- 9.00/10 1. Premium pick: Wacom DTC133W0A One Digital Drawing Tablet
- 0.00/10 2. Editors choice: XP-PEN Innovator 16
- 9.20/10 3. Best value: XP-PEN Artist 15.6 Pro
- 9.60/10 4. XP-PEN G960S Plus
- 8.20/10 5. Parblo Coast10
- 8.80/10 6. Canon PIXMA PRO-100
- 8.80/10 7. DOGAIN Active Stylus
- 8.40/10 8. Capacitive 4-in-1 Stylus Pen with Replaceable Brush
- 8.80/10 9. Lamonde Artist Palm Rejection Glove
- 9.20/10 10. Master the Art of Speed Painting: Digital Painting Techniques
Digital art can seem difficult to get started with. Beyond paper, pencil, ink, or paint, digital art has requirements for hardware, software, and new ways of thinking.
If you know someone with a passion for digital art, you have an opportunity to help them on their way. All it takes is to know their level of expertise and what would enable them to develop further.
Not sure what to buy them as a gift? Check our collection of top gifts for digital artists to cover all budgets.
The Wacom DTC133W0A One Digital Drawing Tablet is one of the best graphics tablets available today. The company is well-known for its high-quality digital art tools, and this flagship product doesn't disappoint.
The drawing tablet is an attractive mix of usable hardware, striking color reproduction, and affordability. The device comes bundled with software to get you started, too.
There are free trials of Adobe Premiere Rush and Clip Studio Paint Pro, or you can use the excellent (and free) Bamboo Paper. The tablet is compatible with Windows 7 and later and Mac OS 10.13 and later.
- Standalone all-in-one device
- Three-month remote learning software trial
- Includes Adobe software
- Brand: Wacom
- Active Area: 13.3 inches
- Multi-Touch Support: Yes
- Pressure Sensitivity Levels: 8,152
- Additional Inputs: N/A
- Connection: USB
- 13.3-inch display
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Android for data transfer
- Wacom One Pen has 4,096 pressure levels
- Wacom Pro Pen 2 is incompatible
- Online support lacking
XP-PEN's slimmest graphics display, the Innovator 16, has a black and silver design and a 15.6-inch display. This offers a 92 percent RGB color gamut, resulting in a diverse range of vibrant colors.
Winner of the 2020 Contemporary Good Design Award, the Innovator 16 is just 9mm thick. It's slim and light enough to take anywhere and ships with a suitable case.
With 60 degrees of tilt, the passive pen/stylus and graphics board imitate real-life tilting of pens and brushes. Meanwhile, the mechanical wheel and virtual (touch) wheel enable you to zoom in and out of your creations and select brushes.
The XP-PEN Innovator 16 can be used with a range of software, including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, GIMP, and Krita. The package includes a convenient 3-in-1 USB cable, enabling you to connect the Innovator 16 to three types of USB port: Type A, Type C, and micro-USB.
- 60 degrees of tilt
- Vibrant spectrum of colors
- Mechanical and virtual wheel
- Eight programmable keys
- Brand: XP-PEN
- Active Area: 13.5 inches
- Multi-Touch Support: Yes
- Pressure Sensitivity Levels: 8,192
- Additional Inputs: Mechanical wheel, virtual wheel, eight buttons
- Connection: USB
- Versatile
- Works with Windows 10 and macOS
- Award-winning design
- Slimline
- Small lag between stylus and display
Larger than the Wacom One, the XP-PEN Artist 15.6 Pro is designed to enhance creative productivity. The kit includes everything a digital artist would need: a drawing monitor, a passive battery-free pen/stylus, a drawing glove, a stand, and all the connectivity options you'll need.
With 8,192 levels of pressure, 178 degrees visible angle, and color accuracy of 120 percent sRGB, the owner of this drawing monitor will be able to create dazzling images with detail, tone, and texture.
The Red Dial and eight customizable shortcut buttons aid with zoom, pan, positioning, and quickly accessing often-used features, making the XP-PEN Artist 15.6 Pro a smart alternative to any comparable Wacom product.
- Anti-reflective coating on tempered glass
- Compatible with Windows 10 and macOS
- Red Dial interface for zoom, pan, scroll
- Eight customizable shortcut buttons
- Includes drawing glove
- Brand: XP-PEN
- Active Area: 15.6 inches
- Multi-Touch Support: Yes
- Pressure Sensitivity Levels: 8,192
- Additional Inputs: Dial, eight buttons
- Connection: USB
- XP-PEN advanced P06 passive pen feels like a pencil
- Battery-free passive stylus with replacement nibs
- Cheaper than a Wacom device with comparable specs
- Stylus prone to breaking
An ideal digital gift for kids if you're after a budget-friendly option, the XP-PEN G960S Plus is worth consideration. While it feels relatively cheap---after all, it's basically a plastic slate and stylus---it is compatible with a multitude of operating systems and apps.
This makes the XP-PEN G960S Plus an incredibly versatile digital art peripheral, suitable for digital illustration, image manipulation, and more. You can even take notes using the battery-free stylus.
While an entirely usable and responsive device, it lacks the immediacy of a direct-to-screen art tablet. It's far easier to look at what you're digitally drawing or painting as your hand moves.
However, you'll find a slight disconnect with this tablet as you switch focus between the screen and what your hand is doing. For wider compatibility, the XP-PEN G960S Plus ships with a pair of USB adaptors for micro-USB and USB-C connections.
- Battery-free stylus
- Works on Windows 10, macOS, Android, and Chrome OS
- Compatible with many apps
- Brand: XP-PEN
- Active Area: 9 inches
- Multi-Touch Support: Yes
- Pressure Sensitivity Levels: 8,192
- Additional Inputs: Four programmable buttons
- Connection: USB
- Affordable
- Micro-USB and USB-C adapters for mobile connectivity
- 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity
- Feels cheap
- Not as immediate as a stylus-to-display device
A strong alternative to other drawing monitors on the list, the Parblo Coast 10 boasts a 10.1-inch display and battery-free stylus. Art is created by drawing directly onto the Parblo Coast10, and it's a surprisingly thin and lightweight surface.
Lightweight enough to hold like a sketchbook, double risers on the back of the tablet let you rest the Parblo Coast10 on any surface, whatever the height. The pen is ballpoint-sized, easy to use, and the whole system is straightforward to set up.
However, if you're using an older version of Windows or an unsupported operating system, your mileage may vary. The Parblo Coast10's modest dimensions make it less suitable for larger art. Despite the 170-degree viewing angle, brightness levels reduce noticeably as the angle increases.
This tablet is suitable for Windows and macOS devices and is aimed at those without the budget more XP-PEN or Wacam devices. Boasting a 170-degree viewing angle, however, it's worthy of consideration when searching for gift ideas for digital artists.
- Battery-free pen with removable nib
- High Viewing Angle
- Ergonomic Design
- Two-finger drawing glove
- USB hub
- Brand: Parblo
- Active Area: 8.54 inches
- Multi-Touch Support: Yes
- Pressure Sensitivity Levels: 2,048
- Additional Inputs: None
- Connection: USB 3.0
- Affordable option
- Compatible with Corel Painter, Photoshop, Illustrator, and many more
- Supports Windows XP and later, macOS X 10.11 and later
- Thin and lightweight
- No customer support
- Stylus/pen prone to breaking
- Dull colors
Producing excellent work is essential for digital artists. While you can share online portfolios with ease, there is always a need for physical prints. The answer is a good quality color printer such as the Canon PIXMA PRO-100.
An affordable inkjet printer, the Canon PIXMA PRO-100 boasts striking colors, reproducing images with the Optimum Image Generating System. The printer's output is at 4800x400 DPI (dots per inch), guaranteeing crisp, fine lines.
This is supported by eight individual ink cartridges, three of which are dedicated to grayscale. As a result, this is a printer capable of outputting striking images full of the original art's detail and texture.
- Eight dye-based inks
- Three dedicated grayscale inks
- 4800 x 2400 DPI
- Brand: Canon
- Type: Inkjet
- Color Printing: Yes
- Scanner: No
- Document Feeder: No
- Pages Per Minute: N/A
- Compatible with all platforms
- Optimum Image Generating System reproduces colors
- Ink expensive to replace
If you're after a simple gift for a digital artist on the go, you can gain excellent results with the DOGAIN Active Stylus. This rechargeable device offers a precise experience.
Simply unwrap, charge, and start drawing. When used with an iPad or Android device, you can use this tablet anywhere---creativity waits for no one.
Note that this is a basic pen. You'll find that it isn't as responsive as the more expensive examples, but it will help a beginner start with digital art apps without spending too much money.
While this pen is missing pressure sensitivity, and how you hold the device won't modify the image you create, it's a great gift to kickstart a fledgling digital art career.
- 1.5mm Fine Point
- Built-in battery
- Works on most tablets
- Brand: DOGAIN
- Compatibility: Android, iOS
- Connectivity: Micro-USB cable
- No Bluetooth required
- Rechargeable battery lasts eight hours
- Affordable for beginners
- No pressure or tilt sensitivity
If you'd prefer a more artistic stylus, consider The Friendly Swede Capacitive 4-in-1 Stylus Pen with Replaceable Brush. It comes with a precision disc tip, a microfiber tip, a ballpoint pen for writing, and a brush.
The microfiber tip is excellent for sketching, while the disc is particularly suited to detail work. The brush seems like a bit of a gimmick, but it does at least convey the sensation of using a brush, even if the results aren't necessarily brush-like. For the best results with that tip, you should use it with a suitable brush in a digital art app.
Whichever tip you choose, switching between them is straightforward. All you need to do is unscrew one and replace it with the next. And if you're baffled by the ballpoint pen, it's ideal for physical notes and even quick studies.
- 4-in-1 pen and stylus kit
- Available in black or white
- Includes replacement disc and microfiber tips
- Brand: The Friendly Swede
- Compatibility: Universal
- Connectivity: N/A
- Universal, works on all popular devices
- Tips can be easily swapped
- Includes disc, microfiber, ballpoint pen, and brush tips
- Brush seems gimmicky
- Can be fiddly to assemble in a pinch
Multi-touch screens and devices generally don't handle multiple points of contact from your hand well. To lean your hand against the screen without affecting your work, you'll need the Lamonde Artist Palm Rejection Glove.
The glove puts a layer between your hand and the screen, effectively disconnecting your palm, ring finger, and little finger from the display. Consequently, you can rest the palm of your drawing hand on the tablet as you hold your stylus.
The glove is made from lycra and can be worn on either hand. While it won't make you a better artist, a glove like this will make creating digital art far easier on devices that don't have palm cancellation technology.
- Double-layer spandex
- Prevents smudging
- Can be worn on left and right hand
- Multiple sizes available
- Brand: Huion
- Connectivity: None
- Integrations: None
- Color: Black
- Material: Lycra
- Battery: None
- Weight: 9.07g
- Works with popular tablets
- Useful for digital and physical art
- Palm-rejecting technology
- Feels cheap
If you're looking for a digital art gift that can help your loved one get a deeper understanding of digital art, then Master the Art of Speed Painting: Digital Painting Techniques should be high on your list. It's an in-depth book with contributions from many digital art experts and full of useful tutorials.
Alongside shorter tips, the book offers time-specific guides for painting in predetermined periods, much like the intensive, tough deadline world of professional art.
Intended for artists who aspire to work as matte painters and concept artists in movies and TV, Master the Art of Speed Painting: Digital Painting Techniques is from 3dtotal Publishing, which began life in 1999 as a 3D resource website, 3dtotal. As such, you can be confident that the book includes some of the best guides and advice around.
- Physical book
- Includes time-specific painting guides
- Publisher has history of producing digital art guides
- Title: Master the Art of Speed Painting: Digital Painting Techniques
- Author: 3dtotal Publishing
- Pages: 256
- Genre: Non-fiction, How-to
- Publication Date: June 28, 2016
- Particularly useful for beginners
- Tips from expert contributors
- Some horror images
FAQ
Q: What Is Digital Art?
There's art, and there is digital art. Forget pen and paper (unless you plan to scan it and enhance it later)---digital art is the future when it comes to illustration, computer graphics, animation, even movie, and TV production. Requiring a stylus pen, a digital art package, and a user interface (either a tablet computer, digital display, or a basic slate), digital art also needs imagination and planning.
Q: Stylus or Pen: What's the Difference?
Digital art is almost impossible without a pen, also known as a stylus. But what's the difference? Well, there's actually no real difference: the terms are interchangeable. Previously known as a "stylus," the use of "pen" is a modern development to describe a stylus that more resembles a traditional pen, with added features such as an erase function.
Q: Can You Use an iPad as a Digital Art Tablet?
iPads and top-end Android tablets are perfect for digital art. While graphic tablets are more suited to digital art, you can save money and use existing equipment with the right digital pen and paint application.
