Fun fact: the first drawing app ever made was the MacPaint, which came out in 1984.
These days though, MacPaint is a relic of the past. Many apps and devices far surpass the capabilities of the 1980s era software. Back in those days, you had to make do with a mouse to vaguely emulate a pencil or paintbrush. In contrast, modern drawing tablets have stylus pens as a built-in accessory.
But, if you’re new to the digital artwork space, finding your first tablet from so many options available in the market can be a challenge. To help you find the best drawing tablet for beginners, we’ve collected some of the finest offerings on the market today.
Your Best Options for Beginner Drawing Tablets
On our list, we’ll include both traditional drawing tablets and multi-media devices.
The first 2 of our recommendations are just drawing surfaces that need to be hooked up to a PC or laptop. And, the final 3 are standalone devices that have screens and don’t need an external connection to another system.
Wacom Intuos
The Wacom Intuos is a great drawing tablet for beginners. The tablet comes pre-installed with the drawing app Corel Painter Essentials 8. In addition, it comes with Corel AfterShot Pro 3, which is a beginner-friendly photo editing software.
You can connect the Wacom Intuos to either a desktop or laptop through a USB connection, making it perfect for at-home drawing or artists on the go! With a pressure-sensitive screen that provides 4096 levels of sensitivity and a spacious 6 x 3.7-inch drawing area, this drawing tablet allows users to create detailed drawings and paintings with ease.
At less than $100, the Wacom Intuos is a feature-rich device that’s certainly one of the best bargains for beginners.
Huion Inspiroy H1060P
The Huion Inspiroy H1060P Drawing Tablet is another excellent entry-level device.
For just $57, you’re getting a lot of features absent from the previous tablet. Its first selling point is the larger drawing area of 10 x 6.25-inches, giving you over three times the working space of the Wacom. Additionally, the Huion presents additional functionality with short-cut buttons. The tablet features 28 programmable keys that you can set to your preferences.
For a pure drawing tablet experience, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better value than the Huion Inspiroy H1060P Drawing Tablet.
PicassoTab
If you’re looking for something with more functionality, you might be in the market for a PicassoTab - Portable Drawing Tablet with screen.
The tablet has great multimedia features that allow you to browse the web, and even watch your favorite streaming apps. Furthermore, the PicassoTab grants unparalleled color accuracy thanks to its 10-inch IPS screen. What’s more, the tablet comes installed with Autodesk and Sketchbook, giving you plenty of options for your artistic needs.
At just $239.95, you’re getting great value for that price - especially when you compare it with other multimedia pads, like the iPad. With the PicassoTab, you get a multimedia device that doubles as a drawing tablet. It comes with a bunch of pre-packaged add-ons like a charger, a drawing glove, and a stylus, to boot.
PicassoTab XL
If the PicassoTab isn’t spacious enough for you, you can go for its bigger screen relative: the PicassoTab XL.
With a bigger screen at a higher resolution, you’ll get higher fidelity when you choose the PicassoTab XL. The PicassoTab XL comes with the upgraded PicassoPen2 that has improved stroke accuracy over the original pen included with the PicassoTab. Like the original PicassoTab, the XL features palm-rejection technology that helps improve drawing accuracy.
With the PicassoTab XL, you’re getting a higher quality experience over the original, but still priced affordably, at just $259.95. For just $20 more, you’ll get a higher-quality drawing experience.
Apple iPad (2021)
We can’t have a list of drawing tablets without including the ever-popular Apple iPad.
It comes with a 10.2-inch retina display that provides unparalleled clarity with ample drawing space. Moreover, it has a display resolution of 1620 x 2160 which enables superior picture quality. With an IPad, you’ll get access to Apple’s Apple TV streaming service where you can watch your favorite movies.
Of course, we can’t forget its drawing capabilities. With the Apple Pencil, you’ll have 100% compatibility and the most feature-rich time when drawing on an IPad. Thanks to its palm rejection, pressure, and tilt support features, you’ll get a world-class drawing experience.
The IPad comes in at $329 for its base model and $428 when you include the Apple Pencil.
Have A Grade-A Drawing Experience With These Picks
Newer digital artists might find it challenging to find the perfect drawing tablet. With so many options on the market, how can you decide which is best for you?
It comes down to your needs, budget, and operating system, but the choices above fit these criteria well. Each option has features that every artist wants, at different price points and sizes.
But, if you’re looking for an all-purpose device with the best value for price, you can’t go wrong with either PicassoTab model. When you pick up this drawing tablet, you get an all-in-one device that allows you to work, play, and watch your favorite movies. Add to that, it comes with a better price-to-feature ratio than Apple’s offerings, thanks to the cheaper price and the fact that all the accessories are included.
