6 Best drawing tablets for graphic design and digital illustration

Graphic design is a craft where professionals create visual content to communicate messages. By applying visual hierarchy and page layout techniques, designers use typography and pictures to meet users' specific needs and focus on the logic of displaying elements in interactive designs, to optimize the user experience.

graphic designers need more than just talent or skill to create visual art. To produce compelling visuals, graphic designers use simple and sophisticated graphic design tools that capture the ever-shifting shapes and colors in their mind.

A graphic designers would always require some essential tools up to the mark that could be worked in best manner to create best designs and graphics. Tools help us create the things we need, like, or dream about.

The tools for graphic designers play an essential role in easing things for them. It makes them create unique designs in no time.

Computer for graphic design

The first thing you're going to need as a graphic designer is a very good PC or laptop with the latest and most advanced features.

If you are in the visual industry, Apple has the best tool for design enthusiasts. The iMac and MacBook are famous for its high-quality tools and can eventually help you set your mark in the creative industry.

However, if Apple products are too pricy for you, Any decent computer that can adequately handle graphics software and reliably connect to the cloud can sustain your life as a modern-day graphics designer.

Graphic design applications

This is the largest and arguably most important part of a digital artist's tool stack.

Whether installed to run from a desktop computer or offered as a cloud-based service, these software applications enable graphic designers to create, edit, store, and manage their creative output: photos, images, videos, presentations, brochures, and other visual formats.

The Adobe Creative Cloud sets the standard for this tool type, providing a full suite of applications for creating and manipulating raster graphics (Photoshop), vector images (Illustrator), videos (After Effects, Premiere Pro), and different desktop publishing formats such as posters, magazines, brochures, and ebooks (InDesign).

Paid alternatives to specific applications in Adobe's subscription service include Serif's Affinity Designer (vector) and Affinity Photo (raster), CorelDRAW (vector), and the macOS-exclusive Sketch (vector).

Free tools with similar capabilities include GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) for authoring and manipulating raster images and Inkscape for creating and editing vector graphics.

You can eventually bring out creative skills using Graphic design apps for editing, web design and video editing. As designers, you can focus on creating the best designs.

Is a graphic tablet necessary for graphic design?

Oftentimes, graphic designers will be toying with text, lines, and shapes, which do not require heavy use of hand-drawn graphics. As a result, it is not a necessary purchase, but it could make some of the more tedious tasks a little easier.

Drawing tablets provide more precision than standard mice while working with graphic design which is why it's a necessary tool for graphic designer professionals. It's much more natural than using a mouse to illustrate, paint or retouch photos .

Compared to the mouse, using a graphics tablet is similar to using a pen for writing or drawing. so It's More Natural. and the mouse can be get your hand cramped if used for a long time.

Since graphics tablet allows you to point at any point of the screen very fast, it cannot just make you draw or retouch comfortably, but faster as well.

Mouse does not have pressure pressure & tilt sensitivity. You'll absolutely need pressure & tilt sensitivity if you want your lines and brush strokes to have life and fluidity in them in them. with the drawing pad, Pressure controlled width, and opacity are amazeballs.

Connecting to your computer, the drawing tablet is compatible with the most used applications in the design world, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Painter, Krita, Gimp, Inkscape, CorelDraw, Corel Painter, among others.

Once you get a graphics tablet and get used to it, you'll can't imagine using the mouse for any sort of drawing & editing anymore (unless for very simple stuff maybe).

How can I go about selecting a graphics tablet?

While all tablets have similar advantages, not all tablets are produced equal.

The price of a drawing tablet will vary greatly—flat tablets (without a screen) are much less expensive than those with a monitor. Furthermore, some are more precise and have a wider drawing area, while others are small and have simple specifications.

So, the first decision you would make is whether you want a plain graphics device (without a screen), a digital drawing tablet with screen , or a tablet computer (iPad Pro or Galaxy Tab).

Also… developing hand-eye coordination while drawing on normal tablet, shouldn't take too long. It is probably matter of days to get used to it.

Which drawing tablet is best for graphic design?

Depends what you want to do and what you need. Wacom is a well-known brand that specialises in drawing tablets except they are expensive. I highly recommend Wacom Intuos series. If you have more budget, Intuos Pro or Cintiq is much better.

If you're looking cheaper alternative, XP-Pen is good. XP-Pen is very cheap and can get you the same quality of graphic tablet for a cheaper price. XP-Pen's digital pens are battery-free, super lightweight

XP-Pen is a fairly known brand now. They are a growing company thanks to the success they've had. A lot of people are opting to buy XP-Pen over wacom due to the price and this has grown XP-Pen fairly quickly. Wacom still owns the pro market. Functionality wise you won't notice a difference.

6 Best Drawing tablets for graphic design

I believe when a person should prefer a tablet that appears to be in middle range that covers major of features from superior range but also gets under a certain cost.

If you never had a drawing tablet before, you could start with a small tablet similar to XP-Pen Deco Mini7 . Then see if you need anything bigger.

XP-Pen Deco series is great, but if you have more budget, you can try Artist series drawing tablets with screen, because XP-Pen is great investation, will last forever until you become a professional.

1. XP-Pen Deco Mini7

For a designer with a tight budget, this XP-Pen Deco Mini7 small drawing board may be your best choice. It is compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Chrome OS, Android, and Linux systems.

You just have to connect the USB cable to the port of your PC and start using the pen as if it were the mouse pointer.

Its active area is 7 x 4.37 inches, it has 8 Hot Keys that have a preset configuration to speed your workflow.

Comes with a battery-free stylus which provides 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity, 60 degrees of tilt brush delivers more natural lines and strokes. The P05D Stylus has an ergonomic design with a silicone grip and is extremely lightweight, being comfortable for any designer.

This graphic tablet shares the same characteristics that the XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 A4 version have, but the only difference is that the drawing area is smaller, making it light enough to take it everywhere.

2. XP-Pen Deco Pro MW / SW Bluetooth

If you'd prefer a Bluetooth connection for wireless use, we recommend the XP-Pen Deco Pro MW / SW, which typically costs around $30 more than normal Deco Pro M / S Version.

Featuring a stylish and lustrous design, the graphics tablet is available in two different sizes - Small （ 9 x 5 inches ）and Medium （ 11 x 6 inches ）- with or without Bluetooth connectivity.

The eight shortcut keys and a double wheel design give you access to your most used commands and resources. Use the outer mechanic wheel to zoom in /out of your canvas, adjust brush size, etc, while the inner virtual wheel can be used as a trackpad or mouse.

Its pen has a pressure level of 8192 and a natural tilt support of up to 60 degrees so you can enjoy a more fluid and more natural drawing with accuracy and precision.

It also brings several elements to make your work more professional, such as 8 extra Pen Nibs, a drawing glove (two fingers), a pen holder and the manual for any questions you may have.

With a large surface and a high sensitivity stylus, the XP-PEN Deco Pro MW / SW is shown as one of the best graphic tablets of the moment.

3. XP-Pen Artist Pro 16

The XP-Pen Artist Pro 16 drawing tablet offers you 15.4 inch fully laminated screen with FHD 1920×1080 resolution allow you to draw directly on your graphic tablet screen.

99% Adobe RGB superb color space can ensure accurate colors when proofing and printing.

The super-responsive stylus equip a X3 Smart Chip which giving you the precision and control you desire. It have the Faster response and low activation force recognizes even the lightest pen strokes.

Made of high‑quality aluminum alloy material, hard and durable, has long service life, and easy to carry.

With its 8 custom keys and Multi-function wheel, your productivity will surely be increased.

If you have a creative idea you can use this drawing tablet at the same moment, and this drawing tablet offers you a great value for the money.

4. XP-Pen Artist 22 (2nd generation)

If you are a digital artist or graphic designer and you are looking for the best drawing tablet then you need to go for the XP-Pen Artist 22 (2nd Generation) .

Its 21.5-inch FHD large screen supports a wide range of colors, up to 90% Adobe RGB, allowing your illustrations to be much more colorful and crisp.

The battery-free stylus of this Artist 22 (2nd Generation) display tablet Features 8192 pressure levels and 60 degrees tilt sensitivity, achieving greater precision when drawing.

It has a support that adapts to the position and angle in which you draw, helping you to have greater comfort when drawing.

This graphic monitor works in any creative software as All Adobe Suite, Corel Suite, Autodesk Sketchbook, and more.

It allows you to work without space restrictions in your project thanks to its large size, giving you greater freedom to illustrate and edit images while enjoying the sharpness of colors captured on screen.

5. XP-Pen Artist 24

If you are looking for the best screen resolution on a graphic tablet consider buying the XP-Pen Artist 24 as it offers you a 2560×1440 QHD display and an active drawing area of 23.8 inches giving you an extraordinary drawing experience.

It also covers 127% of the sRGB color gamut displaying 16.7 million colors giving you great color accuracy.

XP-Pen Artist 24 also comes with a battery-free stylus pen with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and 60 degrees of tilt action giving you a very satisfying drawing experience.

Built of durable, scratch resistant materials, Artist 24 attaches easily to your Mac or PC with HDMI and USB cables ( also supports a USB-C to USB-C connection ) and offers a truly natural experience to help take your creative ideas to the next level.

6. iPad Pro

A tablet that is used for everyday use and also for graphic design. By having your operating system (iOS) , RAM, ROM, and CPU, you can use it without the need for a computer.

It is totally light, aviliable in 11 inches and 12.9 inchess two sizes, and its portability allows you to make designs, edit photos and do any task from the place you prefer.

The iPad Pro for design is a great option, its ProMotion screen from edge to edge and the use of the Apple Pencil will allow you to carry out professional projects for up to 10 hours in a row.

Being also a standalone tablet, you can perform countless tasks outside graphic design, from surfing the internet to watching a movie.

when you want to save your projects in storage, you can do it quietly thanks to the large available space they bring, from 64 GB to 1TB.

Conclusion

You should find the right tablet for you from this list! Whether you're looking for a graphics tablet, pen display, or regular tablet.

Graphic design is a competitive and challenging field. Practitioners looking to future-proof their careers need to keep their design skills sharp and their knowledge of tools always updated.

Whether you have been a graphic designer for some time or have just found your way into this exciting field, these graphic design tablets can help you achieve your creative potential.

We hope that with our recommendations, you'll be able to get your creative juices flowing start your work of art in no time!

Source: https://www.xp-pen.com/forum-5608.html

6 Best Drawing Pad Tablets for Kids

 

Does your child like to write or make notes often? Do they often draw or doodle on the walls or on any piece of paper they find?

Do your kid passionate about drawing and are you looking to capture their creations digitally?

Well, then you should think about getting them a writing board to encourage them to write or sketch more and prevent them from scribbling on the walls, or important work documents.

We know that the traces on paper are pure art but transferring them to a screen through a drawing tablet, it will allow people to save and share them more easily.

When it comes to encouraging creative kids you can’t go wrong with supporting their imaginations and letting them create what’s in their head onto a screen and a digital graphics tablet can help with that.

You are going in the right direction because in this article you will know the best drawing pad tablets for kids to draw and go from paper to screen like a professional.

Which Drawing Tablet is Right for Kids?

A drawing tablet is an excellent tool for artists to push the limits of their creativity. All drawing tablets are more or less easy to use and made for everyone.

In general, there are different types of drawing tablets. Each takes a different approach to the core challenge of helping you draw on your Windows PC or Mac as if you were drawing on paper.

1. Graphics Tablets

The traditional drawing tablet features a flat, featureless surface that you draw with a stylus, with the image displayed on a computer monitor.

Graphics tablets are still the most affordable drawing tablet category. Its main disadvantage is the feeling of "disconnection" between the drawing surface and the screen, although most people get used to this quickly.

Graphics tablets require your child to go through a learning curve in order to get good at them.

These tablets are often more compact and lightweight than their counterparts with displays.

2. Pen Display Monitors

Pen displays consist of a flat-screen monitor with a pressure-sensitive surface that you draw with a stylus. you can see what you're drawing without an additional monitor. Obviously, the LCD display helps you with an awesome drawing experience.

They don't have the disconnected feeling experienced with graphics tablets . However, you get a lot of cables between the screen and the computer, because you need to connect it to computer since it doesn't have its own CPU,RAM,ROM and operating system.

3. multi-purpose standalone drawing tablets

They are priced much higher than graphics tablets, since they have more features, come with a built-in OS, CPU , RAM, ROM and screen. they are more portable since they can be used on their own. such as an iPad or an Amazon Fire HD Kids tablet.

What distinguishes them from the above two kinds, is that they can have apps and games stored in them as well, making them multifunctional.

There is an easy-to-use parental control option. You can limit screen time, identify educational goals and curfews.

4. LCD writing Tablet & Doodle Board

These tablets provide only a simple drawing surface for doodling and sketching. Many, like the Richgv model, don't even have the capacity to save creations, just for Simple sketch, doodle and write.

It offers a one button erase function, and has an anti-erasure lock to help prevent accidental erasures.

There's no need to worry about cables, connections, and charging the device. That's all thanks to the long-lasting button batteries.

The screen does not emit radiations or glare, making it safe for kids' eyes even when used for prolonged periods.

What should you look for when buying a drawing tablet?

The best tablet to get for your child depends on their needs and preferences, as well as yours. You need to consider a bunch of factors, including the use case for the tablet, its features, size, battery life, warranty, price, and so on.

Here are a few things you may want to consider when choosing a drawing tablet:

Budget: how much money do you have to spend? Prices can vary wildly, so this could be a deciding factor for you.

Features: how extensive do you need the features of your drawing tablet to be? Can the display be simple or do you need a more specialised device?

Size: do you want something small and portable or something larger to set up at home?

Screen: do you want to draw directly onto the tablet's screen or plug it into your existing computer screen?

Working area: do you need a large area that allows for intricate work?

Resolution: Resolution is the number of vertical and horizontal pixels that the screen can display. The screen is sharper the higher its resolution, regardless of its size. for non-screen tablets, resolution is measured in Lines per Inch (LPI). Higher LPIs mean a higher resolution.

Pressure sensitivity: the pressure of your lines could tell the thickness of the lines. It's one of the key elements in digital art that could make the outcome look more appealing. You'll need greater sensitivity if the work is more detailed.

Stylus: Stylus is a key component when it comes to tablets. While some use batteries, others do not, and some are even wired. Wired styluses give you less control, and wireless is more flexible. Ones with batteries tend to be heavier than ones without.

Video connections： Tablets with a built-in monitor connect to the PC with a video connection cable and a USB connector. Although some of the latest models of graphics tablets use USB Type-C cables for the video connection, it is best if your computer also has at least one free HDMI port.

Battery life: the tablet's battery life is another noteworthy feature. Also, the batteries should be replaceable and offer a longer shelf life.

Benefits of a drawing tablet for kids

You might be wondering “does my child need a drawing tablet?”

Well, there are many benefits to giving young kids drawing tablets. The most obvious reason is that these tablets unleash the child's creativity. It allows the child to express himself or herself through art.

Another reason kids need drawing tablets is that it keeps them busy when you have things to do. The tablet is an immersive educational toy, so it keeps the child interested and excited. Also, it helps kids develop and learn new skills.

But finally, drawing tablets are a great way to save paper and pens, crayons, pencils, etc. You don't need to spend any more money on wasteful drawing resources. Plus, think about it this way: with a drawing tablet, the child can draw, write, color, read, play games (on sophisticated models) with one tool. The tablet replaces many toys and devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Buying a tablet for drawing for your kids is not a simple task. It requires thorough research and understanding of how tablets work and then make the decision.

Are drawing tablets worth it?

If your child likes to draw, yes, a drawing tablet is definitely worth its price. You can start off by buying a cheap drawing tablet for less than $30. With it, your child can explore his/her artistic abilities. In time, the child develops a love and appreciation for art, which leads to more creative thinking and expression.

At what age should you give your child a drawing tablet?

It's recommended that you wait until preschool to introduce your child to a drawing tablet. This is when the child learns to scribble, draw, and write.

A LCD Writing tablet / glow pad used for doodles and scribbles is best for young kids under the age of 7. But for school-age kids, a regular tablet is more educational. Kids can be more creative and they engage with content more effectively. At this age, the child benefits from the educational aspects of a drawing tablet.

Plus, we suggest that you learn how to put parental controls if you're purchasing a full-fledged display tablet for your kids. playtime should be limited and if properly monitored the use of a tablet does not hinder the child's social development.

Should you go all-in and buy an expensive tablet?

Depends. If you are a parent trying to find a tablet for your kids, then it is best to stick to a budget tablet. By doing so, you invest a reasonable investment and learn if your kid is really interested in using a tablet. If they do, then it is awesome! If they don't, then you surely saved some money.

Sometimes it's hard to determine if a device is a toy or a truly educational device for your child. A drawing tablet is a combination of both. A real tablet like an iPad is much more educational because the child can do so much more with it.

You should only go all-in and buy an expensive tablet if you know what you are doing.

Does tablet screen quality matter the most?

The screen quality of a tablet is an integral part of any tablet. A poor quality screen can damage the child's eyesight. Choose a tablet with a high-resolution screen or an LCD screen.

A high res screen lets the child see the details well so they don't need to squint or pull the tablet very close to the eyes.

Also, it is easy to miss details on a poor or low-resolution screen. Many tablets boost specs but are not great.

With better screens, the kids are able to create more beautiful drawings and the colors are more vivid. That's why you should also learn about tablets before getting one.

Are tablet's screen bad for children's eyes?

Tablets are not bad for children's eyes per se. What's bad for them is spending too much screen time, that is time spent staring at a screen. This can lead to eye strain and possible eye damage in the long run. To prevent this, set time limits for your child to use the tablet and also make sure the brightness isn't set too high.

What is the role of the stylus pen?

In most cases, the tablet comes with a stylus pen. This is an essential accessory because it is what the child uses to draw and write on the screen. Look for pens that the child can hold comfortably.

Also, many tablets come with multiple pens of different sizes and styles so kids can create all kinds of lines, shapes, and textures. These are handy for youngsters who get bored easily.

6 best xp-pen drawing tablets for kids

If your child is old enough to understand a computer, then the drawing tablet might be great for them. It is intended for older kids who understand the basics of working with a computer.

You can fire up a nice drawing app, it could be a program specifically made for children, but you'd be amazed at how much fun they can have with just MS paint or another drawing tool.

The drawing tablet is a useful device no matter whether you're a designer or just an amateur. There can be many different choices on the marketplace for a drawing tablet.

The question is which one to choose. When it comes to graphics drawing tablets, Wacom is perhaps one of the most popular. For the first-time experience, we recommend the XP-Pen tablet. It works great as a kid tablet as well.

It's difficult to argue against Wacom, which produces high-end drawing tablets that are superior in every way. Getting a Wacom Cintiq or any Wacom intuos is a fantastic choice if you're searching for a professional or even an amateur tablet for your digital work.

While XP-Pen still offers professional-level tablets, their prices are more suited to mid-level and below artists. That is simply because they are more affordable while remaining highly functional. Whether your kids are just starting out or have been a professional for quite some time, XP-Pen has a tablet for your kids.

1. XP-Pen Star G430S / Star G640

The XP-Pen Star G430S / Star G640 can be called the best drawing tablet for kids as it combines several valuable features as reasonable price and is designed to serve your kids for many years.

It works great for beginner users when your kids improve their drawing skills. These two tablets has a slim design of 2mm thickness.

The two devices are rather compact – active area of star g430s is 4 x 3 inches and Star G640 is 6 x 4 inches , thus you can easily take it with you while traveling.

It comes with a battery-free stylus that features a side button to quickly switch between pen and eraser functions. Its stylus has 8192 pressure sensitivities and a resolution of 5080 LPI.

There's a possibility to edit, write, or convey ideas during video conferencing so you can use it yourself as well. It can be easily connected to a PC or Mac and can be used with any art software. It is good for photo editing and animation.

It is recommended for drawing, sketching, painting, and gaming of OSU. Still, there is one considerable issue – the two small version can feel a bit cramped soon. you might want a large one.

2. XP-Pen Deco Mini4 / Deco Mini7

There is a 4 x 3 inches ( Deco Mini4 ) / 7 x 4 inches ( Deco Mini7 ) sketching area and it is slim ( deco mini4 is 8mm thickness and deco mini7 is 9.3mm thickness ) and lightweight for easy portability.

Additionally, Deco Mini4 has six express keys and Deco Mini7 has eight hotkeys that make shortcuts personality easy.

The battery-free stylus provides 8192 levels of sensitivity. in addition，the stylus of Deco Mini7 is Design with tilt sensitivity which can make the strokes look more organic.

It is the tablet that supported by Android , Chrome OS,Windows and Mac OS. We also recommend considering an extra wire-free wireless model of Deco Mini7w to simplify usage.

As an added, bonus, it comes with three software to select one to enable graphic drawing, photo editing, and comic manga your somewhat older child might be into.

This tablet helps children perfect their drawing skills. It's especially useful if your child loves art and is talented. The child can even use this tablet to create artwork for sale as he/she grows in confidence.

3. XP-Pen Deco Fun

The XP-Pen Deco Fun series are available in XS - 4.8x3", S - 6.3x4" and L - 10x6.27" three sizes and features four stylish colors of Classic Black, Space Blue, Apple Green, Carmine Red to select from.

It comes complete with an advanced, battery-free stylus that allows for uninterrupted drawing and playing. It boasts 5,080 LPI , 60 degrees tilt sensitivity ( the smallest version of XS - 4.8x3 doesn't support this function ) and 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity.

With a very affordable price tag, it's an affordable option for those wanting a drawing tablet, and the quality craftsmanship associated with the brand, as well as the ease of setup and use more than justifies that price.

It is suitable for use with OSU! gaming, document signing, casual artwork, editing, inking, sculpturing, and more.

If your child wants to learn digital art, this is the perfect tool for beginners. It allows kids to express their artistic talent but it also looks professional, so they're motivated to practice and work hard.

4. XP-Pen Deco 01 V2

It comes with 8 customizable keys for your favorite shortcuts. It's also portable, but still has a wide area of 10 x 6.25 inches where you can draw or write.

It offers 8192 levels of pen pressure, and comes complete with a battery-free stylus. The innovative tilt control system provides improved pressure detection for more accurate cursor positioning and a more realistic drawing experience.

The XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 drawing pad is now fully compatible with Chromebooks, Windows, Mac and select Android devices. Kids can connect the device to android or chrome OS devices using the included Micro-USB or USB-C adapters and draw with their favorite apps.

We recommend this tablet because it can last them for several years and it's great for them when they're beginners but also excellent when they are skilled illustrators.

It has very good ratings with thousands of people reviewing it, which we think goes a long way in convincing people to make the investment.

5. XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro

This one is seriously more expensive and you'd probably only give this to your child that's getting serious about digital art.

But for those with a bit of a budget and a kid that shows real signs of digital artistry, this is the tablet for you.

This tablet allows users to paint, sketch, and design directly on the tablet providing a seamless creative experience. The high-quality glass enables high precision drawing.

The screen is 11.6”. With a 1920 x 1080 resolution and 72% NTSC color gamut it provides sharp graphics and visuals. The glass is fully laminated with the screen that reduces parallax to ensure the best drawing experience. notice that the model of XP-Pen Artist 12 ( not pro version, 1nd Gen ) is non laminated .

It has an 12.9 mm thin design, 6 express keys and a red scroll wheel for shortcuts. User-defined buttons and multi function scroll wheel put time saving shortcuts, modifiers, scrolling, zooming, and more at your fingertips.

The stylus provides 8192 levels of sensitivity and ±60 levels tilt recognition. It also comes with a high quality pen holder where you can store it when it is not in use.

This tablet is great for left-handed and right-handed users, so children can maneuver the device easily. They can practice drawing and sketching at all skill levels. However, we recommend this product for older kids because it requires quite a lot of tech knowledge.

6. XP-Pen Artist 12 ( 2nd Gen )

The XP-Pen Artist 12 (2nd Gen) with an 11.9-inch fully laminated screen is a portable device that can satisfy your children's drawing needs.

The small model comes with a 1920 x 1080 FHD resolution and can display 94% of the Adobe RGB ( 90% NTSC / 127% sRGB ) color space. which perfect for the most demanding painting and retouching jobs.

It is supplied with XP-PEN's Advanced digital Stylus that is equipped with the X3 Smart Chip. the New pen tip sensor technology lowers activation force and captures every nuance of pen pressure.

This kids draw pad reaches 8192 pressure levels and ±60 levels tilt support , providing a high level of precision and to draw.

XP-Pen Artist 12 (2nd Gen) is available in a range of 4 striking colors of Black,Green,Blue,Pink to suit any surrounding. Also It is developed with 8 hotkeys to adjust necessary functions.

It can be plugged into your laptop or desktop via USB-C connection and works with other software, including CorelDraw, Corel Painter, Illustrator, Photoshop, Paint Tool Sai, SAI, and more.

Although built for professionals, it is still great for children who love to express their creativity through art.

Conclusion

Almost all kids like to draw so why not encourage your creative kids and develop their artistic skills with a digital drawing tablet like the XP-Pen.

A drawing tablet is an awesome gift idea for that kid that has everything. it's a great product to develop a kid's creativity with technology.

My Son has loved drawing for several years now and I enjoy seeing her creative mind come to life on the screen.

I'd rather he be using her imagination with a XP-Pen tablet than watching TV or just playing video games.

Are you ready to get your little artist off to a great start?

Remember to select a tablet that keeps the child interested and creative.

Link: https://www.xp-pen.com/forum-2759.html

5 Best XP-Pen Graphics Drawing Tablets for Osu!

 

OSU is a rhythm game which is free to play. The aim of the game is to hit circles and slide your mouse or pen in time with the music.

It sounds simple, but it's pretty addictive! You play on beatmaps and can choose between several levels of difficulty.

It's a very engrossing game. which is a very engaging carnival of color, speed, and music.

This game is really competitive, so you need to have the right equipment if you want your name on the leaderboard.

Why drawing pads?

A mouse is a common controller used possibly by the majority of players. But for the higher league, you will need a computer art drawing pad .

It will enhance your gameplay and make it even more fun! also will help you improve your speed and accuracy.

Drawing Tablets are pads that operate with a stylus that connect to your computer. As you hover the pen around above the pad, the mouse cursor moves with the pen, and tapping the pen clicks the mouse.

Absolute tracking from graphic tablet Means that unlike the relative tracking from your mouse you'll be able to instantly move the cursor over to a new location.Thus saving you some precious seconds.

graphics tablets are an optional device to let you play the game in a different way. They were originally intended for digital art, but happen to work very well when playing osu!. Most specifications such as pressure levels will make no difference in osu!.

What features you should look into the best OSU tablet?

1. Active Area

The biggest selling point of tablets for osu! is this absolute tracking. so the size of the tablet has a big effect on the gameplay.

In this respect, the smaller the device, the faster you can reposition your hand and score additional points. but if too small you will lose accuracy.

with large tablets, you will have to flick your arm too much which is not only tiring but also not good for your wrist. also the more time is spent.

So, the smaller active area is better for Osu drawing tablets , it can definitely save your few milliseconds.

2. Report Rate

The Report Rate is a very important factor for OSU gameplay. Because it is responsible for the response time of the tablet – higher is better.

Basically, how many times per second the tablet sends information about the stylus position & pressure to the computer is called report rate. It is measured in the Report Per Second. Usually, above 200+ RPS is ideal for OSU.

Some of the players recommend using the Hawku tablet driver which increases its response time.

the Hawku tablet drivers improve every tablet if it supports it so be sure to get it!

3. Connectivity

The wired connection is always better than the wireless in terms of reliability.

In the OSU gameplay, a millisecond interruption can ruin your whole gaming progress, and we can't get this risk.

4. Resolution

The resolution is about the accuracy the higher resolution is always better. But you don't have to worry about that, because I have never seen a tablet with bad accuracy, you would find your cursor at the position where you would expect it to be.

At any rate, whether you get a professional tablet or the most affordable one, your results will noticeably improve over what you could do with a mouse.

5. Pen Type

What really matters here is the type of pen. For successful gameplay, you really want to get the stylus that is battery-free. Opt for the EMR type because it is very precise and spares you from the inconveniences of charging.

If you don't, you will experience some issues as the battery drains. You might even lose a great result when the pen suddenly discharges in the middle of the game.

Don't overlook the pen build and design, too. It should also be comfortable to hold and durable. You don't want to mess up the game because of a slip of the pen!

6. Tablet Buttons

When you use a tablet to play OSU, you won't need any buttons or extra features. You don't want to worry about pressing buttons without meaning to.

That's why it's best to go for a streamlined tablet without lots of buttons and extra features. But You can also choose disable the buttons on tablets.

7. Versatility

just use the drawing tablet for playing OSU? Or will you also use the tablet for illustration , online teaching and graphic design?

Your needs will dictate which tablet you buy and what features are essential.

8. Hover or Drag

It's really preference, hovering is faster while dragging is more stable/accurate, I personally drag.

That doesn't mean a person that hovers can't be accurate or a person that drags can't aim fast, if you stick to hovering or dragging you'll probably make the downsides almost negligible.

Try both. Just use the style that is most comfortable for you

Tablet Vendors

Wacom needs no introduction. The Japanese behemoth is considered to be the pioneer of drawing tablets. Their only pain point is their pricing: Wacom tablets tend to be more expensive, than other options such as XP-Pen, Huion....

XP-Pen is a tablet company that has been around since 2005. XP-PEN graphics tablets are actually good though. They may not be as nice as Wacom tablets but they have good specs and decent build quality. Their tablet pens neither require a battery nor needs to be charged, just like Wacom tablet pens, and come with more Quantity of nibs than Wacom.

Given the price I think it's the only cheap Chinese tablet brand that's actually worth buying. They've also built up a pretty solid reputation in the Osu community, especially the Star g640.

Not just Osu! but digital artists will be fairly familiar with the name XP-Pen. After all, most of the users newly stepping into the tablet realm start their journey with XP-Pen tablets.

The tablet manufacturer's tend to just make tablets for digital writing and drawing and they simply slap the title "Osu" on it to sell a few more units.

So when making a decision, don't make it based on the Osu in the name. Look at the size, the RPS, resolution and activation height.

Osu! Graphics Tablet Recommendation

1. XP-Pen Star G430S / Star G640

Easy to recommend because of the "lower" price and thinness ( only 2 mm thick ) . Not a lot of input lag and good design.

XP-Pen Star G430S / Star G640 comes with a active area of 4 x 3 inches / 6 x 4 inches which is slightly smaller than other tablets and a great option if you play on a smaller display device such as a laptop.

There are several other cheaper options available in the market but this tablet has a nice blend of price and features making it one of the best options for beginner OSU players.

The included stylus has fast-tracking with 266 RPS (Reports Per Second) and pressure sensitivity of 8192 levels which can be handy if you want to try your hands in graphic design and making custom OSU skins.

The Pen is battery-free and lightweight making it a better choice for long OSU sessions.

People do mention the pen tends to slip so might wanna get rubber bands, blu tack or silicon pen grips.

Don't buy the wrong one. choose the Star G640 Rev A (MAX 266 RPS for OSU Game Play). Rev B is Chromebook Supported for online teaching but have some lag when playing Osu!.

2. XP-Pen Deco Fun XS / S

XP-Pen Deco Fun Available in three sizes tracking area– XS ( 4.8 x 3 inches ) , S ( 6.3 x 4 inches ) and L ( 10 x 6.27 inches ) plus in four colour variants of Classic Black, Space Blue, Carmine Red and Apple Green.

It's just as fast and super responsive, with a ≥220RPS report rate. which ensures you have constant cursor movements without lagging.

For keeping the tablet stable on the desk or smooth surface, there are 4 large rubber pads located at the back of the tablet.

The tablet compatible with Windows, Mac, Chromebook and Android devices.

If your budget is low but you still want a quality tablet that looks good and feels expensive, this is a good option.

3. XP-Pen Star G640S

The tablet provides you with a 6.5 x 4 inch actual work or play area, and its thickness is 9mm. it can comfortably and conveniently fit in your laptop bag or briefcase.

It has a great EMR stylus that eliminates all charge-related worries and also has a comfortable rubber grip for when your hands get sweaty with tension.

In addition, it is very stable and accurate, shows minimum latency ( 266RPS ). this will be a great device for playing and indulging in digital arts or design.

For people who're looking to use this for drawing purposes too,With this tablet, you can customize the six buttons to meet your needs.

Valid for Chrome OS, Android , Windows , and macOS . It is easier to handwritten write, edits, annotate with stylus for online education,e-learning, remote working or web conference.

4. XP-Pen Deco mini 4

This tablet is very good and responsiveness on par with the other XP-Pen tablets. It has a great pen and overall solid build quality.

The XP-Pen Deco Mini 4 tablet comes with a tracking area of 4 x 3 inches and 6 programmable shortcut keys . It's versatile, super-thin, compact, and durable.

There is no any cursor delay and the accuracy are just fantastic. It also features an EMR stylus with rubber grip – hassle-free gaming with the effective grip.

Another benefit is that it's super portable, and you don't need to worry about breaking it! It's a lot less fragile than other drawing tablets and can withstand heavy use.

The tablet is compatible with Chromebook, Android , Windows and Mac operating systems.

5. XP-Pen Deco Mini7

With an active area of 7 x 4.37 inches, this tablet feels just as large as any pricey ones. The size of this tab is more than enough for not just Osu! but graphical arts enthusiasts as well.

The surface gives off the same highly durable and responsive feel as the Wacom one. the rubber grips on the bottom sides of the stylus for a more refined grip.

the build quality of the stylus feels genuinely well made so durability is not a problem. Moreover, the stylus has quite a significant hovering distance so that is sure to come in handy as well.

XP-Pen Deco Mini 7 supports tilt senstivity ( Deco mini4 does not). this is very good for drawing so if you wanna draw yes.

Apart from ergonomic designs, the Deco Mini7 manages to perform fairly well in high-speed rhythm mapping maps of Osu!.

It works with Windows, macOS , Chromebook and Android devices.

This tablet also comes in a wireless variant called XP-Pen Deco Mini7w, which is very similar in looks and features.

Conclusion

if you are going to use your tablet only for OSU playing then you can pick any one of these according to your budget.

Actually you can get cheaper tablet if its purpose only for OSU.You don't need wide size & the high pressure to fully enjoy the game.

But if you also want to use your tablet for drawing purpose then going with the cheaper tablet is not a good idea. but if you just need something for beginner level then these are also not bad as well.

It'll definitely be a good experience if you use a pen pad. But what's more important is your skill and how you decide to practice.

Thank you very much, have a great day!

12 Best Free & Paid Digital Art Drawing Painting Software for Beginner Artists

 

Digital Painting, immensely flourishing, is an art process of painting or creating artwork digitally. Digital Painting plays an important role in today's world. Everything has been digitalized and we are to expandingly grow more on the journey of digitalization. Digital painting has brought many advantages to itself in the art. It gives the artist freedom of action.

Digital art is making a vast place and too many companies are introducing very well featured software. With the help of the best editing software, anyone can create a comic, graphic, illustration, and painting easily. Whether the user is a beginner or professional, anyone can create a masterpiece according to the imagination.

To bring imagination into the real world you have to find excellent Digital Painting software. With the help of the best painting and editing software, you can create anything that you want with a fine quality feature. So, let's go through where to find the right digital painting software?

There is many software with similar features and capabilities. So, it became hard finding out the best one. So, we show you the 12 best free and paid drawing software.

Check out the list o the below-mentioned editing software and choose one for creating a digital painting, comic character, illustration, etc.

List of best digital painting & drawing software

When you create a catchy image that it will help you to increase the number of your viewers. To create an excellent one is a big responsibility of the creator. OR to create a masterpiece master software is required. So with the help of the list of best digital painting software, you can create a mesmerizing image with beautiful effects.

The below mentioned are the good features and easy-to-manage software that you can use at a reasonable cost.

1. Adobe Photoshop

Platform: Windows, Mac OS | Price: $9.99/month

When you talk about editing the first name click in your mind is Photoshop. This one is the most popular painting and image editing software. With the help of this software, a beginner can easily editing images. Now it brings lots of creating features, brushes, shapes, etc to create a digital painting.

The newest version of Photoshop comes with a bevy of advanced features, including a "Paint Symmetry" mode that lets you create intricate patterns (e.g. Mandalas) on custom axes of symmetry while a content-aware fill workspace provides an interactive editing experience. Other goodies include a frame tool for easy masking, multiple undo levels, and live blend mode preview.

Digital artists like Photoshop's custom brushes and often create their own. Detailed layer settings, regular updates, and a sleek user interface are the driving force behind Photoshop's continued popularity.

You can rotate your canvas naturally to mimic the rotation of paper. And you can setup grids and rulers for complex scenes, or even bring in 3D objects to paint over. PSD files(Photoshop's native file format) play well with other Adobe programs and this file type is an industry standard.

That means you can import PSDs into almost any other art software without a hitch. GIMP and Krita both accept PSD files along with many other programs.

This is why many artists combine Photoshop with other painting software. Depending on the workflow you're going for you could do your concept and lineart in something like Clip Studio Paint, then bring it to Photoshop for coloring and final touch-ups.

Other digital art software doesn't try to replace Photoshop but instead tries to improve on the interface for specific types of art(ex: comics, storyboards, environment paintings, etc).

It is a bit costly as compared to the other programs. The software work in windows and Mac OS. you can share data and access multiple assets because it is a part of Adobe Creative Cloud.

2. Clip Studio Paint

Platform: Windows, Mac OS , Android , iOS | Price: $49.99

Clip Studio Paint is the most popular software for creating comics and manga artwork. CSP was originally named Manga Studio but changed names in 2013. It originated in Japan as specialist software for manga, illustration, and animators.

The most notable drawing difference between Clip Studio Paint and Photoshop is the brush tool. In Clip Studio the brush tool instantly corrects any minor wobble you make while drawing on a tablet, leaving you with smooth clean linework.

Trusted by professional comic book artists and manga illustrators around the world, the powerhouse digital art software boasts a truckload of specialized features. Clip Studio is optimized for comic book creation and has various tools to speed up the process.

These include panel tools, customizable speech balloons, effect lines, and rulers to draw a variety of lines and shapes. You can also add perspective and realistic depth to backgrounds, position 3D figures (with adjustable body shapes and camera angles) directly on the canvas, and do a lot more.

The program makes it simple to draw vector shapes in smooth strokes and even comes with a "vector eraser" tool to easily erase intersecting lines. Clip Studio Paint gives you access to thousands of customizable brushes, as well as "effect lines," that can be used to add dramatic effects (e.g. speed, action) to illustrations.

Managing the storyboarding workflow is a breeze too, thanks to the page manager and story editor features. Once complete, the finished manga/comic can be previewed in 3D and even published directly in popular formats such as EPUB.

Clip Studio Paint uses advanced pen pressure detection for natural, realistic-looking pen strokes. The collection of its brushes is very fine and gives you a fine touch in a single stroke. If you are looking for a traditional painting experience while doing a software painting then this one is the best choice.

CSP is very good for lineart, It is not the best software to colored in my opinion, but if you're into creating colorful drawings, you could use it to create line art, then export that to Photoshop & other art software & color them there.

It offers its services in two versions:- Pro & EX. The pro version is affordable. If you choose this then you can only manage a single page at a time and fewer features as compared to the EX. ButWith the help of the EX version, you can easily manage multiple pages simultaneously. It offers you an amazing combo of 3D art painting, illustration, etc.

3. Corel Painter

Platform: Windows, Mac OS | Price: $429.99

Corel's graphics processing programmes are known to be one of the leading companies and Painter's new publication is no different. It is the ultimate digital art software for Windows with the right balance of output and functionality.

The extensive collection of over 900 pinions by Corel Painter is divided into 36 categories, from dab stencils and pattern plums to mixers and texture pins. You can also upload brushes and even make your version from other creators. You can either easily turn an image into a digital painting with Corel Painter's informative guides, or paint the lens with a picture as a replication source.

The program comes with six new color harmonies that can be saved as sets, making color selection an effortless affair. It also uses guides and grids based on classical image composition techniques, allowing you to create digital artworks that have a unique sense of proportion. Using mirror painting and kaleidoscope tools, you can easily design symmetrical illustrations by reproducing brushstrokes on the opposite sides of the canvas and by having multiple reflections of mirror planes.

Corel Painter's latest version brings plenty of new enhancements and improvements, particularly for Apple users. There's Sidecar support on macOS Catalina, enabling you to mirror your Mac screen on your iPad and paint with your Apple Pencil, and for MacBook Pro users there's Touch Bar and multi-touch trackpad support.

Other new features include AI-based art styles with 12 artistic styles to choose from, a thick paint workflow for achieving gorgeous oil looks, clone tinting and enhanced layer control as well as plenty of performance optimisations.

This program is very good at imitating traditional brushes, you could use it to paint as if you are using traditional brushes & canvas. It is one of the most expensive ones in the list, but it is surely worth trying. The software is suited or a range of styles. The software is suited to create photo art, fine art, manga, concept art, and illustration.

4. Paint Tool SAI

Platform: Windows | Price: $50.81

Paint Tool SAI is a simple painting program that's exceptionally popular among anime & manga artists. it contains many tools that makes drawing & painting easy, and it is relatively easy to learn.

Paint Tool SAI was first released in 2008 to a wave of popularity. It quickly spread among the art community who loved the clean brush strokes and unique interface.

Ideal for illustrations especially cartoons and anime, it has a straight forward interface, easy to use tools, and offers digital support to devices such as tablets and mobiles. A big plus here is the color tools including full-spectrum choices (light and darks) and luminescence.

SAI's learning curve is minimal and if you're coming from Photoshop you'll pick it up almost instantly. It's still very detailed though and great to use as a sketching program.

Use the pencil brush to get realistic sketches down on a textured canvas. Then switch over to brushes and color your line art to completion.

Now there are some minor limitations like that new projects are limited to 256 layers per canvas. It's also known to slow down with larger file sizes and glitch when trying to preview .gifs in the explorer window.

They also have a system of brushes where you can import textures to merge with brush styles and create totally new brushes.

Many artists use SAI to achieve a digital watercolor effect where the blending modes can mimic watercolor, but the overall feel is smooth and sleek. Others use it primarily for lineart, or for creating a ton of anime.

SAI is a small, old program and has not been significantly updated over the years. It only runs on windows and has a limited set of features.

Now there are some minor limitations like that new projects are limited to 256 layers per canvas. It's also known to slow down with larger file sizes and glitch when trying to preview .gifs in the explorer window.

Get started using SAI by following some easy beginner tutorials on painting in the program. If you put in the time you'll be a pro within a few weeks.

A fantastic program for anyone serious about anime-style art or any kind of digital painting. I'd say SAI is an awesome choice for anime lovers the world over.

5. Artrage

Platform: Windows, Mac OS , iOS , Android | Price: $79 ( for pc )

ArtRage is an easy to use art software for digital painting, and could be used to imitate traditional brushes with its lovely coloring abilities.

Unlike other digital art programs, ArtRage has stepped away from the complicated user interface and ditched the blocky side panels. They want your focus on the canvas creating great work.

when you start drawing on the canvas. The UI automatically disappears(although this setting is optional) and without the UI you get a full screen canvas to work on without any distractions. Pretty cool!

If you are coming from Photoshop you'll find the minimalist layout refreshing and easy to pick up. The brush presets are so good that you don't need to waste time adjusting them much at all.

It comes with a wide variety of unique toolkits which simulate their real collaborators. You can paint using thick oils, delicate watercolours, and even interact with patterns by mixing and spraying the paint. You can design and draw just as you'd on paper thanks to a number of practical resources (such as pastels, shaded pencils).

ArtRage supports unlimited layers and is compatible with all industry-standard blending modes. Using the "Metallic Tinting" feature, you can also add reflectivity to pigments. If you want to use an existing photo as a guide for painting, the same can be done by importing it as a tracing image. The app even samples colors from the tracing image automatically, allowing you to focus on brush strokes.

The full version will let you'll receive all future updates included with your license. The ArtRage Lite version is great for beginners and includes all the painting features of the full version.

You can also use the demo version for an unlimited amount of time. The demo doesn't let you save anything, which of course is a drag, but you can use that to familiarize yourself with the program.

If you've never used digital painting software before then ArtRage is fantastic. It's beginner friendly and super affordable. It doesn't have all the gadgets and gizmos that some prominent art programs have, but it's got all you need to make fun paintings(and a little extra).

What are the valuable techniques to get better at digital painting?

With the help of the growing software and innovation, digital art painting is not very much difficult. You can create multiple paintings or edit them easily. But, if you know about all the amazing techniques of digital painting then you can make it easier and better.

Techniques you should use while doing digital art

Use the default while and light color canvas.
Use limited colors If you don't want to make your painting dizzy.
Copy Colors from reality.
To paint use a big brush.
Get familiar with your software before using it.
Learn the value of the colors.

List of free digital painting & drawing software

Many o the users are not able to afford high or low-value editing software. So or all those here comes god. The below-mentioned software is free of cost through which you can create a painting. Add the best software to your device to create a beautiful painting.

6. Sketchbook

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS | Price: $85/year ( SketchBook with Enterprise license )

In April 2018, Autodesk made the SketchBook drawing program absolutely free. No hidden costs, no subscription fees — all you have to do in order to use this drawing software with all its premium features is simply create an Autodesk account.

As the name suggests, Sketchbook gives you an interface similar to a sketchbook, with tools panel to pick brushes & rulers from to help you draw. the straightforward design makes it ideal for beginners. this feature-loaded digital art software sports a minimal and elegant UI that stays hidden until a tool/option is needed, allowing you to work sans any distractions.

Great for all drawing but especially for sketching (as the name suggests), it is simple to use but flexible and customizable enough to really put your own personality on the art. Its drawing engine can handle canvases up to 10 megapixels in size while still maintaining precision and speed.

Sketchbook comes with a variety of drawing tools, including pencils, inks, markers, and more than 190 customizable brushes that can work with both textures and shapes. As an added bonus, you also get access to the exclusive "Copic" color library. Those who have just started their journey as digital illustrators can benefit from the program's built-in assistive wizards, which come with features like 16-sector radial symmetry and predictive stroke, which automatically smooths out lines and corrects shapes.

Autodesk SketchBook lets you export your artworks in a variety of formats, such as PNG and TIFF. It also supports layered PSD files that are fully preserved with a wealth of information, including layer names, groups, and blending modes.

SketchBook software is used for creating expressive drawings and concept sketches. The software also supports screenshot tools for adding notes and annotations. You can also create flipbooks and animations through this best digital art software.

Sketchbook comes in two versions, Sketchbook Express, which is free, and Sketchbook Pro, which is still affordable if you liked the Express version but wanted the additional features. I used Sketchbook before for some time, and I have always admired the clean interface it had. Since it's free, I don't see a reason not to try it.

7. Krita

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Android,Linux/ubuntu

Krita is a free open source digital painting program designed for cartoonists, illustrators, concept artists, and pretty much all digital artists.

Many professional artists like David Revoy create all of their work with Krita and their stuff looks amazing. If you don't have the cash to burn on digital art programs Krita is the perfect choice.

Its user interface is made up of panels which can be moved around to set up a custom workspace, and you can also configure shortcuts for commonly-used tools. It's beautifully designed, intuitive and offers a range of tools, right up to advanced level.

The program comes with 9 unique brush engines (e.g. Color Smudge, Particle, and Shape) that can be tweaked extensively and then organized using a unique tagging system. A pop-up palette lets you quickly pick colors and brushes while the resource manager makes it easy to import brush and texture packs from other artists.

Krita features a "Wrap-around" mode that allows you to create seamless textures and patterns, whereas the "Multibrush" tool can be used to mirror illustrations about multiple axes to achieve a kaleidoscopic effect.

Other noteworthy features include full color management support (using LCMS for ICC and OpenColor IO for EXR), vanishing points, customizable brushes (save and reuse), templates, perspective tools, PSD compatibility, and brush stabilizers.

There are also plugins within the platform that let you create your own widgets for python scripting. it's really the best digital painting alternative for our Linux & Unix friends.

Its main focus is on the artistic painting for cartoons, anime or canvas art, meaning that some features that you may need for photo editing or image manipulation were not prioritized in development.

Krita has been under development for more than a decade and is loved by professionals and amateurs alike. Hard to believe it's free really but it is. the only way you can support its creator is by donating.

8. MediBang Paint Pro

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS

Another drawing software program that heavily focuses on Comic Book and Manga art and illustration, designed especially for beginner creatives in this sphere. It fast, simple and it's all for free.

Pre-installed backgrounds (over 800) , more than 50 brushes, a huge selection of free fonts , easy comic panel creation tools and a large selection of other tools. You can create photorealistic images through this art and design tool.

The cloud support feature lets you share your piece of art with other pencillers, colourists, writers, and inkers. you can Quick and easy transfer between devices without the hassle of carrying extra storage devices.

Medibang Paint is a full-featured drawing application. Its features include Auto-file saving, Drawing tools-it with multiple settings, Selection tool, and Keyboard shortcuts similar to Photoshop.

Medibang is a devoted drawing application not a photograph altering application. Medibang supports Wacom , XP-Pen and Adonit styluses. We have to sync the styluses so as to utilize pressure sensitivity. Check out to create stunning paintings .

If comics or manga art are your thing and you don't want to shell out for Clip Studio Paint, have a look at Paint Pro from Japanese company MediBang. there is nothing bad about this free drawing design software .

MediBang Paint Pro Vs FireAlpaca:

FireAlpaca and medibang are both made by the same company. That explains why many features between these programs are quite similar, and why the brush workflow is great in both of them.

It's hard to point out differences between them, except for Medibang's cross-platformity and cloud tools. This, in turn, leads to MediBang Pro being compatible with a larger number of tablets ( ipad , surface....), while FireAlpaca is mostly optimized for brand names like Wacom , XP-Pen...

FireAlpaca gets the new development or upgrade of new features in weeks or months. The features that might not ever be in MediBang .

Firealpaca's pen pressure is not that smooth. Besides, you cannot install it on phones and tablets. But you can download MediBang on any device.

9. Mypaint

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux/ubuntu

MyPaint has been around since 2008 and its development model is contribution-based, with the latest stable version released in 2016. The app is open-source, simple, and stable. The UI is pretty up-to-date and feels more modern than, for example, Paint.net.

MyPaint supports layers and basic color adjustments. It also has cool features, like symmetry mode, connected lines, and curves. Adjustable brushes configuration and easy stroke stabilization in a relatively big selection of drawing materials and pencils will suit your needs perfectly.

You can use lots of brushes to draw and sketch with My Paint. The effects, you will use here are like pretty much handmade paintings. You will find so many drawing tools here. Such as 2B pencil, Watercolor, 4H Pencil sketch, airbrush, etc. There is also sponge, ball pen, blending, spray, etc. are available.

Your eyes and mind will be resting while drawing in this open-source painting program. We've brought up minimalism so often, talking about display and interface, but here these benefits are reflected via a unique full-screen mode without distractions on your canvas.

It's well-optimized for working with graphics tablets, so the brush flow is smooth and glitch-free, which is great . Mostly if you use the Symmetry tool, Lines, and Curves: it's possible to preview the Pressure Variation for Lines and Curves.

Unlike trying to install heavier drawing solutions, MyPaint is easy on computer resources, so using it on old laptops and PC's is a great option.

Overall, MyPaint is a perfect choice for light sketching work, if you don't need advanced features ( animation tools... ) and want to rationally use system resources. For sharing your creative ideas with easy drawing then it is a perfect free drawing software for you.

10. Artweaver Free

Platform: Windows | Price: € 34 ( Plus Version )

Artweaver free digital art software is used for drawing creative works by both beginners and professional painters. it's particularly useful for children. Kids love experimenting with all the different brushes. if you're using it for commercial use , then you need get the Paid Plus edition.

Relatively easy to use and with a simple enough interface. There is the ability to work with layers, import and export graphics in various formats. so you can build up your masterpiece in layers without losing the ability to change anything.

A user is offered a rich set of various brushes (chalk, charcoal, pencil, acrylic fibers, sponge, oil). The painting brushes are highly configurable, and users can configure them as per the new variant or new category. You can also customise the palettes for brushes, presets, and shortcuts.

Artweaver also has all kinds of filters that can be used while editing drawings (wind effect, blur, waves, granulation, oil effect, etc.). Moreover, this best free drawing software has the feature to draw textures. Artweaver also has Plugins Pack that contains many additional filters.

Artweaver Free enables you to create beautifully realistic digital drawings by taking input – from your mouse, a stylus or, if you have a touchscreen PC, from whatever you feel like tapping the screen with – and applying ultra-realistic brush effects.

Some users call this free paint program as an analog of Corel Painter, while others claim that Artweaver is close in functionality to the fifth version of Photoshop. Anyway, Artweaver allows you to perform most standard photo-editing operations efficiently. It far surpasses the built-in editors of graphic viewers.

11. Gimp

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux/ubuntu

Gimp is one of the oldest raster graphic editors that's free to use since it's early release in 1996. It has a wide and devoted user base with many tutorials and documentation available online.

Up until the 2018 year many new users were skeptical towards adopting the program, since for years it has had issues such as outdated UI, jagged brush work and poor performance on new PC's. However, the big April 2018 update addressed all of these, being the result of six years of work (the previous version of Gimp was released in 2012).

Unlike other free digital art software, GIMP was designed to be a full replacement for Photoshop. This means you can use it for digital painting but it's really meant for graphic design, photo editing, text effects, and similar features.

Gimp was always more of an image editing program than a drawing one. With all the latest updates, its functionality is almost on par with Photoshop's.

This free painting software has a large number of tools that are available in Photoshop: layers, masks, color grading, smart selection, brushes, filters, and tons of other features. The other tools can be added by using third-party extensions. However, the interface and hotkeys are peculiar here. If you're used to Photoshop, you'll have to relearn.

The interface might seem a bit cluttered compared to Krita and Photoshop , but with use, you'll get used to it in an instant.

GIMP allows easy integration with several programming languages such as Python, Perl, Scheme, etc. Its highly customizable UI gives artists the power and flexibility to create their unique designs.

The painting tools are reasonable, although in my opinion Krita is a stronger option if you just need painting. This is especially useful if you want to not only draw and paint but also do some photo manipulation and fine-tune your own photos.

However, Gimp has a lot to offer digital painters as well. The newest version includes long-awaited updates for the brush work (symmetry painting, hardware pixel processing) and canvas management (rotating, flipping, previewing). Granted you can find plenty of free GIMP brushes all made for digital drawing & painting.

Gimp supports almost all the image file formats such as PDF, JPG, GIF, PCX, MPEG, BMP, TGA, TIFF, XPM, PNG, etc. Developers also polished PSD import, and added new image formats (OpenEXR, RGBE, WebP, HGT).

12. Paint.net

Platform: Windows

Paint.NET literally looks like MS Paint 2.0. It's a great free alternative to Photoshop and Gimp. The developer actually aimed to make Paint.NET a more sophisticated version of Microsoft Paint.

Paint.NET is obviously more advanced and it can do complex tasks like using multiple layers and blending while it manages to maintain a user-friendly interface that's intuitive. This free digital art software perfectly copes with the task of drawing volumetric models, moving objects, and transparent structures.

The tool supports all the features one may need for all-around editing of images: layers, adjustment modes, and special effects. You can get rid of red eyes, blend images or adjust color as effectively as with any other feature-loaded analogue. Paint.NET also supports extensions, if you want to expand its capabilities.

It is a user-friendly drawing tool and you can do amazing works with it. The collection of paintbrushes is common to all painting software. Its easy tools and layers made it special for image editing and manipulation work. Additionally, this free paint program allows you to get images from the scanner and enhance it.

You can use a pencil, pen, paintbrush, etc. in different sizes here. It allows you to insert various shapes like square, rectangle, circle. Available texts, stars shape, arrow, etc. will amaze you.

Various effects such as blur, sharpness, etc. are very attractive in this software. And there are no simple words for tools. The tools are amazing and they will give you a premium feel in your drawing.

Paint.NET does not offer some of the features Photoshop and GIMP offer like supporting PSD files, but you can install plugins such as a PSD plugin to access those files. It just doesn't offer some features natively. Paint.NET is one of the fastest image editors available and it can run in almost two dozen different languages.

Some important features are missing in this apps such as Dodge and Burn tool, limited brushes. Another problem is you can't edit texts after applying effects. Though this software has some issues it has many other special offers. So, if you want, you can give it a try.

It is a perfect match for those looking for quick photo and image editing, without skimming through pages of tutorials and additional menus. Besides, it can work quickly even on low-powered devices.

The graphics tablet

The main drawing tool of the digital artist is undoubtedly the graphics tablet. you can choose between a tablet with a screen allowing you to see what you are drawing directly on the operating area, or a tablet without a screen which are more affordable and more transportable.

With or without a screen, it allows you to retranscribe your drawing directly onto your computer screen, taking into account the intensity of your pencil stroke thanks to pressure sensitivity technologies.

Many graphic tablets exist, but an A5 format is generally a good compromise to start in the digital painting world. It allows you to have a portable digital tool, taking up little space on your desk, while keeping enough work space for a good comfort of use.

If you have not used tablets before and aren't using a pen/pencil all the time daily, it might be a good idea to consider a screen tablet, as that hand-eye coordination takes quite a while to develop. I've used XP-PEN graphics drawing tablets since 2016 or so and I don't myself see much point in having a screen. But that depends a lot on the person.

On the other hand, nowadays you could buy a 4k 43" screen and use that with a screenless tablet to get a lot drawing real-estate; you can fit quite a few life-size heads on that screen and it also easily fits to your budget with a drawing tablet.

There are definitely benefits of having a screen tablet, as you can see the things you are drawing. Obviously it's a bit more like having a drawing paper/painting in front of you. But remember that your hand is there blocking the view more often than not. So you need to develop that habit of moving your hand away and drawing.

And depending on how greasy your hands get, you usually have to resort to drawing gloves (either just buy cotton gloves or those pricey specialized few fingers -tablet gloves) and get used to the chore of cleaning the screen quite frequently (daily).

On the other hand, the traditional no-screen tablet can get quite dirty before it makes drawing difficult... And the screen models can be problematic depending on your work-space lighting, so you might have to adjust that lighting too. Move lights, add a dimmer to light etc.

Conclusion:

Digital art software helps create illustrations and art forms that can be previewed for further alterations. As a user, you don't have to be a professional or trained artist to use the program. Even beginners with an interest in the art can start by using any of the above painting free digital art software.

In this post, you get familiar with the valuable and effective Digital painting software. The latest version of all the software is amazing. You can create any fascinating art with any of this software.

But, If you ask us which one is best of the paid software then we will recommend you Clip Studio Paint. Because it provides you several amazing painting tools, features, etc. So, purchase the best one and start creating a master.

For a beginner, using free drawing software is an easier solution. Among these 7 best free drawing software Krita, Sketchbook, MediBang is the best. For photo or image editing Gimp and Paint.Net would be the best choice. But all these free software are fascinating.

But when it comes to deciding for the best digital painting & drawing software, it can be tough to make good decision. You can check every software by downloading them and try out.

The ultimate decision is yours. You can buy premium software or use one of these. But we tried to help you and we are happy to help you.