Royz

Every time I need to draw a forest, I think about how to do it in the best way possible – quickly and beautifully, without hating everything around me. I look at how other artists do it. Some people do a strong stylization, which is cool, but it doesn’t fit what the customer expects from me, and it also requires practice. Some people take a photo of a forest and use the tone and color of different objects to draw their own on top, which gives a great mix and a feeling of a very realistic drawing, but it requires practice so that it doesn’t look unfinished. Some people simply use a lot of brushes for a more painterly forest or brushes – tree shapes. I have tried all these methods in the past. And the last couple of times I told myself – next time make trees in 3D.

I have already made various elements in 3D for my illustrations, mostly they were very rough models or megascans of bushes and grass for the foreground, which I rendered with a transparent background and put in Photoshop.

This time I had a very rough sketch from the customer of what they wanted to see in the end, so I decided to make a mini scene in Unreal 5, especially since megascans are now supposedly free there (at least it didn’t ask me for anything), and then find a good angle to draw the character there.

Since I was doing this for the first time, and in general quite rarely, my approach this time was most likely far from optimal. But I will take that into account next time 🙂

I found a bunch of references to beautifully lit forests, and, oddly enough, after a bunch of more or less boring photos, I googled “unreal forest” and that’s where it was all much “more fun”, even though it’s not very correct. I also found photos of individual elements, such as the road, stones by the road, pieces of rocks, in order to compose a convincing and interesting composition from them.

After the rough composition in Unreal was ready, I started playing with the light and fog, showing different options to the customer. I tried to add more fog so that after I added the character, it would be easier for me to combine the background and the drawn object in terms of detail. I also played with the camera focus, lenses, and bloom. The goal was roughly the same – to find a balance between the presence and absence of details, and to add a bit of magic to the whole background.

After rendering the background that everyone liked, I sketched out the character and how it would stand in the environment.

The customer said, “Okay, go ahead.” And then I thought that I was too lazy to try to match the tone and shades in the 3D scene, and I had already seen this approach before. So I created spheres of the colors I needed, to match the color of the future character, and rendered them too, so that I could later simply use the “eyedropper” to take a section corresponding to the angle and position of the section on the character. In theory, then it should be perfectly integrated into the environment, at least in terms of tone.

In the process of drawing, I shaded the area of the rock behind the character to make it stand out more with contrast. This required an unforeseen change in the tone of the rock. It would have been possible to render another sphere and see how the light and tone worked on it, but I decided that it would be faster to do it all by hand.

Later (or in parallel), I started to overpaint the background, especially the part that is closer to the viewer, so that it would not look so artificially 3D. I also wanted to make it more interesting and change it to fit the needs of the specific composition. I added shadows and light between the trees to give the drawing depth. I also added photos of bushes, branches, and leaves to the foreground, with or without overpainting. I overpainted the ones that were not very blurry in the foreground so that they would not stand out.

The character in the background was also added by hand later, although there are also horse models in Unreal.

This whole process could move forward and backward until I decided that the picture looked homogeneous enough and satisfied the customer.

You can find my portfolio here https://www.artstation.com/ilyar

Every time I need to draw a forest, I think about how to do it in the best way possible – quickly and beautifully, without hating everything around me. I look at how other artists do it. Some people do a strong stylization, which is cool, but it doesn’t fit what the customer expects from me, and it also requires practice. Some people take a photo of a forest and use the tone and color of different objects to draw their own on top, which gives a great mix and a feeling of a very realistic drawing, but it requires practice so that it doesn’t look unfinished. Some people simply use a lot of brushes for a more painterly forest or brushes – tree shapes. I have tried all these methods in the past. And the last couple of times I told myself – next time make trees in 3D.

I have already made various elements in 3D for my illustrations, mostly they were very rough models or megascans of bushes and grass for the foreground, which I rendered with a transparent background and put in Photoshop.

This time I had a very rough sketch from the customer of what they wanted to see in the end, so I decided to make a mini scene in Unreal 5, especially since megascans are now supposedly free there (at least it didn’t ask me for anything), and then find a good angle to draw the character there.

Since I was doing this for the first time, and in general quite rarely, my approach this time was most likely far from optimal. But I will take that into account next time 🙂

I found a bunch of references to beautifully lit forests, and, oddly enough, after a bunch of more or less boring photos, I googled “unreal forest” and that’s where it was all much “more fun”, even though it’s not very correct. I also found photos of individual elements, such as the road, stones by the road, pieces of rocks, in order to compose a convincing and interesting composition from them.

After the rough composition in Unreal was ready, I started playing with the light and fog, showing different options to the customer. I tried to add more fog so that after I added the character, it would be easier for me to combine the background and the drawn object in terms of detail. I also played with the camera focus, lenses, and bloom. The goal was roughly the same – to find a balance between the presence and absence of details, and to add a bit of magic to the whole background.

After rendering the background that everyone liked, I sketched out the character and how it would stand in the environment.

The customer said, “Okay, go ahead.” And then I thought that I was too lazy to try to match the tone and shades in the 3D scene, and I had already seen this approach before. So I created spheres of the colors I needed, to match the color of the future character, and rendered them too, so that I could later simply use the “eyedropper” to take a section corresponding to the angle and position of the section on the character. In theory, then it should be perfectly integrated into the environment, at least in terms of tone.

In the process of drawing, I shaded the area of the rock behind the character to make it stand out more with contrast. This required an unforeseen change in the tone of the rock. It would have been possible to render another sphere and see how the light and tone worked on it, but I decided that it would be faster to do it all by hand.

Later (or in parallel), I started to overpaint the background, especially the part that is closer to the viewer, so that it would not look so artificially 3D. I also wanted to make it more interesting and change it to fit the needs of the specific composition. I added shadows and light between the trees to give the drawing depth. I also added photos of bushes, branches, and leaves to the foreground, with or without overpainting. I overpainted the ones that were not very blurry in the foreground so that they would not stand out.

The character in the background was also added by hand later, although there are also horse models in Unreal.

This whole process could move forward and backward until I decided that the picture looked homogeneous enough and satisfied the customer.

You can find my portfolio here https://www.artstation.com/ilyar

During the last 10 years, before I found out about the Huion company, I used Wacom tablets, and my last one was “Intous pro L”. I have been trying different Huion tablets because they were much more affordable and still improved model by model.

The latest Huion Giano definitely has a “pro”-look to it.

Let’s start with the clean, serious, strict box design:

Inside it we can find everything we need: the tablet, a pen, a USB-A to USB-C cable and pen holder with additional nibs.

I like the size of the tablet and how well made it is. It has metal back and is comfortably heavy. It definitely feels very robust, high-quality and very well assembled.      

The design of this tablet caught my attention as soon as I first saw it on Huion’s website. I like that minimalistic style. I directly noticed that little status display – yes, glowing electronic gizmos!

The table has six buttons, but to be honest, until now I always used my keyboard instead of table buttons to stay more flexible and not need to adapt to new button layouts. But recently I found out that I can use these buttons to control music players, which is nice.

I was always looking for larger tablets because it gives you more control over lines. There is that rule: the larger your screen, the larger tablet you need, otherwise your brush will fly around like crazy. The working area of this one is 345.4 x 215.9mm.

The tablet has a matte surface. It’s very nice for drawing. But I would still buy an additional protection film from Huion or any other brand, otherwise pen nibs will wear out faster (my first one was done in 5 days) and the surface could get scratched over time. The matte buttons are located on a glossy, plastic strip which gets covered by fingerprints easily – I would prefer that part less shiny.

The device has built-in Bluetooth – useful for travel  when you work with your laptop and don’t have much space – on a hotel’s table for example. I tried it on a desktop PC too:  works good. No noticeable lag between pen movement and what I see on a screen. I don’t use the Bluetooth function usually, though.

The USB-c port is located on the top edge, which makes more sense than the side placement on previous models. The cable won’t annoy when working on a desktop (keyboard / mouse), nor will it take additional place when working on a laptop, But I would add a few ports on different sides so that it would be possible to use the side that is more comfortable, depending on the setup.

Charging via that port takes quite a lot of time compared to modern mobile phone fast-chargers – could be a downside for somebody needing to hurry in unusual places.

Setting everything up was very easy. The drivers seem universal for many tablet models (even though it’s not documented as such). I usually don’t upgrade my drivers without an actual reason, so I was pleasantly surprised that the tablet got recognized alongside other models and screen tablets that I used before. 

In the settings you’ll find everything you need. The settings are minimalistic and user friendly. I never had any problems with them. The driver is stable, which means: no loss of pen pressure sensitivity, no unexpected crashes etc. Good reviews in terms of reliability in both hardware and software were one of the reasons why I tried Huion for the first time in the past.

The Giano has an interval setting for going into sleep-mode. As I always keep the tablet connected with cable anyway, I’ve set it to “never”.

The essential pen sensitivity curve settings are present. In the latest versions they added some presets for it too. And you can have different configurations for different apps too. 

It’s possible to set custom actions or key-stroke-combination for inbuilt buttons and pen buttons.

In case of multiple displays there is a selection for the one you want to work on.

Huion’s 3.0 pen feels the same as the Wacom Intuos series: professional, no wobbling of nibs inside the pen. That’s an improvement to the cheapest models.

Lines can be drawn on this tablet precisely and accurately. I don’t have any complaints about line stability neither on this device nor any other Huion’s tablets. 

The small status LCD screen looks fun, but it will be useful only for those who use the Bluetooth connection. In other cases it doesn’t play much of a role or maybe will even annoy some people (but, as mentioned, you can adjust its brightness)

Every 40 minutes or so you’ll see a message on your monitor that you should stand up / get rest from sitting, which is also indicated by a standing human icon on the status LCD screen. For me it looked more fun on promotional pictures, but in real life, especially with a cable connection, you don’t need and probably won’t use the screen.    

Overall, I would say that working on this tablet is a pleasure and I would definitely recommend this tablet to those who use large screens or just like large tablets.

I did a lot of work on it, both 2d and 3d. And if I would lose it tomorrow for any reason, I would just buy the same. 

During the last 10 years, before I found out about the Huion company, I used Wacom tablets, and my last one was “Intous pro L”. I have been trying different Huion tablets because they were much more affordable and still improved model by model.

The latest Huion Giano definitely has a “pro”-look to it.

Let’s start with the clean, serious, strict box design:

Inside it we can find everything we need: the tablet, a pen, a USB-A to USB-C cable and pen holder with additional nibs.

I like the size of the tablet and how well made it is. It has metal back and is comfortably heavy. It definitely feels very robust, high-quality and very well assembled.      

The design of this tablet caught my attention as soon as I first saw it on Huion’s website. I like that minimalistic style. I directly noticed that little status display – yes, glowing electronic gizmos!

The table has six buttons, but to be honest, until now I always used my keyboard instead of table buttons to stay more flexible and not need to adapt to new button layouts. But recently I found out that I can use these buttons to control music players, which is nice.

I was always looking for larger tablets because it gives you more control over lines. There is that rule: the larger your screen, the larger tablet you need, otherwise your brush will fly around like crazy. The working area of this one is 345.4 x 215.9mm.

The tablet has a matte surface. It’s very nice for drawing. But I would still buy an additional protection film from Huion or any other brand, otherwise pen nibs will wear out faster (my first one was done in 5 days) and the surface could get scratched over time. The matte buttons are located on a glossy, plastic strip which gets covered by fingerprints easily – I would prefer that part less shiny.

The device has built-in Bluetooth – useful for travel  when you work with your laptop and don’t have much space – on a hotel’s table for example. I tried it on a desktop PC too:  works good. No noticeable lag between pen movement and what I see on a screen. I don’t use the Bluetooth function usually, though.

The USB-c port is located on the top edge, which makes more sense than the side placement on previous models. The cable won’t annoy when working on a desktop (keyboard / mouse), nor will it take additional place when working on a laptop, But I would add a few ports on different sides so that it would be possible to use the side that is more comfortable, depending on the setup.

Charging via that port takes quite a lot of time compared to modern mobile phone fast-chargers – could be a downside for somebody needing to hurry in unusual places.

Setting everything up was very easy. The drivers seem universal for many tablet models (even though it’s not documented as such). I usually don’t upgrade my drivers without an actual reason, so I was pleasantly surprised that the tablet got recognized alongside other models and screen tablets that I used before. 

In the settings you’ll find everything you need. The settings are minimalistic and user friendly. I never had any problems with them. The driver is stable, which means: no loss of pen pressure sensitivity, no unexpected crashes etc. Good reviews in terms of reliability in both hardware and software were one of the reasons why I tried Huion for the first time in the past.

The Giano has an interval setting for going into sleep-mode. As I always keep the tablet connected with cable anyway, I’ve set it to “never”.

The essential pen sensitivity curve settings are present. In the latest versions they added some presets for it too. And you can have different configurations for different apps too. 

It’s possible to set custom actions or key-stroke-combination for inbuilt buttons and pen buttons.

In case of multiple displays there is a selection for the one you want to work on.

Huion’s 3.0 pen feels the same as the Wacom Intuos series: professional, no wobbling of nibs inside the pen. That’s an improvement to the cheapest models.

Lines can be drawn on this tablet precisely and accurately. I don’t have any complaints about line stability neither on this device nor any other Huion’s tablets. 

The small status LCD screen looks fun, but it will be useful only for those who use the Bluetooth connection. In other cases it doesn’t play much of a role or maybe will even annoy some people (but, as mentioned, you can adjust its brightness)

Every 40 minutes or so you’ll see a message on your monitor that you should stand up / get rest from sitting, which is also indicated by a standing human icon on the status LCD screen. For me it looked more fun on promotional pictures, but in real life, especially with a cable connection, you don’t need and probably won’t use the screen.    

Overall, I would say that working on this tablet is a pleasure and I would definitely recommend this tablet to those who use large screens or just like large tablets.

I did a lot of work on it, both 2d and 3d. And if I would lose it tomorrow for any reason, I would just buy the same. 

I used to have a Kamvas 16, a long time ago, when they first came out. And to be honest, I only used it like a regular graphics tablet, looking at the monitor. Or at best, for references.

The color range didn’t match what you’d see on a good monitor. The resolution was low, and most of the workspace was covered by interface elements.

Some engineering decisions — and likely design flaws — were really frustrating. For example, when using the USB-C connection, the tablet would overheat after a while, and the image would start flickering.

After that, I went back to regular screenless Huion tablets. But ever since they released the Version 3 and 4 pens, I got curious to try a display tablet again. It could offer more mobility when traveling with a laptop — one monitor for references, one for drawing. Plus, I wanted the option to work not only at a desk, since sometimes my back hurts. It would be nice to sketch while lying in bed 🙂

The best option would’ve been the Kamvas Studio 16 — a standalone computer-monitor. But it’s way too expensive, and its specs don’t satisfy me. Honestly, I have a lot of small complaints about Huion’s engineers and marketers.

So I chose the Kamvas 19 Pro.
I’ll be brief:
This is a completely different class of device. The image and pen responsiveness are excellent. Yes, it takes some getting used to after a regular tablet, but it’s still one of the best pen displays I’ve ever used (and I once had a Cintiq 32).

Honestly, there’s no real need for 4K. You won’t notice any difference compared to 2K, but it likely drives up the price a lot.

What bothers me the most is the placement and number of USB-C ports. They’re all on the right side. For this price, they really should’ve added duplicates on the left and maybe the top — so I could choose what’s more convenient, or have a backup if one port fails.

I’d also like to see a 3-in-1 cable with a DisplayPort output instead of HDMI — as an optional accessory. Most modern GPUs have 3 DisplayPorts and only one HDMI, which might already be in use.

I also enjoy the touch functionality — and to my surprise, I actually use it.

One downside is the lack of a factory-applied screen protector. Yes, there’s a special coating, but trust me, if you work on it all day every day, you’ll quickly see smudges, and accidental scratches are always a risk.

And the eraser on both included pens is completely unnecessary. It’s not made of the same material as the main nib, and honestly, it’s kind of scary — I’m not sure it won’t scratch the screen. Plus, it sometimes triggers accidentally, sending the cursor flying to another screen just because your hand is near the display.

 

I used to have a Kamvas 16, a long time ago, when they first came out. And to be honest, I only used it like a regular graphics tablet, looking at the monitor. Or at best, for references.

The color range didn’t match what you’d see on a good monitor. The resolution was low, and most of the workspace was covered by interface elements.

Some engineering decisions — and likely design flaws — were really frustrating. For example, when using the USB-C connection, the tablet would overheat after a while, and the image would start flickering.

After that, I went back to regular screenless Huion tablets. But ever since they released the Version 3 and 4 pens, I got curious to try a display tablet again. It could offer more mobility when traveling with a laptop — one monitor for references, one for drawing. Plus, I wanted the option to work not only at a desk, since sometimes my back hurts. It would be nice to sketch while lying in bed 🙂

The best option would’ve been the Kamvas Studio 16 — a standalone computer-monitor. But it’s way too expensive, and its specs don’t satisfy me. Honestly, I have a lot of small complaints about Huion’s engineers and marketers.

So I chose the Kamvas 19 Pro.
I’ll be brief:
This is a completely different class of device. The image and pen responsiveness are excellent. Yes, it takes some getting used to after a regular tablet, but it’s still one of the best pen displays I’ve ever used (and I once had a Cintiq 32).

Honestly, there’s no real need for 4K. You won’t notice any difference compared to 2K, but it likely drives up the price a lot.

What bothers me the most is the placement and number of USB-C ports. They’re all on the right side. For this price, they really should’ve added duplicates on the left and maybe the top — so I could choose what’s more convenient, or have a backup if one port fails.

I’d also like to see a 3-in-1 cable with a DisplayPort output instead of HDMI — as an optional accessory. Most modern GPUs have 3 DisplayPorts and only one HDMI, which might already be in use.

I also enjoy the touch functionality — and to my surprise, I actually use it.

One downside is the lack of a factory-applied screen protector. Yes, there’s a special coating, but trust me, if you work on it all day every day, you’ll quickly see smudges, and accidental scratches are always a risk.

And the eraser on both included pens is completely unnecessary. It’s not made of the same material as the main nib, and honestly, it’s kind of scary — I’m not sure it won’t scratch the screen. Plus, it sometimes triggers accidentally, sending the cursor flying to another screen just because your hand is near the display.

 

A Hands-On Review of the Huion Inspiroy H610X Tablet

Thanks to Huion’s generous New Year raffle, I received the Inspiroy H610X tablet—a delightful upgrade from my previous HS64. As someone who often works on the go, I initially used the compact HS64 paired with my laptop, which served me well due to its portability and compatibility with smaller screens. However, the H610X has proven to be a substantial step forward in both functionality and design.

First Impressions and Build Quality

The Inspiroy H610X immediately feels solid and well-built, exuding a level of craftsmanship that rivals premium tablets like the Wacom Intuos Pro, which I previously owned. The larger size fits comfortably in hand, making it a joy to use. I couldn’t resist putting it to work right away, especially since I had a live drawing session during a conference call—an excellent test of its real-world performance.

Seamless Driver Integration

One of Huion’s standout features is its unified driver system, which works seamlessly across their range of tablets (within the same series). This approach simplifies setup and ensures stable performance—a significant advantage for professionals who value reliability.

Design and Features

The tablet’s minimalistic and professional design is another highlight. Personally, I prefer tablets without wheels or other features that can interfere during use. This straightforward design ensures a distraction-free workflow.

The switch from a mini-USB port on the HS64 to a USB-C connection on the H610X is a welcome improvement. USB-C is not only easier to find but also more versatile. However, a small suggestion for Huion’s engineers: consider adding USB-C ports on multiple sides of the tablet (left, right, and top). This flexibility would enhance user comfort, as cable positioning can vary depending on your workspace setup.

Surface and Pen Performance

The tablet’s surface offers a pleasant drawing experience, though I always apply a glossy protective film, making the surface texture less critical for me. The PW550S pen I used with other Huion models feels slightly more refined compared to the pen included with the H610X. While the H610X pen is functional, it feels less stable and comfortable for detailed work. It’s worth noting that the PW550S pen is not compatible with the H610X, which may be disappointing for users accustomed to using multiple Huion devices.

Future Aspirations

Looking ahead, I’m eager to explore Huion’s larger screen tablets, such as the 19-inch models or the Kamvas Studio 16. It will be interesting to see how these devices perform for 3D work and whether they can match the portability I require for travel.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Huion Inspiroy H610X is a fantastic tablet, offering excellent build quality, reliable performance, and thoughtful design choices. While there’s room for minor improvements, such as pen consistency and additional USB-C ports, these are far outweighed by the tablet’s strengths.

Once again, thank you to Huion for this wonderful New Year gift!

 

A Hands-On Review of the Huion Inspiroy H610X Tablet

Thanks to Huion’s generous New Year raffle, I received the Inspiroy H610X tablet—a delightful upgrade from my previous HS64. As someone who often works on the go, I initially used the compact HS64 paired with my laptop, which served me well due to its portability and compatibility with smaller screens. However, the H610X has proven to be a substantial step forward in both functionality and design.

First Impressions and Build Quality

The Inspiroy H610X immediately feels solid and well-built, exuding a level of craftsmanship that rivals premium tablets like the Wacom Intuos Pro, which I previously owned. The larger size fits comfortably in hand, making it a joy to use. I couldn’t resist putting it to work right away, especially since I had a live drawing session during a conference call—an excellent test of its real-world performance.

Seamless Driver Integration

One of Huion’s standout features is its unified driver system, which works seamlessly across their range of tablets (within the same series). This approach simplifies setup and ensures stable performance—a significant advantage for professionals who value reliability.

Design and Features

The tablet’s minimalistic and professional design is another highlight. Personally, I prefer tablets without wheels or other features that can interfere during use. This straightforward design ensures a distraction-free workflow.

The switch from a mini-USB port on the HS64 to a USB-C connection on the H610X is a welcome improvement. USB-C is not only easier to find but also more versatile. However, a small suggestion for Huion’s engineers: consider adding USB-C ports on multiple sides of the tablet (left, right, and top). This flexibility would enhance user comfort, as cable positioning can vary depending on your workspace setup.

Surface and Pen Performance

The tablet’s surface offers a pleasant drawing experience, though I always apply a glossy protective film, making the surface texture less critical for me. The PW550S pen I used with other Huion models feels slightly more refined compared to the pen included with the H610X. While the H610X pen is functional, it feels less stable and comfortable for detailed work. It’s worth noting that the PW550S pen is not compatible with the H610X, which may be disappointing for users accustomed to using multiple Huion devices.

Future Aspirations

Looking ahead, I’m eager to explore Huion’s larger screen tablets, such as the 19-inch models or the Kamvas Studio 16. It will be interesting to see how these devices perform for 3D work and whether they can match the portability I require for travel.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Huion Inspiroy H610X is a fantastic tablet, offering excellent build quality, reliable performance, and thoughtful design choices. While there’s room for minor improvements, such as pen consistency and additional USB-C ports, these are far outweighed by the tablet’s strengths.

Once again, thank you to Huion for this wonderful New Year gift!