Thanks to this new gadget, artists no longer have to choose between creating sketches on paper or creating them digitally.
Wacom, which specializes in the niche market of artist-tailored tablets and pens for computers, has introduced the Inkling pen. It looks and feels just like a regular ballpoint pen but inside it has all sorts of advanced circuitry.
This is different than most consumer products before it because it allows artists to draw just as they would if they were doodling away in their sketch book. There’s no need for special paper, you don’t have to move the pen around on a clunky tablet interface, etc.
The only catch is that you must attach a special clip, or receiver, to the sketchbook or piece of paper you’re drawing on. That receiver will capture the movements of the pen, but Wacom stresses that you don’t really have to worry about that.
Everything is operated by rechargeable batteries in the pen and receiver, and Wacom says each can last eight hours before needing to be recharged.
Artists have long struggled with the challenge of bringing traditional, hand-drawn art to a digital environment. Something always seems to get lost in translation.
For giant animation movie studios, there have been great advancements in the business of capturing artist creations to computers, but for the rest of us, the only options have been rather clunky. It looks like the Inkling may change that.
And if you don’t believe that, just check out this video:
The Inkling will be available in September at a retail price of $199.
