Knowing the best tablet for artists is tricky, but it’s worth looking into.
There are many tablets out there, and they all have their pros and cons. Some may be better for drawing or painting, while others may be better for animation or illustration.
Let’s face it, many artists do not know:
- The kind of tablets currently available in the market,
- And how to select the best tablet for their needs.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by the wide range of tablet options that a quick Google search brings up.
To help make the decision easier, I’ve made a list of the best drawing tablets. I’ll discuss what features are important for artists and how you can benefit from them.
Contents
The Best Tablets for Artists: A Comparison
Product
Strength
Product Details
Excellent performance
- 12.9-inch screen size: Provides an ample drawing area
- Long-lasting battery life: Keeps you drawing an entire day without recharging
- Ultrawide camera lens: Takes great high-quality photos you can later sketch
- Lightweight: Great for drawing on the go
Best screen resolution
- A drawing area of 20.7 x 11.6 inches: You’ll never run out of drawing space
- 2.5K 2560 x 1440 QHD resolution: Better visibility
- 8,192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity: Provide high responsiveness and maximum control in your drawings
2 in 1 tablet/laptop Best for versatility
- 11.25 x 7.5 inches drawing area: Perfect for artists (even if less than Huion Kamvas Pro 24)
- 3240 x 2160 resolution: Better clarity without having to zoom in on your art
- 4,096 levels of pen sensitivity: Great for having reasonable control in your line depth
Excellent display
- 13.54 x 7.62 drawing area: Gives you a vast amount of space (the most on this list)
- 1920 x 1080 HD resolution: High clarity on drawings and images
- 8,192 levels for XP Pen pressure sensitivity: Smooth pen strokes
Best tablet for illustration
- 8,192 levels pen pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition: For an intuitive drawing experience
- USB and Bluetooth connectivity: Allows easy pairing to other devices
- Available as a wired or wireless purchase: Ideal for those looking for portability
Best graphics tablet
- 13 inch HD screen: Provides an ample active drawing area of 11.75 x 6.75 inches
- 1920 x 1080 HD screen resolution: Excellent clarity in your drawings
- USB port: Allows easy sharing between devices
Best android tablet
- Drawing area of 11 inches: For more space to move freely on the tablet’s surface
- 1600 x 2560 screen resolution: Better than most on this list
- Convenient Compatibility: Runs on Android and is compatible with a wide range of art software
Apple iPad Pro 12.9
Your tablet just got beefier. The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 is here to show you what a cutting-edge drawing tablet looks like, and the results are impressive.
This tablet has a powerful A12X Bionic chip, meaning it can handle multiple processes at once. Something both artists and video editors will appreciate.
Thanks to its support for up to 8GB of RAM (four times the processing speed of its predecessor), no matter how complex your project gets, the iPad Pro 12.9 will never slow down while you’re drawing.
The iPad Pro 12.9 is hands down the best tablet for digital art when it comes to portability. It’s very thin, lightweight, and so easy to carry around. It fits perfectly in my everyday bag (which is pretty small).
Pros
- High performance — With the new M1 chip, the iPad Pro 12.9 has faster CPU performance and better graphics than its predecessors. This improves the responsiveness of the tablet making for an immersive drawing experience.
- Zero lag time — This tablet has high processing power, boosting its ability to run the latest digital art software. It also allows you to run multiple apps without lag time, making for a more straightforward editing process.
- Liquid Retina display and high resolution — 12.9-inch Retina display provides an ample drawing area and a great drawing surface. It brings an expansive view and HDR experience to the table, delivering more clarity on images and drawings.
- Apple Pencil 2 support — The Apple Pencil 2 has pixel-perfect precision and unmatched levels of pressure sensitivity. It’s flat on one side, allowing for better grip. It feels much like holding a regular pencil, and it can’t roll off your work surface easily.
Cons
- Expensive — The best drawing tablet comes at a price. It sells for $1,299+ at the Apple Store. The Apple Pencil is sold separately, but it’s worth every penny.
- Large and heavy — Some users may find the model unwieldy.
- Does not have expandable memory — The internal storage may be inadequate given the increasingly large file sizes needed for high-resolution displays
With the iPad Pro’s 12.9 pixel-accurate display, you can do virtually everything on this device; create art, or overlay photos to put together stunning stories from different sets. The possibilities are endless. It’s the perfect go-to for beginners and pros.
Huion Kamvas Pro 24
Huion Kamvas Pro is the best drawing tablet in the Kamvas range. It has fantastic specs but is reasonably priced compared to the iPad Pro.
When it comes to art, who says you can’t use a tablet to draw?
This drawing tablet will change the way you think about transitioning to digital art for good! If you struggle with traditional pens and paper, this is a fantastic way of freeing your artistic expression.
This tablet also has pressure sensitivity meaning you’ll have maximum control over your art. Amaze yourself or someone special in your life by getting them this drawing tablet today.
Pros
- Wide display — A screen size of 23.8 inches makes this the largest tablet in the Huion tablet family. It provides a wide drawing area with better visibility and requires less zooming in and out than other tablets.
- Multiple output ports — This allows for versatility since you can connect this tablet to a wide range of supporting devices. Make the most out of your creativity and maximise productivity. It’s also compatible with both macOS and Windows.
- Powerful, battery-free stylus pen — (Pen PW517) — 8,192 levels of pressure and 60 degrees tilt support allows for an immersive drawing experience. This allows a more natural creative process. Unlike the iPad Pro, the stylus is included in the price.
- Fully laminated screen with a matte finish — The screen is etched with anti-glare glass to reduce reflection and eye strain. The finish provides a nice texture on the drawing surface for a more satisfying drawing experience.
Cons
- Heavy design-build — The Huion Kamvas Pro weighs 6kg (equivalent to a huge sack of potatoes).
Consider the weight if you want to draw outside or take the device to and from your home art studio. The weight makes it bulkier and heavier than other drawing tablets. - Brightness — Its brightness could be higher. The brightness is 158 nits, which is sufficient but it could be better if it was higher.
Huion Kamvas Pro 24 is a worthwhile investment. It has better features than any other graphics tablet you can find on the market and is one of the best choices for professional artists.
Microsoft Surface Book 3
Now, this is a sight for sore eyes. I’m almost drooling.
If you’re looking for a sleek device, it doesn’t get any better than this. It’s more than just looks. It’s a beauty with brains.
The Microsoft Surface Book 3 is no ordinary tablet. It’s the best digital art tablet that comes with a powerhouse of creative potential. Not only does it do everything you expect from an art-oriented device, but it also has the power to multitask like none other.
This means your creativity will be covered in every situation without sacrificing performance or fun. It’s a versatile laptop functioning as an artistic drawing tablet. With absurdly thin bezels, this portable powerhouse gives you the freedom to create art anywhere with ease.
Pros
- Versatility — Doubling as a laptop and a tablet, this device is an excellent choice for multitasking. It’s specifically designed to handle intensive tasks such as editing huge video files.
- Exceptional display — This tablet is available in two sizes; 13.5 and 15 inches. Both sizes have a sufficient drawing area and a screen resolution of 3240 x 2160 , providing very sharp and high-quality images.
- Intense power and graphics — This makes for an ideal tablet for professionals. It can support resource-demanding drawing apps and design software like CAD while supporting a good battery life of up to 17 hours.
- Surface pen — The surface pen is revolutionary with active tracking that provides unparalleled precision for illustrative digital or analogue work.
Its 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and 12-gram activation force make for incredible responsiveness. The tilt feature even enables creators to angle the pen for better shading.
Cons
- Costly — This is the best drawing tablet for both experts and beginners, but the price is considerably higher than other tablets with similar specs. The surface pen is sold separately, costing even more.
- Slow — The hardware for Microsoft Surface Book 3 is not as fast as the competition.
Although it is expensive, the Surface Pro is worth it. It has the best battery life of any comparable device on the market and will not overheat. It’s recommended for artists who need to store a large amount of data and still have a really powerful tablet
It’s the best choice for professional artists.
XP-Pen Artist Pro 24
The XP-Pen Artist Pro 24 is a great graphics tablet that allows you to get the most out of your favorite digital art software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
This tablet uses very accurate cutting-edge technology that’s even more efficient than a traditional pen or pencil. Depending on your drawing style for various projects, you can also purchase different brushes.
With features like a customisable express keypad, multi-touch gesture support, and 2048 pressure sensitivity levels, the XP-Pen Artist Pro 24 gives you an intense level of control over your artwork.
Pros
- Active pen display — 23.8 inches in size and featuring 2K QHD resolution, a wide range of brilliant colors, excellent graphics, and high-pressure sensitivity, providing a limitless creative experience.
- 20 customizable shortcut keys — Available on both sides of the tablet. It provides a much easier workflow, and it’s convenient for both right and left-handed users.
- Incredibly versatile — The XP-Pen Artist Pro supports Linux, Windows, and Mac OS (unlike most tablets). It features excellent software compatibility for a more nuanced creative experience.
- XP pen — An intelligently designed stylus with 8,192 levels of pressure that delivers superior line performance allowing you to create fine sketches. Even better, it’s all included in the price.
Cons
- Not portable — This tablet has a robust and solid build that is bulky, weighing around 7kg. It requires a larger working surface due to its size and isn’t suitable for carrying around.
- Separate eraser and stylus — Unlike most tablets, the eraser button is not at the back of the stylus—it comes separately, which can be inconvenient.
- No laminated glass — It does not come with fully laminated glass and an etched display—which would have made colors more vibrant.
The XP-Pen Artist Pro 24 is an excellent tablet built for professional digital artists eager to make their creative work a more natural space without breaking the bank.
Wacom Intuos Pro
You know you are more than just a pencil-pusher when your desk is constantly filled with dusty erasers and scratched graphite
You might as well be an artist when you’re using your Wacom Intuos Pro drawing tablet!
Create as non-digital artists do—shading and constructing each stroke individually. As this graphics tablet features high-pressure sensitivity, every detail you create shows up on the screen with ultra-precision. Sketching has never been easier.
Whether you’re an aspiring artist or want to find a new hobby, this tablet is for you. It’s packed with some of the most popular drawing tools, such as Photoshop. An excellent tool with brushes and filters that will make any amateur into a professional in no time.
It’s a great art tablet for people who want to design, make some art in their free time, or even try to get into work as a comic artist.
Pros
- Different sizes — The Intuos Pro comes in both large and extra-large versions. Aside from size, the main difference between them is that the larger one also includes support for multi-touch gestures, so your input options are increased.
- 8,192 levels of pressure — This allows you to draw with heavier or lighter strokes.
- ExpressKeys — 12 programmable keys and 2 customisable Touch Strips, each programmable with shortcuts. This gives you more control over colours, brushes, or borders in workflows for an easier workflow.
- Pressure-sensitive, multi-touch surface — The surface is on par with traditional media while giving digital artists a perfect balance between control and mobility for even better results.
- Intuos Pro stylus pen — Comes with two replacement nibs. Drawing has never felt this natural. It feels like an extension of your hand. This makes creativity easy and drawing feel more natural than breathing.
Cons
- Smaller drawing area — For a tablet its size, the drawing area could be larger, although it still works beautifully.
- Touch sensitivity — While the express keys are great for boosting productivity, they are very touch-sensitive. Even the lightest brush of your hand can set them off.
Take your art to the next level with one of the best tablets for artists in the market today.
Wacom’s Intuos Pro is a tablet that has many features for digital artists looking to take their work to the next level. The intuitive interface makes using this device quick and easy and is recommended by beginners and professionals alike.
Wacom Cintiq 13HD
The Cintiq 13HD Tablet is the perfect tablet for artists of all skill levels and can help bring your creativity to a whole new level. It’s one of the best tablets on the market.
Whether you’re sketching out ideas in your head or working on an illustration that has taken hours, this drawing tablet gives you precise control over what you can do with its innovative features like customisable pressure sensitivity and multi-touch gestures.
Say goodbye to touching up your work on an old monitor. The Wacom Cintiq 13HD has an intuitive design that lets you create in the comforts of your home or workstation. It’s one of the best tablet monitors for artists.
Your workflow will be more efficient with the desktop stand and this drawing tablet. While other products have tiny screens, this one has a 13 inch HD display so that you can get into every nook and cranny of your drawing with detail.
Pros
- Ample display — Features a display that measures 13.3 inches diagonally. As the name would imply, it is an HD model and will provide artists with 1280 x 800 pixels of screen space to work with.
- 360-degree stand — For a more straightforward drawing process. Simply rotate the stand from landscape mode into portrait mode whenever you want without having to move anything else around.
- Built-in arm support — The Wacom Cintiq 13HD features built-in arm support, which can be folded up and out of the way when not needed. I found that this feature made drawing for hours on end comfortable.
- Powerful Pro Pen — The stylus pen is ergonomically designed and very comfortable to hold. It makes use of Wacom’s patented supersmooth technology which means that you’ll be able to draw lines with ease due to how well the pen glides across the display.
Cons
- No touch response — This limits the creative process since it doesn’t allow for finger drawing or gesture shortcuts. It makes the workflow process a bit more challenging.
- No wireless option — It has to be plugged into a computer to work.
However, it gives you more control over your final product with an easy way to draw or sketch out preliminary ideas before putting them into full production.
There’s no limit to what you can achieve with this tablet.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Think you’ve got a slick sketching game face? Then grab your Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and set it to pencil mode!
Whether you’re a designer working on the go or just someone who sketches for fun, this new tablet will be your perfect companion. Ultimate comfort and convenience are just a part of its large screen and lightweight design.
Drawing on this one-of-a-kind device is easy. The stylus feels like a soft brush feather in your hand.
Draw an arrow, write cursive letters or shapes, remix art and texts from digital magazines or websites, add colour to a black and white picture — anything you can think of!
Pros
- 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity — So, just like drawing on a pad with a real LED, your drawings will show subtle changes in line depth. It’s perfect for the professional artist who wants something that looks as good on paper as it does digitally.
- Thin and lightweight — This is the thinnest drawing tablet in the market and weighs 498 grams. This allows for easy portability and drawing on the go.
- Drawing area — The galaxy tab screen is big enough for drawing and colouring. It’s much better than using just your fingers. You don’t have to press hard and can adjust the pressure.
- Energy efficiency — The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 screen is very power efficient so that you can draw for 5 to 6 hours on a full charge with brightness set at 50%.
- Samsung S Pen Stylus — Takes note-taking to a whole new level and allows artists to feel like they aren’t using a tablet but a physical notebook.
The Samsung S Pen stylus lets you be more creative with your notes. You can write and draw with the precision that only Samsung S Pens provide.
Cons
- Limited to Android — Some drawing apps are not optimised for use in android devices. Images may appear un-proportional or distorted when using them.
- Brightness — The display brightness could use some improvement. It only has a brightness of 451 cd/m², which is disappointing for a high-end device.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 is a powerful tablet that’s great for digital artists looking to sketch, paint or animate on the go. Plus, it comes with the full version of Adobe Photoshop Express so that you can edit your creations right from your mobile device.
FAQs
What are the Different Categories of Drawing Tablets?
Tablet Computers
These have pressure-sensitive pen displays for drawing with your finger or a stylus. They double as portable computers but can serve as graphics tablets with the right software.
Graphics Tablets
The traditional drawing tablets. They have a flat surface for drawing on with a stylus. They don’t have a monitor, so they have to be connected to a computer to display images.
Pen Displays
These are flat monitors with a pressure-sensitive surface for drawing on with a stylus. They don’t need to be connected to a monitor. They are portable and more expensive than graphics tablets.
What Should I Look For in a Drawing Tablet?
Performance
A good art tablet should have a high processing power for better responsiveness (the speed at which drawn lines appear on the screen).
Size
A bigger tablet might be challenging to carry around, so not recommended for on-the-go drawing. If you need to create large drawings, go for a tablet with a large display and a wide active drawing area.
Pressure Sensitivity
Choose a tablet for digital art with high levels of pressure sensitivity, as it will enable you to get a higher definition in your drawings. Ideally, 1,024 onwards for beginners and above 2,048 for professionals.
Which is the Best Drawing Tablet?
Overall, the iPad Pro 12.9 is the best drawing tablet for artists in the market because it’s powerful, has a high-resolution display, and is lightweight for portability.
Having the right tools is the first step to honing your craft. We have various tutorials and masterclasses on using different drawing software and other tips and tricks to help sharpen your art skills.
Buy the iPad Pro 12.9 today and start producing high-quality digital art.
