Workspace

Here it is. The "machine" where I create everything to do with "DEAD". The amazing Wacom Cintiq 21ux is at the center of the display area (sadly it's not the most current Model of Cintiq, but it's still really damn amazing). I use this more than anything when creating pages or any art in general. It's the closest thing to drawing on paper you can get, without all the downfalls that paper provides. I use the Classic style pen, as it is more like an actual pen/pencil than the grip pen the Cintiq comes with.

Above the Cintiq are three more monitors. The center one is a Planar 21.5 inch optical touchscreen. This is one of my more recent purchases, and allows me to work a bit faster, because when drawing, I can just reach up and access any files or programs I need, instead of reaching for the mouse. I don't need to get out of my "drawing position". The side monitors are regular 21inch monitors (for now).  You may be thinking "Do you really need that many monitors?" - Not really. But the ability to have every program I'm using, open on a different screen - usually three or four: Photoshop or Paint Tool Sai, Windows explorer, Pandora, and Indesign or whatever else I'm using - does speed up the creation process. And, most importantly, it looks awesome. The three monitor spread is great for gaming too.

The actual computer that all the displays are hooked up to is a Dell studio XPS 9100, with 2TB memory and 12GB ram. Right now it only has a single AMD Radeon HD 6700 graphics card (will probably upgrade with a second at some point). It also has some fancy audio card, but I don't use it for audio stuff, so that's not important.

I'm fully aware that Macs are considered the design industry standard for computers, but based off the cost versus performance, I just can't bring myself to buy one. A Mac with the same technical specifications as my computer would have been approximately three times the price. And personally, I like the levels of customization that non-mac computers allow - both physical components, and the interface. That, and the main program I use for inking, Paint Tool Sai, is a windows only program.

So if you take all that, add in an Epson Stylus1400 Photo printer, an Epson v33 Perfection scanner, a 2TB Fantom Greendrive, a trackball and lighted keyboard, and lots of various cables and other accessories, that's my workstation.