Which Drawing Tablet is Best for Beginners?

Fun fact: the first drawing app ever made was MacPaint, which came out in 1984.

These days, MacPaint is a relic of the past. Many apps and devices now far surpass the capabilities of 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 the 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 two of our recommendations are just drawing surfaces that need to be hooked up to a PC or laptop. And, the final three 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 $99.99, 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 shortcut 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 XL

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 11.6-inch IPS screen. What’s more, the tablet comes installed with Concepts and FlipaClip, giving you plenty of options for your artistic needs.

At just $349, 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 X14

If the PicassoTab XL isn’t spacious enough for you, you can go for its bigger screen relative: the PicassoTab X14.

With a bigger screen at a higher resolution, you’ll get higher fidelity when you choose the PicassoTab X14. The PicassoTab X14 comes with the upgraded PicassoPen4 that has improved stroke accuracy over the original pen included with the PicassoTab XL. Like the original PicassoTab, the X14 features palm-rejection technology that helps improve drawing accuracy.

With the PicassoTab X14, you’re getting a higher quality experience over the original, but still priced affordably, at just $399. For just $50 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 10.9-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 $349 for its base model and $428 when you include the Apple Pencil.

Have A Grade-A Drawing Experience With These Picks

Finding the perfect drawing tablet can be challenging for new digital artists. With so many options, how do you decide which is best for you? It comes down to your needs, budget, and operating system. The choices above fit these criteria well, offering features that every artist wants at different price points and sizes.

If you’re looking for an all-purpose device with great value, the PicassoTab models are excellent choices. They allow you to work, play, and watch your favorite movies, and they come with a better price-to-feature ratio than Apple’s offerings, thanks to the included accessories and lower price.