Question About Drawing Tablets
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Hey all! I am looking into getting a drawing tablet because I think it would make drawing the kinds of things I like a lot easier. I need something around $700 or less. What do you guys recommend? I have a Mac laptop that I can hook it up to. I was also wondering about standalone drawing tablets? I share the computer with someone else, so it would be nice to have a drawing tablet that didn't need a computer. I'm not sure if there are many options for this, though. Thank you!
Ambria (Bri) :D
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@ambria the only thing out there I know of in that range that doesn't need a pc, is the regular iPad. Just note, the apple pencil is expensive and there is a resolution limit on the canvas. Also the draw programs available might be different than what you are used-to. (The ipad pro give you a 'bigger' resolution canvas, but it's quite a bit more expensive.)
Maybe give us some more info about what the end product artwork you are wanting to create is?
https://instagram.com/keithryanstudio
https://keithryanstudio.com
#createforward -
I mostly draw anime/manga scenes and things like that. I thought about an iPad, but I think I want something more specific to drawing. I'm fine with getting a drawing tablet that needs a computer to work. As long as it has a screen on the tablet itself.
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@keithryanstudio Does that help?
Ambria (Bri) :D
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@ambria wacom really is the best in my opinion. I did use an xp-pen artist 12 pro for a little bit and it was just too small to work with. Having the tools bars up on the screen makes the canvas way too small. Maybe someone using a bigger Huion or Xp-Pen could jump in and give you a recommendation?
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@ambria hi! I just bought a Huion Kamvas 22 Plus and have been using it since last Friday (August 27). So yeah, only a couple of days into using it and I'm still in that learning curve. But I really like it! I bought it refurbished for $400 (ended up being $435 with tax). It retails for around $550 USD.
For the past few months, I've been debating whether or not I needed a pen tablet for my computer, and having a small budget, knew that I couldn't afford Wacom. After watching so many YouTube videos and reading reviews & blogs, I had it narrowed down to an XP-Pen or Huion. I also knew that with how I work, I wanted at least a 16-inch tablet. The model I really was drawn to was the Kamvas 22 Plus. Last week, after days of using the mouse to edit artwork and format books, my hand was strained and I knew I needed a different solution than using the mouse, so I started searching pen tablets in earnest -- on Amazon, Huion's website, XP-Pen's website, and eBay. eBay is where I found the refurbished Kamvas 22 Plus (the pen tablet I wanted), with a 2-year warranty, and I snagged that deal.
The Kamvas 22 Plus is large. It measures 21" x 12.5", with a workable space of 18.5" x 10.5". Not all that space is drawing space, though. Depending on the program you're using, if there are top and side bars, your drawing space will be smaller. In Photoshop, my workable space is approximately 15.5" x 8.75". That's the amount of drawing space I was looking for. I think if I had purchased a 16-inch tablet, I would've been disappointed in size of the workable space.
One huge difference for me, that I'm still getting used to, is the screen resolution. It's HD, but with that large of a screen, there is pixelation. I'm used to the retina display of my Mac or the super clear screen on my iPad Pro, where I do most of my drawing (and I probably still will, since I love ProCreate). It's most evident in small icons and text. Pictures look clear and vibrant. But for what I'm planning on mainly using the pen display for -- editing in Photoshop and book formatting/design in InDesign -- it'll work just fine.
The pen is really nice. Responsive. Feels good in the hand. Comfortable drawing on the screen. Since the impetus to purchase the tablet was to save my hand and wrist, I'm super happy with how natural it feels to use the pen.
Setup was relatively easy. There were a few calibrations I had to make and had to troubleshoot one or two things, but within 10 minutes of downloading the driver and turning on the unit, I was testing it out in Photoshop. There is still a lot for me to learn -- once I get more familiar with the display, its settings, and what it can do, I'm sure I'll reach for it more and more.
Those are my initial thoughts, 4 days into owning this tablet. Let me know if you have any questions. Hope this was helpful!
illustrator - author - smiley person
mbaileyart.com
instagram.com/mbaileyart/ -
@Melissa-Bailey-0 Hey thanks for your response! I looked at the Huion Kamvas 22 Plus on Amazon, and it looks really great! It's a good price and the best option I have seen so far! I will think on that one. Thanks for the help!
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Hello! I've only recently gotten into digital but I will say that if you haven't done digital yet, you should totally try it out on a cheap used tablet first. I decided to do this with a Wacom Large Intuos 4 PTK-840 Tablet and it's great because it's big enough to draw 1:1 with my 13" laptop display but only cost $50. If you still enjoy digital after a while, you can resell that on craigslist or facebook marketplace and upgrade will little to no sunk cost. This way you won't be out $500 if you don't like digital!
Happy creating,
Tristan -
@ambria Yet another opinion
:If your workflow is primarily rough sketch followed by detailed painting you may want to consider a non display tablet, from any of the leading Wacom alternatives. I would recommend a large size to maximize full arm movements, although that may need to be balanced against the size of your display monitor. It does take a little to get used to, but it is a lot cheaper and more ergonomic than looking down at a display tablet.
If your workflow includes detailed line art and or inking, I would suggest getting a display tablet. While Wacom is falling behind on almost every dimension of cost vs performance, I still think that Wacom's pen technology is better than any of the alternatives, except Apple pencil. The challenge is staying in the 700 budget which implies something used if you want to get a decent sized display from Wacom. Of course a Huion or XP Pen will check all of the basic marks and probably is fine for starting out. If you have the ability to, it might be worth testing out the different stylus before hand.
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@Tristan-Lapetz Thanks! That's a good idea!
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@davido Ok, thank you! I thought about a non display tablet, but I don't think that would really work for me.
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I used to have a Huion Kamvas and they are a great entry level display for digital art. They are made more cheaply than the wacom cintiqs but I never really had a problem with mine and it got the job done.
K.Flagg
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@K-Flagg Ok! I think I'm going to go ahead and get it! Thanks!
Ambria (Bri) :D
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@ambria If your budget is $700 you might want to consider :
I have the Huion Kamvas 22 plus which is really fantastic, but like @Melissa-Bailey-0 said, the resolution is a slight bummer when you go from an ipad pro. This model is last year's but since Huion is releasing their new models in the next month it is $200 off. The big thing here is it has a 2.5k display, a pretty decent and noticeable bump up from the kamvas plus.
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@Jeremiahbrown Ok, thanks! I will check that one out!
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Hi @ambria ! After much research I went for the for XP-Pen artist 15.6 pro last year. It's a great size tablet and the pen is comfortable to use, colours and screen are good, but it does have some glitches, which I suppose at that price you have to expect. The most frustrating is that, even with the laminated display it does have the occasional parallax problem (I’m learning to be very patient)! Overall though I love having a tablet - it’s introduced me to a whole new world of illustration
My dream, of course, is to own a Cintiq, but until that day comes, this is a good, affordable alternative I think.Here’s quite an in-depth review if you are interested… https://www.parkablogs.com/picture/review-xp-pen-artist-156-pro-pen-display
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I had a Cintiq 24HD and a Bosto 22HD, but since I moved to another country I have been using an XP-Pen artist 15.6 pro for about 2 and half years and it works really great and is as solid as a wacom product, I removed the protective film early on since it does tend to scratch with ease and it got deformed a tiny bit in the summer heat while working with it.
Also, some people really hate the smooth glass but I personally don't care either way, though I did notice the pen nibs last forever if you go with the smooth glass.The only thing bothering me a bit is the size, I would love to have one of 22" instead, but even at 15.6" is still a great product and you can work professionally with it (so far I've made a 6 issue graphic novel, several book covers and video game art with it).
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My veredict on the tablet displays I've owned:
— 13" Cintiq Companion: Super reliable but screen too small, some parallax issues but none critical, served me for many years though before selling it.
— 11" iPad Pro + Apple Pencil: Probably the most natural flow and accuracy I've ever had on a tablet display. Cons: Screen size (great for portablity though) and $$$.
— 24" XP-Pen Artist Pro: Got this one recently because I finally wanted a decent screen size so I went all in and didn't have $3k+ to blow on a Cintiq (paid north of $600 for it — special offer). Although I have desk space for this it's maybe too big for me — the sweet spot lies somewhere between 18" and 22" screen size. Has a gorgeous 2K screen but I've had issues with the USB connection and non-responsive pencil so it is now stored waiting to be serviced soon. Bummed? You bet.
