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The best bits of tech you need to take your paintings and illustrations to the next level

Destress and take time for yourself by learning how to sketch, paint and draw the digital way with these six key tools

Intuos Draw 1

If you’re new to digital art, you’ll need a graphics tablet. There are a number of options, but the most affordable are pen tablets. You plug these into a computer and draw on them with a stylus, which functions effectively like a mouse. Wacom is still the big player in this category and its entry-level offering is the Intuos Draw. This compact packages comes with drawing software, plus access to online tutorials, making it ideal for novices. £79.99, wacom.com

Apple iPad Pro 2

The iPad Pro 12.9-inch is the best tablet for digital art that money can buy. It offers impressive processing power and an brilliant display. Pair it with the Procreate app for professional-standard art. While the mammoth screen size provides plenty of space for you to express yourself, unless you have biceps like Arnie, you’ll need a table to rest it on before you start sketching. From £769, apple.com

Apple Pencil 3

While the Apple Pencil only works with the iPad Pro, this bit of kit transforms a great tablet into a seriously impressive digital drawing tool. It also means you can feasibly create finished artwork on the iPad without having to rope in a desktop machine for the final stages. Pressureand tilt-sensitivity, low latency and outstanding palm rejection create a natural drawing experience. £89, apple.com

Moleskine Sm art 4 Notebook

For a traditional drawing experience that’s just a tiny bit more advanced, try this smart notebook from Moleskine. It’s like a regular notebook, but special page markings and a companion app enable you to take your sketches into Adobe’s Creative Cloud. Capture a drawing from within the app and it will optimise and convert it into an SVG (scalable vector graphic), ready for it to be opened in Illustrator or Photoshop. £26.99, moleskine.com

Cuttlelola Dotspen 5

The Dotspen is an electric pen for creating a stippled effect in pen sketches, saving tons of time (and your wrist). A little chunkier than your average pen, it charges via USB and works with gel ink cartridges. There are two speed settings for better control: slower for outlines, or faster for filling in large areas. £45, cuttlelola.com

reMarkable 6

The reMarkable promises the most paper-like drawing experience of any tablet. Its E-Ink display is matte and textured, so it feels like paper and is gentle on the eyes. Unlike a regular tablet, you can’t browse the internet or check your email… which could be just the thing to help you switch off from the outside world. Its associated Marker pen requires no battery, but still has pressure sensitivity and tilt sensing. £579, remarkable.com