@
hyrulehero
Tablets:
All tablets have a ton of driver issues (like your tablet or pen pressure will stop working and you need to fiddle about until it's fixed somehow). Wacom supposedy has the best drivers in the industry, though they still have many issues. But they also have good customer support if you can't get something to work right.
Wacom and Huion are pretty popular. For a lower budget, get a Wacom Bamboo, Wacom Intuos Draw, other Wacom beginner tablet, or Huion tablet. These tend to be marketed towards students or beginners. They're very nice quality from what I've heard, but as they're geared towards students, they're not built to last. You may need a replacement in 2-5 years.
For a bit more budget, I would suggest something marketed towards professionals which will last longer. A Wacom Intuos 2 or 3 is worth the price. (Some pros prefer an Intuos 2 over a 3, or a 3 over a 4... The functional differences in older models aren't noticeable for most people.)
I would go for a medium size drawing space, like 6x8, but smaller is doable.
Tablets come with styluses included unless otherwise stated/secondhand. Additional stylus nibs may become required at some point, but some tablets come with an extra nib. You may not need a new nib for a year or two. The only accessory you may need is storage and transport; a laptop bag should work fine.
You may be able to demo drawing tablets at a local electronics or computer store.
Software
Pen mode vs Mouse mode: In pen mode, you put the pen at the top right of your tablet, it goes to the top right of your screen. In mouse mode, the pen works like a mouse on a mousepad, so going to the top right of the tablet only moves it so much based on your sensitivity. You will need to check your tablet settings
and your program settings if you want to use mouse mode.
Which mode you use is your preference. Pen mode is more sensitive but more like drawing on paper. Mouse mode may provide a greater range of movement, using more movement than zoom for more focused detail, and IMO you get more out of your tablet size. I prefer mouse mode, but try both and see what you prefer.
Krita: Free. Pen mode only. Easy to use, I think?
Fire Alpaca: Free. Easy to use. Popular on FR, user-friendly UI.
Paint Tool Sai: 30-day free trial before purchase. Easy to use, user-friendly UI, popular on FR. Very good.
Clip Studio Paint: 30-day free trial of the pro edition and an unlimited trial edition. (Trial edition locks you out of some very nice features though.) Sometimes goes on sale. Has more features than the previous three, and after trying it, I've almost 100% swapped over from Sai. May be best to look at this again once you're used to one of the first three programs first, though, since it's not as simple as those three.
Gimp: Useful to have around for features such as filters and text. Very strong learning curve; I do not draw with this program but keep it around for utility reasons.
PureRef: Pay what you want program which lets you essentially have your references in their own window. I use this all the time. Extremely useful.
Line stabilizers: Many programs have stabilization built in; this makes lines smooth when your natural movement is shaky. You may need to find an extra program for stabilization if your software of choice does not have this and you find that you need it.
Quick Start Suggestion:
- Wacom Bamboo, 4x6 or 6x8 size range
- Laptop bag or sleeve for storage or transport
- Fire Alpaca program, then demo others later on
- PureRef program