Even if you were a talented artist as a kid, we’d bet that you had a tough time making a comprehensible visual representation of anything real on your trusty Etch A Sketch. Twisting the knobs in an effort to make a single-line drawing that made sense is a childhood staple, even though creating something that looked good wasn’t easy. Now, Spin Master is looking to bring the Etch A Sketch into 2017 by collaborating with BoogieBoard, who specializes in touch screen drawing and writing tablets. This partnership has resulted in the Etch A Sketch Freestyle, which may take some getting used to for purists ( via The Verge).
Remember those knobs? Those aren’t used for drawing any more. Now, artists use the attached stylus pen to create their masterpieces, which are going to look a lot different than we’re used to. The knobs are still there, although their role has been significantly reduced. Now, they function as stamps to create shapes on the LCD screen. Added dexterity aside, the illustrations are now in rainbow colors instead of the gray and darker gray of yesteryear.A lot has changed with the updated Etch A Sketch, but one core piece of functionality remains: To erase drawings, hold on tight and shake that red square as vigorously as your arms will allow. If you want to try the next wave of kids drawing technology for yourself, the Etch A Sketch Freestyle will retail for $20 beginning this fall. If you’d rather go about it the old fashioned way, then the classic Etch A Sketch can still be found in every toy store everywhere, presumably for the rest of time.
Featured image: Spin Master