A very limited guide to buying a graphics tablet

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Or "How to choose from Wacom's cheapest tablets" because that's all I ever do. But someone asked, and the way I see it, limited information is better than none. I've made a vague attempt to discuss the other options, but am definitely missing things. Comments with more info very much appreciated!

I've also included information about some relevant digital art programs.

I use a graphics tablet, but if you want the image to appear where you're drawing, you can go for the more expensive option of a tablet PC. I've seen people get surprisingly good results using a stylus on an iPad or even a phone.

Graphics tablets tend to last a pretty long time, so by the time I come to replace one all the names have changed and I have to research all over again. I find it a bit overwhelming and get my non-artist husband to check reviews for me, haha. I've included prices but these will change based on currency/location/when you read this post, so double check.

The features I pay attention to:
Active area: the size of the area you draw in. Bigger = more expensive, more room to make big gestures.
Pressure levels: How responsive it is to changes in pen pressure. Higher = more expensive, smoother art.
Tilt: Recording the angle of the pen. This lets you add extra effects. (I have never had this feature but it sounds cool)
Mac compatibility: some cheaper tablets have bad reputations on the Mac

A feature I don't care about is touch support/multi-touch: whether you can use it as a really big trackpad with your fingers. I ended up getting a tablet that has this, I think because it was all that was available at the time, and never use the feature. I guess it would mean I could use a different stylus if I lost the one that came with the tablet? It doesn't record anything you draw on paper on top of the tablet with a normal pen.

So!

I have so far always ended up buying the smallish version of whatever is the cheapest graphics tablet Wacom is selling at the time. Wacom tablets are reliable but a little pricey. The basic ones I buy work pretty well, but lack the pressure sensitivity and tilt options of more expensive tablets. I don't know how much difference these features would make, but am considering going up to something a little fancier when my current tablet breaks. Afaict I'd be looking at an Intuos Pro, which costs $400-$600 depending on size.

Right now the basic Wacom models are the Intuos Pen, and the Intuous Pen and Touch, available in small and medium. As far as I can tell the only difference is that the Pen and Touch has touch sensitivity, but I might be missing something. I use an older model of the Pen and Touch in what I think is the small size that I bought a few years ago.

Intuos tablets all come with bundled software, and the bundles are given names describing what they're suited for: Comic, Draw, Photo etc. The software tends to be demo/low tier versions of good programs for the relevant task. I think the tablet I bought came with Artrage 4 Lite.

Here's the three people here would be likely to use:

Comic $149: small Pen and Touch with Clip Studio Paint Pro (2 year license) and Anime Studio

I use Clip Studio Paint Pro as my main art program, it's great for comic-style art with clean lines and flat colour, with some cool extra features for manga style art and comics. It can be used for digital painting, but that's not it's strength. Heres a watercolour-ish picture I drew in it, and here's a comic.

I've never used Anime Studio but it's for creating animation.

Draw $119: small Pen with Artrage Lite

Artrage is great for mimicking traditional media, including goopy wet paint that dries. I found it challenging as someone who has no training in traditional media, but some people LOVE it. Here's a paintover I did in it.

Art $149 or $299: small or medium Pen and Touch with Corel Painter Essentials

Corel Painter Essentials is designed for mimicking traditional media too, and has some nice photo-painting features. I personally find it easier to use than Artrage but I think that's because it's more "digital" in feel. As far as I can tell, primarily traditional artists tend to prefer Artrage. Here's a speedpaint I did following a Bob Ross show.

The basic versions of these programs you get with a tablet are enough to get you started. The fully upgraded versions tend to be expensive but I am pretty happy with Corel Painter Essentials and Clip Studio Paint Pro, which I got on sale. Clip Studio Paint Pro goes on sale a lot for like $15. There's a $5 version of Artrage for mobile devices.

If you want more options, the two free digital art programs I'm familiar with:
Fire Alpaca is what I used before I bought Clip Studio Paint, and has nice line smoothing.
GIMP is an alternative to Photoshop that has lots of features but is not very easy to use.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Comments

[alias_sqbr]

I'm glad it was helpful!