Looking for the best drawing tablets in the market? You’ve come to the right place. Only a few years back artists were used to drawing a piece of art on a paper using their pencils and brushes. But when the first drawing tablet hit the market, they knew that things are going to be changed. Now, many artists have shifted to digital painting because of the convenience that it has to offer.
Things got simpler when Adobe Photoshop, Illustrators and a bunch of other drawing programs hit the market. The accuracy in the design art was still in troubled waters as the artists had to use a mouse and keyboard to do the job. This problem has been solved now. You can find different types of drawing tablets on the market these days. However, due to overwhelming releases of drawing tablets, it has become difficult to find the best drawing tablets for beginners in 2021.
To make sure you get your hands on the best drawing tablet, we’ve compared and sifted through several top-performing drawing tablets in the past few months and have compiled a list of the best drawing tablets.
Read on to find the best beginner drawing tablet!
ViewSonic VP3268-4K PRO
Best Overall for Every Visual Artist
There are cheaper alternatives, but the VP3268-4K PRO by ViewSonic is where the difference between pro-level monitors and consumer-level options becomes obvious. It has pretty accurate and wide coverage of the sRGB range, and that should be enough for most budding artists. The most demanding professionals would prefer better AdobeRGB coverage, and gamers could do with a faster panel. For the rest of us, though, at around $800, ViewSonic's VP3268-4K is more than "good enough."
Summary of Best Drawing Tablets for Beginners
Tablet Model | Display Area (inches) | Pressure Sensitivity | Connectivity | Current price |
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XP-PEN Deco 01 V2 | 10x6.25 | 8192 | Wireless / USB | Check price |
Huion New 1060+ | 10x6.25 | 8192 | USB | Check price |
Wacom Intuos Pro | 13.2x8.5 | 8192 | Bluetooth LE | Check price |
XP-PEN Star G430S | 4.0x3.0 | 8192 | USB | Check price |
Wacom Intuos S (CTL 4100) | 6x3.7 | 4096 | USB 2.0 | Check price |
Huion H420 | 4x2.23 | 2048 | USB 2.0 | Check price |
XP-PEN Star G640 | 6x4 | 8192 | USB 2.0 | Check price |
Huion Q11K Inspiroy | 11x6.8 | 8192 | Wireless | Check price |
VEIKK A30 | 10x6 | 8192 | USB 2.0 | Check price |
VEIKK A15 | 10x6 | 8192 | USB 2.0 | Check price |
Product Reviews – Best Drawing Tablets for Beginners 2021
1. XP-PEN Deco 01 V2 – Best Overall drawing tablet for Beginners
The Deco 01 V2 is the upgraded version of XP-PEN’s flagship Deco 01 tablet. The V2 version includes a new stylus that supports up to 60 degrees of tilt, and is now compatible with Android devices 6.0 and above.
Type-C Input construction
The type-C design for input and easy plug in and out as per your needs makes it the best drawing tablet for beginners. The large-sized design break through the boundaries between the tablet’s drawing area and the express keys.
8192 instant pressure of the pen
The battery-free pen of this tablet is equipped with a technology that allows you to use the sensitivity of 8192 levels of instant pressures. This means that you will have total control over all your art and its fluidity.
Large and thick work area
This drawing tablet comes with a large work area of 10-inch x 6.25-inch. This allows you to get your art done with more convenience and comfort. The 8mm thickness adds to the overall comfort of drawing capability.
8 customizable keys
The design is suitable to use for both right and left-handed artists. There are eight different keys present on this tablet and you can fully customize them according to your needs and requirements.
High-tech IC
This drawing tablet comes with a high tech IC. It enables you to draw your lines with a more free-flowing form and packs in more smoothness. It also lights up on the ends that enable you to work even in the dark or shady place with comfort.
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2. Huion New 1060+ – Best drawing tablet for compatibility
Instant connection with Mac OS and Windows, and compatibility with major drawing programs like CDR, AI, PS, and SAI makes it best for compatibility.
High pen pressure sensitivity
This tablet provides you with an ability to use high-pressure sensitivity of your pen and draw whatever you like. It offers you a pressure sensitivity level of 8192 which means you can draw flawless arts with high details.
16 soft and 2 express keys
This is where this drawing tablet from Huion really gets ahead of its competition. There are twelve express keys on the left side of the screen and sixteen soft keys on the drawing surface. All of them are reprogrammable. So you get to program software according to your needs and preferences.
Differs in design from the 1060Plus (predecessor)
There are some significant differences between this drawing tablet and the 1060Plus from Huion. This tablet features a full surface area cover and there is a pen carrier as well. This tablet also features a thinner border as compared to the 1060Plus and you will have access to a much bigger drawing surface. The express keys are quieter with better pen sensitivity and improved linearity to work with when using different programs.
Excellent compatibility
The compatibility with all Windows OS from Windows 7 and later makes it one of the best drawing tablets. It also works with all Mac OS from 10.11 to later. In addition to that, you can work on this tablet using a plethora of art programs. These include Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Manga Studio, Corel Painter, Zbrush, Clip Studio, Gimp, Krita and many more
Superior technology with upgrades
The tablet comes with an inbuilt 8GB micro-SD card that allows you to save all your art. This wasn’t there in the previous model. The micro USB port also gets an upgrade and there are four new soft mats included in the design to prevent the drawing tablet from slipping when you are working on it. The design also features a pen carrier so you don’t misplace your pen ever again.
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3. Wacom Intuos Pro – Best Wacom drawing tablets for premium quality
The PTH660 Pro is a premium quality drawing tablet, equally suitable for beginners and professionals.
Modern pen technology
Wacom makes its place in the list of best drawing tablet for beginners because it comes with a pen pressure of 8192. With this level of pen sensitivity, you can produce a variety of designs with more creativity and imagination.
Versatile compatibility
This drawing tablet can work with a variety of operating systems as well. It can work with all 64-bit Windows 7 OS or later versions. The tablet can also work with all Mac OS 10.10 and later operating systems. It is compatible with a wireless connection to your PC or Mac too. The tablet uses LE Bluetooth for seamless wireless connections.
Apart from that, you can connect it with your mobile devices when in paper mode. However, you will need to download the driver and application to connect it with your computer or mobile device.
Compact construction
The Wacom Intuos has a medium-size and very slim design. But this doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on the drawing area. It still provides you with a large 8.7-inch x 5.80-inch of drawing area for all your artwork.
Multitouch gestures
When drawing with Wacom tablet, multi-touch gestures enable you to boost your work efficiency. The express keys are all customizable and the tablet also has radial menus. These gestures improve the way you work and use different functions.
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4. XP-PEN Star G430S – Best budget tablet
This affordable drawing tablet from XP-Pen packs power and performance.
Multipurpose
If you are a student of arts and just looking for a drawing tablet that you can use for a host of other tasks as well then this is your best choice. It is not only designed for drawing but you can also play OSU.
A good quality of graphics display allows you to learn sketching and painting. People use it for e-signatures too. You won’t have to install any drivers to play OSU on it.
Replaces your conventional mouse
One of the areas this drawing tablet comes in very handy is that it can effectively replace your mouse. This battery-free tablet doesn’t need any charging and you can enjoy a consistent session of drawing without any issues
Exceptional fluidity
This tablet comes with a 4 x 3 inches work area and you can use the 8192 pressure sensitivity pen to integrate all your art projects with exceptional fluidity. This will enable you to be more creative and experimental in your art and render outstanding results.
Improves line flow with high responsiveness
Your lines will be smoother and you will be able to draw quickly because this is a very responsive drawing tablet. It boasts a response rate of 266 RPS that allows you to create any design in no time.
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5. Wacom Intuos S – Best drawing tablets for value
Bear in mind that the Wacom Intuos tablet has 3 different variations: Intuos S, Intuos S with Bluetooth (both with a 6.0 x 3.7in active area) and Intuos M with Blueetoth (8.5 x 5.3in active area)
Large Drawing Area
This drawing tablet is essentially a non-display tablet which means it’s not a tablet for drawing with screen. This Wacom drawing tablet has a large area of 6 x 3.7 inches. It’s small and slim enough to fit onto your computer desk. And large enough to provide an adequate workspace!
Responsive Stylus
The stylus used in the Wacom Intuos drawing tablet does not require charging. So it’s ready for use as soon as you buy it. The touchpad is highly sensitive and can recognize up to 4096 different pressure levels. Vary the pressure to change line weight. Moreover, the touchpad has a resolution of 2540 LPI (digital Lines per Inch).
Drawing Software Included
What’s best about Wacom drawing tablets is that you get 3 bonus drawing software completely free. With this, you’ll get a Corel Painter Essentials title for graphic drawing. You’ll also be getting the Corel After Shot 3, which is mainly for photo editing and tweaking. Then there’s the Clip Studio Paint Pro, perfect for comics and manga.
4 Hotkeys
When drawing with Wacom tablet, you also get 4 hotkeys. These act as shortcuts for your favorite functions. They can be used to save, zoom, change layers, and toggle various settings. You’ll need to customize them and decide which 4 functions you want on them. The Express Keys make graphic drawing easier and more interactive.
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6. Huion H420 – Best drawing tablets for portability
The PTH660 Pro is a premium quality drawing tablet, equally suitable for beginners and professionals.
Small and Compact
The Huion has an area of 4 x 2.23 inches. For non-display tablets, being compact can be both a benefit and a drawback. As a benefit, this tablet can fit easily onto your workstation. You can carry it anywhere, especially to your design classes or studio. As a drawback, you get a smaller working space. But the zoom feature can overcome any difficulties in drawing size.
Highly Sensitive
With the Huion H420, you get an LPI (lines per inch) of 4,000. This means that any given horizontal inch of the tablet’s drawing has up to 4,000 vertical lines. This increases the sensitivity of the touchpad tenfold. It also allows your drawings to have a better resolution. Furthermore, it has a report rate of 200 RPS. The tablet sends up to 200 updated reports about the stylus’s position per second.
Three Express Keys
The number of express keys on the Huion is slightly lesser than that on others. But three isn’t all too bad. These keys can be used as a shortcut for saving, toggling layers, brightness, and much more. You get to customize them, so your favorite settings are right under your fingertips. Every other setting you’ll have to manually toggle with your cursor.
Compatible with Most Drawing Software
Although not included, software like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are compatible with this tablet. You won’t be limited to the number or type of applications you can run. It’s a great tool if you’re a young creator and need more closure.
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7. XP-PEN Star G640 – Best animator tablet for OSU
The PTH660 Pro is a premium quality drawing tablet, equally suitable beginners and professionals.
Battery-Free Stylus
XP-Pen’s stylus is battery-free. Battery styluses not only run out but also need to be recharged frequently. This reduces the number of hours you can work with them. Plus, if the battery unit goes bad, you’re practically stuck. The XP-Pen also comes with 20 replacement nibs. So if one nib loses sensitivity, you have 20 more nibs ready for use. This is why it’s one of the best drawing tablets for beginners.
Larger Area
The XP-Pen animator tablet has an area of about 6 x 4 inches. This tablet has up to 8,192 pressure levels. So it responds to line weight very diligently. More pressure levels also mean more fluidity and a gradual shift in line weight. This gradual shift makes manga and line art a hundred times more appealing.
One-Click Toggle
The best part about the XP-Pen is the stylus. The stylus features a one-click toggle between pen and eraser. So you won’t have to manually turn on the eraser function with your mouse. Simply click on the side of the pen and you get the eraser.
Perfect For OSU
Not only is the XP-Pen a drawing tablet but it can also be used to play OSU. OSU is a beat maps game that requires a lot of strategy and skill. It’s a nice warm-up and helps hone your stylus skills. The XP-Pen supports OSU software. So you can play your favorite game with this non-display tablet.
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8. Huion Q11K Inspiroy – Best drawing tablets for connectivity
The PTH660 Pro is a premium quality drawing tablet, equally suitable beginners and professionals.
Wireless Connection
The Huion Inspiroy digital tablet for drawing can be connected to an LCD monitor via Bluetooth. You don’t need any USB ports or cables. This makes it better than cabled connections. Cable connections can restrict movement, and if the cable gets damaged you’ll need to get a new one. However, not every laptop or computer has Bluetooth compatibility.
High Resolution and Pressure
With the Huion animator tablet, you get 8,192 pressure levels and a report rate of 233 RPS. These stats make the Huion one of the most responsive tablets. It allows for smoother transitioning and a wider range of line weights. This tablet also has a touch resolution of about 5080 LPI. So the line art will be twice as smooth and highly pixelated.
8 Express Keys
A huge upgrade from the previous model, the Huion Inspiroy has 8 Express keys. All of these can be customized to fit your needs. You can use them to quick save, erase, change color, layers, and even vary hue and saturation. Most other tablets only have up to 4 Express keys. So the extra customization makes it all the better.
Very Large Drawing Area
The Huion Inspiroy animator tablet is by far the largest tablet on our listing. It has an active drawing area of 11 by 6.8 inches. The screen has high touch sensitivity and pressure levels. The screen also comes with its own stylus. However, the stylus uses a battery, so it’s not the most efficient. The package comes with a pen stand and charging cable. So at least you get everything you’ll need.
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9. VEIKK A30 – Best for Gestures
The PTH660 Pro is a premium quality drawing tablet, equally suitable beginners and professionals.
Battery-Free Pen
The Veikk A30 digital tablet for drawing has a battery-free pen. This is a good trait since constant recharging can be annoying. It has 8,192 pressure levels, allowing for a smooth transition between line weights. The pen and touchpad are highly sensitive and respond to even the lightest pressure. This expands your drawing range and gives you more resources to work with.
Smart Gesture and Personalization
A smart gesture is an intelligent way to control the monitor screen. With this smart pad, you can use gestures to zoom in and out. And it also works with undoing the last action. Apart from that, the usual 4 Express keys are included. They can be customized to fit whatever functions you are comfortable with.
Portable and Lightweight
The Veikk A30 only has a weight of about 2 pounds. The tablet is 9mm thin and fits snugly in your hands. It has quite a big drawing area (10 by 6 inches). But that doesn’t stop it from being portable enough for traveling. This also makes drawing on tablet easier. However, you may take some time getting used to the flat surface and thin design.
Drawing Software Support
The best part about drawing on tablet Veikk A30 is its compatibility with most software. This digital tablet for drawing can work with Windows 7 and above, and Mac OS 10 and above. Moreover, you can use apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, Manga Studio, Corel, and Clip Studio. Even Procreate and Krita works on the Veikk A30!
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10. VEIKK A15 – Best for personalization
The PTH660 Pro is a premium quality drawing tablet, equally suitable beginners and professionals.
High-Pressure Sensitivity
With 8,192 pressure levels, the Veikk A15 is highly sensitive and perfect for line art. It has a report rate of about 230 RPS, which is the standard. This means that the position of your pen will constantly be updated every second. What’s more, is that the Veikk features a resolution of 5080 LPI! So every inch has about 5080 digital lines running across it that respond to your pen’s pressure. All of this gives the Veikk A15 a very responsive surface.
12 Express Shortcut Keys
This is by far the highest number of Express keys we’ve seen on a drawing tablet. The Veikk A15 features 12 shortcut keys. These come pre-determined for saving, undoing, and the like. But you can customize them in-app for a more personalized experience. The Veikk is most certainly recommended due to its high personalization.
Accessories
Accessories are something rare with drawing tablets. When drawing on tablet Veikk A15, you get 20 extra nibs. The main nib of the stylus can sometimes lose its responsiveness. Replacement nibs are pretty cheap and common. Apart from that, you also get an artist’s glove. The glove will help reduce oil and dust buildup on the touchpad. It also makes drawing easier since they reduce friction.
Ambidextrous Design
The Veikk A15 can be flipped over to be used by left-handed people. This accessibility is what makes drawing on a tablet so much easier. When flipped around, the hotkeys lie on the right. So you can use your left hand for drawing and the right for toggling the keys.
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Buying Guide – Things to consider when buying a good quality tablet for drawing

There is an overwhelming range of drawing tablets for beginners on the market. Some of them are good for the budget while others are fully loaded with features. You need to make your choice wisely. Otherwise, you will end up with the wrong product in hand. When you specifically know your needs and demands you will make the right purchase decision without regretting it in the future.
Here are some important things to consider when buying the best drawing tablet for your drawing needs.
Response per Second (RPS)
RPS is probably the most important factor to look for when you are buying a drawing tablet. It deals with the response rate that your tablet has when you start drawing on it. High RPS increases your work efficiency. It also improves your ability to work on a number of projects in a more sophisticated manner.
Active Areas
Along with the RPS, the active area on a drawing tablet is also critical. You don’t have to scroll up and down while working on your project. This enables you to draw lines with consistent flow and minimize any breaks in the strokes or lines.
Sensitivity of Tilt
With the tilt sensitivity of a stylus, you are able to create more natural strokes and create more innovative and real-looking designs and arts. Tilting is not going to be any issues when you are drawing on your computer. But when you are using a drawing tablet, this tilt recognition will allow you to create your drawing more like you do on paper.
User-Friendliness
A drawing tablet for beginner needs to have user-friendly controls. If you are going to need a Ph.D. to operate it then it will take a lot of time for you to learn all its features and consequently using it to full potential. You don’t want to spend your whole time on learning the controls when you should be working on your art.
Multi-touch
The multi-touch feature is exceptional when you are working on art that requires both your hands. This way you will be able to explore a lot more options when it comes to drawing different types of art pieces. With multitouch, you can give more simplicities to your work and create an artistic design more efficiently.
Wireless Support – Bluetooth
Wireless is always better than wired connectivity. You don’t want all your time wasted in managing the cables. For a tidier workplace, you need to go for a drawing tablet that supports Bluetooth connectivity. This will also enable you to draw on the go and take your table with you wherever you want.
Replacement pen nibs
With the passage of time, you will need to go for a replacement for your pen nib. It will keep the overall performance of your drawing capabilities with your tablet at an optimal level. Therefore when buying a tablet for drawing look for an option where you can find the replacement pen nibs for your stylus. It will also keep the work area of your tablet in an optimal condition.
Resolution of the Tab
There is a general rule of thumb. Anything that is associated with graphics needs to come with better resolution. With better resolution, you will get better display output with extra details. As you are working on various projects you will need your table to produce top quality resolution so that you can produce more detailed artwork. It will enable you to add more finesse to your art.
Sensitivity to Pressure
Just like the active area and the RPS, the pressure sensitivity of the pen also works wonders for your work. You can be variable in your lines and strokes and you can draw more like you are drawing in a paper. With more pressure, you will be able to make thicker lines. This will enable you to create innovative ideas and even work on art pieces with varying details in terms of dimensions. This feature is going to matter a lot in painting and sketching where you are looking to create more real-world effects.
Quality of Stylus
As you will be using your stylus to draw anything on your tablet, it needs to be of top-notch quality. Your stylus is essentially your brush or pencil with which you will create the art. Ask any painter and they will tell you the importance of a good quality brush. A brush to a painter is what an ax to a woodcutter. For digital drawings, you will need your stylus to be of top-notch quality. It will enable you to get the results that you are expecting from your drawings.
Price
This one is pretty straightforward. If you are looking to draw merely to get your hands straight then you don’t need to go for a very expensive option. But if you are looking to learn and develop new skills then you will definitely need a drawing tablet that provides you with all the features that you are looking to explore. Tablets that are more features-friendly will come with a higher price tag. So it all depends on how much you want to spend and how much do you want to learn.
Scroller
Most of the tablets these days come with the designated scrollbar for you to conveniently move around the screen. The absence of such a feature will significantly improve the chances of error. It will consequently increase the time of your drawing work and will reduce efficiency up to a great extent.
Side Keys of the Device
We will strongly suggest that you get your hands on a tablet that comes with side keys and especially the one that allows you to customize their use. These keys will keep you in the game for a quick abort or undo whenever there is a chance of an error. Modern tablets for drawing are coming with a feature that allows you to customize or reprogram these keys. You can set those keys to do whatever you prefer them to do. This can increase your work efficiency to a large extent and you can create your designs more effortlessly.
Frequently asked questions associated with drawing tablets
Can drawing tablets work without a computer?
Yes, the more recent models of drawing tablets can actually work without computers. They allow you to draw or work wherever you like and you don’t need to be alongside your computer for that. It also allows you to move around without having to keep heavy equipment with you all the time.
Is drawing on a tablet easier?
If you start early then you won’t find any difficulty in getting used to drawing on a tablet. However, if you have been drawing on paper then getting used to the tablet controls might take some time. If you have started to learn drawing right on the tablet then you will get used to it much quicker. The shifting from paper to tablet creates a lot more issues than using the tablet itself.
Can I use my iPad as a drawing tablet?
Yes, you can use your iPad as a drawing tablet. But you will have to download an application to start doing it. Your iPad is designed for a lot of other purposes and it doesn’t specialize in drawing abilities. On the other hand, a drawing tablet is designed to achieve this specific purpose and it will be a lot easier for you to use when creating different artworks.
What kind of tablet do animators use?
A tablet for animators doesn’t need to be resolution-heavy and a simple one with high graphics can work just fine. There is no need to go for a high-resolution tablet here because you won’t be working on too many details. But the details need to be in animations and for that, you need to go for a graphics tablet.
Conclusion
Overall, the best drawing tablet for beginners is XP-Pen Deco 01 V2.
It comes at a pretty decent price and has fairly good features as well. It provides you with a large work area and you also have access to eight reprogrammable keys. The stylus of this tablet is made of pretty good quality and it offers a sensitivity level of 8192. This tablet will enable you to create some art with proper details.
We have provides you with all the details in this post in terms of what features you need to consider when buying a drawing tablet and have also answered some of the frequently asked questions. From our top 10 best drawing tablet reviews you can easily find the right product for your drawing needs.
So which one of these have you used before? Do you think we missed out on your favorite drawing tablet? Let us know by leaving a comment in the sections below and we’ll get back to you before you know it!