Sensu, an iPad Brush

Here’s a Kickstarter project that made me look: The team behind Sensu is trying to bring a true painting experience to your iPad.

They developed Sensu out of their desire to have an authentic brush to use with our favorite drawing and painting apps on iPhone and iPad. And smart: When closed the Sensu brush reveals a useful rubber stylus tip.

Cool idea, no?

14 Comments leave a comment below

  1. fantastic product! makes me wish i had an iPad!

  2. How many thousands of dollars is going to be invested into recreating something as basic as water, pigment, and paper? Thousands of dollars!!! Yet we’re cutting art programs in public schools.

    This. Is. Stupid.

  3. So they’ve invented….a paint brush? And now they want money from people to make and sell…a paintbrush? For use with an electronic device…? I’m sorry, this is ridiculous! If you want to use a paintbrush, how about you go to the store and just buy…a paintbrush!

  4. Cool. This looks and feels better than Nomad brush, which is what I have been using. To check out my iPad work visit iPops.com :)

  5. Wow some people sure sound rather bitter here.

    I disagree with calling this ridiculous- people are able to travel to the store and buy paints and paintbrushes and do some home painting but for those who want the convenience to do so with their existing ipad this is a great contraption!

    There are plenty of good reasons, but using some of these arguments I can equally say “why bother spending money on ipad to text when you can spend a few cents to mail out a letter” …I’m tempted to add a “hurr durr” but that will only hurt everyone.

  6. very very nice.

  7. Very cool. Wonder if it is better than the nomad brush.
    http://www.nomadbrush.com/

  8. I think it is great!

    Do you suppose they could make a range of Windsor Newton Series 7 Brushes??? ; )

  9. There’s another more pen-like design on IndieGoGo called the x-Stylus.

    http://igg.me/p/37866?a=19663&i=shlk

    It has a nice magnet that keeps the pen attached to the iPad. Since it’s not on Kickstarter though, it’s hasn’t received the same love

  10. Jenny,
    There is a big difference between painting on an ipad and painting on canvas, board, paper etc. There are so many painting and art supplies you can buy that are very portable.

    People seem to have convinced themselves that every new tech gadget is 100% necessary but it isn’t. Gadgets can be fun toys but we get very caught up in these things.

    And yes people should do more letter writing and less texting. Our ability to communicate has become rather limited and lacking. It is such a great gift these days to get a letter or even a postcard from a friend in the mail. Texting has its place (I certainly find it handy) but I don’t think it should be the main form of communication between people.

  11. Lisa,
    This is only a small step in the process of aligning our analog world with the digital world. The point is that sometime in the near future, we will ALL equally have the ability to create the most wonderful art using technology because we are creating tools that align with the human thought process. (so the thousands of dollars in recreating what we already use but digitally) Machines that help us vs us trying to think like machines to use them.

    Art supplies are very expensive and right now, creating professional art is only for the people that can afford it. In the future, a person can buy an ipad and have the same resources at their disposal without having to buy all the different colors of paints, the varnish, the cleaner, the ventilation system, the canvas…

    At the moment it seems like a toy because it’s not at the same level of utility and the technology is still clunky. This brush for instance, doesn’t seem be overly sensitive to pressure differences. But just wait and see.

    The point is… once we replicate what we know on the machines, we can make the process even better. But the first step is to replicate.

  12. @ Bill, maybe if we’re lucky the art programs in the schools will all of a sudden become necessary again when the powers that be think it’s a new idea!

  13. I remember when Apple way back in the early 80’s released their first color computer with a tablet digitizer. They were very expensive and did very little. Now look what Wacom has done. When you and your kids watch the next Pixar movie, you can bet it was designed with this bad boy.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJThJWwE_U8

    This technology is not intended to completely replace traditional art medias. It is a different way to express your creativity. A big advantage to digital art tools is you can do things you cant do in the real world. For example, Digitally I can paint water colours on top of oil paints. Then follow that with ink. You cant do that in the real world very easily if at all with successful results. I know, I have worked in all medias both traditional and digital for over 32 years.

    Something to think about. During the time of Van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, etc.. It was looked down upon, even frowned and severely criticized if you, the artist, did not make your own paints, and brushes. To buy premade brushes and paints was just ridiculous, to quote one of the comments posted here. Now in 2012 how many artist actually know how to make their own tools, and paints? Does any one think twice now about buying these items premade?

    One of posts talked about digital portability and another about portable traditional art supplies. Well on an airplane I can take my Ipad 3 with pressure sensitive stylus, and digital brush and sketch ideas, be productive while I’m traveling to my destination. Your paints wont make it past security, because of the liquid restrictions, and other cary on restrictions now in place. Also Im pretty sure the air lines don’t want wet paint media bouncing around inside their cabins. I could give several more example but we don’t need to keep beating the dead horse.

    Digital media will continue to develop, just like that first apple computer did. So relax, sit back and enjoy the ride. The technology your grand kids or great grand kids will have in the palm of their hands will surly put a smile on your face. I know when I look back at that first digitizer and now at Wacom’s tablets, I scratch my head, and smile because I was there at the beginning…

  14. Here is the above link but in English. Enjoy. :o)