I just wanted to try out the Pencil. The app is certainly simple and straightforward but I’d need to practice with it a lot more. I’ll also try the Pencil with different apps to see how I can get the most of the digital sketching experience.
Line sketching was surprisingly smooth; the rubber tip provides a little resistance, just enough for me to feel in command. Using color was a little difficult. It’s not easy to replicate a watercolor brush stroke, but the convenience of being able to color a sketch quickly is intriguing. I guess I can’t think of it as a replacement for my traditional media, it’s simply a different thing. I still prefer using pencil, ink and watercolor on paper, but this is worth a try, especially to use while on the train to work.