How switching to a drawing tablet improved my design skills by 10X
Why and how to make the switch.
For most designers, Photoshop and Illustrator are the tools we typically learn when first starting out. And, while both programs have fantastic design options, there is only so much a designer can do when using a mouse on a computer.
I purchased the Inspiroy Ink H320M for $80 on Amazon recently and can confidently say it has improved my design skills significantly.* If you are on the fence about buying a drawing tablet, I strongly advise making the investment (which I dive into in detail below):
*(Please note that I am not associated with this brand and am not being paid to promote this product.)
Before and after
Here’s my computer setup before purchasing a non-screen drawing tablet, and after:
I use an HP Spectre x360 laptop to design, which has been great. The mouse I own is a Logitech MX Master which I highly recommend. The ergonomic shape allows it to fit perfectly in your hand and the side scroll wheel on a mouse is one of those things you never knew you needed but once you have it you can never go back. Last but not least, there's the Inspiroy Ink H320M drawing tablet.
The Inspiroy Ink H320M drawing tablet I own is a non-screen tablet that connects directly to my laptop. Within a week of owning it, I already feel 10x more confident than I did at first. It’s improved my designs and has refined my ability to sketch and draw more with my hand.
A designer’s secret weapon
1. Pressure Sensitivity
Because our wrists are flat, most work can only be done using crude dragging motions that involve the entire hand, making the mouse extremely unprecise. The mouse also only has two levels of pressure sensitivity: clicked and not clicked. This makes the brush tool nearly obsolete as it is extremely difficult to create natural lines and curves with a mouse. Tablets, on the other hand, have over 2,000 different levels of pressure sensitivity, giving designers a wider range of creative options.
In the screenshot below, I included what line precision looks like using Illustrator (with a mouse) versus a tablet. When designed using a mouse, the lines are very unnatural and the endpoints are always the same. On the right, I included what the brush tool looks like with a drawing tablet. Due to the pen’s pressure sensitivity, the lines will be thicker or thinner depending on how hard you’re pressing down. This creates a much more natural look:
2. Significantly Less Time Consuming
When I designed in Illustrator previously I would create my sketch first on paper and then take a picture of it and import it into Illustrator. Then would come the tedious task of tracing my lines with the pen tool and constantly struggling to get the linework the way I envisioned it in my sketch.
Because I couldn’t directly change the sketch I would have to follow my sketch lines almost exactly and making changes to the original sketch was almost impossible. I would often get frustrated and sometimes not even finish designs because of how long this process would take.
3. Creates More Natural Lines
Below, you’ll see two of my illustrations that were created 100% with a mouse using the pen tool in Illustrator. While they look nice, the lines are very straight and unnatural. Using the pen tool is an extremely tedious and boring way to illustrate and often makes it frustrating to get the design the way you want it to look.
Before buying a tablet
After buying a tablet
After buying a drawing tablet, using Illustrator is a completely new and refreshing feeling. I can now create all my sketches digitally which helps save me time and makes sketching even easier. I can easily make the changes to my sketch when needed as I just have to return to that layer and go back to sketching. Inking is a breeze because you can always get those thick perfect lines just the way you want them and if they’re not what you want all you have to do is change the brush, just like picking up a different marker in real life. Coloring is even easier thanks to masking and sometimes I don't even bother masking now because of how precise I'm able to get my lines.
Below, I have included the first three illustrations I created with the drawing tablet. As you can see below, there is quite a difference in the lines and overall design when compared to the illustrations created using a mouse.
1 day in:
In the illustration of the snowboarder above, I was just getting used to the tablet and how it worked, so I went for a more simple and basic look. After I completed that drawing I wanted to try something with more detail, so I decided to illustrate one of my favorite Star Wars characters, Boba Fett (depicted below).
5 days in:
My most recent illustration was of one of my favorite rap artists, Trippie Redd (depicted below). I wanted to create a more caricature-like look than a realistic design while still making him distinguishable.
7 days in:
What is a non-screen tablet?
These are tablets that allow you to draw on the pad and the design appears on your computer screen. At first, it feels very unnatural and uncomfortable to not see the tip of the pen as you draw, but the tablet will have your cursor appear on the computer screen when you hover the pen over the tablet, which helps tremendously.
Pros of non-screen tablets:
- Price: non-screen tablets are cheaper than screen tablets and typically range between $50 to $300
- Size: non-screen tablets are usually lighter and more compact than screen tablets
Cons of non-screen tablets:
- Learning curve: it’s a bigger adjustment to draw on a non-screen tablet because your drawing is not visible directly on the tablet itself (it is reflected on the computer screen).
- It must be plugged into your laptop/computer to work
Here is what tablets that connect to the computer look like:
What is a screen tablet?
A screen tablet allows the designer to draw directly onto the tablet itself and, depending on the model, does not always need to be plugged into a computer. Screen tablets have an easier learning curve but are much more expensive.
Pros of screen tablets:
- Natural drawing technique
- Can be used without a laptop/computer and is typically portable
- Has higher pressure sensitivity
Cons of screen tablets:
- More expensive: screen tablets are usually around $300.
- Portability: A high-end screen tablet may not be portable and needs to be plugged into a computer, making it challenging to travel with.
The most popular screen tablet is the Ipad Pro with the Apple Pencil as shown here:
Is it worth it?
So, how will a drawing tablet improve your designs? Using a stylus, you’ll be able to tilt the pen and move your hand and wrist in a much more natural drawing position, giving you much more control over the strokes you’re creating. Having a non-screen tablet similar to mine will also allow you to sketch directly on your computer instead of having to scan in images, saving you a lot of time in the long run. This natural appearance can only be achieved with a tablet as it is the only way to have a natural range of hand and finger flexibility on the computer.
Adding a drawing tablet to your design arsenal will not only improve your work but will bring you a refreshing design experience that might even spark your next big piece!
