Best Drawing Tablet For Beginners in 2021

Now that you’ve seen some of the best drawing tablets for beginners, you may be wondering how exactly you can make the best decision for you. The truth is that there are a lot of things that go into making the choice for which drawing tablet you should get. Here are just a few of the things that you should take into consideration.

Size

The very first thing that you should think about when buying your drawing tablet is how big it is. This is going to have a huge impact on how you do your artwork and more.

The first choice is to get a large tablet. This is the best choice if you are going to be drawing things that require a lot of continuous, clean lines. For instance, if you do a lot of life drawing then you should probably get a larger tablet since you will likely need to use your arm more while you’re drawing. Having the extra space to do this is incredibly beneficial.

Alternatively you could get a medium sized tablet. This is the middle ground between a small and a large tablet. They’re ideal if you need something portable because they can slot into your bag without much trouble, but you will still get ample drawing space to do whatever you need to do. They aren’t quite as expensive as larger tablets usually are.

Finally you have smaller tablets. The biggest benefit to a small tablet is the portability. They’re incredibly small, meaning that if you wanted to go outside and draw your surroundings away from home, you could do so without having to carry around a hefty large graphics tablet. A small graphics tablet is also a good choice if you prefer to focus on smaller, more intricate details. They tend to cost significantly less money too, so you don’t need to break the bank to buy one.

Pressure Sensitivity

In order to get good results with your drawing tablet, the device needs to have good pen pressure sensitivity. This is because the amount of pressure that you put on the tablet can determine the type of mark that you make. It can affect the line thickness, how transparent it is and on some occasions, can even influence what mark color you’re going to get. You should be looking for a high pressure sensitivity since this will be a much more responsive choice.

When you’re first getting started you shouldn’t really need more than around 2048 pressure sensitivity. This way, you’ll have an enjoyable experience with the drawing but it won’t be too sensitive that you struggle to draw. For better control you can get a 8192 level.

Connectivity

Your drawing tablet will likely need to connect to a laptop or computer in order for it to work properly, so it’s vital to make sure that the tablet has good connectivity. You should be able to connect the tablet to your laptop with ease. You may also want for your tablet to connect to things like cameras too if you are working with a tablet that has a screen. You will usually find that the tablet will work with HDMI or USB cables, which should be compatible with most laptops. This is something that you should check before you buy.

Price

Graphics tablets can be pretty expensive, so it’s important that you thoroughly assess your options before you buy. You don’t want to buy something that’s exceptionally cheap since it may not give you the results that you’re looking for. With that being said, you also don’t need to spend your entire life savings on a drawing tablet either.

Since you’re just starting out, it’s best to try to get a tablet that’s relatively inexpensive. At this stage you aren’t likely to need all of the extra bells and whistles that a professional needs, so you should get a drawing tablet that’s a little cheaper. You can always upgrade to something more fancy later down the line.

Type of Pen

A drawing tablet consists of two main things – a pen, and the tablet itself. The pen you choose can have a big impact on the results that you get. Here though, we’re going to talk about functionality. Many pens for drawing tablets will come with batteries, but you want to make sure that you get a pen with batteries that don’t need lots of charging. Alternatively, you can get battery free pens, which are ideal because there’s no need to charge batteries ever. This means you’re less likely to be faced with a dying pen when you’re out and about with your drawing tablet and don’t have a charging outlet available.

Do You Need to Have a Computer in Order to Use a Drawing Tablet?

The short answer is no. While there are many drawing tablets that need to work with a computer in order to function correctly, there are also a wide range of different drawing tablets that will work on their own. These are known as portable graphics tablets, and with these you can just draw straight onto the screen. This is pretty helpful, as it means if you want to draw away from home you don’t need to lug a huge laptop around with you.

If you’re in the market for a great drawing tablet for beginners, we’ve got news for you! The XP-PEN Artist Display 13.3 Pro is a stunning option for anyone that’s looking to get started on their digital art creation journey. There are many things to love about this particular tablet.

For starters, the tablet features a durable design, with a glass screen with minimal parallax. You will also get a stylus that’s free of any batteries. This means that there’s no need for spending your valuable time attempting to charge a pen before you get started with your drawing. The pen features a fine nib too, so you can create intricate, natural flowing work with ease. The precision is also unparalleled.

Another fantastic thing about this tablet is that it actually has a tilt function that’s up to 60 degrees. As such, you can have natural brush stroke transitions because there’s no need for you to change your brush direction as you’re working. It’s compatible with a range of different graphics programs such as Photoshop. One thing that is a little irritating is that the tablet doesn’t come with a pen holder on the display, but this is a minor complaint when you consider everything else that this tablet has to offer.

Wacom is a big name when it comes to drawing tablets, so you can already be sure that you’re getting something phenomenal when you buy a product from this company. The Wacom Intuos Drawing Tablet in specific is an excellent choice if you’re just getting started with digital art.

So, what do you need to know about this drawing tablet? For starters, this is an incredibly affordable drawing tablet. For the price that you pay for this tablet, you’ll have high quality drawing capabilities without breaking the bank. It comes with 4096 pressure sensitivity and you’ll have 7 inches of tablet space to work with. Some versions of this tablet also come with Bluetooth connectivity. Since this tablet doesn’t come with a screen, you will need to have a computer or laptop to use it. The set up is simple though, since all you need is to connect it to your PC using a USB cable and you’re good to go, so long as you have a suitable drawing program installed.

The tablet comes with five different buttons positioned on the top that you can use for controlling the device. You will have an on and off switch, and the remaining buttons are programmable depending on your needs. The pen is also super comfortable to use. It is worth noting though that while this is an affordable drawing tablet, the lack of a screen may be off putting to many since you will need to be looking at the computer screen while you’re working. This means that it may take a while to get used to using it.

The Huion New 1060 Plus Graphic Drawing Tablet is a great choice for beginners. The tablet is incredibly portable, even coming with a build in card reader where you can put things like micro SD cards for additional storage. It comes with an 8 GB micro SD right off the bat! You can also upgrade this depending on the amount of space that you need.

With this drawing tablet you will have a decent amount of drawing space. The drawing space measures 10 x 6.25 inches, so it’s a good choice if you want something relatively small. You will have a pressure sensitivity up to 8192 too, which is ideal if you want to work with a lot of detail.

The drawing tablet comes with a high resolution screen and it’s super responsive. It will also work with most operating systems and has customizable keys. Unfortunately though it does have some issues working with photoshop, which is something worth keeping in mind.

There are a great deal of things to enjoy about the Wacom DTH1320K0 Cintiq Pro. It comes with a wide range of high quality and in depth features, but it isn’t difficult to use either. This makes it a strong choice for a beginner that is looking to hone their skills in digital art.

For starters, the tablet comes with customizable express keys, and a bunch of shortcuts that you can set up for ease of use. It’s incredibly accurate, allowing you to get stunning results. It had a good response time both with Mac and Windows devices alike.

You’ll get 13 inches of screen space to work with and an entirely HD display that you can take advantage of. You can connect it to a suitable computer or laptop just with a USB C cable. You will need to be careful when using this cable though, since you can have issues with the connectivity when you play around too much with the cable.

Last but not least on our ranking is the Huion Inspiroy H1161 Drawing Tablet. This is an affordable tablet with an attractive design. Of course, it’s not just known for its great looks!

The tablet will give you a large drawing area, and it consists of a plastic semi matte surface which allows you to draw on it with ease. You will get a 8192 pressure level too, which gives you plenty of sensitivity and an accurate drawing. There are 16 programmable soft keys at your disposal in the event that you want to create some simple shortcuts.

You can use the tablet both with Windows and Mac OS. It’s even pretty lightweight and portable!