Home / Drawing desk
The drawing desk
The short list of gear and books our writers keep pointing people to, grouped by the job you are doing. Every pick links to the longer guide that explains it.
Macagora note The buttons go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change.
A first pen tablet
A screenless tablet is still the cheapest honest way to learn digital drawing. Size matters more than pressure levels: match the active area to your monitor and desk. Read the full guide: How to choose your first drawing tablet.
Wacom Intuos Small first tablet
A small screenless pen tablet with a battery-free pen. A sensible first tablet for a laptop or a single small monitor.
- Screenless, the drawing shows on your monitor
- Battery-free pen
- Small active area that fits beside a keyboard
Huion H640P step up
A compact screenless tablet with a battery-free pen and a slightly larger area, popular as an inexpensive step up.
- Screenless pen tablet
- Battery-free pen
- Works with the common drawing apps on Windows and macOS
Drawing on an iPad
The pencil has to match the iPad model, so check the maker’s compatibility list first and buy it from Apple or an authorized seller. A matte screen film changes the feel more than any brush setting. Read the full guide: Paper-feel screen protectors: what they change and what they cost you.
No pencil is linked here on purpose: the listings we looked at were not sold by Amazon or Apple.
Books that outlast any app
Software changes every year; observation, light and composition do not. These four books keep coming up in our technique pieces. Read the full guide: Art books digital painters keep on the desk.
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards first tablet
The classic course in learning to see edges, spaces and proportions. A good base before any software.
- Book, paperback (4th edition)
- Observation drawing exercises
- Suits complete beginners
Color and Light, by James Gurney long haul
A painter's guide to how light and color behave. The ideas transfer straight to digital painting.
- Book, paperback
- Light, color and atmosphere
- Useful for painters in any medium
Imaginative Realism, by James Gurney long haul
How to paint convincing scenes of things that do not exist, from reference, models and planning.
- Book, paperback
- Planning, reference and maquettes
- For illustrators and concept painters
Framed Ink, by Marcos Mateu-Mestre step up
Composition and storytelling in black and white, written for comics and visual storytellers.
- Book, paperback
- Composition and value in ink
- For comics and storyboard artists