Ever since I saw one of the first draw-right-on-the-screen tablets, I've been drooling for one, but knew I'd likely never get one because of their cost. The first type I got to see was one an illustrator was using for his work on some article or book on dinosaurs that I'd spotted at a local coffee shop. I had to surreptitiously stare at this marvel over his shoulder, making conversation difficult with the buddy I was out for chai with... LOL His wasn't a Cintiq, or even a Wacom, as far as I knew, but something similar- it had two screens, one in the keyboard area that he drew on and the monitor- at least that's how I remember the thing. It was big, too- I think the monitor screen was a 12" inch flat-screen. Otherwise, it seemed to be a laptop.

But, I drooled over what this guy was doing with it (he was really good) and I so wanted one.

Back to the present: when I heard there was an actual drawing-tablet screen thingy of ginormous size and sparkleness, I wanted to see it. When I did, *eyes get BIG*... More of that usually fruitless "DO WANT" from me.

Cue  kanis, the amazing God of electronics. >^___^< This guy is more than a Geek Squad all to himself, he's an entire fabrication facility!

He, wonderful dragon, found out that you could alter an older-model Intuos to work like a Cintiq! Ok, that's awesome enough. He looks up more info, finds a few tutorials (which were frankly ass), but now he knew it could be done, as he saw finished projects. He decides he's going to surprise me by building one of these wonders. O___O

Now, I didn't know word one about what was up (I guessed, much later, because of some stuff I'd seen, despite my trying NOT to), just that he'd pulled out my trellis-table and unfolded it for a work-surface, and cordoned off a portion of our living-room with sheets so I couldn't see into his "secret laboratory". I worried that the plants trapped in there with him would suffer horrific traumas or sad fates from being in there with this madman. That, and I couldn't go in there to water them. =^^= Diva got to explore in there, though, but she kept mum on what she saw, the evil wench-kitten. Soon, boxes of stuff were going in there, tools, lamps, the vacuum-cleaner and all kinds of other stuff. Soon, noises were issuing from the space, lights, flashes, power saws (O___o) drilling and the, by now expected, occasional mad laughter. OK, I made that part up.

What was going on in there?

For weeks, he's crafting something that I was beginning to suspect was some sort of patchworked creature worthy of the best fifties B-movies. Other noises issued from the "lab"- more drilling, what sounded like computers booting up and so on.

I was getting twitchier by the day as Christmas loomed ever closer. The urge to sneak a look behind that barrier was getting to be a bit much, but I held firm- I would wait until he showed me his project. I had the willpower bestowed upon me by Wellbutrin and Valproic acid! So, to distract myself from possible ruining of his accomplishment's impact, I told myself, "self? Let's concentrate on art for FC, shall we? Yeah, let's do that". I did a LOT of art... I got a late start because of the depression problem, but I got it all done. In a month. Spending days up until the wee hours, working. And, liking it. O___o

He often came out of the "Lab" tired, dusty and sometimes grumpy when things don't go quite as planned. I massage his back, or do a little gentle chiropractic stuff to ease the cramping he was suffering from hunching over whatever he had on the slab in there. His poor spine sounded like Rice Krispies...

More boxes arrive at our door to be sucked into the green void-space of the sheet Universe....

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Finally, the Big Day where I get to find out what monster of Epicness he'd been working on since Thanksgiving.

I'd been eyeing the plain, beat up, unembellished cardboard box since the night before, when he put it under his parent's tree. No wrapping, a single pearly white ribbon bow, not even my name on it. But, there was a big-ass green arrow pointing up, and we all knew who it was for.

I made a point of saving it for last- or did Kani ask that it be opened last? I don't know. I open all the other presents from the family and my mate- lovely, fun, cute and useful gifts, all. Each year, I think my favourites are the cool socks his mother keeps finding for me and the little display thingies I can use for showing off my work in photos or at craft-shows..

Then, *cue ominous, but cheesy, music*, all eyes lock on the Big Box Of Doooom.

I'm a reserved critter more often than people realize, so it might not be obvious that I was excited as heck, wondering what Kani had perpetrated, here. When I see something neat, adorable, or just cool, I'll squeal and be totally silly. But, when folks give me gifts, I clam up, not knowing how I should react. Instead of happy bounding around, they'll get a huge grin from me, maybe hugs and a quiet "wow, this is so cool..."

Poor Kani, he thought I wasn't as excited as he was hoping for. Little did he know! LOL I made up for it with pretty much being all chirpy for the rest of the day, 'cuz I wanted to play with the thing!

So, I open the box...

Oh, this... This... Is effing AWESOME. A big, black-grey tablet-looking thing, with "Wacom" emblazoned across the bottom of the case, a lovely flat-screen LCD monitor embedded in it, little rough-edged bits of plastic where he'd cut away the original drawing surface to put it there. He'd cobbled together an Intuos 3 and a flat-screen so I could draw on it, just like the Cintiq I've been wanting. *faints*

I'm writing on it, now, 'cuz it can still be used as a regular monitor. Squeeeeeee! LOL I've already played around with it, editing my latest art-post on it and doodled on something Kani had left on the screen for me to see when it booted up ("It's very dark in here" on a black page. *giggle*.

He later refined his work (he hadn't had quite enough time to finish it and polish it up), so now the edges of the remaining surround about the screen are smoothly bevelled, perfectly squared off, precisely measured to just cover the very edges of the limits of the screen, nothing's hanging out or "jury-rigged" in appearance- the damned beast looks like it came out of the box like this (he was that careful with his soldering, fabrication and assembly)! The only indicator for me that it wasn't brand-new, were the wear-marks from the artist who previously had it. S/he was a lefty, like me.

Oh, and for anyone interested in trying something like this, he's put together a build-log of the whole project, step-by-step, with as much detail as he could manage. Lots of photos of the items he used in it's construction, the extra parts he'd needed to buy to make things all shake hands nicely, even mentions his mistakes that could have ruined the entire thing as a warning to others to be careful because there are a fuckton of delicate little parts you need to protect during the fabrication-process: http://forum.bongofish.co.uk/index......p?topic=2052.0








 kanis calls his creation a "Dracotiq", but I think I'll name it "Frankie" *pet pets her patchwork monster tablet*