Before setting up DraftTable for my iPad Pro in my studio, I enlisted myriad household items as iPad propper-uppers, including a couple half-depleted toilet paper rolls, pillows, stuffed animals, and books.
Nyan Cat tries hard but not the best supporter for the iPad Pro...
All of these readymade propups were ‘okay’ but they weren’t exactly a feel-good solution or the dedicated throne that the iPad Pro really deserved.
After setting up DraftTable, all I can say is, wow. I'm so glad I have it now. It has made my art production routine so much better, and it did so almost immediately. Now, I can walk into my studio and sit down, and instead of fussing around with wires or positioning the iPad, I can just take off into the blue with art.
There are three levels of elevation you can choose from with this iPad Stand - I prefer the middle tier since the 45 degree angle feels most like a traditional drawing table. Perfect for discouraging hunching, great for those days where you want to draw for hours on end without feeling the vertebral toll.
What I like most about DraftTable is … It doesn’t feel like anything at all. I hardly notice it because it is so natural. Instead of wasting energy on subconscious re-positioning, I can just point that energy towards art creation!
Despite feeling as natural as breath itself when you are using it, when you try to move the stand or pick it up, DraftTable proves quite stalwart. I tried to bludgeon it on purpose, mocking a situation where it might get knocked around (stranger things have happened in my studio) and it didn’t budge.
The metaphor that comes to mind is - instead of working on a loose sheet of paper on a slanted surface, the paper is now taped down to the desk, and it won't move. Solid.
DraftTable is mentally nice to have as well, because instead of wasting time on setting up the iPad, it is always in the same place in my studio and it is ready to be used. Since the iPad is a permanent part of my work, it’s great to have a permanent place for it.
DraftTable is hardly noticeable when creation is happening, but it is so very helpful.
But wait, the iPad Pro is meant to be mobile, right? Aren't you supposed to bring it everywhere with you and make art anywhere? Like the art studio, liberated?
Yes, but for sit-down-and-do-it focused art production like graphic design, comics, or client work, a solid iPad stand, and all of the stability that comes with it is key. Sameness is good. Reliability is good. Also, you can just move the stand around - it is heavy but it isn't THAT heavy.
My only regret with DraftTable is that I wish I had jumped in and bought DraftTable long ago. Like some kind of life-expanding surgery, I didn't know how much pain I was putting up with before I had DraftTable. For other artists working digitally on an iPad Pro, the faster you can get one, the better.
Related links:
Review for the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil (almost 2 years ago!)
Traditional nude figure drawing using an iPad