The Apple 9.7" iPad Pro with Apple Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil Kit
I had gotten a full art scholarship to Cooper Union, and when I moved to a studio in New York City, my parents told me I could pick anything I wanted for college. The only thing was I wasn’t sure what I wanted.
Since I was young, I always wanted to be able to ride my bicycle around the city and sketch people that walked by, or do still lives of the monuments and changing seasons in Central Park. I have a tendency to get very whimsical, but the salesman at B & H, who knew my dad, seemed to understand exactly what I really needed and we ended up going home with an Apple 9.7" iPad Pro with Apple Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil Kit.

I’ve only had this set up for about a month, and it’s amazing how much I’ve gotten accomplished. It’s been very freeing. Usually, I have a desktop, and a WACOM tablet, so I’m usually stuck inside at my desk whenever I need to draw, or edit something digitally.
If I want to do sketches of landscapes or still life from outside, I normally had to take a paper block and scan the sheets in with a flatbed scanner afterward. With the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, I save an insane amount of time. I’m able to sketch wherever I want, so I don’t need the scanner, and I can digitally edit the work afterward on my iPad as well.
The 9.7” retina display is small enough that I can fit it into the carry on of my bike with the rest of the devices and large enough that I can still use it to draw. With the built-in camera, I can take 12-megapixel pictures and HD videos. Using the with the Smart Keyboard and built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi connection, I’m able to sit at a coffee shop and Skype with friends, read my favorite articles or answer emails.
B&H Photo’s live chat was super helpful in getting me started. They taught me about all about how to make the most of the display, and how palm-rejection technology work. They also walked me through how to pair my Apple Pencil with my iPad, as well as show me all the art apps I could use to edit my work like One Note and ProCreate.
Also, if you need Microsoft Office the entire suite is in the App Store and is free to download. The only thing I can suggest is if you’re going to invest in these products that you purchase all the Apple Care warranties on each device. Apple products aren’t cheap, and even though it costs more at the time of purchase, the Apple Care has helped me whenever I had hardware issues, and I’m confident that my gift is going to last longer.
Now, thanks to B&H I have the freedom to move around the city, I’m outside every day, feeling healthier, and creating new art even faster and more efficiently than before!
