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If you're an artist, a drawing tablet is a convenient and versatile tool for creating digital art. Drawing tablets allow artists to outline, draw, and color on a lightweight, transportable frame and come with a pen to draw on either a screen or a screenless version. They're like having a piece of paper or notebook with you, but as they're digital, you'll never run out of paper, need to sharpen a pencil, or worry about making a mistake you can't erase.

There are several sizes of drawing tablets, including small, medium, large, and extra large. The size really depends on what you're using it for. As for choosing the best size, that all depends on your drawing needs and level of experience when it comes to drawing and using a drawing tablet. A small-sized tablet around 11 inches may be best for those just starting out in creating digital art, whereas someone who has been drawing for years and is considered an expert may want to consider a medium or even a large-sized tablet that's between 14 and 24 inches.

Drawing tablets can be set up like an easel or laid flat, depending on what the artist prefers. There are two types: ones with screens and a stylus to draw on them, and ones that connect to a screen and use a pen on a pad. You'll find several brands like Wacom and Huion, but some of the best Android tablets work as well.

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Deciding on the best tablet can come down to a few features. For artists just getting started using drawing tablets, you may consider using a small tablet between 11 and 13 inches in size. Their minimal size makes them easy to carry around and gives you plenty of room to draw small scenes and characters. If you're drawing for a studio or as part of a career, a larger tablet between 18 and 24 inches is a good option. Medium-sized tablets, typically 14 to 18-inch displays, work great for either beginners or pros.

You can get a drawing pad with a screen that works on its own or connects to an external source like a computer to power the screen. Wacom makes models that do not require connectivity and work on their own, but this means they'll have internal storage. If you draw a lot or professionally and need to store a lot of art, you'll want to avoid this common mistake people make when buying a new tablet. If you don't draw all that much, one with less storage or that connects to your computer should work fine.

As for features, drawing tablets with screens come with their own OS, such as Android, Windows, MacOS, and Linux. They'll include access to software apps such as Clip Studio Paint Debut that allow artists to create using different pen tips and textures. Or users can download Adobe software and more.

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Huion and Wacom offer a wide range of drawing tablets for beginners and professionals at various price points. Some begin at $259.95, while others like the Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 can be as high as $3,499.95. Note that these tablets at these prices were what were available at this time of writing. It's worth doing research to determine the best tablet for your needs.

The Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 is a high-grade drawing tablet built for professional artists. It's available in sizes between 17 and 27 inches and includes a 4k, 120Hz, and 10ms display. That makes for a beautiful screen to create works of art on. It also features nearly no pen-to-screen latency, meaning as soon as the pen touches the screen, it will begin to draw. Less expensive tablets may have increased latency. Meanwhile, the Wacom One 14-inch includes an HD display, a battery-free pen that doesn't need to be charged, and 16ms stroke latency, making it a solid beginner tablet. From drawing tablets made specifically for art to Android tablets that users love, there is a device for novice artists looking to create what speaks to them or an expert creating for work.