WHAT GRAPHICS TABLET SHOULD I GET MY TEENAGER?
Sheila Taylor, Liverpool
The keyboard and mouse combination has been a tried and tested solution for interacting with a computer for decades, but when it comes to digital art, they can feel limited in what they offer.
For basic input they are fine, and I do know people who use a mouse to draw and sculpt with, so it’s not unheard of. You cannot deny though that using a pen instead of a mouse is a more natural and fluid way of working, especially when sculpting or painting.
It used to be that the go-to brand of tablets was Wacom, and that’s still true today, but over the years more companies like XP-PEN and Huion have risen to stand shoulder to shoulder with them, offering you more choice when it comes to deciding where to spend your money.
This means you can now get tablets of varying prices, sizes and specifications, plus you have the option of a screen display too, which allows you to work directly onto the canvas. So where do you start?
When deciding on a tablet you need to know your budget and what you intend on using the tablet for. If this is your first tablet, I would recommend not diving into a screen display straight away. Tablets like the Wacom One or XP-PEN Innovator 16 are good options but can be expensive. So I would recommend you use a standard pen tablet like the Wacom Intuos or the XP-PEN G960S first, to make sure you are comfortable working with it, and that you will actually use it. You can then upgrade later if needed.
When it comes to the size, I would go for as big as you can afford. As an example, a 13-inch tablet gives you a more comfortable working area than a smaller, 5- or 6-inch one. It’s also worth noting that not all tablets are made to work for both right- and left-handed users.
I would also personally edge more towards a tablet with configurable hardware buttons for maximum flexibility. Most of the more average-size tablets can work quite well next to your keyboard.