Artists, if you haven't bought yourself an iPad yet, here are some reasons that you should.

1. You will have a resource for drawing and painting that is more versatile and more portable than any other existing media.

2. There are hundreds of terrific drawing and painting applications which take advantage of the the direct interface.  That means that you can create images the way you always have, using your hands on a surface.

3. When you work on an iPad, you are using the same gestures you would for working on paper or canvas, so sketching and drawing on an iPad helps to hone your skills just as drawing on traditional media does - what you do on your iPad will improve your work on paper!

4. Unlike painting with traditional means, an iPad allows you to carry hundreds of brushes, colors, pens, pencils etcetera, and switch between them with a simple touch.

5. Images made on the iPad with apps such as Autodesk Sketchbook Pro, or Paper can be printed - giving you a way to quickly create cards and posters, and also a method for perfecting a master drawing and then transferring it perfectly to the media of your choice.  Consider this:  if you print your drawings on paper or canvas, you can paint over them just as you would any other master drawing!

6. You no longer have to waste precious resources when you want to sketch or doodle - do it on your iPad, save it on your hard drive.  Its so easy to organize the work that you can easily catalogue everything, and have it accessible via browser, either at home, or online.  No need to carry a massive portfolio with you either - your iPad can give your clients and potential employers the chance to see large selections of your work without muss or fuss.

7. With the integration of text, you can keep extravagantly illustrated journals, and post them online instantly.

8. With the photo and video features on your iPad, you can keep your customers up to date on the state of their commissions.  Work on a painting, and use your iPad to upload progress updates!

9. When you draw on an iPad, the work is done directly on the surface, in real time.  Unlike working with a desktop, or laptop and a Wacom Tablet, there is no divide between the drawing and the viewing surface - so its just like drawing!

10.  Although drawing with your finger can be very rewarding, there are also hundreds of styluses available, with different shapes, feel, and sensitivity, so you can pick the ones that feel the best, or that give you the most comfortable control.

For many more examples of what you can do with and iPad and the Paper app from 53, visit this link:
http://www.tumblr.com/blog/greenmanwest