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Disney animators use iPad Pro to sketch characters such as Mickey and Olaf

Screen Shot 2015-10-06 at 6.43.31 PM

Just a short while after the Pixar development team got their hands on the iPad Pro and praised the device’s palm rejection, Disney’s design team spent the day testing Apple’s latest tablet. Disney’s team of designers used the iPad Pro to sketch a variety of different characters from Disney classics, including Olaf from Frozen and Mickey Mouse.

The testing seemingly went well for Disney. “Let’s order a bunch,” product manager Paul Hildebrandt said at the end of a Periscope stream showcasing the device. In a separate Periscope steam, Disney animators Jeff Ranjo and Jeremy Spears used the iPad Pro to draw caricatures of each other. You can view the replay of that process at the links below.

Disney’s team of designers tested the iPad Pro with illustration apps like Pro Create and FiftyThree’s popular Paper, both of which have already been optimized for the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.

Below you can see a trio of images of Disney’s designers sketching characters like Olaf from Frozen, Mickey Mouse, and a Tiki man. You can view a replay of Product Manager Paul Hildebrandt testing the device on Periscope here and animators Jeff Ranjo and Jeremy Spears drawing caricatures of each other here and here.

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Comments

  1. Thomas Yoon - 8 years ago

    Very cool, makes me more excited to start designing stuff on it when it comes out.

    • Ali Hamodi - 8 years ago

      I am just curious about why won’t you buy a surface pro4 instead?

      • Thomas Yoon - 8 years ago

        Man, you’re really pushing the Surface in these topics, aren’t you? I won’t buy it because I bought the Surface Pro 2 and did not enjoy it one bit. I didn’t even mind the bulky weight, but it proved to me that desktop OS were not meant to be tried to be shoved into tablets. I have a MacBook Pro for OS X, I want an iPad that gives me enough flexibility in the apps that are actually optimized for the OS.

        There are other benefits too, of course. iOS was built to connect directly with OS X, so benefits like AirDrop, AirPlay, iCloud, Handoff, Continuity and more are prevalent with an iPad. I’ll never forget that Microsoft Support is beyond awful when the time comes to deal with that either.

        My Microsoft days are past for now. I used them for 13 years, and I’m quite happy with how Apple’s doing most things. Maybe Microsoft will do something really extraordinary that Apple doesn’t, and then I’ll try it out again.

      • flaviosuave - 8 years ago

        Because he wants an iPad Pro, and not a Surface Pro4. Duh.

      • mytawalbeh - 8 years ago

        WOOOOW !!

      • mytawalbeh - 8 years ago

        I am just curious about following an Apple Hater to website dedicated for apple news, and commenting always negatively no matter what the product is !!

      • Paul Andrew Dixon - 8 years ago

        because the surface pro 4 has an identity crisis – it doesnt know if it is a laptop or a tablet…and the entry Surface 4 ‘pro’ isnt really a pro because it uses the m series chip…so instead you have to go the next model up which then puts you above the price of ipad pro — the surface is mostly built around windows as a PC machine and is more office base with added media function… the ipad pro is specifically create with artists and media people in mind — there is no identity crisis with the ipad pro…
        The ipad pro claims to be a tablet that has an optional keyboard and pencil that can be bought to help you be more productive…
        The SP4 claims to replace your laptop – but in order to do that you will need to buy the keyboard, buy the mouse (cos the track pad is crap), buy the docking station to add the additional ports found on an actual laptop… in the end you end up spending a lot more than you would on a premium laptop…you end up spending more than you would on a macbook pro…so unless you buy these extra things for the SP4 you just end up with a very expensive tablet that can do some things a laptop can do but with limitation because you are lacking the accessories…

        Microsofts real hybrid is the SurfaceBook – but you can buy 2 ipad pros for that price, or a macbook pro 15″, or a macbook and a mac mini !!!

        For office and maybe architects, SP4 will be a likely choice – but for artists, designers, musicians, ipad is a better choice.

        Let’s not forget that Microsoft have release the SP1, 2, 3 and now 4 — they’re still struggling, sales have increased, but they are still struggling – it’s just too expensive for what it is… if they took off $200-300 then they’d get more interest…
        Apple can have the higher prices because people know what they are getting with Apple, they get a stronger build, better support, in store help, it last longer — plus the apple OS is more secure that Windows…

        So i guess, this being a site about macs, we should be asking you – why wont you buy an ipad pro instead? — if you dont want to, fine, but this is about mac stuff – so in general, people on this site like apple stuff…some love apple…

      • Ali Hamodi - 8 years ago

        Easy guys I was just asking! I follow this website because I love Apple (and Microsoft and google). If I didn’t like an Apple product doesn’t mean I don’t like all Apple. I love my iPhone 6 and my note 5. I love my macbook pro and my surface pro 3. I had an issue with my macbook retina display mid 2012 and after 2 years I got its screen replaced free of charge and this is a great customer service. I sold it it and bought the rmbp mid 2015 upgraded to 2.8 core i7 and now have a screen flickering issue and planning to visit apple soon to get it fixed. I also got my surface pro 3 touch screen issue replaced even with it being out of warranty for 2 months. I don’t think that you really know how Microsoft now is just like Apple now in almost every prospective.

      • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

        Is Microsoft paying you to post comments?

      • Thomas Yoon - 8 years ago

        @Ali: I don’t mind your opinion, to be honest. Hopefully nobody’s passing remarks because of you personally liking the SP4. You were just pushing it at people a lot in the other topic and it was getting a bit irritating, like a preacher pushing a religion onto someone who’s not interested.

        Let’s all buy what we want and like it. CAPITALISM!

      • Ali Hamodi - 8 years ago

        @ Thomas Yoon
        I was just expressing my opinion in the other subject, people then attacked my opinion.

      • Ali Hamodi - 8 years ago

        But I agree with you :)

      • mytawalbeh - 8 years ago

        If you are really unbiased nobody would’ve attacked you.

      • Ali Hamodi - 8 years ago

        Owning mac, surface, iphone, and note 5 is a simple indication of being unbiased.

      • mytawalbeh - 8 years ago

        Owing things isn’t indication at all, telling the truth is.
        “pushing it at people a lot, it is getting a bit irritating”

      • Ace Connell - 8 years ago

        I’m an Apple fan. I was a professional musician for 10 years and am now working as a professional illustrator, so the Apple architecture has always seemed the most friendly for me. I’ve not touched a Windows computer in 10 or 11 years, but the Surface Pro 4 did look intriguing to me… until I saw these Periscope videos.

        Directly comparing the Windows tablet to an iOS based one purely on processors, RAM and whatnot is a little bit asinine because they work in completely different ways. To me, I need something I can complete professional illustration on when I’m away from my Mac and my Cintiq. There are so many people beating the ‘Surface Pro runs full Photoshop’ argument to death, but although Photoshop is the industry standard, it’s very bloated software. There are apps like Procreate that are tailored to illustration instead of a photo editing app that you can also digital paint in. Photoshop still has it’s place and will be the industry standard for a while and I still use it, but for me, Procreate and the such will be able to do everything I want, bar huge advertising prints that I very rarely have to do anyway.

        To me, as an artist, the MOST important thing is feel. Honestly, Wacom haven’t even nailed this yet. Even with the different nibs, they are yet to convincingly nail the drag you feel with pencil on paper. It always feels like plastic on glass. From what I’ve heard off people I know that have used the iPad Pro is that it has drag and feels natural. If that’s true, it’s a no-brainer for me.

        Every Surface Pro my friends own that I’ve sketched on just felt awful. The pens felt cheap and the feel was just slippy and not very accurate. Granted, I’ve not used the Surface Pro 4 and the interchangeable nibs may take a difference, but people I trust have said the iPad feels great and that’s good enough for me.

        The biggest telling sign for me so far though is that the iPad Pro promo videos seemed to be tailored towards feel and drawing and the Surface Pro briefly mentioned sketching but was more focused on handwriting. Apple were working directly with Procreate (the app that was used for most of the promo video) and Adobe. I think the new guy they had presenting for Microsoft was awesome and was one of the most down to earth conferences I’ve seen in a while.

        Granted, everything I’ve said is selfish and tailored towards me, but that’s all I’m interested in as a consumer haha.

        I’m sure someone else who’s more in the professional world of business can comment on which would be best for them, but honestly, the Surface Pro and the Surface Book or whatever it was called did impress me and as a Apple power user, I do think the Surface Pro are great products and will probably be better for other industries.

        Ace

      • PMZanetti - 8 years ago

        Hahha that’s easy…why would ANYONE. It’s a pile of shit, that ships with a pile of shit OS. Windows is ages behind iOS in terms of common sense usability and reliability.

      • onuttz - 8 years ago

        I agree Ali, that you should certainly feel free to express your personal preferences. But
        I am just curious about why would you buy a surface pro4 ?

  2. metalhaze - 8 years ago

    NO VIDEO??!

    • thisisasticup - 8 years ago

      click the links, genius

    • PhilBoogie - 8 years ago

      The link to a video is in the article. However, it’s a total shit video, shot in portrait, with no regard for quality in audio, focus and narration. Utterly useless video. The person filming shouldn’t have shared this.

  3. davidt4n - 8 years ago

    I still think that the iPad Pro should be called iPad Plus. And current iPad Air should just equip with the same hardware like the A9X chip. The productivity compartment should just leave to the MacBook side either they wanna make the Mac touch enable or anyway they want. When the Intel are more mature in years to come just like the Surface Pro 4, it’s will make the whole Apple custom A processors look obsolete in the category of Pro.

    • avalonharmon - 8 years ago

      Seeing how apple has only been making chips since 2007 and intel has been making chips since the 1970’s, and apple chips have been making a greater stride chip by chip then the intel chips have. I think your projection on chip development maybe a little off here.

    • Jeff Harmon (@jahartis) - 8 years ago

      I dont think that will be the case, by just analyzing the chip development over the last 6 years. Apple has been making there own chips since 2007 and Intel has been making chips since the 1970’s. And by sheer comparison the development of Apple A chip has been more significant, I think the projection is actually going to be opposite of what you believe but that’s just my opinion.

  4. Steve Eason - 8 years ago

    One thing that I haven’t seen mentioned around the new Surface Book, is the delay between the pen and screen. Apple was extremely focused on eliminating that lag between the devices. In all the videos I’ve seen with the IPad Pro, you can tell that it’s extremely accurate with hardly any noticeable lag. However, with the Surface Book, I was watching the presentation very closely and you could see that there is still a minuscule lag between the pen and the screen. I personally think that this lag will be the deciding factor. For an artist that has been one of the biggest complaints about pen based tablets used for artwork. Apple appears to have been able to address this issue but I am not certain that Microsoft has.

    The Surface Book looked really impressive and I applaud Microsoft for really pushing the technology to create a product that is creating competition to the iPad Pro. Consumers will benefit greatly by the challenge and continued innovation. However, once we get a chance to see both of these devices in the hands of artists I think it will be interesting to see the results.

  5. Sean Shimmel - 8 years ago

    The periscope videos of the artists testing out the pencil certainly captivated my attention. Yet, I was somewhat surprised: 1. They focused solely on the pencil tool (Procreate, Paper 53, Photoshop Sketch). The watercolor brush, for example, seems to hold great promise from what I’ve seen and read from the Apple event. 2. The videos were quite rudimentary. Could have been a great time to get close to the screen to see texture and effects between several different brushes. 3. One artist said he preferred the look of the pencil tool better in 53’s Paper app over the more advanced Procreate 3. 4. The work was surprisingly rudimentary. Would have been a treat to see a bit more nuance even though it was all simply meant for a test drive.

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com