Any artists' perspective on the stylus?

[novox77]

I'd like to know if there are any artists who use traditional drawing tablets (like Wacom tablets) have tried the Flyer, and whether the device is as powerful.... Obviously a lot of this depends on the software (I don't think Adobe Illustrator comes with the Flyer...) but does the stylus on glass compare? Does pen tilt affect the line? Pressure on the glass? Eraser? And can you use the stylus as a replacement for your finger for the general OS stuff, i.e. tapping on an app, long-press, scrolling menus, etc?

 

[MrHooper]

Firstly, you cannot use the stylus for general interaction on the flyer. Only for stylus-specific notes and drawing.

The tools are very limited. Only a few apps use the stylus. there are only a few brush types, and the worst part, is only 8 colors, plus B/W. Not useful for color work. But for B/W, sketches, it's fine.

The good points are, the pressure does work. about 256 levels like an old-school wacom. The pressure curve is a bit odd... as you have to push harder than I would like for full pressure, and it seems to not go quite as light as I'd like, but it is totally useful, and accurate.
No Tilt.
Eraser is triggered by holding a button. It isn't a soft eraser, very hard edged, but fine.
Pen on Glass is a bit annoying. I fixed that by getting a matte screen protector. It has a bit of tooth to the surface, so it feels much better. More like paper. It does dull the screen contrast and clarity a bit, so you take a bit, you give a bit. cestLaVie.
I love the form factor of the tablet for general use, but to draw on, it seems just a touch too small. That said, I do draw on it, and it's not bad. Just wish for a little more room sometimes.
In the end, it is the only ultra-portable drawing tool, and it does a good job but not a great one. They could use a lot of tweaks, and hopefully they'll get there. At least they used artrage as inspiration for the brush UI.

Andrew

 

[novox77]

Many thanks for the review. I knew someone would eventually respond

I'll assume that when you said B/W that you meant exactly 2 colors: black, white, and no shade of gray in between. And nothing like charcoal, pencil, and other texture styles, etc.

Seems like for now, the limitation is in the software, and that conceivably, something could be done to really utilize the power of the stylus, either via official channels (HTC) or a root/kernel exploit along with a drawing app.

I agree that the matte finish is nicer for touch; I used one for my phone briefly and much preferred the feel with my finger. But in the end, I couldn't take the loss of clarity.

Thanks again for the feedback.

 

[MrHooper]

A clarification on B/W. It is not just 2 colors. Based on pressure, you can get shades of grey. It looks very natural, not aliased. The color that you select is either 8 colors, black or white, but depending on the type of brush used, and the pressure you apply, variations of intensity of any color you choose will be used. So, choose red, you can get very light red on a paintbrush if you draw very lightly, to full red at full pressure. The pencil doesn't vary much in value, as much as size. Fairly natural media, and few complaints there... just need a full color picker.

I'd also like an option to program on of the pen buttons to "eyedrop" a color currently on screen. There's lots to be frustrated about, but it is also functional, so I'm pretty happy in general. I really hope my message on the Sketchbook Mobile forums might get the devs there to add support.