Is a drawing tablet still worth buying if you already use an iPad?

[Owen84]

A lot of artists now use tablets directly on screen, so I keep wondering whether traditional drawing tablets still have a place. Something like Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Digital Graphic Drawing Tablet still looks like a serious tool, especially for people doing long editing sessions at a desk.

The odd thing is that screen tablets feel more natural at first, but a normal pen tablet can be faster once your hand and eye coordination adapts. It also keeps your hand from covering the artwork, which sounds minor until you spend hours painting details.

Would you still buy a dedicated drawing tablet today, or has the iPad style workflow mostly replaced them?

[Wendy5]

I still prefer a proper tablet at the desk. Drawing directly on glass feels nice for sketching, but for long Photoshop sessions I want my monitor in front of me and my hand down on the tablet.

It feels less glamorous, but it is faster once muscle memory kicks in

[GhostRider41]

The iPad wins for casual creativity. You can sit anywhere, sketch quickly and not feel chained to a desk.

But for serious editing, layers, files and colour work, I still think a desktop setup with a Wacom is more comfortable

[Undertaker00]

I bought a pen tablet and hated it for the first week. Then one day it just clicked and suddenly using a mouse for masking felt barbaric.

There is definitely an adjustment period people do not warn you about enough

[MickFoley00]

The biggest advantage is posture. Looking down at a screen tablet for hours can wreck your neck.

A normal tablet with a good monitor keeps your head up and your working position much healthier

[veritas.io]

I think the answer depends on whether you draw more or edit more. Illustrators may prefer screen tablets, but photographers doing retouching can still get huge value from a classic pen tablet