- [Josh] I have been asked countless times about which tablet a beginner
digital artist should get, so I decided that I would make a super-comprehensive video to
answer all of your questions in one place, in one video,
right here, right now. First off, we need to get on the same page about what tablets are actually out there. I'm going to explain to you the four types of drawing
tablets that you can buy today, and then later on we'll talk
about my recommendations about which ones you should pick depending on your own unique situation. If you already know about the tablets that are available out there, then you can skip to this timestamp here, or in the description or in the comments to my own recommendations. So, there are two main
categories of devices. You have the mobile and
multipurpose tablets like these right here, and then the more conventional
stationary dedicated tablets. When it comes to mobile tech,
you have two main options. The first are tablets. These are tablets that have a
computer chip inside of them and usually they run on either
Windows, Android or iOS. All you have to do is buy the tablet and then the stylus or pen if it doesn't already come with it. When it comes to Android,
there are a ton of options, and they often come at much
less of the cost than an iPad. However, this comes at the
cost of overall performance, where the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil currently stand undefeated. Tablets are usually the
best bang for your buck across the board when
it comes to everything that you get and can do with
it straight out of the box. This is especially true if you consider many of the great free
drawing applications that are available out there. The second type of mobile
tablet is not even a tablet, but they are actually full-on computers. I don't have a physical example of this type of device here with me today, but they are devices that
mainly function as laptops that also allow you to draw on them. They're often referred to as
2-in-1s or tablet computers. These all usually come
with an Intel or AMD chip and sometimes pack a lot more power and can run on Windows operating software. Some products, however, focus
on the creative aspects first rather than the laptop experience, such as the Wacom Mobile
Studio Pro, for example. Although this category of
products are super-useful, they can often be the most
expensive to choose from and tend to have the least bang
for your buck in my opinion. This is because the slimmer
you make these computers, the less power you have available for programs like Photoshop
and Clip Studio Paint. Digital art can be very
processor and RAM-heavy, and especially if you
want to get into 3D work, this is a serious concern, so keep this in mind when
you're choosing your next model. Now, for the second big category, we have the dedicated stationary tablets like I mentioned before. Here you have a couple more
options to choose from. The first one, you might
already have in your possession, and it's pretty much just the conventional plastic drawing tablet. These tablets do not have a
dedicated computer chip inside, so you must plug them into
a laptop or desktop computer in order to use them
with a drawing software. I would've brought my own Intuos Pro that I had with me in college, but I think I lost it when I moved, so unfortunately I don't have it. These tablets are often
your average person's first step into digital art, and can be very cheap depending on which of the many brands and
sizes that you choose from. Some of these tablets actually allow you to connect them to devices
like your own phone or even transfer traditional mark-making into digital information. These facts, including
their usually small size and light weight, can
make traditional tablets a more mobile solution for many people. Your classic, traditional tablet can also tend to be
easier to transition to from traditional art
because of the rough surface is much more like drawing on
paper than most glass surfaces. The downside to these tablets is that you have to get used to not looking at your hands when you draw. This is something that many professionals have gotten used to and still
made incredible work with, but it still remains
something to keep in mind. Now, the second option under the more stationary,
dedicated tablets are your display tablets. These tablets do not have
a computer chip inside, so they also require a desktop
computer or laptop to use. The big difference between these and your regular, more traditional tablets is that they actually
have a digitized screen. That means that you can actually draw directly on the same screen
that you see your artwork on, just like your mobile
tablets and tablet computers. Now, these are, across the board, more expensive than your regular tablets that don't have a screen, but they usually provide
a much better experience for the majority of people out there. Now, there are several brands for these screen tablets to choose from. However, the quality and
features vary greatly as well. So, for example, the Cintiq Pro is the only dedicated
display tablet right now that boasts a 4K display, and if you ask me, that's
extremely important. Okay, so let's go ahead and
get into the recommendations. Some of you might even be more confused than you were before right now, especially if I mentioned a tablet that you haven't heard of before. But don't worry, I'm
going to help you decide which type you should get. Just keep in mind that your
decision will largely depend on factors that are unique
to you as an individual, such as your skill level,
budget, goals and lifestyle. I also want to clarify that there are many tablets out there that I probably haven't
mentioned or shown in this video. I'm only going to recommend products that I've used in my
own personal experience or that I would buy myself. Otherwise, the purpose is
to help you make a decision on what type of tablet to get, not to get into an argument about which specific model or brand has better pressure sensitivity
levels for the price, or yadda yadda yadda, you know. Stuff like that. So, obviously, if you are
completely starting out, you don't wanna spend too much money, because you don't want it to become an expensive paperweight in a few weeks if you decide it's just not for you. I recommend a 7th-gen iPad, all the way up to an
iPad Air in this case. That way, you can still
enjoy the features of an iPad if you don't end up drawing too much. I personally have influenced many people to purchase iPad over the past two years, and some of them have ended up not taking drawing too
seriously, but this was fine because they didn't purchase
something too expensive like the iPad Pro or something
like a dedicated Cintiq that they would end up just throwing away. Otherwise, you can get
one of the cheaper tablets that don't have screens as well. I recommend a Wacom Intuos
or a cheaper alternative like the XP-PEN Deco series. Now, if you're more
serious about digital art, but you're still a beginner, then the first thing
you need to ask yourself is whether or not you have a computer. If you don't already have a computer, then you'll want to stick
to a more mobile solution like a tablet or a tablet computer. In this case, you want
to ask yourself again, what type of work do you wanna do, and what your current lifestyle is. If you're in school or
have a full-time job, you probably want to get
something mobile like an iPad Air, or even an iPad Pro. I purchased an iPad Pro while
working a full-time job, and it allowed me this flexibility
to create enough artwork to grow my Instagram and YouTube audience. Depending on your job and
what you're doing in school, it might be best to pick up something that can serve as a
dedicated laptop as well. In this case, a Surface Book
or another 2-in-1 laptop with a robust drawing stylus
would be an excellent choice. If you have a non-technical degree or your work doesn't require
work from home regularly, then you could probably get away with an iPad Pro and a keyboard
setup like this one here. Now, if you do already
have a good computer, then you might wanna go ahead and just get something more stationary. However, I just want to clarify,
when I say 'good computer', I mean a computer that can
run drawing applications well. You really want something that has at least, the very least, 8GB
of RAM and a quad-core CPU. If your specs are below that, then you might just want to get an iPad or a tablet computer instead, because drawing on a low-spec
PC can be a huge pain. Now, again, ask yourself
what type of person you are. If you have a decent desktop computer, then you may not need
to get a mobile device. Try a larger tablet,
like the Wacom Intuos Pro or maybe just skip right ahead to an art display from XP-PEN. If you have around $400-plus to spend, then you can start looking at
more quality display tablets. For example, this is the
Wacom One, and it also allows you to connect it
to a phone, which makes it one of the most portable
display tablets out there. Now, let's say you've been
doing digital art for a while. Maybe you already have an
old tablet lying around. Maybe you're still a beginner,
but you're very serious, and you're even planning
to go to art school. Maybe you just have the cash to spend, or you just want something to last you in case you start to get serious. Whatever the case, here are my personal
recommendations for you. Fair warning, the products
that I will mention from now on will be quite expensive, but if you fit the previous
category I just mentioned, then it will be well worth the cash. So, if you prioritize mobility, then definitely get the iPad Pro. It's the absolute best combo of precision, power and
portability out there. Sure, the apps aren't quite as extensive as a PC or Mac environment, but there are plenty of
professional artists out there who make amazing artwork on this device. Just think about the type
of work you want to make and what apps are currently out there, or in future development. Now, the one person who has
no choice in the matter here is the 3D artist. If you wanna work in 3D, then you really need to
get a stationary tablet, ideally one with a display. You also really need to have
a decent computer already, and I don't recommend getting a 2-in-1 tablet computer for these things, so I would either get the
Wacom Mobile Studio Pro or even better, build your own PC and get whatever size conventional drawing tablet you need to get started. Now, if you don't need mobility, then by all means get a display tablet. I highly recommend these, especially since the
cheapest ones available now are under $300 bucks. Back when I started to
take digital art seriously, there weren't any display
tablets for that price. I personally recommend you look at the offerings from Wacom or XP-PEN. The last recommendations I have are for those of you
who have money to burn or are at a point where making money with your work is a reality but you wanna deliver the highest quality to your clients or employers. For you guys, I recommend
the Cintiq Pro line, like the 32-inch one I
have here, or smaller. The color representation is great, and I can draw on it for
several hours at a time. Something like the iPad
Pro works great too for pen sensitivity, and you can always make use of the USB-C cable for flexibility. You can also pair a non-display tablet with a high-end computer monitor if you really need to make
sure your colors are right. But a Cintiq just gets
the job done faster, and it's more comfortable when it comes to drawing eight hours a day every day, as a main source of income. Now, this was a pretty long video, but I hope that you are much closer to making your final
decision when it comes to which tablet you should
buy for digital art. If there's anything that I missed, please leave them in
the comments down below. But again, please do your own research if you're wondering about
any of the other brands or specific models that I have
not mentioned in this video. The only specific
products that I mentioned are the ones that I've used myself or trust from other
artists that I respect. I personally can't say
anything about Android tablets or any of the other tablet manufacturers like Gaomon, Huion or Parblo, but I think Huion did send me a broken tablet to
review that I sent back, but I don't know if that counts, does it? For those of you more interested in the details of different
tablets that are available, I strongly recommend checking out Brad Colbow or Aaron Rutten for their more in-depth tablet reviews. So, that's it from me, guys. I've been Ergo Josh, and
I'll see you in the next one. Peace.
(light, gentle music)
