Dream Digital Art Setup on a Budget

Check out www.squarespace.com for a free trial or go to www.squarespace.com/bradcolbow to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.And thank you Squarespace for sponsoring this video.
THESE ARE AFFILIATE LINKS. I get a a commission on anything you purchase and that helpw support this channel.
iPad 9th gen:
Amazon amzn.to/44YuWWD
BestBuy go.magik.ly/ml/1vndr/
Logitech iPad Cover:
amzn.to/3QqLthB
Galaxy Tab S6 Lite 2022:
Amazon: (currently doesn't carry the 2022 model)
Bestbuy go.magik.ly/ml/1l1ni/
Huion Kamvas 16 (2021)
amzn.to/47zEYPZ
Laptops are all over the place with price, you have to follow the sales. I would look for something with at least 16gb of ram and as much storage as you can get for the price. These are good examples:
amzn.to/3KuKEkc
amzn.to/44VIQZv
Huion Kamvas Pro 24 4k
amzn.to/44XUTWq
Mac Mini:
Bestbuy go.magik.ly/ml/1vndw/
NEW COURSES: bradsartschool.com
Email Newsletter: brad.site/signup/
-----------------------------------------------------
Twitter:
/ bradcolbow
Instagram:
/ brad.colbow
Drawing Tech Top 10 lists:
brad.site/
My Drawing and video gear:
brad.site/mygear/

[@tbray]

I've said this before - a $4000 Wacom isn't going to make you a great artist; practice, repetition, and talent will. Thankfully, there are reasonably priced options (now) - and many of us know that because of you. Thanks for covering all the options, and not just the fancy, pricey ones. Also - for Macs, I bought an M.2 harddrive and case that I connect via usb-c. Stick with the 256gig version, it's cheaper (for larger amounts of storage) and just as fast to go external.

[@TheLuconic]

Talent is literally training wheels on steroids. Skill is superior as it will over shadow talent.

[@asimian8500]

It's not either or. While there are some people with talent who try to coast with it, but most people with talent will also work hard to acquire skill, blowing away anyone with just skill. I know everyone hates talent and claim it doesn't exist, but that's nonsense. Talent is the ability to level up faster and it's true there isn't an art talent per se, but there are associated abilities like better color perception, visualization (vs. aphantasia), better sense of proportions, better fine motor skills, better eye hand coordination which will allow you to level up faster.

[@SourPlanet]

Talent is not required. I teach hundreds of students and very rarely does talent result in results. In fact, it usually results in missed assignments and half-assed work. Without fail, it's the ones chasing skill who come out on top.

[@soupyvibes6170]

I’ve been working for years on a 256 gb iPad Pro, honestly it’s so far been more than enough. It depends on a lot of variables, but I don’t think you need more, especially for beginners! There is no need to stress about it, plus cloud storage is dirt cheap, and a flash drive is too.

[@MrEnoch-dy4tg]

Same here. I’ve done countless paintings,big file size etc for years now and I don’t know how I would run out of storage… I’m painting on iPad using Procreate. Never had the tiniest issue

[@nicodoe6181]

the key point to think about is working with what you have. most people have access to a pc or laptop, yet so many people will rush headfirst into buying an expensive tablet computer (usually an ipad) when they dont even know if theyll enjoy digital art. the best setup is one youre sure youll use. paying an extra €50 or less for a small screenless pen tablet to test out digital art is going to be a much better alternative to paying hundreds on a setup you dont end up using

[@IMKatar]

Just a note, about the 500 cathegory for android, I think at this point the Galaxy Tab 7 FE is a better choice than the s6 lite, you can find it around 400 euros here in EU so I guess the price will be lower there in the US too. A bigger screen is always a + for professional work

[@IMKatar]

@@Worthless. Yeah I guess it's a matter of preference 🙂. In my experience having more space to draw on the screen is very valuable

[@victoryrose4300]

Well, I kinda have my dream setup, which is a 2020 iPad air, but I do wanna move to an M1 iPad air or pro, for that sake; however, I’d highly encourage more people to buy second hand electronics. If you’re careful with what you choose, ask the right questions, you’ll end up with a great device at a cheap price. That’s the case for my iPad. I bought it on July 29th 2022, and it still works like new to this very day. Of course, the battery isn’t good, never has been, but my point is that buying second is a great alternative if you know where, and what to look for! - Written with love from a Latin American artist

[@theinktician]

TIPS for those in the $2000 budget: If you want the 4k resolution pick the Kamvas Brad picked and the laptop from the $1000 budget. BUT if you want more power to work with, or if you do 3D work, pick the QHD version of the Kamvas 24 beside his choice for ~$750 so you can use the rest on a gaming laptop. You WILL need the extra power, especially from the graphics. Also, the screens on gaming laptops are much better than they were 3 years ago, so you'll likely find a 100% sRGB screen. If the gaming laptops scare you, go with a Lenovo Slim 7 with an RTX 3050 or an Asus laptop from last year. They have a 2-in-1 with an even better graphics card and a mini-LED screen. And what Brad said about RAM earlier applies even more here: do not go for less than 16GBs of RAM

[@Kenb3d1]

Appreciate all your hard work as always Brad.

[@gloriouschoices]

I totally appreciate that you included the android option for

[@ajwalker4416]

Yes, I caught one refurbished from Amazon for way cheaper but even new, it's still under the $500 price point and includes the S-Pen which Brad has praised numerous times on this channel.

[@subhasish1718]

Amoled is an insta no from me. I don't want headaches from long usage . Also amoled colours are not true colours and your drawing and the actual piece will not be the same, meaning even if it looks like a masterpiece in your device, the actual content might be just crap

[@gloriouschoices]

@@subhasish1718 then you bring in the issue of colour calibration. I've got my s7fe calibrated for my Canon and Epson. no issues. what I see on screen, is what I get. if you know how to calibrate for print... also, I personally have not had headaches from amoled, I'm sorry you are. perhaps getting your eyes checked (eye health is crucial for creatives), avoid fluorescent & CFL bulbs, turn down your screen brightness, and most importantly, makes sure your ambient lighting is as diffused as possible.

[@theinktician]

7:11 LOL I loved this part of the video! 13th gen is new. This Zenbook came out about 2 months ago - Asus just has a habit of putting it on sale for no reason. Happens with the Zenbook 14 all the time. But yeah, definitely not an older model. For those that want this, the OLED screen is going to be super color accurate

[@siluna5]

I LITERALLY ASKED FOR THIS VID LAST NIGHT AND U DID IT!!! : ))

[@Rosahmina]

Lucky you 😂

[@BrendaMelo22]

i just realized that i bought 3 of my art gear because of your advice in this channel! My ipad pro, its logitech keyboard/stand/cover thingy, and also my huion kamvas 16. ❤ Absolutly none of them let me down, I love all of them, thank you!!❤

[@AliAkbar-oh5dy]

Looking forward to your s9 ultra review ! nice vid as always man.

[@doncristianugalde]

If you really want to go budget with the mac mini, to to the refurbished store and save up $50 to $100 on the machine and just add an external drive for storage. 256gb is little but its enough for programs and the OS, and the rest can live in the external drive

[@thebradcolbow]

That's a good call!

[@jeffriart]

I'll probably going for an iPad Pro or Galaxy Tab S9 setup for ~$1000 budget if we are strictly talking about digital art. Maybe even pick the previous generation to save a bit or upgrade to the larger size. For around $2000 or less, the Surface Pro/Laptop Studio with Slim Pen 2 is also a decent alternative. The Slim Pen 2 gets pretty close enough to Apple Pencil/Wacom EMR performance in my experience, which should be the best you can get on Windows 2-in-1 right now (except maybe some EMR Windows machine, but that's rare nowadays). For home/office setup, you did a solid pick and I don't think we can get any better. The Wacom is just so expensive that even picking the Cintiq Pro 16 + entry level Mac Mini already put it over $2000. That said, as I owned the Cintiq Pro 16, I kinda went this route and have no regret... I think it's just nice to have. :D

[@spectralcanvasimages]

Now this is an awesome video for anyone that's just starting out! It might have been a good idea to include the cost of some art/graphics software as well? One other thing... I wouldn't call just a pc and a drawing tablet a studio. It might just be me but I think allot more goes into a studio than just your pc and drawing tablet. I'd say my dream studio setup would include an l-shaped sit-to-stand desk, a premium ergo chair, a 4K drawing tablet, multiple monitors for references, an adequately powerful pc and a few other aesthetic things for the room. I'm slooowly working on acquiring these things. X'D

[@fablewalls]

I started 12 years ago buying a 2nd hand tabletpc off eBay. I know several guys who swore by their Fujitsu T902 - modular and swappable components so it could develop as you developed and earned more. That old workhorse is now superseded and even a used Galaxy Book 12 can be had for less than $300 - the Galaxy Book 2 15.6 inch can be had for $600 which would allow you a couple of years Adobe Subscription to get going. I'd still say some artists on a budget should consider used - there are plenty of real bargains out there.

[@arthurpizza]

Some people are freaked out by buying used hardware but you can really save a lot of money that way. If you're on a strict budget you can often find good used tablets for under $200 and fairly good computers for anywhere between $80 - $200.

[@darthshyam300]

Just got the M2 IPad Pro and I’m super excited to try it out. Will be delivered soon!

[@5thdayadventures]

I just recently picked up a huion 16 2021 refirb for $220 and a MSI creator z16 last year model for 1300. The pc is a powerhouse and display is more then i need for what i do. I Loving it so far. When on a budget it always helps to go with previous years models.

[@dob8012]

Put my dream setup together last year. Galaxy tab S8 Ultra, Galaxy book 2 Pro 360, Wacom 22” drawing screen, and an iPad 10th gen just for Procreate and sketching on the sofa.

[@wastedinspiration]

NGL, the Galaxy book 2 pro 360 was tempting, but, as far as I saw, they never had a 32gb version available in the States and I REALLY wanted that extra RAM. I kept waiting for it to come, but I only ever saw it on the Korean site. /Sigh.

[@ProSkillzEdits]

This video was so helpful

[@MobileGamerStudio]

I've always wanted to see a video of using blender on a galaxy tab or ipad with second screen

[@signas9896]

I got really lucky and managed to get a surface pro 4 in mint condition with a pen, keyboard case and protective case. It has an i7 processor with 16 gigs of ram and one terrabyte of space. All of that for 230 bucks on facebook marketplace. wasn't expecting to be real and thought it was to good to be true when I first saw the post. but after a 3 hour drive to meet the guy, it was as advertised and it was the biggest steal of a deal I've ever come across. If you need to get it secondhand, there's no problem but always do your research, communicate and pick public venues for any and all meetup transactions.

[@katherinefullbody4635]

This is pretty useful

[@Phoenix-tc6dp]

my art set up is a tab s8 ultra with a 1 year clip studio subscription and a case it would run you like 1.1k - 1.2kmax. i would only recommend this if you want a large 14.6inch screen that you can take with you on the go. but the s9 ultra is about to launch so if you order the s9 ultra rn is the best time to do so to get the free upgraded storage option would run you 1.2k before tax. also if you have a pc already to buy super display and use it as a tablet for your pc aswell. but i only do that for blender or just a second monitor. for this price you could easily just get your self a very very good large huion or wacom

[@MattHalpain]

I upgraded from a first gen Apple Pencil and iPad to a iPad mini 6th gen with Apple Pencil gen 2. As a hobby artist I am extremely happy with what my 6th gen iPad mini and Apple Pencil gen 2 provides.

[@yo-4851]

Incredible review as always, Brad! Will you be reviewing the Samsung tablet S9 soon?

[@Riste.R]

Thank you sooo much!

[@Your_Degenerate]

For the $1000 and above price point it's worth considering a non-screen tablet to pair with a decent laptop. The XP Pen Deco 01V2 is a solid tablet for under $60.

[@jz6367]

I went ultra budget for my first time doing digital art, a $20 drawing pad connected to my phone through usb c lol. Just recently upgraded to the galaxy s9 fe, can not recommend it enough. Especially if you add a paper like screen protector and a titanium nip to the s pen.

[@j.s.partin6107]

I’m sure I’m not the first to mention that the new mini-PCs might make a really good option to run one of those 16” displays. Some of them are really small, like the size of a 2.5” SSD small. I just recently purchased an AMD Ryzen7 model that is 5”x5”x2” and this isn’t even the smallest that I’ve seen. Just saw ETA PRIME’s video on the KHADAS Mind unit and that thing is barely bigger than a credit card and less than an inch thick. Yet these little things run multiple monitors with some even doing 2 or more at 4K. Prices, of course, are going to vary. But I just picked up my Ryzen7 model on Amazon for under $400. Anyone looking to buy one, make sure you look for the little “coupon” check boxes that are under some of them. I saved $120 of a $499 model that way. Anyways, great video, as always. Thanks for the info!

[@joseruiz5161]

Piece of advice you can buy other mini pcs with comparable performance to M2 and avoid the 4k scaling issue on macOS with that pen display and you can buy an arm for the screen that way. Also, if you want the mac mini just buy the basic one and upgrade the ram to 16 it is better in the lomg run as you can buy a docking base for mav mini that has a slot for an NVMe SSD but ram cannot be uograded

[@jorgecap3898]

The keyword here, is that a "low budget" option is basically a starting point. The needs for a Pixar animator, a freelance artist comissionist, or an amateur dipping his/her toes on digital art, are all fundamentally different. From color correction, to expected output, those are all different. So, I think the advice Brad gives is aimed more to the budding digital art enthusiast here. Start out with what you have. With enough time and practice, you will realize what you really need, and what you want really to achieve, and the tools appropiate for that. Don't dissmiss second hand tools, that's a cool way to preserve bucks onwards.

[@RyanParreno]

Great guide Brad. Question; have you ever tried setting up a graphics tablet with an NUC sized Windows computer? I wonder if there's a way to attach such a computer to a comparatively wide tablet (if not VESA, maybe with double sided tape?) and make a decent drawing tablet out of it. Might increase the possibilities for good budget options too

[@fix0the0spade]

The bigger (22 and up) drawing tablets almost all have VESA mounts, so you could bolt a NUC directly to the back. With the premium on tiny PCs a mid range or second hand laptop might be a better deal for a cheaper dual screen set up.

[@RyanParreno]

I've thought of that before @@fix0the0spade but if you put the minicomputer on the mount, how are you going to stand the drawing tablet up? Will it just be flat on a table or the floor the whole time?

[@fix0the0spade]

@@RyanParreno That depends on the mounting system and computer case. Some of them can be mounted between the monitor and the stand like a spacer. There's also offset mounts that bolt to the monitor, then the stand bolts to them and the computer is mounted off to the side. The only stands that definitely couldn't have a Mini-PC bolted on are Wacom's Ergo stand and Flex Arm, since they cover the screw holes. Buth with the VESA adapter and an Ergotron arm it'ss still possible, if very expensive.

[@nurithegolden5755]

What's your opinion on the new Samsung galaxy tab s9 Ultra?

[@biasedthoughts]

If size matters for a cheap set-up. I recommend the S7 FE. Just avoid the 5g model and base storage/ram configuration. The S9 FE's are around the corner though. If they are 120hz it'd be hard to beat for drawing.

[@DaveCummings76]

I tried the Huions. Huion’s pen drives me nuts. I’ll disable the buttons, because I don’t use them, but with Huion, even if you disable them, they’re not disabled. I’ll accidentally hit the pen button mid stroke that completely blows out my line. Also, no matter how hard I try, I can never get the pen calibrated all the way. It’s annoyingly off by a fraction. That and the drivers randomly crash. It’s why I always go back to Wacom

[@kenziiixxx3628]

I’m saving for a iPad mini I think it’s a great upgrade since I’ve been doing art on my iPhone 7+ since 2018, it’s only $4.17 on Amazon that’s including case and protecter

[@ericparga2734]

Love this vid topic

[@Sara-pk8wv]

a used pc and screenless tablet is the most versatile option you can do everything on it drawing, gaming, animation. with unlimited space unlike I pad

[@Wanooknox]

As someone who already owns the 4K Huion that Brad featured in this video, I can confirm it's amazing. It's big and luxurious to draw on, the colors look great and it works fantastically. I seriously love it. Only catch is that you do want a computer with the graphics horsepower to handle 4K with big multilayer canvases open. The ASUS brad showed should be fine or the mac mini, but budget laptops are kind of a non-starter. Wait for it to go on sale on Amazon though. It regularly has good coupon deals or just is straight up on sale. In Canada it's $2000 regular price, but you can regularly get it for CAD$1750 with coupon and I've seen as low as CAD$1600. I would bet that Amazon in the US also has similar deals frequently.

[@Wanooknox]

Oh, but the built in legs are kind of annoying. You only get one height. Better to budget for Huion's adjustable stand. Or just buy a stand a few months later.

[@Wanooknox]

And actually the 2.5K (1440p) version of the 24" from Huion is often half as expensive and just as good for size. Look for the Kamvas 24 or Kamvas 24 Plus, buy which ever is on sale at the time. The Plus gets you a higher contrast etched glass screen, but is otherwise identical. You really don't need the 4K it's just a kind of luxurious bonus.

[@MrLuih18]

I got the Huion 24" 2k (didn't care for the 4k) and build my own PC. I play games and I'm trying to relearn how to draw on my own style (because I enjoy it). Again this was a big investment but is not need it, I just didn't have all the room to properly have a dedicated drawing area and this gives me other purposes (and I don't have to purchase markers, pencils, paints, brushes and sketchbooks anymore)

[@missanthropy.]

Wouldn't the Xiaomi Pad 6 also fit in the

[@mikealbers1175]

Got a Samsung galaxy book2 pro 360 13" refurbed at Best Buy for $800 and a xencelabs quick keys remote for $99. Pretty portable, good pen response, and the remote allows me to flip the screen and lay it flat or angle it with my 3D printed stand. This would be in the 1000 dollar budget. The Samsung has 16GB memory, and a 500GB hard drive. Lenovo and Asus both have laptops that are pen friendly too. It not only allows me to do design work, but can also run my fabrication machines (laser cutter, 3D printers, and CNC machine).

[@Choedron]

I’ve got the Huion Kamvas 24 Pro (4K). It is really good, even though I would have liked a bit more brightness. But still good. Though you need a big desk 🤣😂

[@OHomemCinza404]

The most incredible thing is that here in Brazil the cheapest is very out of the financial reality of many people, I've been waiting since last year for a good promotion to buy in installments and upgrade my work as a digital artist and UX/UI Designer at work from my University.

[@tomnel]

You can get a minisforum hx80 with discreet gpu for a little over $500 barebones and add your ram/nvme or get it with 32gb of ram and 2tb of nvme storage for over $700 or get the more powerful hx99g for around 800. I got the hx99g and it does it all, 3D, video editing etc....

[@lionlessart]

My setup's kinda crazy because my PC died unexpectedly, but I have one really nice, big 4k monitor and a huion 13" screen tablet....running off a $100 miniPC i got on amazon when they were having one of their amazon deal days since I had no money at the time. It definitely couldn't run photoshop, but it runs clip studio just fine (just not very fast- although it's not slow in response time to your input, it just feels a little clunky, yknow?- especially if you like to watch videos and draw like I do). I use external storage that was in my old PC. I like it alright but I can't wait to build my own PC with all the bells and whistles so I can multitask better. Anyway, point being, you can do art on just about anything. I know some people nowadays draw straight on their phone. If I'm out and about, I use an iPad (probably best investment I made). Just depends on personal tastes, budget and what you can get used to really. And you may not always enjoy the setup you have, whatever it is, but you can manage until you can get something better.

[@Heisenburg17]

I'm having 24' but I'm considering 16' or 20' would be much better because of constant moving around the table while working/playing on monitor and keyboard. Not sure tho.

[@kelvinchuks8885]

Waiting for your review of the Galaxy tab S9 Ultra,

[@Bitbiscuit]

Does the Huion Kanvas 16 come with all the cables and things needed to draw with or is it sold separately?

[@MythicPalette]

You could save a lot of money on that last one if you go with the 256GB MacMini and just buy a 256GB USB 3.0 flash drive. SanDisk has one for $20. You could literally buy 10 for the price difference of cheap MacMini to mid MacMini. Flash drives don't have the throughput that a SSD has but you only actually access the drive when loading or saving files, the rest of the time you're running from RAM so you would see next to no performance loss.

[@lindahossien9954]

I'm planning to buy a pen display and I'm wondering if 1080p is enough in 16" display. My budget now is around 350$ which is exactly the price of Huion Kamvas 16, but maybe i should wait and go for at least 2.5k? How does 1080p really feel? I want a hardware that will serve me for years and will be pleasant to use. I paint mostly landscapes and portraits

[@trainofthought5733]

would you recommend getting samsung tab s8 with a pencil or ipad air 5th with a pencil if they are priced the same ?

[@benjamina6915]

$500 tier - 2nd hand Lenovo P11+ with pen under $150. Plenty of money left over to get a Clip Studio Paint subscription with it 😀 $1000 tier - Lenovo Flex 5 (Amd version) with touch screen, Wacom AES 2.0 pen and 16Gb of RAM. No pen display needed. Alternatively, get the Huion 16 2021 and buy a second hand or refurbished gaming laptop for the money that's left over. $2000 tier - I'd stick with the same Lenovo Flex 5, since I'm happy with it, but might get a Huion 24" inch with it. Most likely not, since I like the 16" screen size, so I would upgrade the Lenovo Flex 5 to the max... which would bring to about $1200. That is what I have actually done a couple of months ago and the setup is really nice.

[@vaticanfelps]

The huion 16 inch one, if paired with usb-c cable in my desktop, do I still need a power adapter?

[@knyalisa4162]

I make comics (so a lot of high-res .psd files) and I've been rocking a 9-year-old PC with a 128 GB hard drive. One 200-ish page graphic novel winds up about 20 GB of space when all is said and done (because I'm paranoid and store multiple versions of my files). I don't think storage is necessary for drawing, because external hard drives and cloud storage are super cheap AND serve as protection against data loss. For my dream set-up, I pretty much already have it? I don't remember the specs anymore but I have an old gaming rig (powerful at the time, so it's still able to keep up, though it is starting to get a lil' slow), a BenQ monitor that comes with multiple gamuts (and a B&W option) - and a newer Intuos Pro. Together with my (stupid expensive, but so very worth it) ergo chair and a stand for the Intuos, they make for pretty nice ergonomic arrangement. I would like to add a Cintiq and an ergo arm to the mix when I can. I also have a travel-friendly set in an iPad mini with Apple pencil and folio case + a logitech k380 keyboard (super cheap, extremely durable). If I had to build it from scratch on a specific budget, I second what other people are saying and would just buy a used "old" gaming PC + the best Wacom drawing monitor I could afford with what was left (unless all I could afford is the Wacom One, in which case we're buying a monitor and a used Intuos Pro).

[@Theokou]

I have a question for the wacom one can the wacom one connect with the Huawei p30 pro (pls someone answer)

[@theforgedone]

Bought me an old 2018 hp zbook z2 g4 laptop, which uses wacom ems pen technology. It was used with 32g of ram. Works great, only $1k! Works great for an all in ine solution. I just wish the processor was a bit faster.

[@izoong]

I work for many years with an iPad Pro 12"3+ Pencil. As a pro illustrator I don't need anything else to create. For Preprint I still use a laptop with Photoshop. But that's it. Now I just can't imagine working with a Wacom or a Huion and be stuck on a desk with it.

[@kipporah]

My dream set-up is definitely a laptop with a touch screen and wacom (the non-screen one though)

[@arkaprabhadeb2432]

Hey Brad, i have search all the forums available out their and you seem to be my last resort. I had this $133 Samsung phone which when connected with my XP-Pen Deco V2, showed up as keyboard with a cursor and was decent enough for drawing in my android device. Recently, I upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy F14 5g and now the cursor doesn't show up anymore when i connect the XP-Pen. It does work as a mouse but without a cursor. The cursor shows up when i attach a mouse though. I am totally out of options at this point, i just can't use my phone as a drawing device anymore.

[@mwdc1]

hi brad, can you please review tab s9 ultra?

[@seiji_senpai]

i just got an ipad pro do all art there and web browsing 1k budget including the pen, smol screen tho

[@theMarkofArt]

You can get the 256 GB Mac Mini and add a 1TB External SSD Hard Drive @ $100

[@georgiyp5074]

Hi, if you want pc withou display, why you dont look at windows mini pc, something like Intel NUC, there are some options with different brands, they usialy sold without RAM and ssd, and you have to boght it by yourself, but you can choose the capacity and upgrade it later. Or bought with ssd and ram, Something like Morefine M600 or others, there are many otions from 300$ and up to 1000, its Mac Mini formfactor but more upgradeble.

[@ishtarxdd]

Just a heads up, apple overprices their storage upgrades, only get them if youre going for the higher RAM option. Instead of paying + €200 for another 256GB of ssd, you can spend ~€70-80 for an external ssd of 1TB, and with those high speed usb c ports and modern SSD technology, it will be fast enough not to notice a difference while drawing

[@shimizukanna]

I would go: >Mac mini M2 16gb RAM 256GB SSD 799$ >Kingston SSD NV2 1tb + Housing to make it external drive $60~ >Huion Kamvas pro 24 $749 >Razer Tartarus Pro Gaming Keypad $150 Total is around $1758~ I think it's a better option to stick ram upgrade instead of storage because the drawing softwares use a lot of ram, you can store basically anything in external SSD, even if it were a windows option, to me rather prefer an M2 because power efficiency, a laptop requires a lot of energy and at the end of the month the bill we quite high, when I'm solely working I prefer use mac because of power consumption and even at this price point maybe I consider an iPad Pro 12.9 M2 + Apple Pencil because there is clip studio paint which is the software I use to work, thankfully iPads tent to be long-lived devices and still is on the price range

[@Mattfication]

Well, if you're going to buy a Mac Mini that is going to be stationary, you can go for the 256gb option and just buy an external SSD. It will work just as well + now the extra storage is portable and you saved some money.

[@Company_N]

Please review the Asus vivobook 14 flip

[@scribblingjoe]

Keep in mind one of those USB-C ports on the Zenbook has to be used for power.

[@cammiluna]

I like all these setups. My dream setup would be in the $2k range with a Samsung Galaxy book 360, the 13", a shortcut remote, and a 22" XP-Pen display. i can draw on the samsung during my travels and it's portable, and then connect it to my beefy xp-pen when I'm home. $1349 + $49.99 + $599.99 will equal exactly $1999.97 BUT based on my location, I will be charged $206 in sales tax. When i bought a 128GB 11" ipad pro, magic keyboard and apple pencil in 2020 (i make comics, i needed a keyboard that connects instantly instead of a bluetooth one that needs constant charging and reconnecting), I was paying about $127 in sales tax. A lot of these setups WILL go overbudget, so I advise calculating ahead what's the most sales tax you can be charged for the budget goal you choose and save that. The same exact setup i mentioned first would be $177.50 in sales tax had i lived in New York City, so the real budget would be $2177.50 unless there's a dream setup that can be done within $2K after taxes... yeah!

[@nicksartcafe]

My Dream setup includes XP PEN Artist 16 pro gen 2 with a gaming PC with Ryzen 5-7 5000

[@ajwalker4416]

Aww Brad, you didn't give Android enough credit. You'd still have money left over after getting the Samsung which comes with an S-Pen. You would have money left over to upgrade the Pen AND get a really nice cover AND still be below the $500 dollar mark. You could afford a nice artist glove and still take yourself to Starbucks to draw on your nifty new tablet. Don't short Android, some people don't / won't do Apple anything ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@sadev101]

256 mac + external 2 terrabyte drive?

[@zneeke]

why not go xp'pen artist 24 or 24 pro? they are cheaper than huion and of comparable quality.

[@shayla1156]

My daughter is 10 and is really interested in digital art. I'm just afraid Ill pay a ton of money for something she may not use after a while. Would a tablet be best choice ? Any suggestions ?

[@jat9926]

While I would love to experience a nice drawing tablet with a respectable size like an XP Pen for now I’m gonna have to be happy with Apple Side Car (got a MacBook Air on layaway for a great price) but I’m always entertained by your videos

[@InsPage-nl4rn]

when are we getting Samsung S9 Ultra Complete Review ???

[@kathir4717]

Why didn't you put the Samsung tab s8

[@MTfighter12]

Brad, can you please do an in depth tutorial on HI Paint for Android?? Just to help new artists navigate the menus and tools like Procreate without having that app

[@Edge93l]

Huion Kamvas Pro 16 or XPPEN Artist 16(2.5k) (2nd Generation)

[@t1natr0n]

Base Mac Mini with an external ssd drive would be a better option at the 2k budget. At this time getting a 2tb external ssd for under $100 should be doable.

[@skm6777]

Until recently, I used a Huion 16" pen display, but then I was having back problems, despite having it lifted on a stand that put it nearly eye level. Now I'm using a Huion KD200 pen tablet and all of my pain has disappeared. It took about a week-and-a-half to get used to using a pen tablet, but I love it now. Couldn't go back.

[@ajwalker4416]

Same, I love my XP-Pen pen tablet. It's big, has the best "paper-like" feel, love the chunky stylus, and that "disconnect" people always talk about is minimal for me. I prefer it over a drawing display.

[@skm6777]

@@donaldothomoson Okay, I must ask... What are "lazy glasses?"

[@turbyoulance]

Whydon't the manufacturer's supply a tablet thta has everything and that you don't have to run around buying add on's that should already come with the main unit ?

[@kandice1279]

I’m considering the Huion Kamvas studio 16, a computer and drawing tablet in one seems like the best bang for your buck

[@snoot6629]

That's great and all, but once it fails (and it will ,as all tech) not only you will loose your computer , your drawing tablet too.

[@theinktician]

I can get an i5 Galaxy Book 2 360 for just under $500 if I use my student discount (I havent been a student for years lmao). I don't know when this sale ends, but it should work for the folks with a $500 budget - really 600 cause tax exists

[@TadpoleArtz]

The iPad was my dream setup lol

[@edwardkamau8623]

Yaaay!!

[@user-dz6jw3dq2p]

I would go with the 24 4k huion and an ROG ally for 700 bucks.

[@awwastor]

I'd consider a non screen tablet, it depends on the person of course, but for many (including me) it's very easy to get used to drawing while looking at a different screen. Tbh it's easier for me to get used to that than the glass on plastic feel of the ipad. Most people already have a capable enough computer and those who don't will likely need or want one soon anyway. The XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 is a nice option, Huion's and Wacom's offerings are nice too (I wouldn't go for a Wacom One screenless tablet, those don't have any shortcut buttons which can be a real pain, the intuos line is great though, but sometimes expensive). The zenbook is a very good laptop in basically all ways btw.

[@wastedinspiration]

I'm actually switching back to a Wacom Intuos this upgrade cycle because drawing on my Samsung laptop screen is way more of a pain than I thought it would be.

[@multidinero]

What happened to 2k graphic displays? 4K is very premium, but your laptop needs more power! You need to drop a clean $1000 on you computer. Are we looking for top end alternatives at the $2000 budget? Since Huion and XPPen are close competitors, I think you could definitely play in either pool and get great rigs. I have an XP Pen Artist 24 Pro and it currently sells for $675! That gives you room for either a Dell XPS 14 or a MacBook Air. If you work with that, you can upgrade later to a 4K graphic display and sell the XP Pen display if you so choose.

[@ScrambledBread]

$2000 dollar budget, I would 100% go with the same Huion but would build my own PC to spec. if I didn’t want to go with the laptop… I love Apple devices, but their pricing on the mini is insane for the spec increases

[@JamieReed-sj2ro]

Apples ssds are so expensive, you could easily get a much larger external ssd for much cheaper, id recommend getting the cheeper Mac, and like a tb of external storage

[@Fire_City]

I think that the most rational thing is to buy the necessary items for 1000. This is the perfect balance between price and quality. I think you can increase your sales by sending out newsletters. I can do this for free.

[@EchoJ]

Brad, you're so precious, scouring Best Buy's website and expecting to actually find _"the BEST buy."_ 😏😅

[@birmix]

I like the pen display options, but I think laptops or Mac Minis are way more expensive than getting a regular PC setup, you can use your pen display as your monitor and save a lot of money, a Ryzen 3/5 with built-in graphics and 16 GB of RAM would work just fine, or even better. I personally built my own computer, it's not that hard, i think Mac Minis and laptops are good choices for artists who might not want to spend too much time looking for PC parts or learning how to build one

[@cupaj0e245]

New mac minis can be found for $500…

[@birmix]

not my choice i can build a PC for less or same money , with a pretty good processor and 16gb of ram, I used to work with a Mac mini and was a living hell, overheated all the time and getting slow, the new model might be better, but I prefer to invest in a normal PC at least I can upgrade parts whenever I want, and add whatever I need, and will last longer over time

[@birmix]

@@cupaj0e245 by the way which model is $500?

[@mort_belium6942]

why not get a $700 desktop with that kamvas pro 24 (4k)... portability is alredy out th window with a 24" pen display anyway

[@sadev101]

and for those on even tighter budget get refurbished laptop and spend more on the tablet/pendisplay

[@62-66]

Guys this is all great. In my case, to start at least with But even $ 1000 is very difficult to find and earn. Nobody buys drawings on paper. It's been a year since no one bought even one painting Xiaomi 6 Xiaomi pen 2.