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Drawing Tablets

by Feldon

I thought I'd ask all you fuzzies about this:

I'm looking to start doing art on a drawing tablet, but I don't know what type I'd get.

What I want is a tablet that I am drawing directly on and seeing the work on that surface.  Drawing while looking at a screen doesn't work for me; as a friend of mine pointed out, I have lousy hand-eye coordination.

I also want a tablet with a stylis that has a pen nib.  I see stylis' with these little disks on the end and I can tell you that would drive me nuts.

Finally, do the drawing tablets come with their own drawing programs/software?  I really don't know very much about technology and I find the whole thing frustrating.

I'd like to retire my 20+ year old Wacom tablet.  It has served me, but my art looks like shit when I use it.

Viewed:	13 times
Added:	1 week, 4 days ago 22 Oct 2025 16:40 CEST

12 Comments on this Journal

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Peppercorn

1 week, 4 days ago

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I used a Huion Q11k V2 for the longest time before switching to a screen tablet. It served me well and I definitely recommend it. It's a bit on the cheaper side, but it still feels somewhat durable. Be warned, the protective layer of gloss begins to chip off after a year or two. For that, I'd recommend getting a screen protector so your pen doesn't constantly bump along the grooves and chips you'll eventually come across. The pen also needs to be charged, unlike some of the more high-end pens.

Feldon

1 week, 4 days ago

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@ Peppercorn

I shall look into this.
Does it automatically have its own drawing program or do you need to find one?

Peppercorn

1 week, 4 days ago

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@ Feldon

I think it comes with its own driver software. Should be available on the Huion website

Feldon

1 week, 4 days ago

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@ Peppercorn

I was checking it out. Thanks for the suggestion.

LachlanCiar

1 week, 3 days ago

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@ Feldon

I looked up this tablet; this is essentially the same type of device as your Wacom, just newer. There is no display under this tablet.

LachlanCiar

1 week, 4 days ago

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Are you looking for a tablet that hooks up to your computer like the Wacom does, or a standalone tablet like an iPad? The Wacom-style tablets are more flexible, and the standalone tablets are more portable.

Most tablets don't come with their own drawing programs, just the drivers to make them work, though they may have stuff like free trial software included. If you want a free drawing program, I know a lot of artists use Krita.

Feldon

1 week, 4 days ago

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@ LachlanCiar

I want the tablet to be portable. I do not want to be looking at a computer screen while drawing on another device. Being able to connect to the computer after the fact for printing purposes is also a factor.

LachlanCiar

1 week, 3 days ago

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Edited 1 week, 3 days ago by Owner

@ Feldon

There are tablets (like the Wacom Cintiq line and some competing devices from XP Pen and Huion) that are essentially monitors with a tablet pen digitizer built-in, that require the computer to function. They're basically as if someone took a Wacom tablet and put a screen under the drawing surface.

The other option is self-contained tablets that are completely portable and these come in a wide-variety of form factors. The most popular options I'm aware of are the iPad combined with an Apple Pencil, and some of the Samsung Galaxy Tab range that supports their SPen. In that case you'd need an app from one of the app stores that supports drawing with the stylus.

There are also Windows-based tablets like the Surface Pro range that have a stylus, but I find it hard to recommend them as Windows is kinda weird to use as a tablet. You could use Windows programs on such a tablet though.

Feldon

1 week, 3 days ago

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@ LachlanCiar

As long as the image is drawn on the surface I'm working from it would be fine. I still would send to my laptop regardless for final edits and printing. I'll be asking around before settling. My work is the important part and the printing thereof.

LachlanCiar

1 week, 3 days ago

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@ Feldon

In that case I'd probably look at a pen display rather than a standalone tablet. The Wacom Cintiqs are the "gold standard" but are priced to match that, and plenty of artists do just fine with pen displays from XP-Pen and Huion (the other major players in this space), which are less expensive. Unfortunately I don't have direct experience with them.

Feldon

1 week, 3 days ago

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@ LachlanCiar

Thanks for the input. Huion appears to be the favorite in this little venture, but I must put in more research before deciding to put out the money.

LachlanCiar

1 week, 3 days ago

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@ Feldon

As far as printing goes, with the stand-alone tablets that can be a bit harder to do directly from the tablet. Some printers support them, some don't. Most people upload the picture somewhere (like Dropbox or whatever) and then print from a normal PC.

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