Digital drawing equipment/software

BrokenPhoenix

BrokenPhoenix

Stand User
Hi all,

Does anyone know some good drawing tablet brands for digital drawing? I used to have a drawing tablet as a teenager and Manga Studio EX on my computer, and I'm kinda wanting to get back into drawing - nothing serious, just to have some fun and relax. But I have no idea what's good to get in terms of equipment/software.

Thanks! :)
 
I haven't kept up with what is available in a while, but usually it's been Wacom for some of the best and most supported and a company that will still be in the business in the future. While best known for the professional higher end stuff, they usually have a more budget friendly line too. Looks like there are a couple of options around £50:

Drawing Tablet - Wacom UK

Draw, paint and take notes digitally - expand your creative possibilities with a professional drawing tablet with pen from Wacom
estore.wacom.com estore.wacom.com
 
Wacom are the gold standard. They also used to be the only company whose pens didn't require batteries, though I don't know if that's still the case. Their entry level model should be more than sufficient these days, since features that used to be exclusive to their pro-grade Intuos tablets tend to filter down to their Bamboo/One ranges after a few years. It's best to do a comparison though, in case there's some specific feature you want.

One thing to bear in mind is that tablets with integrated screens have become increasingly affordable over the last decade. Depending on the price point you're looking at, getting one with a screen might mean opting for a different brand, but the Wacom One 14 with built-in screen is a fraction of a price of their premium Cintiq range.

As for software, I've always used Corel Painter, but that's not a cheap option. I'm not sure how more afforable art software compares these days.
 
Wacom used to be the only game in town but you can now get really high quality from Chinese brands. I recommend Huion and XP-Pen for the best budget quality tablets. Wacom tend to be pricier because you also pay for the name (not to say Wacom isn't good, just somewhat overpriced IMO). If you are just doing it casually I wouldn't spend too much out the gate so I think Huion or XP-Pen would be good options. I can recommend the Huion Kamvas and XP-Pen Artist Pro tablets. Price goes up relative to size so you have to factor that in too. Hope that helps.
 
IPad Pros with an Apple Pencil are amazing and that's what I have (in the 12.9inch or 13inch screen size, basically the largest they do), and my favourite art app for iPad is called Art Set 4, but they are very expensive and also given my understanding is that Apple has now started child locking some of it's devices (including iPads) unless you provide ID as a sort of preemptive response to the government's plans to age-restrict social media, that's another good reason why someone might opt for a different drawing tablet even if they do have that kind of money to spend (I purchased my iPad Pro several years ago when this wasn't really a concern yet). I tried XP-Pen at one point and couldn't get it to work with my MacBook but I know some people have had far better experiences with their tablets and the price points are very good for the large screen sizes if you want a big canvas! I hope you find something you're happy with, and I would be interested to see some of your finished pieces if you wish to share them here at some point - absolutely no pressure or obligation, and I get that you want to do this for enjoyment, not so people can potentially ruthlessly pick apart your work, I'm just sincerely interested, what kind of things do you like to draw? :)
 
RadFemHedonist said:
IPad Pros with an Apple Pencil are amazing and that's what I have (in the 12.9inch or 13inch screen size, basically the largest they do), and my favourite art app for iPad is called Art Set 4, but they are very expensive and also given my understanding is that Apple has now started child locking some of it's devices (including iPads) unless you provide ID as a sort of preemptive response to the government's plans to age-restrict social media, that's another good reason why someone might opt for a different drawing tablet even if they do have that kind of money to spend (I purchased my iPad Pro several years ago when this wasn't really a concern yet). I tried XP-Pen at one point and couldn't get it to work with my MacBook but I know some people have had far better experiences with their tablets and the price points are very good for the large screen sizes if you want a big canvas! I hope you find something you're happy with, and I would be interested to see some of your finished pieces if you wish to share them here at some point - absolutely no pressure or obligation, and I get that you want to do this for enjoyment, not so people can potentially ruthlessly pick apart your work, I'm just sincerely interested, what kind of things do you like to draw? :)
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Thank you for the info!

I'm still looking at different options and figuring out what to get. But just as an FYI, I'm not amazingly talented at drawing (and I know some people say that and then you see their work and you realise they're just being humble 😅 but that's not me unfortunately). I'm not very good, but for me, drawing is a way to relax and switch my brain off a bit from the worries of life.

I haven't drawn since I was a teenager, but when I was that age I would draw manga as that's what I was into. But I also liked to draw landscapes. I do actually still have my Deviant Art account from when I was that age, but I'm definitely not willing to share that, haha.

Maybe once I've gotten back into it properly, I'll share something I'm semi happy with - but don't expect some of the amazing art you see on here and elsewhere!
 
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