Digital painting (with tablet)

What it is

Halfway through a sketch on the sofa, you change the sky from grey to gold with one tap, then change it back because the grey was better. No paper wasted. No drying time. That instant reversibility is the thing traditional painters quietly envy about working on a tablet.

Digital painting keeps everything that matters about the analogue version. You still sketch, block in shapes, build up layers, blend edges, and make a hundred small decisions about colour and light. What changes is the surface. A stylus on glass replaces a brush on canvas, and the canvas itself becomes infinite, undoable, and portable. Apps like Procreate (a one-off €13.99 on iPad) or the free Krita on a desktop give you brushes that mimic oil, watercolour, charcoal, and ink, plus dozens that no physical tool could ever produce.

The appeal splits people into camps. Some use it for loose doodling in bed, the digital equivalent of a margin scribble. Others build full fantasy scenes, character sheets, comic pages, or concept art that ends up in games. The medium does not care which you are. Layers let you keep your line work separate from your colour, so a mistake in one never touches the other. That alone shortens the learning curve enormously for anyone migrating from paper.

The honest trade-off is the disconnect. Drawing on a flat screen while looking at a separate monitor, or even drawing directly on glass, never quite feels like graphite biting into paper. Most people adjust within a few weeks. A textured screen protector helps more than you would expect.

How it works

Plug the tablet in and open the software before you touch the pen, because the first real decision is canvas size and resolution, not brushstrokes. For anything you might print, set the document to 300 DPI and size it in centimetres. For screen-only work, 150 DPI and pixel dimensions are fine, and the smaller file keeps brushes responsive on a modest laptop.

The core mechanic is layers, and getting comfortable with them is the whole game. Sketch loosely on one layer at low opacity, drop a new layer on top for clean line work, then more layers underneath for flat colour and shading. Keeping these separate means you can repaint a shadow or recolour a coat without destroying the lines above it. Most beginners cram everything onto one layer and then cannot fix anything, which is the single biggest early frustration.

Pressure sensitivity is what makes a tablet feel like drawing rather than operating a mouse. A Wacom Intuos or an iPad with an Apple Pencil reads how hard you press, so a light touch gives a thin pale line and a firm one gives a thick dark stroke from the same brush. Spend twenty minutes adjusting the pressure curve in settings until light pressure feels natural, because the factory default is usually too stiff and tires your hand fast.

Procreate at a one-off price of around £13 and the free Krita both handle painting well, and Photoshop remains the studio standard if you already pay for it. What actually happens is that the software matters far less than the layer habits, so pick one and stay in it long enough to stop hunting for buttons.

Benefits

Creativity Relaxation Focus Training Self-Expression Confidence Boost Enjoyment / Fun

What you need

Here's what to gather before you start. The essentials are marked.

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Tablet or drawing display (iPad, Wacom, Huion, etc.)

Stylus (Apple Pencil, Wacom Pen, or equivalent)

Art app (Procreate, Clip Studio, Adobe Fresco, Krita)

Charger or cable (long sessions drain fast)

Cloud backup or external drive Optional

Stylus glove for smoother flow Optional

Tutorials, reference images, colour palettes Optional

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Colour palette

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FAQs

What do I actually need to start?

Three things: a tablet, a stylus, and an app. An iPad with an Apple Pencil running Procreate (€13.99, one payment) is the most common starting point and the least fuss. On a computer, a Wacom Intuos tablet plus free Krita does the same job for less money, though you draw while looking up at a separate screen, which takes adjusting to. You do not need a Cintiq or an iPad Pro. Those are upgrades, not requirements.

Do I need to be able to draw already?

No. Digital tools forgive beginners in a way paper never does. Undo removes a bad line instantly, layers keep your colour separate from your linework, and you can try ten colour schemes on the same drawing without redoing anything. Drawing fundamentals still matter, but the medium itself lowers the cost of every mistake, which means you experiment more and learn faster.

The screen feels slippery and weird compared to paper. Is that normal?

Yes, and it bothers almost everyone at first. Glass has no tooth, so the stylus glides where graphite would grip. A matte screen protector (the paper-feel type, around €15) adds friction and fixes most of the complaint. Most people stop noticing within two or three weeks regardless.

Is an iPad better than a drawing tablet plugged into a computer?

Depends what you want. An iPad lets you draw directly on the image, which feels natural and works anywhere, but it costs more. A screenless tablet like a Wacom is cheaper and pairs with software you may already own, but your hand and your eyes look in different directions until your brain adapts. For pure portability and intuitive feel, iPad wins. For budget and desktop power, the tablet route wins.

Can I sell what I make, or is this just for fun?

Both. Plenty of people sell prints, take commissions, or do concept and character work professionally, all starting from the same setup a casual beginner uses. The file you export is already high resolution and print ready. The honest gap is skill and consistency, not equipment, because the tools scale with you long after you outgrow being a beginner.