Best Drawing Tablet That Doesn’t Need A Computer

If you’re a fan of Android tablets and you want something incredible for drawing, look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6. This tablet is super lightweight so you can stuff it in your back when you’re ready to go on the move without any issues.

The specifications really make this tablet shine. It’s so powerful that running most design programs shouldn’t be a problem at all. It has a great amount of RAM, so you can even multitask without encountering any snags along the way. The tablet features a Super AMOLED display too, and this means that every drawing can be seen in stunning clarity, so you can see every detail as you’re working.

Another great thing about this tablet is that it comes with an S pen which helps you to draw on the tablet much more easily. It’s incredibly responsive, and you can connect it back onto the tablet via a magnet when you’re done. The tablet is very easy to use as a whole, and it’s versatile. What more could you ask for?

The Microsoft Surface Pro is basically a digital artist’s dream come true. With this tablet, you don’t need to have a computer since it’s essentially a two in one tablet and computer. You’ll get a fantastic 8 GB of RAM, a very large screen and a powerful processor.

When you use the tablet in studio mode, you have a lot of tools at your disposal to make digital art. When you need to write notes for your work or scroll through the internet, you can simply switch over to the laptop mode. Sketching and shading has honestly never been easier!

What’s particularly enjoyable about this tablet is how lightweight it is. It only weighs 1.69 lbs, so it’s ideal if you don’t want anything very heavy. It’s certainly not the cheapest option out there, but it’s worth it for the sheer amount of functionality that you’ll get.

The next choice on our list is the New Apple iPad Air, 4th Generation edition. With stunning visuals and the fantastic functionality that you would find with any Apple product, you are sure to love using this iPad. What’s even better is that you can do all of your daily tasks on this iPad, so you don’t even need to have a laptop or a computer if you don’t want one.

The tablet comes in a range of different colors that make its sleek metal design really stand out. You can choose from Space Grey, Rose Gold, Sky Blue, Green and Silver. It’s slim and incredibly lightweight, so you don’t need to worry about the tablet weighing you down as you’re out and about. It’s super easy to use, and the battery life is incredible.

Where this tablet really shines though from a drawing perspective is through the Apple Pencil. With this, you can create stunning artwork so long as you have the right app for it. For versatility, this is truly one of the best drawing tablets out there that you can use without a computer.

Let’s face it – a lot of drawing tablets that don’t require computers or laptops can be pretty expensive. What are you supposed to do when you don’t have the budget to spend on a super expensive tablet? Why, you buy the Chuwi UBook Pro Tablet, of course! This affordable tablet is the answer to your prayers if you’re on a tight budget.

There are many things to love about this tablet. For starters, the screen is super sensitive, allowing you to work with great detail. The visuals are also stunning thanks to the high screen resolution. It’s highly portable too, which is ideal for drawing on the go. The 11.6 inch screen means that you have plenty of drawing space.

You will have a great deal of storage space available to you with this tablet. It’s also a fabulous choice for students too. Perhaps the only real issue is that the pen pressure isn’t quite to the standard you may need if you’re a professional.

Buyer’s Guide

Portability

One of the first things to consider when buying a tablet is how portable it is. Since you’re looking for a tablet that doesn’t require a computer, the chances are that you want something relatively portable. In this case, you will also want something that will be fairly lightweight that you can carry around with you easily. Alternatively, you may want something that has a bigger screen, in which case you may need to make some sacrifices as far as portability is concerned.

Battery Life

There’s no point in getting a portable drawing tablet if you’re going to be glued to the charger all the time. This means you should be looking for a drawing tablet that has a decent battery life. There are many out there that give you a battery life of over 10 hours, whereas some may only give you around 3 hours. Be careful when making your choice. Or, if you’re mostly going to be working in the same spot at home all the time, you can ignore this advice entirely if you so wish.

Price

Of course, when you’re buying a drawing tablet, you always need to take the price into account. After all, these things can get super expensive, so setting a proper budget is the first step in making your choice. You don’t need to break the bank to buy a drawing tablet – there are plenty of choices that are relatively cheap. You can also pay extra and have additional features if you want to. It’s just important to note that you may be missing a couple of features if you opt for a cheaper drawing tablet.

Pressure Sensitivity

Pressure sensitivity is one of the most important things to think about when it comes to buying a tablet. You can get sensitivity in a range from 300 to 3,000 pressure levels. But what exactly does it mean?

Basically, when you press harder on the stylus when using your drawing tablet, you can create thicker lines. Likewise, if you press more lightly, you have a thinner brush stroke. This means if you have better pressure sensitivity, you can often do much more detailed work without having to manually select a thinner type of brush. This is vital if you need to do something more detailed. At the minimum, you should be looking for a pressure sensitivity of at least 1024 and that’s if you’re a beginner. For someone more advanced, a more sensitive option like 2048 may be a better fit for you.

Tablet Size

You will also need to think more in depth about the size of the tablet. This is because the tablet size can determine the types of work that you can do on the tablet.

There are two main things to think about – the drawing area space and how large the device is as a whole. If you have a larger drawing area, it means that you can create large drawings much more easily. You won’t have to mess around with trying to zoom into the little intricate areas you want to work on. Larger drawing tablets are usually a good choice for things like life drawing.

If you are going to be drawing out of the house a lot though, you may need to get something slightly smaller that’s more portable.

Stylus

The stylus really can make or break your tablet for you. You want something that’s easy and enjoyable to use that’s sensitive enough to allow you to work to your full potential.

There are a few different kinds of stylus out there. For instance, you have a battery powered stylus, which is generally much thicker. This is because the battery is contained within, but unfortunately this does mean that they’re a little difficult to hold if your hands are on the smaller side. Unfortunately they do need to have the batteries replaced on a somewhat regular basis.

You can also get a tablet with a rechargeable stylus. This means you’ll need to charge it when the battery runs out. Thankfully though they tend to be fairly slim and so you can put them in your hands relatively easily if you have small hands. There are also other types such as EMR styluses which don’t actually need charging.

Ultimately though, the main thing to think about is whether the pen is comfortable for you to use, since it will be your constant companion throughout the entire drawing process.

App Based or Full Software Tablets?

There are two main types of drawing tablets that don’t require a computer to run – app based and full software. Both have their own benefits and disadvantages.

An app based unit is usually a little more versatile, since it’s designed to perform a number of different tasks. These tablets are made for other things such as answering emails and tests, consuming media and more. This goes for things such as iPads or your regular tablet. These tablets will sometimes have apps that allow you to draw on them. The problem is that while some of these apps do have a lot of functionality, they generally tend to be rather limited in terms of what they can offer to a professional artist.

A full software tablet is ideal though since these are designed specifically for digital art. This means that you will have access to far more graphics tools, and they will come with a unique stylus that will allow you to create highly detailed work. They can’t be used for much else and they generally tend to cost a lot more money though, which is something worth keeping in mind.