what tablet to buy on a budget?
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I am a traditional artist/educator trying to migrate to computer illustration. What tablet would you recommend on a budget? I have an iMac. I'm not opposed to buying an iPad Pro if recommended over a tablet. thank you for any advice. dana
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Onestly it really depends what your budget is. There is a tablet for nearly every price point.
Tablets with no screen go for pretty cheap.
Tablets with a screen i would reccomend a huion or a wacom one if on a tighter budget to use with your imac.
If you can afford it one of the latest ipads and apple pencils. They aren't the biggest in the market, but they are portable and great for art.
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@jimsz thank you
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Here is my experience:
I got an ipad 2018 (the regular one, not pro) because it was my first tablet with a screen so I didn't want to spend a lot of money for trying it. I used to use a wacom bamboo.
And if you check my portfolio everything is done with the ipad. The difference between the models is the amount of layers you can add into a big canvas. I use a lot of layers so that's something I'm missing and when I buy the next ipad it will be the pro.
The ipad is great to draw wherever you go but it doesn't have an accurate color representation like the macs. So keep this in mind if you want to print something for instance.
The pencil is not ergonomic so I would recommend to add a grip if you are going to draw long hours.Few months after getting the ipad I got a HUION KAMVAS GT-191 V2 in an Amazon sale for my studio setup.
I'm so happy with it and the color accuracy is great.
I have PC so I don't know how they perform on iMac but I don't think that would be an issue.
The pencil is very light and comfy to use and it doesn't need to be charged. It also came with so many tips to change in case it gets worn.
The tablet is comfy as well because you can choose the angle so your arm can rest on the screen.Huion has so many different tablets to choose from and different prices. I know there are some with screen but portable which are higher on price but it may work for you. Also some of them have buttons and some don't (like mine).
You have to think what are the needs you want to cover with a tablet. Also I don't know which software you would like to use.
For the ipad I use Procreate which is great on a tight budget because it's a one time payment.
For the pen display I use Photoshop (monthly subscription) but only because I'm used to it. I know there are some great free software like GIMP and Krita.Hope this helped and if you have any questions do not hesitate!
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@Dana-Eastes i use an XP Pen 15.6 artist pro, its pretty good but not without its glitches, think it only cost 380 quid though for that price its great, much cheaper than shelling out for an i pad pro and apple pencil, and generally works pretty well. Wouldnt buy one if linework and comics are your thing though, but for a painterly style its fine. A little part of me knows that at some point i probably will have to upgrade though. Maybe its cheaper in the lon run to just take the hit now, pay it off monthly or something.
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I have a windows laptop and a huion tablet that did work at one time but now I can't get it to work. I have been thinking of getting another tablet that would definitely work with my windows 10 so I can start doing more digital work with something other than my finger on my touch screen
I'm just afraid to buy one and have it mess up. I am not really liking microsoft lately......I will be interested in what you get and see hwo it works for you. -
@gavpartridge I have an XP-Pen 15.6 Pro too and love it! I have been very happy with my purchase. I may upgrade one day too to a Cintiq, but for now this has given me the oppotunity to learn without breaking the bank!
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@deborah-Haagenson yeah i think im just being greedy now, when i first got it it blew me away, was using an old wacom bamboo before that, so much easier now.
