Precision Disc Stylus

Map Sketch made with Stylus

I just got a Dimples Excel precision disc stylus.  It is a more precise way of drawing on a tablet. Basically it works like a pen except instead of a tip there is a plastic transparent disc which gives you an idea where the line will be drawn on the tablet.

I bring it up here because I thought it would be useful for drawing maps.  Currently I draw most of my maps with the mouse.  I used to draw all my maps in ink and than scan them but I find I prefer the ability to erase and make changes on the fly with a digital drawing.

Unfortunately, I just did not find the precision pen to be very helpful.  It is just not as precise as a mouse.  Joining lines is next to impossible.  I might use it for coastlines but that is about it.  Maybe with some practice I will find it more useful.  On the right is a quick island map sketch I did using the stylus.  I used paint.net for the water fill, the town location markers and the text.

I did find the stylus to be fairly intuitive for actually drawing.  I did a quick 15 minute sketch based on a photo I took in Europe on a Medieval street.  It does not look like much but it is already about as good as my pencil sketches.  By no means am I an artist but I like to sketch. With a little practice it will be interesting to see if my digital sketching improves.

Sketch made with Stylus