The Cintiq is fantastic for all artists – from hobbyists to professionals – and despite its pretty approachable price tag, offers a really impressive drawing experience. The tablet features folding legs, which feel solid and secure in use, and clip away neatly into the rear of the device, or you can also attach a third-party tablet stand. The 22-inch panel gives artists plenty of room in which to play but even the smaller, 15.6-inch panel far exceeds the size and quality of many other tablets on this list. Given its size, performance and HD resolution, it’s priced pretty competitively, and while other tablets and laptops may offer slightly more in the graphics department, the larger screen lends itself to detailed work and a smoother user experience. It’s a fully realized drawing tablet with plenty of space to create, and we think it’s the best all-round option for value, size, design and features. The Wacom Cintiq is a pen display tablet and Wacom’s answer to contest general use tablets such as the iPad. Delivering superior pressure sensitivity, great value and artist-first features, it’s only in recent years that rivals have offered much competition. Wacom is a big name in digital art and it’s easy to see why. Some such tablets feature in the list below, offering fewer drawing-specific features but greater portability and everyday uses. Graphic tablets and a vast majority of pen displays need to be plugged into a computer or laptop, so if you want a more portable device for your artwork, then one of the best tablets from the likes of Apple, Microsoft and Samsung is likely to be a better option. If you’re not sure which is best for you, then read on to discover the key differences in our frequently asked questions section below.

Plus, mainstream tech companies are joining the fray, too, creating general-use tablets that are also fantastic for art - so long as you don't mind the hefty price tag. Now, with the rising popularity of pen displays, which come with built-in screens that enable the user to draw directly onto the tablet as you would on paper, artists have far more tools to choose from. Previously, options were limited to conventional graphics tablets (now better known as pen tablets), but there can be fairly restrictive, requiring an abundance of wires and external monitors. Thanks to recent technology advancements, creatives have a much larger pool of devices and tablet form factors to choose from nowadays.

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