General Discussion

Hi there! I'm a hobbyist artist looking to potentially expand my skills occupationally. I'm working on improving my work on my free time outside of my job hours, but sadly I fear my tech isn't up to par. I have a Wacom Intuos CTH 690 that I've had for years that still works very well doubt a frayed wire and a dented corner... which is great, but I feel an upgrade is in order.

Since the FR community is filled to the rim with wonderfully creative artists, I figured it'd be a good idea to ask for any drawing tablet recommendations while I'm looking around myself. I don't have a set budget since I've been waiting for this upgrade for ages, so I have a good chunk saved up and I'm cool with whatever nifty things get tossed into the ring.

I'm using a laptop right now as I don't have space for a desktop in my apartment at the moment, but I very well am planning on getting one soon, so I'm not opposed to the big babies being suggested. Any different brand from Wacom is more than welcome, considering how I've been hearing that they've been rather iffy with their manufacturing as of late... definitely not ruling out the Wacoms 100% though.

Any help, suggestions, or brand tips are appreciated! Thanks much for reading~

@Novy

What I currently have is an Intuos Pro Medium and I love it, I had an older model that had given up the ghost last year and replaced it with the newer model. It was 350 bucks.

In terms of non-Wacom brands the one I have heard the most about is Huion, which runs cheaper than Wacom on average and is on par with quality. Their pens do require batteries if that is something you need to consider.

Do you prefer to draw directly on the screen or do you prefer the more traditional style of tablet? If you prefer, or want to try out, the former I would recommend the Huion Kamvas which is their version of the Cintiq that runs MUCH cheaper than Wacom's.

Wacom Intuos works great, but honestly I've moved past all those (including my Cintiq 13HD) and only use an iPad with Procreate. It's just a secondhand 6th Gen so it's not brand spanking new, but it does the job wonderfully well, but it was cheap. Definitely not cheaper than the Intuos, but I love it more than either of my Wacoms.

@Iokharic

I've been using the traditional style for all of my time practicing digital art, so that's what I'm accustomed to. However I've been extremely interested in the idea of screen tablets, so I feel as if that's definitely something I wanna try out.

After looking up a few images the Kamvas looks really cool! I had no idea that Huion was on par with Wacom, so that's pretty neat. The pens needing batteries worries me a bit though, but I'm still gonna add this to my list of potential buys, so thank you!

I'll consider Cintiqs as well, I just have no idea personally how much they're different in comparison to the Intuos. Considering mine held for years and is still kicking maybe this will be worth it too? There's so many tablets out there. So hard to decide.

@Jxckal

The fact that something as multi-use as an Ipad can trump tablets specifically made for drawing is crazy to me but I love it as an unexpected but definitely solid substitute.

I would consider Ipads but my art program isn't compatible with them. I use Clip Studio Paint EX and sadly there isn't an Ipad version of the program. They should make one though, considering how many people are switching to Ipad nowadays.

Its crazy cool that a lot of artists can get so much mileage out of a 10 dollar app though. I figured there wouldn't be much in the app but people make so many wonderful things with it.

Edit: Apparently there is an app and I just didn't know, however it uses a monthly usage plan and I'm not keen on that sadly.

@Novy

I took a class in college where we used Cintiqs and it is definitely a bit of a learning curve compared to the traditional style of tablet. I also have a 2-in-1 laptop with a compatible pen and I will admit I have used it less than my Wacom because it feels so different to draw directly on the screen.

I do believe Cintiqs are the standard in the professional sector but if you aren't super used to them yet I would see if you can find an opportunity to borrow one or take a class where one is used to get used to it.

@Iokharic

That sounds like a wonderful idea! I don't take classes sadly as I'm not in college yet, I plan to sooner or later though. But I'm sure there are electronics stores that offer rental fees or I could easily just return the product after trying it out for a few days.

I'll definitely keep this in mind if I end up settling on a screen tablet. Thanks for this tip!

@Novy I bought an ipad pro. It's amazing. If you're just looking for a tablet, then it might be a bit too expensive, but I bought mine in place of a new laptop so I probably saved lol. I have much more time to draw, too, since I can draw on the bus. Just the added work hours I can squeeze out of that probably earned me the investment back over the years I've used it. Another wondeful plus is that I can do studies where ever I want, which lets me study light and color in a way that using photographic reference just wouldn't allow. It's great to be able to go out in nature, do a landscape study, light a fire, do an ember color study, ect, and not have to work around the limits of photography.

Cintiq is an industry standard but a lot of professionals use ipads as well. It covers all the needs a hobbyist has and more. There are some drawbacks, like a comparatively limited memory, but that's only something you need if you plan on printing very large works and need huge canvases. I've had mine for two years and haven't ran out of memory yet.

Ofc, this is assuming you work in 2D. Ipads don't have the capacity to run 3D modeling programs (although it is possible to connect the ipad to a PC, install the 3D program on the PC, and use the ipads touch screen).

@Metalhead

I had no idea that Ipads were used by professionals! I've been meaning to tackle more studies and using in-person references for my personal improvements. You and Jxckal are really selling me on using Ipads!

Its a shame I really love my current art program, since there's even options for animation in it, which is something I've been trying to get into. But once I get my desktop set up I can definitely see myself getting an Ipad for doing studies myself as well as working on the go, while I have a work space at home already established.

Thanks for the idea, I really appreciate it! This is something that's gonna be really useful for later down the line.

+1 for an ipad!
I still use my pc and an ancient wacom bamboo create for adoptables, which, is a really old brand but its super cheap and has done the job well for me for a couple years with no issue, but its not a screen tablet, and so it might be a little less fancy as the newer stuff.

But as I mentioned, Ipad is great! I got an Ipad pro and use procreate, and procreate is super nice, not to mention that since the 'commands(?)' like undo/redo are literally done with really easy taps it just feels way smoother than using pc imo. Seeing you mention animation, procreate *does* have animation options as well, and then there are both some paid and free apps for animation too, however as far as free options go Im not confident enough with them yet and like to stick to my pc programs for that rn (pc program is firealpaca). Though, overall as far as art programs, I do prefer procreate over firealpaca, photoshop, krita, sai, and some others Ive used. Procreate also has a built in timelapse feature which is fun, as well as a reference window which you can resize and move around thatll always stay above the canvas level, which is nice. My only real complaints for Ipad is the price (I did buy a new ipad to be fair, but the apple pencil is like 100-200usd and the ipad doesnt come with it) and that I am a little confused by some animation programs and find them a bit more finnicky than they need to be. For straight up drawing though, definitely recommend.