Graphics\Drawing Tablets - Ultimate Buyers Guide

[@ZephrusPrime]

Had many tablets over the years. I have found that for 3D sculpting 8-12 hours a day, I've had to put the Cintiq back in the closet and my go to is a Large Wacom Intuos pro. Neck and shoulder pain is real when you are on these all day. An Intuos paired with a good color accurate monitor will bring you everything you need to make money. I've used XP and Huion and I have found that Huion has less issues with Zbrush and 3D. I put my Intuos on a small tablet stand so I can have a little bit of angle for wrist comfort and I have to say that my Logitec G13 is key for a speedy work flow. Huion 22 Plus is the best Huion I have found but it and my Wacom 27 QHD are in the closet.

[@cachorroquente17]

Hahaha me too i sell my huion display 2 days ago for the same reason. Now i need find pen tablet to replace my old wacom intous. (Too small)

[@ZephrusPrime]

@@cachorroquente17 The new Huion Giano large tablet just came out. It's has a bigger active area than the Intuos large.

[@cargorunnerUK]

I bought a simple Wacom drawing tablet a couple of years ago and after a lot of practice I still never got used to drawing while looking at the computer monitor. And that meant drawing was always really inneficient as I had to delete and try again so often. It also really affects the satisfaction/enjoyment you get from drawing. Thanks for the advice on how to take the next step and get a display graphics tablet.

[@FrankieIpp]

Thanks for making this, I have an older small wacom that I never even thought about upgrading to another display-less one until I can get an XP-Pen tablet but now I definitely will , your tutorials are amazing, you're giving so many people so much knowledge for free and us new guys will never thank you enough when we have jobs doing things we love.

[@AshFrankArt]

As someone who's left handed the buttons on my tablet are a must! It's hard to use a lot of the common shortcuts such as CTRL+Z which are concentrated on the left side of the keyboard when you have a pen in that hand. But I can appreciate why others including yourself might not need the buttons so much.

[@LukeTheDukeYT]

I can’t relate. I’m right-handed, no buttons on my display tablet, and I use A instead of CRTL-Z

[@Migler1]

@@LukeTheDukeYT I've hotkeyed ctrl + z to one of the buttons on my wacom pen

[@LukeTheDukeYT]

@@Migler1 UPDATE: For Christmas, I received an XP-PEN Artist 15.6 pro with 8 buttons and a scroll wheel on the left side…I’m still keeping my undo as A.

[@Rikitangoable]

I'm left handed too, I just move the keyboard over to my right hand side

[@AshFrankArt]

@@Rikitangoable yeah but the muscle memory isn't there. Maybe with practice....

[@davewills6121]

Its always a pleasure to find content creators that are well informed and have excellent delivery. I am a beginner Blender user, so a tablet is something im looking into. Kudos

[@johntnguyen1976]

Been using the XP-Pen Artist Pro for about 2 months now...it's my first display tablet (I upgraded from a Wacom Intuos)...and I'm completely in love! It feels like a premium build...the price was wonderful...and from what I hear the new X3 Stylus is a big improvement on previous XP Pen stylus (can't speak to this since this is my first time with this brand). But all in all it's been an A+ experience for me...especially in Blender! 😍

[@jeremymullins1294]

Did you purchase the 15.6 model?

[@Mors_Umber]

Dude I love how you got into the small details that a beginner who's just getting into this stuff wants to know. Thanks!

[@zaodacrusher7498]

Just wanted to tell you thanks for the video. I've been wanting to pick up a graphics tablet, but had no clue where to even start. Truly can't thank you enough.

[@CurtisTheEngineer]

Grant, I've been a student of yours for years through KZbin and GameDev TV. I just have to explicitly thank you for being literally the best source for all things digital art in my life. Every time I stumble on one of your videos in my search for answers, I am never disappointed. You made this easy for me. Cheers

[@grabbitt]

Glad to help!

[@isakuliyev678]

For days I've been watching yours and other's old videos about graphic tablets and bought XP-Pen Deco Pro Medium yesterday but didn't even start using it yet) And here you are with fresh video. Love it! Thank you Grant! You're professional and a great teacher!

[@OviGomy]

I bought the XP-Pen Artist 13.3 Pro for Sculpting and Painting last year. No driver issues. Pen-Buttons and Shortcut-Buttons are programmed for Blender. The wheel for zooming in and out is quit comfortable. Thumbs up.

[@ramabhijith9994]

Hi there, how is it for sculpting in blender...I'm considering to buy this same model.

[@OviGomy]

@@ramabhijith9994 I chose the 13.3 because of my limited deskspace. It's OK but sometimes the screen is to small. I have to navigate, zoom in and out a lot.

[@3lcost3]

Have you use it on Zbrus? How does it work?

[@FiorinaArtworks]

Switched from an Intuos to a Cintiq and both are good to work with. The main issue I have with the Cintiq is that is seems a little wonkier handling brushes, especially line ends with a sharp thin finish. The line starts out thin but ends thicker. Even after adjusting the brush settings (for some reason brushes are all set "thin to thick" by default in several programs which is annoying), sometimes the line finish ends up thin and sometimes thicker despite the same pressure. I have the feeling the Intuos sensitivity is better concerning details like these.

[@TikiShootah]

A fine guide as always. Good to know the products and their capabilities

[@buraktabakoglu]

i bought xp pen innovator 16 due to your recommendation on the previous video about buying tablets. It's such an amazing device for the price. Highly recommended. Thanks for the tips ! Note: I also recommend buying its original sleeve from xp pen. It makes carrying it one place to another a breeze.

[@kraftsandkats2194]

I have the Gamon M10K and love it, it works for me really well. Didn't have a laminated screen, but I put a Dura-Lar .005 clear film on it, and it works. I didn't want to scratch up the work surface. Good thing I did because there are a few good scratched on it already LOL

[@Shivakisa]

Great video. Many thanks, as a beginner it's so difficult to "enter" this tablet graphic market

[@insomania-6141]

I will say this now as someone who used a Wacom budget 60£ tablet, i hoped i would of gone all out at the start because it hold me back quite a bit. not being able to see where you drawing is a pretty big hold back for me, and it makes drawing harder. It was decent for sculpting however but after picking up drawing i realised i needed something for both. People should also look into pen pressure and pen size when they want to buy a drawing tablet. This is something i never considered years ago.

[@apieceofart130]

Exactly what I was looking for! Didn’t know where to begin

[@philipmcdonnell7168]

I always had Wacoms but the last two pens I had just fell apart after a year or so. Spares were always expensive too. I changed to a Huion Inspiroy and had a lot of driver issues but, touch wood, it is behaving itself on my old MacBook Pro

[@Fly-Co2]

Thank you for making this video It answered all of my questions and now I know what to look for in a pen tablet

[@danielhirst3151]

Though it seems obvious it’s probably worth mentioning when you talk about FHD, QHD and 4K displays that the user needs to make sure they have a graphics card capable of running the higher resolution screens.

[@aknutal]

you can actually use ipad with pc quite easily these days with software like duet display and the likes. takes some getting used to with blender and such for sure, but it's possible AND you get the benefit of the amazing apple pen 2!

[@st0nedreality]

For chargeable pens I would recommend magnetic USB cables, will save all the wear and tear on the USB port.

[@kousik8042]

your voice is so soothing

[@LightningdHeiwa]

I have alot of Tablets the one i like the most for blender and drawing is the WACOM Intuos Pro Small with keyboard

[@bovineox1111]

I just picked an entry level tablet, the Huion Kamvas 13, I imagine the pro is even better. Awesome bit of kit for not very much at all. Very light and manageable, though I did have to buy the USB-C Huion cable as the usb-c aperture is very small (cable is also disappointingly short and expensive!) Being able to power a display tablet from my MacBook air M1 without any other cables is a game changer!

[@hiraeth1967]

Thanks again Grant my laptop is gonna arrive in a few days so I was on the look out for a graphic tablet tutorial/recommend video

[@RoseKindred]

What timing, I was just looking into upgrading out of the VEIKK A15 I got almost 2 years ago based on your video.

[@jtvprodesign]

if you are on a budget just get the artist pro 12, you will need the wheel to zoom in and out. It the most budget before getting a tablet or laptop drawing one.

[@gerdsfargen6687]

Awesome guide! Thanks for providing this

[@Armonicyila]

Been wanting for so long

[@fauzankhan5500]

Very resourcfull video Grant! Can I get suggestions what could be best budget-friendly drawing tablet for Solidworks, Maya?

[@grabbitt]

Same recommendation. Xp pen is my fave of budget brands

[@D2Kprime]

The XP Pen Artist 24 Pro is definitely a monster. I can vouch for that. I have a 2 x 4 foot desk and it eats up pretty much all of the real estate. The desk I have doesn't have a keyboard tray so those side-buttons come in very handy. =)

[@denizcandilber4877]

Hi Grant, thank you so much for these valuable information about the graphic tablets. Do you recommend to get Xp-Pen Star03 V2 for blender?

[@grabbitt]

Yes I've heard good things

[@denizcandilber4877]

@@grabbitt thanks

[@OLskewL]

Have you noticed how the latest Macbook updates have made drawing tablets wonky? The sad part is that the big brands accommodate for this, but the cheaper ones like Veikk and Huion are incompetent - so people who rely on these for work and use a Mac, think before you buy. I hope this channel has further advice for us.

[@Sini_s_piciouse]

Thank you sir, very useful information and perfect presentation, good luck 🤝👍

[@marsmotion]

so i had a wacom pen tablet installed intuos 4 and when i tried to upgrade to an xp-pen deco pro i couldnt get the pen hover to work in 3d apps in combo with a pen button press. this is good for panning and camera movement etc. before installing i did try to un install my wacom drivers but this made no difference. so i can say that going from wacom to xp-pen maybe didnt work for the reason you mentioned. contacted xp-pen, good cs but was unable to find a solution even after un install re install again etc...

[@alexjay8867]

I just bought a huion kamvas pro 13 from cex but it never arrived with the cable. So now I have to buy these special cables. Hopefully once I got it working it will be worth the upgrade from a graphics tablet to a display

[@MonstehDinosawr]

Was it worth it?

[@reviewstand9953]

Thank you so much all my doubts are now clear and i am going for an XP pen deco 01 V2.... I was confused between the xp pen mini 7W and deco 01v2..... They both cost me same but deco has more working area and mini 7W has Wireless option so i am going for more working area ^⁠_⁠^....... And in deco i will get penstand, protection film and gloves also but mini7w don't provide anything extra.... And i guess a wire will not be a problem >⁠.⁠

[@tamaspeterradvanyi1445]

thank you for the guide 👍 really useful

[@ketandudhe2754]

Can you suggest some good alternatives to your Artist 24? In similar or a little higher budget tier?

[@grabbitt]

I would recommend xp pen and the 16pro is very good

[@ketandudhe2754]

@@grabbitt Okay sir. Thanks a lot.

[@maximme]

do another video on Initial Activating Force for the pens

[@grabbitt]

I don't find that to be much of an issue

[@garrithgill6692]

Grant I just want to start by saying thanks for the videos. they're super helpful on the journey, and I'm really grateful for your work. I have one question though. what drawing monitor arm can I use? the XP pen 16 Innovator has no back plate to mount an arm to. I really wanna use it for blender, but I cant seem to get it to mount in a way that I can use keyboard and screen comfortably.

[@grabbitt]

Check out my setup/kit video to see how I setup my monitors that night possibly help

[@moniquehyatt4852]

Are you using the drawing tablet on an iMac or on a Windows computer? Will it work with Parallels for Windows on my iMac computer?

[@grabbitt]

I think almost all tablets work on both

[@sheilafrancl1423]

I have the xp-pen drawing tablet. My problem with it is that every time blender updates the software that comes with the xp-pen doesn't recognize it as the same program and i have to reset all the custom settings such as the middle mouse on the pen button

[@pavlo773]

thanks for the great content! i wonder what can you say about the gray gaomon tablet u show in the video

[@grabbitt]

Gaomon are a good brand in my experience

[@cachorroquente17]

I dont recomend huion display to zbrush or blender. I have driver problems, pressure dont work, spikes.. and more. Is dificult fix all theses problem when you need focus in the work

[@seragx99]

My first tablet was small Wacom intuos and it worked flawlessly for around 4 or 5 years 😯, but then I upgraded my gear and decided it was time to move to a bigger tablet as well, so I got a Gaomon m10k pro, it's a 10x6 tablet and I decided to give it a go because Wacom tablets of that size really jump on price! So far it's been awesome, my only qualm it's the stylus button 1 failed after 2 years so I had to get a new one, but then again it's really cheap, less than $20, so it's been really worth the price for me.

[@ketandudhe2754]

Also are there any particular quirks or problems that you are experiencing with this Artist 24?

[@teabagNBG]

im using easy canvas and my ipad pro ... i wish the ipad were bigger because this way i like better than my old 27wacom :D

[@backyy07]

anybody else already watched this video 3 times?

[@alandouglasrandall9961]

Hi Grant :-) X-Pen 12 was on my wish list for over a year and and now it's finally sitting on my desk. Came back to say it was all you said it was and more ... tech. support is the best I've experienced in the past 30 years with any product, hardware or software.

[@grabbitt]

Good to hear

[@damienwise1626]

I recommend NOT buying specifically XP-Pen Deco Pro Medium (what I use). If the pen falls even from 1 meter above the ground the pressure sensitivity gets messed up (pretty easy to fix, but I had a hard time searching for the solution), unlike Wacom. A freaking 5 years old Wacom pen is actually fine without any issues after I dropped it so many times I lost count. However, if you already have it, I recommend tying the pen to something, so it can't fall. Also, don't hit it. Not even a bit. Think of it as a very brittle glass that you must put down calmly and slowly, so there would be no cracks whatsoever. When you must put it away, put it inside the case, close it, and don't put the case standing. If you want the pen easily accessible, buy a pen holder that won't fall even if you nudge it.

[@grabbitt]

If not had that problem myself. I'm sure I have dropped the pen a fair few times

[@tHaH4x0r]

I own that exact tablet myself as well, and haven't had issues either. I did drop the tablet onto its USB mount whilst plugged in, shearing off the USB port. Contacting XP-pen asking if its possible to buy the USB board from them to repair it, they asked me to send in my tablet. I got a brand new replacement in return from them, outside of warranty! Their awesome service definitely sold me that my next (probably pen display) will be from them.

[@ODII.]

Hello Grant. I saw a comment where you replied that the wacom one might be the best beginner option for sculpting on zbrush. Does that still stand or is there a different budget friendly tablet now for zbrush?

[@grabbitt]

The biggest problem is drivers and build quality. Wacom tend to be the best but lots of the budget brands are pretty good to

[@ODII.]

@@grabbitt Thank you for getting back to me. Given my budget, my options were the huion inspiroy h430p and the huion hs611. I compared both and the huion hs611 seems to be the best bet.

[@anficyon]

HUION pen display works well in blender

[@SMMuir]

I was randomly searching for graphics tablet recommendations and stumbled upon the guy who is teaching me blender on Udemy 😹

[@daganael]

what about sidecar the ipad on a mac to use it as a display tablet on blender ?

[@grabbitt]

Can work OK apparently

[@JayStansfield]

Went for the gammon but it didn't feel right using it without the egg or pineapple 🤪

[@tanymatorsstudio7854]

Thanks mate.

[@_Vesper]

I got an XP-PEN Star 03 and the drivers have just never worked, using either the drivers from the disc and the drivers from the website. These problems are for every single PC I've tried to use them on, from university lab PCs to laptops to all of my own desktops

[@grabbitt]

are your graphics card drivers and windows up to date too?

[@_Vesper]

@@grabbitt Yep, after falling down the rabbit hole of trying to get it working once more I've installed the drivers for the previous model, the star 02, and it seems to be working now, just with some strange bugs that I'll just have to get used to, thanks for inspiring me to try and fix it again!

[@jonglaser4468]

I had the wacom pro 32. IT was too heavy, difficult to use when moving into drawing mode and screen was just OK. Oh and too expensive

[@VideoPool02]

So can I use this pen tab for sculpting in Zbrush or any other 3D software??

[@grabbitt]

Yes

[@khaotixy]

Hey! I haven't watched the video yet but is it possible to use the new iPad pro M2 as a drawing tablet in blender??

[@grabbitt]

I believe it is with a mac

[@ramabhijith9994]

Hi Grant, Ive recently purchased the HP Omen 16 AMD ryzen 7 laptop and is considering buying either the wacom one or XP Pen artist 12 or 13.3 tablet.... would they be ok for sculpting in blender or are the cintiq models better

[@grabbitt]

The xp pen models are very good

[@Walm89]

The Q&A for the product says the XP-Pen 24 Pro isn't lamented...

[@grabbitt]

Very strange they told me it was. I've been using it for a while now and the parallax is fine so maybe it doesn't matter as much as I thought. I will try and investigate further

[@miiasutherland852]

THank you, finLly some Clearity. Lol.

[@MacLarenT1337]

I've used huion for a while now and it's flawless. It works great and was wayyyyyyyy cheaper than wacom. Can 100% recommend. :)

[@AhmadDenis777]

What huion do u use?

[@MacLarenT1337]

@@AhmadDenis777 The Inspiroy~ Not expensive and has worked great for blender.

[@AhmadDenis777]

@@MacLarenT1337 Ty for the answer😆

[@AhmadDenis777]

@@MacLarenT1337btw, is it inspiroy rts 300?

[@arenkirisaki6339]

what tablet did you get specifically?

[@maggyfrog]

hi! is there a software issue difference between sizes? like is the xp pen 22 more stable than the 24? or between 16 pro vs 22? also, which wacom model have you found to be the most competitive to the xp pen 22/24 ?

[@grabbitt]

There shouldn't be as they tend to update the drivers reasonably regularly

[@elvee2589]

This dude always reminds me of "Sam Fisher" 😊

[@3lcost3]

What do you recommend for a beginner for Zbrush? I've tried with mouse and keyboard and I just can't, so I'm thinking of giving it a try with a graphics tablet

[@grabbitt]

Probably the wacom one

[@3lcost3]

@@grabbitt thanks

[@ODII.]

I was looking for this comment. Thank you

[@p.kmations]

Thanks

[@LagLag-qz3wi]

can i ask ? is good enough a cintiq 22 hd for concept art? is a hd resolution big broblem for details. sorry for my english

[@grabbitt]

The cintiq is excellent

[@arc.tic_foxx]

hey grant! totally off topic to this video, but by any chance do you have any tutorials on rigging/animating low poly characters using a root bone? i cant seem to find any :,) thank you!

[@grabbitt]

No I don't think so

[@Don_Beto_ptr]

one by wacom has been my best friend for years

[@tonyhamilton7785]

Can you make a tutorial on how to use these tablets with Blender, such as the Huion Kamvas 22"? I tried following your first tutorial using my Huion tablet, but had to put it aside since most of the steps involved a mouse. If it isn't possible, I'll just use it when I get better with modeling to use the sculpting feature. If you put up a course on Udemy, I'll buy it. Thanks a ton 🤙🤙

[@metalabyss107]

In my limited experience, you only need to assign to one of the buttons of the pen the "middle mouse button". This way you can navigate the 3d space without the need of the mouse.

[@grabbitt]

Exactly that. Middle mouse button is all you need on your pen

[@denniss.3907]

hey grant, thank you for making those reviews. helps me a lot! now im sure that i will be a xp pen. but im in conflict. they advertise some tablets with a new "x3 smart chip". you know what it is and what it does? i hesitate between artist16 (with x3) , artist 22 (without) and artist 24 (without, but 2k). all of them are in discount for the next 3 days (europe)

[@grabbitt]

I've not noticed a huge difference between them to be honest

[@denniss.3907]

thx. so its more about which size of display i prefer :)

[@grabbitt]

yes indeed

[@galberger3937]

Hi. I have a Wabcom One Tablet and i cant conf it right to my PC. Ihave windows 10. Can you show how to conf corrctly please? I use two screens.

[@grabbitt]

I'm afraid I do not own one anymore

[@procrastinator24]

you guys recon getting the XP Pen 24 with a QHD display will feel weird while having 4k Monitors i usually work on? XP Pen doesnt have bigger 4k Screens (20" +) yet or atleast i havent found any. Wacom does sell 4K 24" Drawing Tablets but for 5x the Price of a QHD 24" XP Pen (550€) and honestly thats a bit too pricy in my opinion

[@grabbitt]

should be fine :)

[@procrastinator24]

@@grabbitt say is the 24" worse or did you just not include it in your recommendations? In the video description youre recommending XP Pen 16 - 22. On Amazon in germany there is a 24" XP Pen for sale atm. Im still on the edge whether to get the pro or the normal one or a smaller one given your recommendations. Thanks so much for all of your help and content!

[@grabbitt]

@@procrastinator24 I'm using the 24 at the moment and it's good

[@PheonixKnght]

What do you think of using a tablet to mirror or extend your pc?

[@grabbitt]

Yeah that works fine

[@fk3239]

You showed the "One by Wacom", which is different and older than the "Wacom One". I don't blame you, that's a sillyass choice Wacom made.

[@StarLabs3D]

Good review! 🇦🇶

[@kartikkalra7554]

i am going with the artist 24 pro, please tell me i have a laptop and i want to use blender in my display tablet and at the same time i want to see tutorials on my laptop is this possible , is this possible to use different windows at the same time

[@grabbitt]

Yes. See my video on what computer for Blender

[@metalabyss107]

I have been using for years an intros5 and the drivers never worked properly. There’s been problems with the pressure sensibility an nowadays bad interactions with windows ink drivers. With every version of photoshop or the wacom´s driver the solution is different or inexistent. Any permanent solution anyone? 🙏

[@grabbitt]

I thought wacom were pretty safe

[@AhmadDenis777]

is one by wacom (small version) good for 3d sculpting? or veikk A15 because has more space than wacom one small ver

[@grabbitt]

Both are great

[@AhmadDenis777]

@@grabbittbut people says veikk a15 have a lot of issues

[@sherwindean]

What’s the best graphics tablet for blender

[@grabbitt]

They vary depending on your price range

[@bepositive4473]

Sir Namaste🙏🙏. I am from India. I am just going to start learn blender . But i am very confused that which display tablet I should purchase for blender. I am confused between graphic tablet and android tablet. I totally beginner. so please suggest me that tablet in which blender run smoothly

[@grabbitt]

xp pen

[@bossibrargaming8938]

Can i sculpt on touch screen laptop like hp zbook?

[@grabbitt]

I believe so

[@felixb.788]

Hey guys, Im interested in digital drawing and was looking for graphic displays. I found the camvas 13 pro and thought it would be a relatively good beginner display, also not so expensive. Then i found the camvas 20, looking way bigger but only 229€, while the 13pro is about 239€ or so. I cant really find the difference between these two and wondered why the 20 is cheaper while having a much larger screen. Is the 13pro any better or why is it more expensive?

[@grabbitt]

Sometimes it's down to the thickness of the screen. Some are laminated which is better

[@unicorn_tamer]

I am using linux and I am on a very tight budget. I really want to buy one, but I dont know what to do :(. Also have you ever heard of or used Krita?

[@grabbitt]

Yes I use Krita all the time. Just check your can get Linux drivers for the tablet and you should be ok

[@unicorn_tamer]

@@grabbitt Uh, can you suggest me a drawing tablet that costs about 100$ and is a bit bigger than the Wacom One?

[@grabbitt]

@@unicorn_tamer look at gaomon and viekk and check drivers

[@anonymousduh1424]

Thank u

[@JuanFeju]

my xp pen's pen started to defect here and there just after a short of time of usage.

[@grabbitt]

that's surprising everyone i have had has been really good. definitely send it back

[@williammclean6594]

Are wacom tablets worth it? Because i want to buy a tablet and they say the cheaper brands like xppen have way more issues. But man wacom is so expensive all of them are like over 2000usd

[@grabbitt]

I find xp pen ok and I use them

[@williammclean6594]

@Grant Abbitt Kay might get them but I'll save on the side for wacom they last long time like people have them over 11 years. If I get really into digital I'll get one in the future. For now xp will do

[@mostafamxs8554]

I am confused between gemon m1230 12 and wacom intuos small

[@grabbitt]

In what way

[@mostafamxs8554]

@@grabbitt accuracy and especially the response time

[@grabbitt]

@@mostafamxs8554 little difference to be honest. It's more about the drivers

[@mostafamxs8554]

@@grabbitt thanks

[@razvanbarbu1006]

why the animation crashes at frame 250

[@darren990]

is a wacom bamboo ok for blender ?

[@grabbitt]

Yes

[@aith7rios]

Your slash is backwards.

[@GavvyCool]

Do you sell your old tablets or you give them back to the sponsors

[@grabbitt]

Sell them

[@errolsmith5634]

wacom drivers are buggy

[@koganbros.9351]

i swear this guy buying subscribers,

[@grabbitt]

?