Choosing the Best Drawing Tablet with Confidence

Artists who take pride in getting their skills organized in an exceptional manner might consider getting a drawing tablet. A drawing tablet is simply an input device that when used alongside a mouse or a pen will result in an ultimate blend of art and technology.

The tablet allows you to draw your artwork digitally onto the screen and later save it as an electronic file thus saving on the time and money required in buying traditional art material needed to complete a job. So, what is it that you should consider when buying a drawing tablet? Are there any drawing tablets that fit the needs of beginners?

Factors to consider when buying a drawing tablet

With the wide range of tablets with regards to size, style, brands, and even functions, you want to make sure that you’ll choose a graphics tablet that will perfectly fit your needs. Consider the aspects of the drawing tablet that will suit your situation in the best way possible. Here are a few factors you must consider when buying a drawing tablet:

Size

Choosing the right size for a drawing tablet might be tricky. Often, you might be tempted to go for a large tablet. You could just be tempted by the size. On the contrary, large tablets are not always the best unless you have practical reasons to get them.

Speaking of tablet size there are two sizes that you should know: the size of the overall tablet and the size of the working area. The overall tablet size includes the framing and the tablet casing. Be sure not to confuse the overall size of the tablet with the size of the working space. The size of the working area as it is the one from which you’ll make your drawing.

Arm motion is an important aspect of choosing the size. For instance, you’d like a large tablet if you make drawings with sweeping motions. This is because you’ll need a bigger working area to bring out a perfect drawing. On the other hand, a smaller tablet would be ideal if you want to lower your arm motion.

Again, what’s the size of your strokes when drawing? If you have large strokes, then a big tablet would be a good fit. If you make small strokes, a small or medium-sized tablet would do as well.

If you are buying a tablet with a screen display, having a large screen will be advantageous if you always draw in a large canvas size or you are making a piece with lots of small detail. Small screens can sometimes be too cramped.

Another thing to consider is the price of the tablets, the bigger the tablet the more expensive it gets. If you are budget conscious or a beginner, consider starting with a medium size tablet which is between 12 inches to 24 inches tablets. A 5-inch – 10-inch tablet can also be good for casual art or just a quick sketch.

Stylus

Be sure to check the dimensions and the weight of the pen as it will determine how comfortable it’ll feel in your hands. Consider whether the stylus is light and whether it has a battery in it. In most cases, the pen is heavy if it has a battery in it. Pens that are not battery-powered feel lighter.

If you have a smaller hand, a heavy stylus might not be your choice, and vice versa for a huge hand. With this battery-powered stylus, it’s important that you have extra batteries just in case the current one gets used up before you complete your work.

It’s important also to consider if it is attached to the drawing tablet. If the pen is tethered to the tablet, it’ll minimize the chances of getting lost or misplaced.

Another very convenient feature for a pen is if it has an erasing end. Pens with erasing ends make your work much easier and save you time.

The most important thing is to have a pen that fits well and feels comfortable in your hands. Such will take you a long way especially if you’ll be drawing for long hours.

Pressure sensitivity

Pressure sensitivity refers to the relative sensitivity levels of the tablet’s surface to the drawing pen. It is the darkness and boldness of the lines you draw as determined by the force you apply on the pen when pressing it upon the screen.

Sensitivity is gauged in figures with the lowest being 256, then 512, then 1024, and 2048 respectively. The higher the sensitivity, the better the experience as you’ll have more control over every stroke. The feeling will be natural and authentic.

A tablet with a greater sensitivity level will aid you in making finer distinctions in the strokes, a factor that is very critical, particularly with high-resolution drawings. Other than boldness, other factors that are controlled by pressure sensitivity include color and transparency, among others.

Having a pen with 2048 up to 4,092 pressure levels is good enough and can give enough control with your brushes. Pen pressure sensitivity offers diminishing returns the higher you go beyond 4092.

Interface

Interface refers to how the tablet connects to the computer be it through USB or Bluetooth. All computers are designed to support USB. If for any reason your computer cannot connect to USB, then you need to consider buying a drawing tablet that has a serial interface. As for Bluetooth, it’s a convenient wireless option to connect your tablet to your computer.

If you’re using a display tablet, most display tablets need an HDMI connection to connect to your computer and another USB cable for power delivery. This sometimes requires you to cable manage if your tablet doesn’t offer a 3-in-one cable connection.

You should also check whether your tablet has the Express keys feature built into the tablet itself. Express keys really help to make efficient use of shortcuts and macros because it is easily accessible on the tablet itself. Some modern tablets removed these face buttons, which means a keyboard is a must when using them. You might also buy an express key remote to have better input options.

Tilt sensitivity

With a sensor in the tablet stylus, drawing tablets with a tilt sensitivity feature enables you to identify the angle at which the pen is and importantly helps you adjust the display of the pen according to the angle. This feature helps you to easily produce lines of different types making your drawing more attractive.

List of tablets that beginners might consider buying

Buying any electronic gadget would be simpler if you have some brands in mind. For this reason, we have conducted thorough research on drawing tablets that are best for beginners. Check out the following five recommendations:

• Wacom Intuos Pro S (READ: Wacom Intuos Pro: A simple and effective drawing tablet)
• Huion Inspiroy 1060P
• XP-PEN Star 03 V2
• Parblo Coast 10
• Artisul D16

Verdict

No matter how well you think you are equipped with information about graphic tablets you’ll need to go through these factors repeatedly. Sure enough, you cannot afford to gamble with your time and money when you should be taking your skill to another level.