➕ Procreate runs exclusively on Apple, and it is fantastic on the iPad Pro ➕ Incredibly sensitive, accurate, and precise pen and touch screen ➖ Honestly, I can’t think of any because I feel purchasing the iPad Pro is the best investment I’ve ever made in my art business! My choice for the best Apple standalone drawing tablet for artists is the wonderful Apple iPad Pro with the 12.9-inch Liquid Retina screen. The tablet is solid, light, and unobtrusive and feels like it will never break.īut finally, all of that disappears – the tablet, pen, software, and operating system, worries about configuration, operation, or reliability, these things all vanish, and all that is left is me making art and the art itself, alive in front of me. The Apple Pencil is incredibly expressive and natural. I love the intuitive interface of the Apple operating system and the iOS Art programs I use. With the possible exception of the Wacom MobileStudio Pro below, I have no doubt the Apple iPad Pro has the best screen I’ve ever used – both as a display and a touch interface for my hand or my Apple Pencil. On the other hand, the abbreviated versions of Adobe Creative Cloud I run on the iPad are simpler and easier and let me think less and work more.
The art software works wonderfully, but it is not as complete and full-featured as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, which I use on my MacBook Pro, so sometimes I need to bring an image to the computer for some final adjustments or effects. If there is one issue – and for me, it’s not so important – it’s that I don’t always finish my work on the iPad.
It is very well made and feels super solid and durable – I can throw it in my bag or backpack and forget it’s even there. The Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch standalone drawing tablet is thin and light, allowing me to hand-hold it as long as I need to for a superb drawing experience. If you are using your Apple iPad Pro for other things as well as art, it’s almost a must-have.
It attaches to the Apple iPad with a cool magnetic click for charging and portability (so I don’t lose it!), and it pairs with the tablet automatically, so I don’t have to think about anything.Īnother super-slick accessory is the Magic Keyboard – not necessary for artwork, but it protects the Apple iPad, and acts as a perfect stand and a nice keyboard. The Apple Pencil 2 (must be purchased separately) feels natural in my hand – smooth, light, and solid – and is so fast, accurate, fluid, and responsive that I completely stop thinking about it and just draw. Photo: Iva drawing on her iPad Pro 12.9″ – © Art Side of Life The detail, fidelity, and clarity let me know exactly what I have so far and what I need to do, and I don’t miss small mistakes, unfinished details, or problems with color, shading, or balance.Įverything is visible, for better or worse, so the Apple iPad Pro helps me improve my work. They pop from the screen with such vivid color and depth that I constantly feel inspired by what I’m seeing. The Liquid Retina display has superb color representation, detail, resolution and depth, and subtle gradation between shades and values.īut it’s more than just this – the images are so beautiful, alive, and attractive. Photo: Iva with her iPad Pro 12.9″ and Apple Pencil 2nd Generation – © Art Side of Life It is also the drawing tablet I use, and I am constantly amazed at how well it works for me and my process. We will begin this survey of the best standalone drawing tablets for artists with my obvious choice – the Apple iPad Pro – perhaps the most popular, widely used, and most recommended standalone drawing tablet among artists.