Wacom Cintiq

If you are an animator, artist, graphic designer etc, and have seen the capabilities of the wacom cintiq but are in two minds about getting yourself one, let me help with my personal review.  The Wacom Cintiq 12wx or 21ux  is much needed if you are a serious artist who needs to work efficiently and simply.

I bought the cintiq 12wx to help me complete my animation course, but have considered it to be a great investment as I have already made back more money than I bought it for by applying for freelance jobs online.

A lot of companies that have employed me for work have liked the fact that I use the Cintiq because they know I can provide services in a shorter time frame by using this device.  After your first use you will know it is well worth the money. Just having one of these  beauties sitting on your desk is worth it.

Advantages of the Wacom Cintiq

•  Very natural and fluent feel
•  Full rotation just like paper
•  Time and money saving (no paper, pens, pencils, rubbers, paints etc)
•  Pressure sensitivity, dark and light tones, thin and thick lines.
• Wacom warranty is very good. In a rare case of a serious problem with your wacom product they will send out a new one before you have even sent your damaged one to them. 
• Very stiff and sturdy LCD surface unlike a laptop or T.V
• Handy buttons on either side for you to calibrate to functions of your choice. Great for quick zooming and scrolling.
• The ability to adjust the angle from vertical to flat
• Can be used on your lap without any problems

Disadvantages of the Wacom Cintiq

• Would like to see a more portable version produced, there is a lot to carry with the power pack and leads.
• It gets quite warm with long use, but nothing to worry about.
• An expensive piece of equipment, but well worth it in the long run

On the whole it is rare to hear complaints about the wacom cintiqs. It is a great tool and investment. If you have been looking at it biting your bottom lip thinking it looks fantastic shall i get one? shall i?

I say go for it, you wont regret it.  
Find one now

Toon Boom vs Flash

The Biggest debates I had in University, is which software is better to use for animation? In my final year studying animation I needed to stick with one software to produce my final

piece.

I liked flash because it was simple and easy to use, but I didn't want my animation to look like the typical flash animations you see everywhere. Both pieces of software have there strengths, but after researching and testing both I had to go with Toon Boom by a long shot.