Here’s the problem. Snow Leopard is seeing the Cintiq’s default refresh rate higher than its native 60hz. Using a third party app named SwitchResX, I created a custom 1650×1080@60hz resolution. I rebooted my MacPro, applied the resolution setting in the Display SysPref PrefPane, and, voila, no more problem.

An official fix would be nice, though. Hear me, Apple & Wacom! Old man Frenden shakes his fist at you with scorn and malice!

In case you didn’t catch my twatting on Twitter, the Cintiq 20WSX’s display goes googly-moogly after upgrading to Snow Leopard. It’s not like Wacom had months of anticipatory development time to ensure it’s compatibility or anything!

Apple support forum discussion on the topic.

Me lamenting Wacom’s monopoly of pen-based input devices and their lack of customer support on Twitter.

I sure do love my $2400 brick!

Now that I’ve gone traditional, using my Cintiq is a drag. The 1/4″ of offset between the stylus and my cursor paired with a fair amount of lag makes for a frustrating drawing experience.

I’m glad I started digitally. It afforded me the luxury of mistake making and experimentation. As my control of lines has gotten better, though, I make less mistakes and have started to want more accuracy out of my tools. In other words, my capabilities are not the problem now – it’s the tablet that is slow and inaccurate comparatively.

Case in point, a cheapie, #6, sable-round on cardboard gives me more control than a $2000 Cintiq and three $60 styluses (paired with $5400 worth of a MacPro, extra hard drives, and a 24″ secondary display).

That setup is beaten by a $5 brush. Deeeeepressing.

I’ve said before that it’s become increasingly difficult to make an honest living as an illustrator. Print is dead, taking a large swath of possible clients with it. The tubes move too quickly making custom illustration for articles an unlikely occurrence. Prices have been driven into the ground by a sea of amateurs gleefully accepting spec work and companies eager to exploit them. It’s on that latter point that I want to provide a new example to back-up my statements.

I get a lot of emails from large companies looking for spec work. Most of the time, there is an implied confidentiality. A smattering of text on the bottom of the email indicates that it’s for my, and the 300 other recipients’, eyes only. Posting the contents of the email to my blog would only get me sued. Billabong’s Art Director, Aaron Hennings, included no such text.

Large companies are exploiting illustrators. They use the lure of working with an established brand to engage in unethical business practices. But don’t take my word for it, take Aaron’s:

Billabong is looking to supplement the Men’s T shirt collection with fresh freelance art by new designers. You have been selected and invited to be part of the freelance submission process.

Take a look at the attached .PDF and let me know if I can answer any
questions. Looking forward to hearing from you and seeing some great work.

We review new submissions every week, so the deadline is on going. However, we do have a limited number of designs we can include each season, so sooner rather than later is better.

Regards,

Aaron

Aaron Hennings
————————
Art Director
Billabong USA
117 Waterworks Way
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 753 7222 tel. x3292

Here’s the attached PDF. I’d suggest you take a look at it. They even provide a nice tee template for forking over your multitude of Billabong branded, spec generated designs.

I know a half dozen or so other illustrators who got this email. Luckily, most agree that doing spec is bad. Some don’t. Please, don’t be one of those illustrators. Your decision affects us all.

Friday Practice

(Posted on Saturday, natch!)

I’ve been trying to draw through my forms. This is a tip gleaned from Scott Robertson’s videos on perspective. He suggested drawing past the point you’re trying to hit while still hitting it. Drawing “through” the form. I’ve been doing that when drawing in perspective, but I’ve started to use the technique in my life drawing with organic figures. Paired with the square-boundary, outline-your-figure philosophy, I feel like I’ve found a way of quickly, loosely jotting down ideas that suits my arm.

Fluid strokes are important in my style of work. Analog, most people “push” lines away from themselves. Digital, I tended to “pull” lines towards myself. I’d start fast, with light pressure, and slow down, with heavy pressure, if the line were, say, a feathered halftone.

Now that I’ve been drawing traditionally, I get more fluid, natural strokes with a “push” (again, dragging the stroke away as you draw). Working traditionally has taught me this, and It’s helped a ton. Draw from your shoulder and elbow, not your wrist. It takes some getting used to. You won’t be as good this way, likely, to start. The end result is fluid, pretty strokes.

Stock Carpenter Race

Art directed by J.L. Vara of Dutch Southern, it was a fun job to revisit the characters of Carpenter movies past. I’m a huge fan, from Thing, They Live, Christine, to Big Trouble in Little China and, guiltily, Ghosts of Mars, there’s little he’s touched that isn’t worth a tribute or two. It’s up for sale if you feel the same.

A little process from this guy: