Sketching is one of the oldest art forms that we know of. Neanderthals and early humans mixed pigments with other substances to create rudimentary drawings for thousands of years before the invention of paint or pencils.
The oldest (so far) drawings have been found in the Maltravieso cave in Spain with scientists dating it older than 64,000 years. Through the centuries, humans excelled at putting their imaginations onto a permanent medium. But if you want to be good at something, you must start somewhere. If you enjoy sketching wild creations, keep them saved on your computer with a drawing tablet.
How drawing tablets work
The technology that goes into a drawing tablet is similar to a stylus used for a large mobile phone or a tablet, such as an iPad. But there is a significant difference: it doesn’t have a display. Instead, the tablet lies flat on your desk, and you draw on it like a notepad.
The surface is pressure sensitive and works in conjunction with a special pen that transmits the signals to a computer. The pressure sensitivity helps with changing the brush strokes, thickness and clarity. Essentially, the harder you push down on the tablet, the thicker the lines will be. With a softer touch, you can draw delicate lines or do some careful color work.
What you need for a drawing tablet
You’ll need a drawing tablet if you want to translate your hand movements into digital art. The tablets often come with a pen that’s designed to work on the tablet’s surface, but you can’t start doodling without the correct software or knowing your way around them.
There are several Photoshop courses that can teach you all the techniques necessary to get ahead of other artists. In addition to Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and AutoDesk’s Sketchbook are excellent applications as well.
Best drawing tablet for beginners
Wacom PTH660 Intuos Pro Digital Graphic Drawing Tablet
The Intuos tablet comes in three sizes, and the medium size has an active surface area of 8.7 inches by 5.8 inches. It has Bluetooth connectivity for PC and Mac computers, so you don’t need to struggle with cables. The tablet comes with the Pro Pen 2 for better handling and accuracy.
XP-PEN Deco Mini7 Drawing Tablet
This drawing tablet measures 7 inches by 4 inches and has eight customized keys on the left side that serve as action shortcuts. It comes with the battery-free P05D passive stylus, which supports up to 60 degrees of tilt. It is compatible with Windows-based computers, Apple’s Mac and Android devices.
One by Wacom Small Graphics Drawing Tablet
The One is the only drawing tablet certified to work with Google’s Chromebooks, making it a perfect gadget for students. It has an active surface area of 8.3 inches by 5.7 inches and comes with an advanced electromagnetic 2,048 pressure-sensitive pen.
This 10-inch-by-6-inch drawing tablet is designed for sketching as well as capturing digital signatures and video editing. It is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android and Linux gadgets and works perfectly with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or Corel Painter. It has four touch keys, a gesture pad and 8,192 professional-level pressure sensitivity. The tablet comes with a battery-free pen and eight extra tips for different strokes.
Huion H610 Pro V2 Graphic Drawing Tablet
The H610 has eight programmable buttons on the left side, which can be customized to 16 quick actions. The 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity improve the tilt control system for better accuracy with the battery-free pen. The active surface area is 10 inches by 6.25 inches. It is only compatible with Windows, Mac and Android devices, while iPad and iPhones aren’t supported.
Ugee M708 Graphics Drawing Tablet
This is an excellent tablet for drawing beginners. It has an active surface area of 10 inches by 6 inches, which has a papery feeling and eight quick-action buttons. The included pen has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, making it accurate for finer details. It is compatible with Windows and Mac computers and works with apps such as Photoshop, Illustrator and AutoDesk Maya.
Xoppox Graphics Drawing Tablet
This drawing tablet has an active surface area of 10 inches by 6 inches and is compatible with a wide range of gadgets. You can even use it with a mobile phone by connecting it to an “On-the-Go” cable. The included pen has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, and the tablet has 12 customizable buttons.
Wacom Cintiq 16 Drawing Tablet
This tablet is perfect for beginners who aren’t comfortable drawing on a flat surface while looking at a computer monitor. It has a 15.4-inch high-definition display that’s optimized for creative illustrations, and the Wacom Pro Pen 2 has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and two customizable switches.
This tablet isn’t only for drawing beautiful scenes and fantastic characters but also works great in online meetings. It is compatible with Zoom and Skype and lets you easily draw on presentations in addition to sketching software. The battery-free pen has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, and the active surface area is 6.5 inches by 4 inches. It has four customizable buttons.
Huion Kamvas 13 Graphics Drawing Tablet
This excellent drawing tablet has a fully laminated glass display that feels natural yet accurate. The 13.3-inch display has a maximum resolution of 1920 pixels by 1080 pixels, 16.7 million colors and a 178-degree viewing angle. It has eight customizable buttons on the left side and comes with the Huion PenTec3.0, which has 8,192 pressure levels and 60 degrees of tilt.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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