XP-Pen Artist Alternative: How Beginners Can Start Cheaply

The cheapest option depends on what is already in your bag

Entry-level pen displays have become much more affordable, but they are still one more device to buy. A cable to the computer, desk space and a driver install come with it.

If you already have an iPad or Galaxy Tab with a pen, there is no extra hardware to buy at all. So change the question. It is not "which pen display is cheapest?" but "is there something I already have that will do?"

If you already have a tablet and a pen

Install Any Display on your computer and your tablet, and the tablet becomes a second screen for the computer. Touch the pen to it and lines appear in the drawing app on your computer, with pressure and tilt if the pen supports them. Palm rejection helps with stray marks from a resting hand.

You use the same apps you would use on a computer anyway, including free drawing apps. If after a few sessions you are convinced you want a dedicated screen, you can still buy one then.

If you have nothing yet

Here is the honest part. If you own neither a tablet nor a pen, an entry-level pen display is often the cheaper way in, because a drawing-only device can cost less than a new tablet plus a pen.

A tablet does a lot besides drawing, though. If you also watch videos, read and take notes, one device can fill several roles. If you will only draw, lean toward the dedicated device. If you have other uses in mind, lean toward the tablet.

What beginners usually trip over

Getting started is easy, but a few things are good to know in advance.

• Pen type: the Apple Pencil (USB-C) has no pressure sensitivity, so check that your pen supports pressure.
• Connection: wireless is convenient, but USB is usually steadier for drawing.
• Small screen: you will zoom and pan a lot, and pinch-to-zoom becomes a habit quickly.

If you get stuck on the first connection, the extend and mirror guide walks through it.

Drawing often matters more than gear

At the beginner stage, the difference between devices is much smaller than the difference between people who draw daily and people who do not. Plenty of people buy good gear and put it in a drawer a few weeks later, while someone with ordinary gear who draws every day improves quickly.

So it helps to pick the option with the lowest barrier to opening the app. If the tablet is already something you use every day, you only need to pick it up and connect, which makes it more likely that drawing becomes a habit.

Test it over one weekend

Install the app on Saturday afternoon and draw until Sunday night. Doodles and copies are fine. Notice whether it was fun and where it felt awkward. If it was fun and the friction was small, keep going as you are. If the friction was big, that is the most accurate answer you will get about what to buy.

If you are curious about professional-class displays, read the Wacom Cintiq alternative piece. If space and portability worry you more, the Huion Kamvas alternative article is next.