It’s tough as a beginner to choose the best drawing tablet to start your digital art journey with. Many sites recommend devices that are way over the beginner’s budget. The devices themselves aren’t bad, but you don’t need the top-of-the-range when you’re only just learning how to draw and paint digitally.
This post covers a few of the best drawing tablet options for beginners that are versatile, have all the necessary features, and most importantly, are affordable. You’ll also find a link to my review of the chosen device in each section.
So if you are looking to buy a beginner drawing tablet for Black Friday 2022, read on.
But first…
What are some specs to look out for in a drawing tablet?
Do you have a computer already and want a screenless graphics tablet or pen display to hook up to that? Do you want a drawing tablet that can connect to your smartphone? Or do you prefer to get a standalone device for digital art? And of course, how much money are you willing to spend? Once you’ve answered these questions, it will be much easier to decide what tablet is best for you.
These are some of the main specifications and features to look out for when deciding to buy a drawing tablet.
- Size: 8×5″ or larger active area;
- Portability: if you take your tablet out and about a lot, you’ll want something compact,
- Pressure sensitivity: to mimic a real drawing experience;
- Tilt response: preferred as it further adds to a more realistic drawing experience;
- Low Initial activation force: how little force is needed for a line to appear on your screen;
- Good line quality: especially if you do tight line work.
- Laminated display: for display tablets, this reduces any parallax to a minimum;
With that out of the way…
Best beginner graphics tablet: XPPen Deco MW
Screenless graphics tablets are the cheapest entry into digital art for someone who has a computer already or even just a phone to draw and paint on. For this, I recommend XPPen’s Deco MW as the best budget-friendly drawing tablet.
The Deco MW has a decent 8×5″ drawing area. and gives you the option of a wireless connection. It may seem strange at first, but drawing on a tablet without a screen is not too difficult.
What makes the Deco MW a good tablet…
- Compact and light
- Wired and wireless connection
- Android-compatible (wired only)
- iOS-compatible with Ibis Paint X (wireless only)
- X3 stylus has great initial activation
- 8 shortcut buttons
If you will only be using this with a computer and have a larger monitor ( >17″), I’d recommend the Deco LW rather for a more comfortably-sized drawing area .
The Deco MW typically retails for $70.
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Best beginner pen display: XPPen Artist 12 2nd Gen
One of XPPen’s latest pen displays, the Artist 12 2nd gen is the best beginner option for drawing directly on the screen. Its size makes it portable for drawing on the go but still offers a decent amount of screen space. This is a great choice if you have a compatible Android phone.
I’d recommend going one size up to the 13″ if you only intend to use this with your computer and have a more permanent desk setup. This will still be portable enough to put in your laptop bag for traveling.
What makes the Artist 12 2nd Gen a good tablet…
- Portable size
- X3 Stylus has great initial activation
- 8 shortcut buttons
- Android compatible*
- Excellent price point
The Artist 12 2nd gen (and others in the range) are only compatible with Android devices that have USB-C 3.1 with DP 1.2. If your phone only has USB 2.0, the tablet will work in the same way that a graphics tablet does. You will also need to purchase a USB-C cable separately.
The Artist 12 2nd Gen typically retails for $250. Currently on special for $210!
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Best standalone tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is the best value-for-money standalone tablet for beginner digital artists. It offers a reasonable screen size of 10.4″, and the drawing experience is really good. With some extra software, you can use the tablet with your computer as well.
The Tab S6 Lite is cheaper than the base iPad when you factor in that the Apple Pencil needs to be purchased separately. The S6 Lite comes with the S Pen in the box.
What makes the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite good…
- S Pen included
- Great performance
- Adequate screen size
- Accessible pricing
- Versatile use – drawing, note-taking, video-watching, etc.
The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2022) typically retails for $350. Currently on special for $250!
Wrapping up…
Also deserving a spot on this list of the best drawing tablets for a beginner is the base iPad 10th gen. This is also a great tablet option if you want to stick within the Apple ecostystem and paint in the wildly popular Procreate app. The only reason it’s not listed here is because I haven’t tested it myself yet, but I would confidently recommend it.
Once you have your tablet, then next question is: what digital art software to use?
If you’re looking for a more pro-level screenless tablet, check out my review of the Huion Inspiroy Giano.
This post does contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission to the keep DrawYourWeapon website going.
