Who are you, and what do you do?
I'm Paul Davey in the real world, mattahan online. I make paintings, illustrations, and a video game called EarthNight. I used to make icons and I may someday make comics.
What hardware do you use?
The machine on which I get all my work done is a 2011 MacBook Pro. Attached to it is a Wacom Cintiq 13HD. I kinda want to upgrade, but I feel I'd be annoyed by the low pixel density of the larger Cintiqs (from 13 inch to 24 inch, all 1080p). Also, they're damn expensive.
I do research, planning, notes, and occasional sketching on my iPad Air. On my IKEA BEKANT desk that I hate (#bringbackgalant2015) are a pair of M-Audio Studiophile AV 40s, a Kangaroo Pro standing desk, a Dell something-something monitor attached to a Mac mini, and some shiny pebbles I got at The Smithsonian gift shop.
And what software?
Photoshop 90% of the time, Manga Studio and Corel Painter the rest. I like the natural media blendiness of manga studio and painter, but can't stand their UIs. I've been sketching lately in Autodesk Sketchbook Pro because of how quickly it launches and how smooth drawing in it feels, but it too has a terrible UI.
Breaktime keeps me from getting headaches and back pain by reminding me to get up and blink. Teleport makes both my Macs feel like one continuous system. xGestures makes a keyboard unnecessary while I'm working on the Cintiq.
On iOS, I use Drafts to capture ideas. It's earned prime real estate on both my iPhone and iPad home screens. From there those ideas become fleshed out Evernote notes, or lengthier secret project things in Editorial.
Overcast is my podcast client. I listen to podcasts while working to keep me sort of focused, my mind wanders in silence or with music playing. Mind wandering is awesome, it's where ideas are born, but it's not exactly conducive to getting things done.
What would be your dream setup?
The Kangaroo Pro was me dipping my toe into the standing desk pool. Now that I'm standing in it, I'd like a larger, more stable sit-stand desk. Other than that and my tiny Cintiq, I'm pretty happy with my set up. I suppose I should get a proper drawing table, and I will eventually, but I just don't draw on paper that much anymore.