Best Drawing Tablet For Animation in 2021

Trying to find the right drawing tablet for your animation needs can be overwhelming. There are so many different types of graphics tablets to choose from, how do you know what to look for?

Out of the two types of tablets, which is better for animation? Which features should you be prioritizing over others? What accessories should you look for that come included with the tablet? It may be tempting to opt for the first drawing tablet that you stumble across.

However, there are a few things you should think about first. We’ve put together a short buyer’s guide to show you everything you need to think about when it comes to choosing the best drawing tablet for animation.

Drawing Tablet With Screen

While there are plenty of drawing tablets without a screen that are more affordable for the average animator, a drawing tablet that comes with a full color screen will be super beneficial. This is because the screen allows you to achieve the accuracy you need with each and every brushstroke. When you’re transitioning between frames you need that accuracy for a smoother overall animation.

The size of your chosen drawing tablet with screen will be important, too. You should think about whether you want a larger tablet that will stay on your desktop, or if you want a smaller screen that you can take with you on the go.

Active Area

The space of your tablet’s active area will be crucial. This is the area of the tablet that actively responds to the drawing pen and allows you to draw and animate. The larger the available active space, the better. This will mean less scrolling or zooming in and out of the canvas in order to complete your artwork.

You should opt for the tablet with the largest active area that you can afford. You should also ensure that it comes with a range of great specs to suit what you need from a drawing tablet for animation. It’s worth bearing in mind that the larger the tablet, the larger the price tag is likely to be.

Compatibility

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing the best drawing tablet for animation is how compatible it is with your current computer. Do you have Mac, Windows, or another operating system entirely?

Whichever computer you prefer to use for animation, you should ensure that your chosen drawing tablet is compatible with it. There’s no point spending a small fortune on a top of the range drawing tablet if you can’t actually use it with your computer.

Bear in mind that even though the graphics tablets we’ve selected include screens, you will still need to use them with an actual computer.

What Drawing Tablet Should I Get For Animation?

The drawing tablets you should get for animation are:

• XP-PEN Artist12 11.6 Inch Drawing Monitor
• Wacom DTK1660K0A Cintiq 16 Drawing Tablet with Screen
• Huion KAMVAS Pro 16 Drawing Tablet with Full-Laminated Screen
• GAOMON PD1161 11.6 Inches Drawing Pen Display
• Huion KAMVAS Pro 13 GT-133 Drawing Monitor Pen Display

Do I Need a Drawing Tablet to Animate?

Yes, you do need a drawing tablet to animate. You need a quality tablet to help you animate the frames on screen, to help you draw your characters, and to help you draw storyboards as well as other things. A quality drawing tablet will help make your animating experience much easier – it’s not something that can be done with just a mouse, unfortunately.

The XP-PEN Artist12 11.6 inch drawing monitor gives animators all they need for creating beautiful artworks. This particular tablet offers you an active area of 11.6 inches to make the most of your current project. The screen itself features an HD display with 72% NTSC and 100% sRGB color gamut, giving you beautifully vibrant artwork.

This drawing tablet features a slim touch bar that you can customize with your favorite settings. Zoom in and out of the canvas at the touch of a button, scroll up and down, or program it with some of your other favorite settings to make your experience more user friendly. The pen that comes with the tablet also features 6 handy shortkeys that you can also program.

The pen included with this tablet features a unique hexagonal design for a more traditional pencil feel. The pen is non-slip, has an eraser at the end, and comes with a whopping 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity. It also features a partial transparent tip.

The XP-PEN Artist 12 drawing monitor is compatible with Mac and Windows so that you can easily pair it with your computer of choice. The tablet is also compatible with the majority of popular digital software to help get you animating, including Photoshop, Illustrator, SAI, and many more.

Wacom are one of the leading manufacturers of drawing tablets, and with good reason. The Wacom DTK1660K0A Cintiq 16 drawing tablet with screen gives you some of the best specs on the market for truly unparalleled creativity. This is the perfect fit for your animation projects and will allow your creative skills to flourish.

The Wacom Cintiq 16 drawing tablet is the creme de la creme when it comes to graphics tablets. This particular tablet features a screen with an HD display that comes with 16.7 million colors bit and 72% NTSC color gamut. It includes the HDMI cable you need to connect it to your computer. It’s compatible with both Mac and Windows.

The pen included with this tablet comes with a whopping 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, making it more sensitive than other Wacom pens. The pen offers you supreme accuracy because of this with virtually no lag. It also comes with tilt recognition and is battery-free, so you won’t have to worry about charging it.

Huion has been making a name for itself in the graphics tablet industry to rival that of Wacom. The Huion KAMVAS Pro 16 drawing tablet with a full-laminated screen makes itself one of the best picks for animators because it comes with a range of great features while not being as expensive as some competitive Wacom products.

This particular drawing tablet features a full-laminated screen with anti-glare glass. This helps to reduce parallax to a low level for added accuracy. You also won’t get any glare from the screen while you work so won’t get distracted or damage your eyes. It will feel exactly like drawing on paper for a smoother experience.

The pen included with this tablet comes with a range of handy features. It comes with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity to give you the accuracy you need when animating. It features 60 degree tilt support for advanced pen performance. The pen itself is also battery-free, so you won’t have to worry about charging it before you use it.

The tablet features a touch bar and 6 press keys. This allows you to easily maneuver your canvas while you work. The press keys also allow you to customize them with your favorite settings, making your animating experience smoother.

The GAOMON PD1161 11.6 inches drawing pen display offers you a more affordable alternative to the popular Wacom and Huion products. This particular tablet is more budget friendly but still comes with a range of great features. The tablet features an 11.6 inch HD IPS monitor that comes with 72% NTSC color gamut. It offers an active area of 256.32mm x 144.18mm.

This tablet includes everything you need to get animating. It comes with a pen included, so you won’t have to spend more money on this as you would with an iPad. The battery offers you 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity for added accuracy. You can easily change the thickness of your lines according to your needs. The pen is also battery free so won’t need to be charged.

The GAOMON tablet is compatible with both Mac and Windows. It also comes with 8 programmable keys that you can easily customize with your favorite settings.

Last but not least, the Huion KAMVAS Pro 13 GT-133 drawing monitor pen display is just the thing you need in your artistic arsenal. The full-laminated anti-glare screen comes with 120% sRGB color gamut and a 266 PPS report rate. These high specs make it one of the quickest, most accurate drawing tablets on the market. Perfect for animation!

This particular tablet includes everything you need to get animating. It comes with a handy stand to find the perfect working angle. It also comes with the battery-free pen you need to get drawing. This pen comes with a whopping 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity for the accuracy you need. The pen also features tilt recognition for greater accuracy and to allow for more natural drawing.

The tablet also features 4 press keys and a touch bar that you can customize with your favorite settings. The touch bar allows you to easily navigate your canvas without having to use your mouse. The Huion tablet is compatible with both Mac and Windows.