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The digital art world is full of drawing tablets of different shapes, sizes, and brands. But the best choice for a beginner is the Intuos Pro medium non-display tablet.

It comes with a battery-free pen that never needs to be charged. It can connect to the tablet via bluetooth so your marks will always be accurate & crystal clear. And the medium sized drawing area offers plenty of space for a beginner.

But this is just my recommendation based on personal experience. If you’re adamant about a different tablet or a cheaper option then this guide will help.

I’ll cover the best drawing tablets for beginners just getting into digital art. There’s always a learning curve moving from traditional to digital so you’ll want to make sure that any drawing tablet you get is something you’ll love.

What Makes A Great Tablet?

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If you’re new to digital tablets then you’ll probably be confused about all the features. But it’s not too hard to understand & the more you research the more you learn.

This graphics drawing tablet has a large drawing surface measuring 10 x 6.25 inches, providing you with a greater degree of movement. It is compatible with Windows 7/8/8.1/10 and Mac OS X 10.8.0 and later versions.
Transfer sketchbook doodles to your Mac with this digital drawing device Graphics tablets. Add a touch of creativity to your work with this easy to use graphics tablet Graphics tablets.
Wacom Intuos Pro Digital Graphic Drawing Tablet for Mac or PC, Medium, (PTH660) New Model New pen technology supports 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt response and virtually lag free tracking; Wacom Intuos Pro is our finest creative pen tablet to date, redefining the professional.

UGEE M708 Graphics Tablet, 10 x 6 Inch Large Drawing Tablet, 8192 Levels Pressure Battery-Free Pen Stylus, 8 Hotkeys, Compatible With Windows 10/8/7 Mac Os Artist, Designer, Amateur.

There are two main types of tablets: displays and non-displays.

The display tablets show a screen on the device and you draw directly onto the screen.

Non-display tablets are more “traditional” drawing tablets where you draw on a black area while staring at your monitor. The strokes are recorded on the tablet and they translate into whatever software you’re using(Photoshop, Krita, PaintTool SAI).

Most beginners should start with non-display tablets because they’re cheaper. Granted it is much easier to draw on a display tablet, but there’s always a learning curve so it’s better to start cheap.

What makes a “great” tablet is somewhat subjective. But there are some common traits you want to look for:

Solid design
Easy setup/calibration
No jitters while drawing
Great drivers & software

The obvious place to start is Wacom because their tables are used by industry professionals everywhere. But you can do amazing work on tablets made by other companies like XP-Pen, Huion, Ugee, or Parblo(among others).

The goal is to find which features you need in a price range that works for your budget.

Do you want a larger tablet(longer than 1ft) or are you okay with a smaller tablet? Do you specifically want a display tablet? Or are you willing to spend a bit more for higher quality?

Also remember that smaller tablets are easier to carry around in a laptop bag if you ever want to draw/paint digitally from your laptop. Some smaller tablets can be powered from USB while others require a wall outlet.

All of these features are important to consider when going through this list.

Finding What You Need

If you’re a complete beginner with little-to-no digital experience then any one of these drawing tablets can work.

But what you need can depend on your desk space, how often you practice, and how long you want the tablet to last. If you’re OK buying a new tablet in 1-2 years then you can get by with a cheaper option for now.

But if you want a tablet that’ll last you 5-6 years, maybe even a decade, then going with a higher-end brand like Wacom is the best solution.

I’ve tried to curate this list with all different artists in mind. I know some readers are newer artists still practicing their fundamentals trying to move into digital. Other readers are skilled artists with years of traditional art experience who want to do more digital work.

And many readers may be inbetween just looking to dive into digital drawing/painting. The two biggest things you should consider are price and usability.

If you want a display tablet then you’ll need a larger budget. However if you just want a portable tablet then you have a lot more options to pick from.

Either way dig through this list and see what you think. If any tablets catch your eye be sure to bookmark them for later.

Top Pick: Wacom Intuos Pro

I have no doubt the Wacom Intuos Pro is the best drawing tablet for beginners. It’s surprisingly affordable considering all the features you get with it.

Wacom’s tablet hardware is some of the best in the world so you’d be starting with a powerhouse. The Intuos brand is Wacom’s middle-ground tech so it’s not the cheapest, but also not the most expensive.

Physical specs:

Width: 13.2″(just over 1 foot)
Length: 8.5″
Thickness: 0.3″
Weight: 1.5lbs

Along the left side of the tablet you’ll find eight express keys, also called hotkeys or quick keys. They are fully programmable so you can change their actions to whatever you want.

And the center wheel also works like a radial button which can be programmed to adjust brush settings, document zoom, or other similar features. This tablet has more features than you’ll know what to do with so it can take time to adjust.

But it feels great when in use and the design is phenomenal. It only measures about 1ft long and about 9″ high so it should fit on any desk. It’s also super thin measuring about 8mm on the edge.

Because the stylus comes battery-free it can feel incredibly light in your hand. It may take some time to adjust but once you learn how to work on the tablet it’ll become like second nature. And the drawing surface can even read the pen’s distance while moving to function like a mouse.

Wacom’s pens are generally considered 3x-4x more accurate than other manufacturers because they put effort into the pens, their tablet’s surface sensitivity, and the driver software.

And the Intuos Pro works well as a travel tablet if you’re OK to work near a wall outlet.

Overall the experience, design, and ease of use for this tablet more than make it the best pick for beginners.

Bottom Line: If you can afford the Intuos Pro it’s the best way to go. A beginner can get real mileage out of this tablet for many years with a quality design, a battery-free pen, and a track record of great experiences from Wacom products.

Huion Giano WH1409

If you’re looking to go completely wireless then consider the Huion Giano WH1409. It comes with a built-in 8GB microSD card for storing your work locally or transporting work between computers.

The design looks similar to the Intuos Pro except this tablet is larger, a bit heavier, and comes with more express keys.

Physical specs:

Width: 20.5″
Length: 11″
Thickness: 2″
Weight: 5lbs

The display on this thing is gorgeous. Slick but not too slick so you can really catch some texture while drawing. If you’ve never used a tablet before then you probably won’t care about the surface.

But the Giano is great for anyone’s preferences because there’s so much space in the drawing area(over 13″ wide). The Huion battery pen that comes with this tablet requires charging so it does feel heavier than the Wacom.

Depending on your stance this can either be good or bad. I personally don’t mind battery styluses so long as they’re somewhat light and can hold a charge. And this one can go for quite a few weeks(or possibly even months)

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