Graphic tablets and drawing programs Review

Whether you are a beginner or a professional designer, drawing tablets are the useful tools.

Graphic design or coloring can be done on the digital art drawing pad tablet , which is very convenient and fast. It also works well with the graphic design software of Photoshop and illustrator, which greatly improves our office efficiency.

I've gotten a bunch of asks about tablets and digital art recently, so I'll answer them all at once in a post like this again. This will contain only very basic info, but I realize what may seem basic to some is completely new information to others. It's pretty lengthy, so read more under the cut!

Do you use a tablet or is it in the computer?

yes, I use a graphic drawing tablet , and its not part of the computer, its an extra piece of technology that digital artists buy to make drawing on the computer more natural.

Here's a stock image of a dude using a tablet. Note that with entry to medium level tablets, you do not see the image on the tablet, only on the computer screen.

The tablet basically maps the location of your hand/pen to a location on the screen to give you control. This disconnection of coordination from where your eyes are looking and where your hand is drawing tends to be one of the harder initial learning curves for people just starting in digital art.

If you want to be able to see exactly where you are drawing, those graphics tablets with screen do exist as well (Wacom's Cintiq line or XP-Pen Artist line), just be prepared to drop a lot of cash for these, since they cost $200 and up.

More recently in this generation, a meet-in-the-middle solution for a lot of people seems to be with iPads/Surface tablets/etc. More people are likely to already own an iPad, or feel like it's a better monetary investment for all its uses than a drawing tablet that's only function is to draw. You still need to buy a pressure sensitive stylus and a program to use. Just do note that paint programs for iPads tend to be less powerful than those for computers, and people who have reviewed both iPad programs and the pen display tablets say that iPad pens don't feel as natural as the Wacom Cintiq/XP-Pen Artist. Touch screens register touch location based on a physical input (your finger disrupting an electrically charged field on the screen, to be specific) while wacom's tablets map a more accurate location on the tablet surface based on bluetooth/Wireless signals.

For the price difference, if you are absolutely dying to be able to see exactly where your pen is touching, I would invest in an iPad/pen combo. But honestly, for beginners i would strongly urge you to invest in a non-screen tablet ( XP-Pen Deco 03 wireless drawing tablet starts at $100USD) with a computer program, because computers are just so much more versatile. Try your hardest to get over the initial learning curve with the hand/eye coordination, I promise it will pay off.

What is the tablet exactly for/ why do you need one?

Simply put, a tablet allows you to draw lines on the computer with varying pressure like regular, traditional tools. It's what allows your art to go for great.

Arguably, everything that is done with a tablet CAN be done with a mouse using the brush settings and a combination of a brush and eraser, but it wastes so much time, and really doesn't feel like true drawing at all, which kills the fun!

What would take a mouse user a dozen different brush settings to blend two colors, someone with a tablet could do it in just one. It's also like the difference between trying to draw with a large sharpie marker vs. a properly sharpened pencil.

Although you can arguably create some amazing art with just a sharpie, it severely limits the possibilities of what you can do, making you jump through hoops and bend over backwards to get a similar effect of a natural drawing. A tablet gives you much more control over what you want to do.

What else do you need to make digital art?

An art program is a necessity, because simple programs like MS Paint aren't going to cut it! You'll need a program that responds to the pressure sensitivities of the tablet, and there are plenty. The most commonly used ones are Photoshop and Paint Tool SAI , both of which cost money. Like anything on the internet, you can find ways to pirate them, but that's not my responsibility : There are a lot of free programs that will also do the job, but it's just harder to find resources on them. The free programs I hear about the most or have been recommended to me are Krita, GIMP and Paint.net.

These days, more and more people are starting to use iPads with special styluses and paint programs as well. I haven't had any experience with those, but they are generally a little bit cheaper, and buying a stylus + paint program from the app store for people who already own iPads may be a gentler introduction to digital art for most people who already own them.

You also need a lot of patience! There's not a lot of places that offer art classes where you can just walk in and take a workshop on digital art (yet?) However, there are tons and tons of resources online, you just have to be willing to find them and learn from them yourself!

which brand drawing tablet is the best?

When it comes to popular brands, and which brands you should trust when trying to find the best tablets for digital drawing, Wacom is king. They are the Mercedes of drawing tablets. Their products are high quality, endurant, reliable and easy to use. Even though Wacom holds the biggest part of the market, there are other brands to consider as well. XP-PEN ( https://www.xp-pen.com ) is, in my opinion, one of the best choices because they offer high quality products at reasonable prices.

In the end the choice is yours. As with everything else you buy, you have to decide whether to go for a basic product, an in between, or the best one out there. Cheaper drawing tablets with less functions and lower responsiveness level might be a great option for beginners. You can use them to get accustomed to working and drawing on a tablet, and you can go for a more advanced product later on as you improve.

Tablet surfaces become easily scratched, which puts people off sometimes, but as a 7-year tablet user, I can assure you they are purely cosmetic, and have no effect on its drawing ability. I bought my XP-Pen Artist 24 Pro art tablet with screen 24inch and it was so much cheaper than the Wacom Cintiq 24" price, so I'm really happy about it!!

Side note when buying your first tablet, I personally would say don't even think about trying to spoil yourself at the start. XP-PEN does an amazing job producing these technologies.

You'll want to test the waters with the cheapest technology first, and only upgrade to larger sizes/higher models when you feel like your skills are ready and you need it, because you won't be able to feel the effects of a larger monetary investment until you have the skills and experience. Some people buy the cheapest entry level line and stick with it their whole careers, while others will later on feel the need to upgrade. It's all up to you.

This is all based on personal preference and experience, but I hope I was able to help you guys.