Showcasing artwork from industry collaborators, Pixar RenderMan and DAMN! Visdev teams, soon to be a featured animated short called, Ted’s World, in 2026
Vancouver, WA – Today, Xencelabs, a leading global brand in digital drawing tools, launched the Pen Display 16 Lite, an ultra-portable 4K OLED pen display designed for ambitious artists on the move. Priced at $799, the device combines studio-grade performance with mobility. The packaging features exclusive artwork from a unique international animation project centered on the character Ted Paul. This collaboration highlights how cutting-edge technology and artistic creativity are merging to push the boundaries of digital storytelling.
A Character with Character: Bringing Ted Paul to Life.
The story behind the artwork featured on our packaging is as compelling as the product itself. The image of Ted Paul, a whimsical frog character, originated from a hand-drawn sketch by acclaimed fantasy illustrator Jesper Ejsing, known for his emotionally rich, stylized characters. Through a groundbreaking partnership involving Xencelabs, Pixar’s RenderMan team, DAMN! Visdev animation studio, and Dell workstations, Ted Paul was transformed from a 2D drawing into a dynamic 3D animated character, showcasing the potential of modern rendering technology to preserve artistic style.
“Ted Paul began as ‘Frog Boy’ in my sketches—I wanted him to feel real, with emotional swings that make him human, not just cute,” said Jesper Ejsing. “Frogs aren’t naturally lovable,” Jesper says. “I wanted to see how likable I could make a frog while still keeping that uncomfortable edge.”
Ted Paul is a compelling character that required a careful artistic approach to translate into 3D. From the awkward buck teeth and oversized smile to the tadpole tail that hints at his teenage in-betweenness, Ted Paul embodies emotional complexity, quick to anger, quick to forgive, always alive with energy and tension. (Check Video here)
The collaboration was sparked when Dylan Sisson, Technical Artist on Pixar’s RenderMan team, met Jesper at a conference and envisioned using RenderMan 27’s new XPU rendering system to translate Jesper’s distinctive style into 3D. Founders and Creative Directors of DAMN! Visdev Studio, Fabio Sciedlarczyk and Nicolas De Aquino took on the challenge, utilizing Xencelabs Pen Displays (including the 16 and 24 series) for precise modeling and animation in tools such as ZBrush, Maya, and Substance Painter.
“As Ted Paul was created in Jesper’s unique style, maintaining visual integrity was our top priority,” said Fabio Sciedlarczyk. “Xencelabs Pen Displays gave our artists the control needed to capture every nuance of the original artwork.“
Nicolas De Aquino from DAMN! Visdev added, “The pen displays enabled intentional brush strokes that embraced Jesper’s style, while Dell’s RTX A6000 workstations and RenderMan XPU allowed real-time rendering of complex, stylized scenes. This pipeline made it possible to keep the hand-drawn essence in 3D.”
“Working with Jesper Ejsing, DAMN! Visdev, Dell, and Xencelabs, we’re all in it together,” said Dylan Sisson. “Just pushing technology ahead to do new types of things because we think it is a fun, cool thing to do. It’s about art challenging tech, and tech inspiring art, like Pixar always says. “
The animated short Ted’s World, featuring Ted Paul’s adventures in his pond habitat, is scheduled for release in 2026. It will showcase RenderMan 27’s new stylized looks, including real-time brush strokes and watercolor effects, demonstrating how technology can inspire art, and at the same time, how Xencelabs products can help artists create what they dream to their precise purpose, across the boundaries from illustrations to animations.
The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 Lite: Ambition in Motion
Inspired by creatives and built for creators, the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 Lite is the latest addition to the Xencelabs lineup, born out of direct feedback from professional artists. Compact and portable, it includes the most requested features in a slim and lightweight design, making it ideal for creators with ambitions on the go or in the studio.
Key Features of the Pen Display 16 Lite:
- Two v2 Pens (3 Button Pen + Eraser v2 & Thin Pen + Eraser v2), 10 extra nibs, Pen Case, Drawing Glove, adapter, and Bluetooth dongle.
- 4K OLED Display (3840 x 2160) with 1.07 billion colors and ultra-high contrast (100,000:1)
- Preloaded Industry Color Spaces: Adobe RGB (98%), P3-D65 (98%), sRGB (99%), Rec 709 (99%)
- Anti-glare, optically bonded display with a natural pen-to-paper drawing experience.
- Finely Tuned Pressure Curve (3-gram initial activation force), developed from real feedback from over a panel of 100 artists.
- Single Cable USB-C Connectivity with support for DP Alt Mode through sold-separately Xencelabs Hub for HDMI/DisplayPort setups.
- Ultra-thin & Lightweight: Only 12 mm thin and weighing just 2.67 lbs. (1.2 kg)
Availability
The Pen Display 16 Lite is available now through Xencelabs’ official stores. Visit www.xencelabs.com for more information.
About Xencelabs
Founded in 2019 by industry veterans from animation, illustration, and industrial design, Xencelabs creates premium digital drawing tools for professionals worldwide. Sold in over 40 countries, its products empower artists to “Create What You Dream” through relentless innovation and artist-driven design. Follow Xencelabs on social media to explore the advanced creative experiences your work deserves. Visit www.xencelabs.com
