We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services.
Best iPad for Procreate in 2023
If you are an artist interested in creating unique and beautiful digital art, you may want to know where to start! Procreate allows for the creation of pixel-based art, giving you creative freedom with your style, brushes, canvas size, and more! Procreate is such a great program that is constantly evolving, keeping up to date with the trends and needs of the art world. This update focused on bringing a new advanced technology to the app: the hover feature. The 5.3 version update introduced several other fun and useful tools like easier and more fluid color-dropping abilities, improvements in file compression, a new brush cursor, which allows you to closely see the details of where you are painting and erasing, and many more new features. A large screen size gives you more room to work with and can make drawing details far easier! Having more RAM is definitely helpful when dealing with large Procreate projects, especially one with lots of different layers! So if you aren’t planning on crafting such extensive artwork, any iPad would have enough RAM to run Procreate without encountering any major difficulties. Procreate even recently updated their program, introducing the Apple Pencil Hover tool, which is only available on the 2022 iPad Pro (which has an extremely advanced M2 chip).
Having a good processor affects how smoothly Procreate runs, so it is important to keep this in mind!
For example, the new technology in the M2 chip is so advanced that you can play graphics-intensive games on your iPad without encountering any processing issues. This can help you make a better decision on your specific and personal storage space needs.
Having a good screen display and resolution can impact the visual experience of your digital artwork. Luckily, Apple iPads all use extremely advanced display and resolution technology to make the viewing experience enjoyable. Liquid Retina display is a high-quality display and due to the iPads’ unique pixel density and resolution, the human eye cannot differentiate separate pixels, resulting in a smoother, clearer visual experience. Apple has even introduced a Liquid Retina XDR display for the newer iPad pro 12.9“. On top of this, they are also great devices for any other projects, will run without any issues, and are favored by many digital artists. The 2021 and 2022 versions are both compatible with the 2nd generation Apple Pencil and are perfect for digital artists.
Although, the bigger size does make the iPad Pro less easy to carry around as it may be bulkier than other devices and possibly hard to fit in your bag. Due to this, its performance abilities are extremely fast and up-to-date, perfect for any Procreate project you may have in mind. The latest iPad Pro 12.9” upgraded the processor technology even further, using the M2 chip which enables you to use the Apple Pencil Hover feature. Unsurprisingly, the only major difference between the two is the size of the screen, which comes in at 11”, but is more affordable – just around 2” smaller than the iPad Pro 12.9”.
The iPad Air 5th gen is a great option as it is very similar to the Pro – apart from being slimmer and more compact in its appearance. This latest generation is now also equipped with the incredible M1 chip, allowing for extremely efficient processing!
The 2021 iPad uses the powerful A15 Bionic chip, making it a fast and effective device to run Procreate on. The ‘mini’ aspect of this model offers both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to creating your art. The iPad is small and compact, meaning it is very portable, something you can slip in your handbag and easily take on your morning coffee run or to your classes.
The high-quality Liquid Retina screen display is far smaller than other iPads, meaning that it may not be the best at supporting more intense, detailed, or intricate Procreate creations.
A smaller screen size makes it difficult to draw as your space and scope becomes quite limited. Despite the size, the screen’s Liquid Retina display still provides a high-quality and vibrant resolution.
This iPad’s Apple Pencil compatibility means that it will not support the use of the Apple Pencil 2nd generation, meaning that you will miss out on a few small features that this technology provides, such as the new ergonomic design and better charging capabilities. The iPad also uses the advanced and crisp Liquid Retina Display, making the visual and pixel quality great for Procreate.
To really simplify things, we have created a table below in order to visually compare the different options, making sure you find a device that ticks all of your boxes. 256GB 4 GB A14 Bionic System $ Apple Pencil – 1st Generation Best iPad for Procreate – Comparison Table To save on money, you could also consider purchasing a refurbished or second-hand iPad at a lower price. The latest iPad Mini has a great A15 bionic chip processor, meaning it is very capable of performing challenging Procreate tasks.
The latest Mini even supports the second-generation Apple Pencil, meaning it has up-to-date drawing abilities. We are all familiar with the horror of dropping your device on the floor and praying to find it unscathed as you pick it up. The Apple Pencil 2 also has a matte finish which can make it more comfortable to draw with and help you avoid sweaty hands. The Apple Pencil 2 also allows for some cool new tools, unlocked when accompanied by the newest iPad technology, such as the Apple Pencil Hover feature included in Procreate’s newest software update. The second-generation Apple Pencil provides some quality updates to improve your drawing experience. The original pencil serves the same functionality, so in the end, either option will be able to produce great digital art in Procreate.
If you are interested in creating digital art, purchasing both Procreate and an iPad is definitely a great investment. Purchasing a special graphics tablet isn’t always affordable or attainable for everyone, so an iPad is a great choice for creating digital art. Buying an iPad serves several purposes as it is not simply limited to drawing or painting! If you are a student, they are perfect for taking notes on, creating diagrams, and scanning documents. There are other general usages for the iPad, such as storing documents, taking photos, playing games, or texting (it can basically act like a large phone). Additionally, iPads are far more portable than other drawing tablets, meaning that you can create art on the go.
Procreate is inexpensive, and once downloaded, you have complete creative freedom to begin crafting whatever digital art you would like. All you need to do is download the program from the app store, and you are ready to start creating! Many artists love this combination, as using your iPad and Procreate makes drawing extremely comfortable, accessible, and personalized to you.
No matter what choice you make, Procreate, iPads, and Apple Pencils are a match made in heaven and will be perfect for any digital art you may choose to create.
iPad (2022) vs. iPad Air (2022): Which Apple tablet is right for you?
To make matters more interesting, Apple still sells the older, ninth-generation 2021 iPad, which starts at $329. While it may not have the latest features, it remains an accessible option for people looking for a basic iPad. The 2022 iteration of the entry-level iPad brings a lot of upgrades from its predecessor, but it also starts at $449, making it $120 more than the previous model.
Dive into anything
I’m planning to buy an iPad with an Apple Pencil for drawing but I don’t really know which one to get.
iPad Pro vs iPad Air: Which Apple tablet is right for you?
Another difference is that the iPad Air comes in more colours: namely, Space Grey, Starlight, Pink, Purple and Blue. That means data transfer speeds of up to 40Gb/s, compared with a max 10Gb/s on the iPad Air, assuming you have devices that support Thunderbolt of course. So while the Pro is the safer option if you plan to use it for demanding creative purposes, such as using Illustrator for iPad, both tablets should be pretty speedy overall.
When it comes to battery life, Apple rates all of its tablets for 10 hours of light use on Wi-Fi and up to nine on cellular.
But you can expect high-res image editing, or prolonged 3D rendering, to reduce this pretty severely, just as it is with any laptop. Exactly how much depends on the app, but something that taxes both processor and GPU, such as high-end games, can bring it down to about half that. Along with support for HDR and Dolby Vision content, creative professionals will absolutely adore this screen. It’s also worth noting that both sizes of the iPad Pro have better audio, with four speakers that produces high-quality. The iPad Air’s two speakers are still solid, though, and are perfectly decent for watching movies and listening to music. Both allow it to magnetically attach to the side of the iPad to charge wirelessly, which is super handy.
However, the superior refresh rate of the iPad Pro (120Hz to 60Hz on the Air) means that in practice, drawing is smoother on the more expensive tablet. The latest iPad Pro also comes with a brand new ‘Hover’ feature, which detects your Apple Pencil 2 up to 12mm above the screen, allowing you to see a preview of your mark before you make it.
When it comes to drawing, the 120Hz screen response rate makes the iPad Pro the precision instrument of choice undoubtedly – and nothing comes close to the high-resolution display on the 12.9-inch model. If so, then obviously you should get the Pro, but for anything more middle of the road, the Air is really just as fast – if you’ll mostly use it for viewing and some admin work on the go, there will be no meaningful performance difference. In short, if money’s no object, or if running creative software your iPad plays a central role in your working life, go for the Pro.
Comparison: New 10.9-inch iPad vs. iPad Air
Both tablets in close proximity price-wise is a clear indicator of Apple’s price ladder strategy. P3 Screen brightness (nits) 500 500 Screen size (inches) 10.9 10.9 Processor A14 Bionic M1 Apple Pencil First generation Second generation Smart Connector Yes – side Yes – rear Dimensions (inches) 9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 Weight (pounds) 1.05 1.02 Battery (hours) Up to 10 Up to 10 Rear camera 12MP Wide 12MP Wide Front camera Landscape 12MP Ultra Wide
The key differentiators are chipset, display lamination, FaceTime camera placement, Smart Connector location, and Apple Pencil support.
These variances explain precisely where each iPad lands in the lineup and its expected use case.
The entry-level iPad was the final product in Apple’s tablet lineup that needed a flat-sided redesign. Until now, it had sported the original iPad design with a Home Button on the front and tapered rounded edges. The bright blue, pink, yellow, and silver stand out when compared to the pastel colors of the iPad Air 5. The FaceTime camera is no longer on the short side of the iPad, but the Smart Connector remains on the bottom edge. These design decisions play a large part in the base iPad’s use case.
The effect pairs best when using an Apple Pencil since it makes writing or drawing feel more natural. The iPad Air 5 has P3 and a laminated display, both features which target artists directly. These specs are stacked heavily in favor of the iPad Air 5, and benchmarks show the difference.
Spec-wise, this front-facing camera is identical to the iPad Air, and both include support for Center Stage. Apple had been rumored to move the FaceTime camera to the landscape orientation for years.
In the long run, this will simplify charging and accessory needs across products by having the same port across iPad and Mac. This means accessory compatibility is slightly different across these products despite having near-identical dimensions.
The Magic Keyboard relies on the rear-facing Smart Connector, so the iPad Air is the only one of the pair that can use it. The iPad Air 5 uses the Apple Pencil 2 thanks to a dedicated magnetic charging pad on one side of the tablet. This is likely due to the FaceTime camera moving to where the Apple Pencil magnet would typically be located. This adapter will connect the original Apple Pencil to the new iPad via a cable for pairing and charging. This is a much less ideal configuration than the Apple Pencil 2 and magnetic charging pad system in other iPads.
This is a classic strategy that has been employed by Apple for some time in the Mac laptop lineup. Consumers will continue to benefit from the low $329 retail price point often made cheaper by sales. It offers a modern chipset, updated design, and new Magic Keyboard Folio to make things fresh.
The iPad Pro sits on top of the lineup with all the technologies Apple can bring to bear in its tablet form factor. The 2022 iPad, as the 2021 before it, is a solid fundamental computer for general work, education, or play.
The base iPad Air 5 can be purchased from Amazon and is on sale from $519 (up to $80 off) at press time. The iPad 9th Generation is also discounted at Amazon, with prices at press time dipping to as low as $299.
The best iPad for drawing in November 2023
And with older models still delivering on performance, drawing on an iPad Pro needn’t too expensive. More and more artists are opting for Apple products when it comes to digital art as the iPad is slim and portable, offering a fantastic professional alternative or compliment to the best drawing tablets.
Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Its compatibility with the Apple Pencil 2 means you get one of the best styluses available right now, while the display’s refresh rate of 120Hz ensures excellent responsiveness.
One small thing to consider is the size – the 12.9-inch offering is the largest in the iPad range and can feel pretty bulky if you’re not used to it. Unless you’re going to be doing a lot of professional drawing work, it is probably more computing and display power than you need, and in that case, a cheaper tablet on this list will likely prove to be the better choice. While the Pro models still reign supreme in terms of performance and display quality, the iPad Air has closed the gap by incorporating the same M1 chip found in the Pros, making it a powerful and more affordable option for digital artists. He noted that the screen resolution is comparable to the Pro models, and the backlighting is even and colour-accurate, making it a great choice for visual creative work, including drawing.
And some artists swear by a completely different drawing experience away from the bigger (and more expensive) iPad Pros. This model boasts a small but perfectly formed 8.3-inch Liquid Retina screen, which offers an impressive resolution of 1488 x 2266 pixels. In short, if you’re looking for a good-quality compact tablet for digital drawing, you won’t find a better option. Matthew also reviewed this one, writing: “It’s powerful enough to handle pretty advanced creative work, yet fits in a coat pocket,” which is just what some on-the-go artists need.
Apple gave the basic iPad a refresh in 2022, upgrading the chipset for better hardware for better performance and adding an improved rear camera. Much like the more expensive iPad models, this tablet includes True Tone support, which is Apple’s technology that adjusts colour balance depending on the quality of light in the room.
Battery life is generally pretty good, and the new A14 chip provides a small but noticeable speed boost in operation.
Whilst this slightly older model doesn’t sport the shiny new M2 chip, the M1 still packs a punch and can easily handle intense creative programmes. In our iPad Pro 12.9-inch (M1, 2021) review our writer goes into more detail, and summerises by explaining how this tablet, “offers one of the best screens ever made, and as much power as a desktop PC. In personally prefer the larger screen for artwork, but accessories like the Astropad Slate can be used to expand the drawing area.
Our expert review: Average Amazon review: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Specifications Stylus support: Apple Pencil 2 / Apple Pencil Screen size: 12.9-inch Resolution: 2732×2048 pixels Weight: 641 g Dimensions: 280.6 x 214.9 mm OS: up to iPadOS 17 CPU: A12Z Bionic chip Storage: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB Rear cameras: 12MP, 10MP, TOF 3D LiDAR Front camera: 7MP, 1080p video Today’s Best Deals View Black Friday Deal at Amazon Reasons to buy + Still powerful and fast for most art apps + Can use Apple Pencil 2 + Display remains excellent Reasons to avoid – You may need to buy refurbished – Cameras feel dated At the time it felt a little underwhelming but in hindsight it’s a solid release that remains a powerful and fast tablet.
It’s lack of ambition on release actually ensures its a competent device in 2023 because Apple needed to get as much out of its A12Z Bionic chip as possible. The only thing to be careful of is the price, don’t pay over the odds, which means you may need to buy refurbished, is so, I’d recommend buying from Apple directly as they offer the same one-year warranty as a brand-new iPads, a new battery and outer shell and all the manuals. Ultimately, the best iPad for drawing is going to depend on the individual needs of the artist, and there’s no objectively right or wrong answer. As a rule, I either find the 11 or 12.9-inch displays ideal, so if you’re going to get a basic iPad the 10.9-inch model is preferred to the 10.2-inch, which is just a little small.
Processing power: Newer (and more expensive) iPads have faster processors, and are capable of handling more complex tasks without stutter or slowdown. Drawing is not the most intensive task that an iPad can perform, so this may well not be a factor – however, if you are working with super-high resolution files, then it’s going to be very important that your tablet can load and display them correctly.
If price is an issue, I’d recommend the older iPad Pro 12.9 inch (2020), which lacks the new M-chips but regardless is a solid tablet with a large display, runs the new iPadOS and supports Apple Pencil 2. My personal favourites are the Astropad Slate, a large drawing stand that the iPad sits into to give it a larger work area, and secondly is Rock, Paper, Pencil (also from Astropad), this textured display cover offers a paper-like feel, protects your iPad screen and comes with hard-wearing Apple Pencil 2 nibs. I’d suggest at least 128GB of storage, which means you can create large high-res files and ensures all apps can be used, from Procreate to Illustrator and ArtRage. The best pen displays, like the Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13, are close to iPad in that they can run software natively.
iPad Air vs Pro for Drawing: Which is better? (Artist Review) 2023
In this comparison, we’ll explore the differences between the two popular iOS based Apple tablets and help you decide which iPad is right for your drawing, graphic design and creative tasks. As an artist, selecting the ideal tablet for your creative endeavors requires thorough consideration of several factors that directly impact your work. The device’s display quality, processing power, and compatibility of accessories are some of the most critical aspects… this is why many artists use a drawing tablet that connects to a laptop. The iPad Pro comes with a 120 Hz ProMotion display, making it a preferred choice among artists for its smoother drawing experience.
Assessing each device’s performance can help determine which tablet meets your expectations in terms of processing power, display quality, and pricing. Both tablets have a Retina display with a similar resolution and color gamut, ensuring excellent visual output.
One advantage for iPad Pro users lies in the device’s higher brightness, making it a more suitable option for outdoor usage. This higher refresh rate results in a smoother and more responsive on-screen experience, which directly impacts an artist’s drawing process.
ProMotion not only facilitates a faster response but also makes it feel more natural and akin to drawing on paper with an actual pencil.
Considering that not all artists require such immaculate responsiveness, the iPad Air’s standard display does an excellent job when it comes to drawing. For professionals who require the best possible drawing experience and can afford the price premium of the iPad Pro, the device’s ProMotion display is indeed a game changer. One advantage of having a high pixel density is that your artwork appears crisp and precise with vibrant colors and smooth line transitions.
The retina display technology found in both tablets results in realistic, high-quality visuals that enhance your artistic experience. The second-generation Apple Pencil offers exceptional precision, impressive pressure sensitivity, and accurate tilt recognition, which significantly elevate the quality of your drawings.
Keep in mind, both iPad variants support the second-generation Apple Pencil, and the drawing experience is almost identical on both devices. However, the iPad Pro has a 120Hz ProMotion display that offers smoother and more responsive input, which translates to a more natural and fluid drawing experience. This slight improvement found in the iPad Pro may appeal to artists seeking the most realistic drawing experience possible on a tablet. The iPad Air features Apple’s M1 chip, which offers exceptional processing power that rivals many laptops. The power of these chips plays a crucial role when working on large-resolution project files with multiple layers, ensuring seamless operation even when using the most demanding brushes. Selecting the ideal iPad model for drawing is often a matter of personal preference and requirements regarding storage and RAM capacity.
When it comes to RAM, both tablets come with 8GB, enabling seamless multitasking, multiple drawing layers on apps like Procreate, and smooth overall performance. Further, if you choose a higher storage model of iPad Pro with 1TB or 2TB capacity, you will get 16GB of RAM, which allows an even more powerful working environment. The iPad Pro comes with a triple camera setup, LiDAR sensor, and a more powerful quad-speaker system, ensuring better audio quality and depth sensing. This advantage can be beneficial for transferring large files quickly and reliably, making it a more attractive choice for busy artists.
Keep in mind that differences in weight might not be noticeable for most users, but for artists who work on-the-go and hold their tablets for extended periods, it could be a deciding factor. Both iPad models support the Apple Magic Keyboard, which includes a trackpad and a floating design for adjustable viewing angles.
This higher refresh rate improves the smoothness and responsiveness of the display, making it feel even more natural when drawing with the Apple Pencil.
It is essential to make sure that your desired drawing app supports your tablet’s hardware, such as Apple Pencil compatibility and processing power.
However, if you intend to install multiple large drawing apps, store high-resolution project files, or use your tablet for other entertainment and productivity tasks, consider upgrading to a 256GB or larger storage option. One advantage of having more storage is that it can accommodate a more extensive library of art resources, such as custom brushes, textures, and reference images.
Higher RAM allows drawing apps like Procreate to handle more complex tasks and larger projects with numerous layers. Layer limitations can inhibit the creative process, so having ample RAM ensures you’ll have room to explore and refine your artwork without constraints.
Side note: Heavy multitasking, such as streaming music while working in a drawing app, can affect iPad performance.
However, if a larger screen is necessary for your drawing purposes and you don’t mind a slightly heavier tablet, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro might be a better fit. The iPad Pro provides additional features such as a 10MP ultrawide camera and a LiDAR sensor for depth sensing. The iPad Air offers a more budget-friendly option, providing a satisfying drawing experience and performance suitable for casual artists and hobbyists.
On the other hand, the iPad Pro offers premium features such as the ProMotion display, a more powerful M2 processor, and additional camera capabilities, making it an attractive choice for full-time artists and graphic design professionals.
Artist compares: iPad Pro vs iPad Air for Drawing
Last year with the 4th generation upgrade, the iPad Air caught the attention of the artist community. It not only got a massive design overhaul (narrow bezels) which made it look and feel very much like iPad Pro, but it also got support for the Second generation of Apple Pencil. This was big news for digital artists – as they now have the option to get a top-of-the-line drawing experience without necessarily spending top dollars. Well, for most general users, you can say getting an iPad Air is a better choice over the Pro model – as you get almost 90 percent of the features at a considerably cheaper price. It is common for cheaper tablets to make compromises with the display quality. Having 100 more nits makes iPad Pro a slightly better option for people who often find themselves using their tablet outdoors. The mini-LED backlight consists of thousands of small LEDs which can be controlled and turned on and off at will. This gives you deeper blacks and better contrast, improving the color output of the screen. Once the tablet records the location and movements of the pen it displays it on the screen.
In simple terms, it means when you are drawing with your stylus the iPad Air’s display refreshes and updates the screen 60 times a second. When drawing on these two tables and comparing them in real life, you can definitely notice the iPad Pro (120 Hz) feels more fluid and satisfying. Here is the same footage in slow motion which shows the difference in latency much more clearly (Play video).
As you can see in the footage above, the lines drawn by the Apple Pencil on iPad Pro are instantly visible on a 120Hz screen. The stroke on the 60 Hz screen of iPad Air trails behind by a small distance, making the drawing experience feel digital and a bit unnatural. Meaning the images appearing on the screen is equally sharp and crisp.
If you are an artist and hang out in online art communities, you already know that – Apple Pencil is the most advanced stylus on the market. Since the 4th generation update, iPad Air comes with support for the 2nd generation Apple Pencil (5th gen iPad Air supports 2nd gen Apple Pencil as well). Since both iPad Air and Pro are compatible with the same stylus, you won’t find any difference in the actual drawing performance.
The Apple Pencil 2 magnetically sticks to the top edge of the tablet where it charges wirelessly. Both iPad Pro and Air have appropriate wireless charging pads to enable this feature. Their compact form factor enables you to use easily use them in places such as buses and Airplane seats. In order to have a good drawing experience, your tablet should be powerful enough to handle large-resolution project files with hundreds of layers and shouldn’t lag when using the heaviest of texture brushes. The previous version of the iPad Air only came with 4 GB of RAM which resulted in limitations on how many numbers of layers you can have. The very expensive 1 and 2 TB storage models of iPad Pro come with a massive 16 GB of RAM.
iPads, in general, are known for their long-lasting battery which can easily handle a full day of casual usage. Although the actual battery life depends on a lot of things including the screen size, resolution, and also apps you are using. Mind that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro has the largest battery capacity but it also has a larger screen requiring more power. More storage is always better, considering the huge amount of space occupied by image and video files these days.
Having a good camera is essential for artists as it allows you to take pictures of something that you are gonna paint later, right on your tablet. Speakers are one of the first compromises that budget-focused tablets make, but that is not the case with the iPad Air. The TouchID sensor is conveniently located on the top right side of the tablet-like in older iPhones. These iPads are not backward compatible, meaning they do not work with the first-generation Apple Pencil.
For artists who are already in the Apple ecosystem and own a Mac computer, iPads can be a great add-on. This is a very powerful tool that can be used to natively use the apple pencil with your desktop-based drawing apps. There is also a third part Sidecar alternative called AstroPad which is specifically catered towards artists and has better screen mirror capabilities. – Wifi only, or Wifi+cellular Color – Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Blue, and Purple
With iPad Pro, you get multiple sizes and memory options but limited color choices But if you are someone who can appreciate a larger screen and a bigger drawing area and willing to somewhat compromise with portability for that, the 12.9 inch iPad is a better choice.
If you are getting these tablets for normal multimedia usage, the lack of ProMotion display is not that big of a deal. But when you are buying these devices as a drawing tablet, having and not having the 120Hz ProMotion display can be a deciding factor. Now as we mentioned before, the iPad Air with its 60 Hz screen is good enough and still provides the best drawing tablet in that price range. But the iPad Pro with its ProMotion display feels smoother to draw and write on.
Even though the M2 is faster in comparison to M1 chip, but the thing is M1 is fast enough on its own and can handle anything you throw at it. If you ask us – our recommendation would be – “iPad Air is a good fit for hobbyists and casual artist who draws every once in a while. But if you are a full-time artist, we would highly recommend you get the Apple iPad Pro (Amazon).” Other than the display, you should also keep in mind that the lower variant of the iPad Air comes with just 64Gb of onboard storage.
With the iPad Air, even at this lower price, you are getting a tablet with identical display quality, same M1 processor, support for 2nd gen Apple Pencil, and similar accessories. If you are someone who wants a good drawing experience while saving some cash, you should for sure go with the new iPad Air (Amazon).
We say this for one simple reason and that is – iPad Pro has a 120Hz display which will provide you a better pen experience, after all that what matters the most for an artist.
The best iPad models for drawing in 2023
We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services.
Which iPad Is Best for Drawing and Digital Art? (Beginner to Pro)
The reason for this is that we are used to controlling the thickness and darkness of the lines by adjusting the pressure of the pencil. Even if you use a stylus, its rubber tip only replaces the finger, without providing any information about pressure. The line drawn with a pen is not only less wobbly (a good stylus will help you with this kind of control), but it also has a variable thickness. The term “graphics tablet” usually refers to a special pad or a screen that you connect to a computer.
This is XP-PEN Artist Pro 16TP, an example of a screen graphics tablet that you connect to a computer. But can an iPad, which is a general-purpose tablet, be as good for drawing as the devices designed specifically for art? The surface of a graphics tablet is designed to recognize the signals from the pen and learn how strongly you press it. That’s why you can’t just take a pen from a graphics tablet and start using it on any touch-screen device—these two have to work in tandem.
It’s a special stylus, designed to look and feel like a real pencil, that only works with iPads released since 2015.
The Apple Pencil also offers tilt sensitivity—which means that you can draw “with the side of the nib” to produce wider strokes (depending on the settings of the brush). In the past, tablet pens were often heavy and unwieldy because they had a cell battery inside. Today, most of them are battery-free, which means they don’t even need to be charged—they get their power from the contact with the surface of the tablet.
The 2nd generation Apple Pencil also offers one extra feature: it has an invisible button that you can double tap to quickly switch between the current tool and an eraser, switch between the current tool and the last used one, or show the color palette (as long as the app supports it). That’s why iPads have a functionality called palm rejection, which turns off the touch detection when you use the Pencil. This functionality is offered in all iPads supporting the Apple Pencil, but it may work more or less successfully depending on the app. To ensure any accidental strokes never happen, you can do two things: turn off touch detection in the app, or use a two-fingered drawing glove.
When you hover your pen over the surface of a graphics tablet, you can see the outline of the brush, so you can adjust its size before touching the screen. Many users don’t consider it a deal breaker, but it’s worth knowing that this extra artist-oriented feature is available in some models.
In the world of traditional graphics tablets, you can choose from many sizes: from a modest 13″ to something as huge as 32″. That being said, you can be pretty happy with something as small as an iPad Mini, if your drawing process is based mostly on sketching. When it comes to digital art creation, the quality of the display is probably just as important as pressure sensitivity.
What matters is the relationship between the resolution and the size of the screen—1920 x 1080 looks crisp on a mobile phone screen, but not so much on a 50″ TV.
Tech companies usually try to outdo their previous models when introducing a new product, increasing the resolution more and more. They decided that the human eye loses the capability to recognize the individual pixels (at a normal viewing distance) at a certain PPI.
In any case, the iPad Mini is the only model where you can expect a slightly sharper image quality. Most internet media is standardized for it, so if you use sRGB when creating your artwork, you can be fairly sure that others will see similar colors on their screens. Here’s the kicker: while the P3 screen may look better to you, your image is likely to be converted to sRGB when you share it online—so even people using the same iPad as you may not see what you saw during creation.
The extra colors may make the iPad display look better during general activities, but it’s not as important for creating art as it might seem
Depending on the screen technology used, the black may be darker or less dark, and the white brighter or less bright. On newer models, you’ll find it called Liquid Retina, which refers to the rounded corners of the screen, but that doesn’t change much in terms of image quality.
The highest models, such as the iPad Pro 12.9 5th-6th generation, bring quite a big improvement—they sport a Liquid Retina XDR display with a superb level of contrast (1,000,000:1, which is supposed to make it look close to an OLED display). This can make the image look amazing, but you still need to keep in mind that after sharing your work online, most people will not see it the same way you did.
It refers to the adaptive refresh rate, and while it may make everything look smoother, it doesn’t affect the image quality or the objective speed of your work. It will make the nib wear out faster and will introduce a bit of noise into the image quality—but it can be an acceptable trade-off if your precision benefits from that. Reducing the glare of the screen can also count as a beneficial side effect of a matte protector. While they don’t affect the image quality, they make the iPad look worn-out when the screen is off
Luckily, none of the iPads have a problem with this—the parallax is not noticeable at all, so you’re going to feel as if you’re drawing directly on the screen! Generally speaking, the more powerful the iPad, the smoother and more pleasant the drawing experience.
RAM, roughly speaking, defines how much information the iPad can work with at one moment.
That’s why apps like Procreate set a hard lock on the number of layers you can have in your file, depending on its resolution. The faster and more powerful the CPU, the quicker and smoother the iPad is at executing tasks. There’s also the graphics processing unit (GPU), which takes care of the visual side of the tasks.
If you don’t want to experience lags and instability, choose an iPad with a more powerful chip. Disk storage is another thing that could be upgraded according to your needs if you used a traditional graphics tablet connected to a computer.
Smaller storage won’t affect your workflow, as long as you remember to manage the older files regularly. High-resolution, multi-layered files can be pretty big, so make sure you have a place to store them—either on the iPad or somewhere else.
And using drawing apps is certainly a pretty demanding task for the hardware, so you can expect it to drain the battery very fast (especially since 100% brightness is often necessary to see the colors correctly). Generally, Apple aims for ten hours of web browsing/video playback on each of the iPads, and the battery quality is simply adjusted to reach that goal.
Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular digital art programs, but it’s only accessible to you in its full power on desktop. But this isn’t really a problem because the iPad has its own apps, designed to work best within the limitations of its hardware. You can also find a growing number of brushes available online that have been created for Procreate and its specific capabilities. You can use them to create art in a minimalist style or to introduce more texture to your detailed artwork.
Digital painting can be overwhelming at times, but nobody said that you can’t use your iPad to create… pencil drawings! This set will help you produce beautiful sketches, whether for standalone artworks or as a base for a future painting. There’s no “one size fits all” when it comes to things like this—all drawing apps offer similar functions, but they all have their own unique approach. It has a more accessible interface (all the important tools stay on the screen at all times, without covering too much space). If you want extra features (like clipping masks or a handy photo reference window), you can get them as a one-time payment (currently about $2). It welcomes you with a short tutorial to give you a quick overview of the features, and then you can just start drawing!
The app is free, but there’s an ad displayed on top, which takes up a bit of space and can be distracting. You can remove the ads with a one-time payment of about $10, and a subscription of $2.99/month gives you a few extra features (like new filters, materials, and cloud access).
The tools are labeled, which makes the interface of ibisPaint X look less minimalist, but it can be very helpful for beginners. It allows you to use poseable 3D models for reference, and there are lots of assets (brushes, materials, patterns, and swatches) that you can get directly from a dedicated store. If you’re used to the versatility of Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint will give you the experience you’re more familiar with.
You can also customize the interface—for example, make the layers panel stay on top, in any area of the screen you need!
To test the app, you can download it and use it for free—but just like with CSP, you won’t be able to save your file. Its watercolor brushes, for example, create splashes of colors that keep flowing and bleeding into each other, even after you pick up the pen. The colors mix naturally, like real pigments, so if you’re used to working with traditional media, this app may be more convenient for you than the others. If you have a Creative Cloud subscription, it’s likely that Fresco is already part of it—you just need to log in with your Adobe ID credentials.
Infinite Painter can be downloaded and used for free, but most of its tools (other than the most basic ones) are then locked behind the paywall. All the iPads supporting the Apple Pencil are good for drawing, so as a beginner, you can choose any model from our list.
As with any shortcut, it doesn’t capture the whole picture, so you should still compare the other specifications to see if the chosen model is a good fit for you. If you’re looking for a cheap iPad for Procreate, just find the cheapest used/refurbished model from this list, and you’ll be fine!
If you’re more interested in efficiency, check out the answer to the question “What is the best iPad for digital art?” As mentioned before, RAM directly correlates to the number of layers accessible in Procreate, so this (along with the chipset) should be the most important metric for you. You’re going to improve faster by buying an older iPad and starting to draw right away than by waiting until you can afford one of the high-end models. All Apple products are good at what they’re designed for—just because new models keep appearing on the horizon, it doesn’t mean the older ones suddenly lose their capabilities. As an owner of a 27″ Wacom Cintiq, I find my iPad just as capable when it comes to digital art, and I think that says a lot. One extra fun fact: it was created in Sketchbook, not Procreate—just to fight the popular assumption that you need Procreate to produce good digital art!
I know that when it comes to buying a new device, especially one as expensive as an Apple product, making the choice can be very stressful.
Artist Review: iPad Air 5 (2022)
The tablet is available in five colours: Space Gray, Pink, Purple, Blue and Starlight. 10.9-inch Pad Air 5 (2022) 11-inch iPad Pro (2020) 11-inch M1 iPad Pro (2021) Display type IPS LCD at 60Hz IPS LCD at 120Hz IPS LCD at 120Hz Resolution 2360 x 1640 pixels 2388 x 1668 pixels 2388 x 1668 pixels Brightness 500 nits 600 nits 600 nits Processor M1 A12Z M1 Storage 64GB to 256GB 128GB to 1TB 128GB to 2TB RAM 8GB 6GB 8GB Camera 12MP, 12MP front 12MP, 10MP, 7MP front 12MP, 10MP, 12MP front Port USB-C USB-C Thunderbolt/USB 4 USB-C Thunderbolt/USB 4 Connection 5G 4G 5G Security Fingerprint unlock Face unlock Face unlock Apple Pencil 2nd generation 2nd generation 2nd generation Size 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1mm 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9mm 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9mm Weight 461g 471g 466g Battery life At least 9 hours At least 9 hours At least 9 hours Price From US $599 From US $799 From US $799
The base model US $599 iPad Air 5 with 64GB is tight on storage capacity. It’s clear that the refurbished 11-inch iPad Pro 2020 provides more value for your money as you can get more storage capacity, 120Hz refresh rate and the 4-way speakers.
Heck, it doesn’t even matter if the iPad Air 5 is using M100 processor because the drawing performance is similar. That’s unless you want to get a specific colour that only exists with the iPad Air 5, or you urgently need a tablet but there’s no stocks for the refurbished models.
The refurbished section on Apple’s website is only available in selected countries. The physical dimension is similar to the 11-inch iPad Pro but the bezels are slightly thicker since it’s a 10.9-inch vs 11-inch display in the same body. The unit I purchased is Starlight which is this beautiful soft shiny subtle yellow.
The power button has a built-in fingerprint sensor which is fast and effective. I find it confusing that the buttons to adjust the volume would change (increase and decrease) depending on the orientation of the tablet. Even with a case added, this is a tablet I can hold comfortably in one hand while standing to draw.
I used to use matte screen protectors but I no longer do so because the anti-glare that diffuses reflections is too glaring for my eyes, and matte screen protectors affect image quality. iPad Air 5 supports Apple Pencil 2 which has a flat side that can attach to the tablet for charging and pairing. You can tap the side of Apple Pencil 2 for some shortcuts which will vary depend on the app you use. Drawing performance of iPad Air 5 and Apple Pencil 2 is fantastic. It really comes down to how good the pen is and Apple Pencil has always been fantastic at drawing since it exists. Apple Pencil 2 supports tilt, pressure sensitivity and palm rejection.
You can draw a thin line easily without applying any pressure as long as the pen tip is touching the display. When drawing fast, there’s a small gap as the line is trying to catch up with the pen tip. E.g. laminated display, ProMotion 120Hz, storage capacity, RAM, processor.
128GB is a good amount to have but Apple does not offer that option because they want to push people to get 256GB and earn that extra $150. Android tablets actually have a good variety of drawing apps too, but Android lacks full-featured graphic design and vector apps such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, Vectornator. Clip Studio Paint is great but it’s a subscription based app.
As mentioned earlier, while it’s a good tablet, as a budget conscious consumer and value hunter, I would recommend the refurbished 11-inch iPad Pro (2020) instead as it provides more value for money, especially for the 256GB model if you have the budget. In case you still want to buy the iPad Air 5, consider supporting me by getting the tablet through the Amazon affiliate links below.
Be First to Comment