The Grandpa Report - February 21, 2017

Here is the first grandpa report - talking about chainsaws, firewood, oak benches, bookshelf repair and table saw.

Graphics Tablet Review

Recently, I have been looking to purchase an active graphics tablet - the kind where you can actually see what you are drawing on the tablet.  I have a Wacom Bamboo Create Pen & Touch, which has a lot of nice features, but I find it really difficult to draw on the tablet surface while looking up at the monitor.  It works OK for rough sketches but is difficult for more detailed drawings or paintings.  So, I started looking at the Wacom Cintiq ($2,400), but it was much too expensive for me.  Then I looked at the Yiynova Tablet-Monitor ($450), which was much more affordable but got mixed reviews.  I also considered getting an iPad because I saw some impressive You Tube videos of artists using the iPad Retina ($500) for artwork.

But yesterday I was surprised to find this amazing tablet (pictured) at Krogers grocery store of all places, for $2.50!  The pen-stylus didn't come with it and I had to buy that separately, but since the tablet was so affordable, I really didn't mind.  I chose the upgraded Sharpie with fine and ultrafine points built in one.  It doesn't require batteries either!

PROS
+ Absolutely perfect WYSWYG display.
+ saves drawing instantly and flawlessly
+ sizes drawing at 100% every time.
+ wireless
+ zero charge time
+ zero start-up time
+ no batteries, ever!
+ never needs charging.
+ very affordable
+ fully rotational
+ no software to load
+ does not require a computer to operate
+ it can be used anywhere
+ synchronization between the tablet and Sharpie are instant and flawless.

CONS
- No layering
- does not include any software
- limited to 50 drawings
- you must supply your own pen, pencil or marker
- requires a scanner to digitize
- this tablet is not designed for painting

SUMMARY
In spite of the "CONS", I would gladly buy this tablet again.  I highly recommend it!

How to Annoy an Artist

Giant

Here is a recent doodle using a Laban Mento fountain pen (M nib) with Noodler's Kiowa Pecan ink. 

Tucson 1987

Re-post: I am visiting Tucson after 25 years, so thought I'd bring this post from April, 2008 back to the top.

I don't think these are the sort of images that Tucson, Arizona is most remembered for, but I was intrigued by the old abandoned buildings there and took several photos of them in the 1980s. The color image above is a small water color and gouache painting on pressboard. While the warehouse below is a B&W photo.

Note: Here I am in Tucson 25 years later and I was able to find the same building after some searching - the trees threw me off. But here is the same building at 6th and Ash in Tucson - March 2011. The Location of the Water Colour above is still a mystery

Impulse Painting

While straightening up the garage yesterday, I ran across this painting. This is a detail of an "unfinished" painting that I painted some 20 years ago or more - so, apparently it is finished. I never even gave it a title.

Usually a painting is at least somewhat planned out before you begin painting but this one was a doodle-painting, where I just started painting and let the composition evolve. Some of my own work that I most enjoyed producing, and which seems most interesting to look at are doodle-works.

However, this one and another one are both 90% finished because there was no plan and I found it difficult to resolve the painting when I got to the end. Besides not having a plan, probably the more likely reason the paintings are unfinished is because I started to care about them. There comes this point when I stopped impulsively creating and thought, "Hey I like this. I want to paint a really excellent conclusion to it." And then I was suddenly stymied. Because the whole reason why the painting was going so well was because I wasn't overly concerned about it. It is the most allusive ability to tap into intentionally. But when it happens it is an absolute joy.

Fall in Central California

Inland Central California usually has a very short and fall season with little color.

However, this year there was a sudden cold snap where the temperatures went from the 70s to the 30s over night and then stayed in the 50s thereafter. This caused some glorious fall colors, to which we are unaccustomed. And fall lasted much longer than usual. In the average year, the leaves here just turn brown and fall off.

Since fall is my favorite season, I have been happily taking photos, and enjoying it immensely.

I can well imagine that you folks from the east coast and mid west are probably thinking "big deal" and, "those leaves aren't really that colorful". And I have traveled enough to know why you would say that, but we think your "big trees" are pretty puny - so it is all relative to what you are used to.