I run a graphic design business built on the notion of delivering top-quality work, quickly and efficiently, so having access to good tools is always important to me. Here’s what I use to create art, graphic design, and for web/game development:

Art & illustration

When I need to jot something down, make a quick sketch, or do some math, I prefer a mid-sized (5.5″ x 8.5″) sketchpad and a ballpoint ink pen. You may prefer a pencil – I don’t like having to remember to pack a sharpener in case of a break.

On the digital side of things, I’ve been using an original Surface Book for drawing. It’s starting to feel a little slow/old, but it’s gotten me through many projects and I’ve been happy with it, so I’ll probably be sticking with that for some time. I like the Surface line though, so I hope there is a reasonable replacement available when I decide it’s time to upgrade. I’ve included my software picks below as well.

Computer hardware & office

For work (and gaming), I use a custom Windows 10 desktop. The hardware in this machine changes occasionally, but the constant is that it is always a powerful machine that can do what I need it to. Here’s a snapshot of my current computer and my office setup:

Thanks to various computer repairs/upgrades over the years, I’ve also got two lesser machines ready to work as my own personal render farm. I also occasionally use an old DSLR camera, though mostly I just use my phone now for pictures.

Finally, a quick shoutout to my Allsop Metal Art mouse pad. I know it’s a little ridiculous to use a mouse pad in this day and age, but I love this thing and will use it until there’s a hole worn through.

Software

My favorite software to use for every task:

The software suite available from Adobe Creative Cloud is my go-to solution for just about everything – outside of 3D.

Office 365 is another great suite of software. It’s great to have all my notes sync up between devices, and 1TB of space on OneDrive is awesome for sharing work and making sure important project files are available to clients. I don’t utilize every piece of software Microsoft offers, but it’s nice to have it there if I need it.

This is the third group of software in my list, but it’s certainly not the least used. I’d say that most of my creative work these days is done in Blender (and possibly Clip Studio Paint).

Last updated 7/3/2021