*** From the Archives ***

This article is from May 1, 2012, and is no longer current.

A New Stylus for the iPad

2

A company called Artist Hardware is about to release a stylus for the iPad that recreates the experience of drawing or painting in a sketchbook — the iPad. Priced at $39.95, the stylus works in conjunction with iPad artists’ apps like Paper or SketchTime. The Sensu also works on other capacitive or touchscreen devices.

The Sensu Brush is actually two styluses in one. One end is a rubber nib that can be used for sketching while the other end if a brush used for painting. A cap that not only protects either the brush and nib also functions as an extension to the stylus, so instead of painting with a stubby pen, the stylus feels more like a standard paintbrush.

Artist Hardware makes artists brushes — the traditional kind — so creating the Sensu isn’t totally out of left field for them. How they created the brush end is nifty.

According to Fast Co. Design, “They started the process with some of the same hair-based bristles that are used in their traditional brushes, and then they treated each strand with a nanotechnological coating to put the bristles in a conductive state.”

People who have used the Sensu says its resemblance to traditional brushes is remarkable.

What’s equally as remarkable is that the Sensu started as a KickStarter project. According to Core77.com, American Hardware asked for just $7,500 in fund but pulled in $65,823

Here arew two videos of the Sensu in action. One is a rather charming unscripted demonstration of how the stylus works. The other is much more slick.

 

  • Jennifer Wills says:

    I was a Kickstarter sponsor of the Sensu brush and have had mine now for about a month. I haven’t felt anything else quite like it on the iPad. It glides in such a nice way across the screen. I have been using it mostly in conjunction with a sketching app called SketchTime and am channeling my inner artist :)

    There are somethings that will disappoint the first time user. The brush itself doesn’t create pressure sensitivity. That is up to the app you are using to simulate pressure sensitivity based on speed (usually). Also there can be a slight delay as the brush makes first contact, again this seems to be app specific and not a function of the brush.

    But if you want to paint on your iPad this is a must have. Love it.

    -Jennifer

  • Anonymous says:

    This “stylus” brush looks amazing and I like the concept that it started as a Kickstarter project. I hope it works as well as it looks like it does.

  • >