In order to make sure you pick the very best tablet to draw on, there are a few things you need to take into consideration.
This article will discuss each single aspect you need to consider before making your decision, but if you would like to go straight to my tablet recommendation, click here.
Choosing the best tablet to draw on
The most important characteristic of the ideal drawing tablet, without a doubt, is the presence of a screen surface to draw on.
Many tablets on the market do not come with their own screen, meaning you need to plug the tablet on the computer through a USB port and use your monitor as the tablet screen.
While drawing like this is a great way to practice your hand-eye movement, these kinds of tablets are much harder to master because the way this setup works is simply too different from what we are all used to (pencil and paper).
When you draw on a flat surface, but the output appears in front of you, in a separate screen, it’s particularly hard to maintain precision. And as you must know, drawing is all about stroke accuracy.
This is precisely why almost all of the new generation tablets are touch-screen. You can draw on their surface just like you would do in real life, with pencil and paper. This is by far the easiest possible way to produce high quality artworks with precision and effectively.
Why the best tablet to draw on must have a screen
- Higher stroke precision;
- Easier to visualize output;
- The workflow is much more similar to the one with real life materials;
- The tablet itself is a screen, so you don’t need to carry a monitor around;
- Zooming in and out is faster because while you use one hand to hold the pen (stylus) you can use the other to increase the size of the image with a simple movement;
- Higher productivity. The tablet is such a slim object that you can keep on drawing even if you’re on your bed;
- You don’t need a wall outlet as long as you charge your device in advance;
- Tablets are an extremely affordable alternative. There’s no need for a computer;
- They come with all the drawing programs you will ever need;
- Hot keys increase speed during the drawing process.
Higher stroke precision
Whenever you draw a line with a tablet that doesn’t have a screen, you’re never really sure where that line will appear on the screen. For this reaosn, the artist’s precision takes an immediate hit.
Of course you’ll eventually be able to get used to this, but you will never be as precise as you would with a tablet that comes with a screen.
Easier to visualize output
Dragging your pen across the screen and seeing the line being formed in real time is a real gift. Only those who have worked with screenless tablets for years (like I did) can truly appreciate how much more comfortable it is to use a device that actually simulates real paper.
The workflow is much more similar to the one with real life materials
Drawing with a tablet that has its own screen is just like having and infinite amount of paper and a magical pen that can simulate any art tool in the world: pens, pencils, brushes, sponges, spatulas, you name it!
Nothing can beat the joy of creating art like this.
The tablet itself is a screen, so you don’t need to carry a monitor around
Have you ever noticed that artists are always doodling? Whenever there’s a pen and a paper hanging around, creative people will follow their instincts and…create!
If you have a tablet that has its own screen, anytime is a great time to create. So instead of drawing something amazing in a napkin that will end up in the trash can, you will be able to save your work and continue working on it later.
Being able to carry such a powerful art tool around is possibly one of the biggest advantages of buying one of these tablets.
Zooming in and out is faster
I have actually taken a bit of a scientific approach here. In the last 3 designs I worked on, the zoom tool was used exactly 2558 times. That’s an average of 852 times per design. Now let’s suppose that I had created these designs on a desktop computer and that it took me about 5 seconds to zoom in and zoom out each time. This amounts to 71 minutes on average just using the zoom tool. More than an hour just zooming in. What a waste of time.
When you use a tablet, the process of zooming is almost automatic. You will get so used to it, since it only takes a slight hand movement, that you won’t even realize that you’re doing it. It simply becomes part of the work flow. It’s like riding a bicycle, once you learn it, you don’t have to think about it anymore.
Higher productivity
I like to draw everywhere. Being able to take my drawing tablet with me is absolutely necessary. Sometimes I work on very tight deadlines and being able to work everywhere increases my productivity tremendously. Artists will work literally anywhere once those deadlines start closing in.
No need for a wall outlet
Can you imagine what it would be like to always need an outlet whenever you had to use your cellphone?
This is pretty much how life goes to all of those who use a computer to draw. Life is too short to be sitting in front of a computer all day long.
Drawing tablets with a screen allow you to move around without having to worry about chords or outlets. Of course you need to remember to charge your device at night, although I must confess that I frequently forget to do so.
Tablets are an extremely affordable alternative
Computers are expensive. They have many moving parts. You need a monitor, a hard disk, memory, a keyboard, a mouse and, on top of that, if you want to draw, you still need to get a drawing tablet (a screenless one).
Doesn’t it make much more sense to simply buy a tablet that has a screen from the beginning?
Of course it does!
These days tablets are so incredible cheap that you should probably own more than one of them.
They come with all the drawing programs you will ever need
Software can be pretty expensive. The tablet companies know this and this is why they always strike deals with companies in order to offer these programs to the tablet end user for free.
This is a pretty good deal in my opinion. You buy an amazing hardware that will make your life much easier and the software comes as a bonus.
Hot keys increase speed during the drawing process
Although not every tablet comes with hotkeys, most of the new ones include them. I must confess that I used to avoid using these buttons that are usually located on the sides of the tablet because I was just too lazy to memorize each one’s function.
But I tell you what, once you get used to a workflow with hotkeys, there’s no going back. I work so much faster like this that I’m sure it has a considerable impact on my income. The more artwork I produce, the more I earn.
This is the best tablet to draw on
GAOMON PD1560
This device has the whole package. It contains every little feature that an ideal tablet need to have. On top of that, it’s extremely affordable.
If you need a tool to help you step up your game and create the kind of artwork that you see coming out of Marvel Studios, this drawing tablet offers you exactly that at a fraction of the price of the devices used in Hollywood.
It has become the number one tablet either for those who are just getting started and for those professionals that are always on the go.
There are plenty of reviews about this device online. You may click here to read some of them on Amazon.
Conclusion
There’s a moment in every artist’s life when it’s necessary to take a step forward and start investing in tools that can improve workflo speed. The sooner you take the plunge, the sooner you will be able to transition from a mere enthusiast to a true professional.
Don’t waste anymore time. Get started as soon as you can!
I wish you all the luck and if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.
Bruno Santos
