Artists are prone to being highly critical and particular with their tools, so a heartfelt endorsement from a noted professional for a particular brand has made fortunes for instrument and toolmakers. With digital drawing, Wacom has long been at the forefront thanks to the nearly realistic experience of drawing on their Intuos tablets, but the new Cintiq line has caught the attention of artists like Alex Sinclair, a DC Comics colorist who has worked on household names like the Man of Steel, Superman.
Cintiq 2200 HD: The Specs
Just a cursory glance over the features packed into the Cintiq 22HD should leave you salivating. A 21.5" display can handle the over 16 million colors in varying shades, hues, and effects created by the 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity in the pen tool. An array of customizable buttons on either side of the screen give you increased control over the tablet's operations. The accompanying drivers and software are compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. Opting for the airbrush and art pens with extra nibs is highly recommended.
The tablet is more than a bit hefty, coming in at a whopping 18.8 pounds, but it is still decently portable. Also, the HD display requires a DVI-I connection to your computer, so double check your graphics connections to make sure you can attach it.
At $2,000 for what will be just one part in the final tally of electronics and software, the 22HD is set firmly into the financial territory of professional studios with an IT budget (or successful amateurs and hobbyists).
What Does the Cintiq Do for the Artist?
The Cintiq 22HD does everything you would want from your Intuos tablet but to an enhanced level. Being able to see your pen as it moves without losing any picture fidelity or overall capabilities is simply stellar. The high quality, laptop-sized screen is a magical carpet of digitally powered canvas that can provide access to all of the shades and hues artists like Sinclair desire to bring their imaginations to life. It truly is the closest thing there is to working on digital "paper", enhancing the skill of the artist by giving them more options than they might ever have a chance to use. To use Sinclair's own words, the Cintiq 22HD is a "dream come true" for his ability to rapidly produce complex, layered images with colors that are truly "glowing" with detail.
