I Have a New Drawing Tablet!

I now am the proud owner of a Huion Kanvas Pro 13. Normally I don't write about tech, since I am NOT a reviewer. I am going to make an exception in this case because it is so simple and makes my life so much easier.

Firstly I want to say there are many options out there when it comes to a drawing tablet. There are brand names, obscure names and so many sizes with so many features and extras. I cannot comment on them all because this is the one I chose however I can tell you the reasons why I chose what I did.

To start with, what is a drawing tablet? Well, there are really two kinds. The one I have is really a second monitor that you connect to your computer and draw on with a stylus pen. Not really any different than some cell phones!

There is also real tablets like the Apple Ipad where you put an app on it and and can do the same thing but it is not connected to a computer. There are also a few computers with detachable screens or screens on the computer you can draw on.

So why didn't I go for something bigger?

Well, because I knew where I would be using it, and I wanted it to be be small so that I could put it on a board on my lap and do it while I watch TV...editing colouring pages is not the most exciting thing in the world so I do other things as the same time. If I had a honking huge tablet, it would require a desk and a stand and so on. Some of them are also really heavy! I will be relocating and travelling with mine eventually and I don't want even more weight!

Why didn't I get an Ipad? Again, I would be moving and it is too expensive to loose, get taken (some countries only allow so much electronics and will take stuff! Sad but true!), and I have an Ipad Pro and a Ipad mini. The mini I refuse to update any more because they just turn things I do like pay games into something I have to pay for, and the Ipad pro, they keep adding more garbage I don't want filling up my hard-drive. Most of my Mac is filled with things I don't want or need but can't remove! Not to mention because of their security, I can't even get a password that works. I change a password, they come along and want it changed again! I have lost track of all the passwords I have put on my Icloud account! I simply have given up trying to do anything with any of my Apple products. It would take a full day of being on hold and making calls trying to figure out what the old passwords were and getting things sorted AGAIN and frankly I haven't the mental fortitude for it.

I chose the Huion 13 pro because of it's features, size and price. It is a good "middle of the road" tablet that isn't the fanciest or the biggest out there however after watching Youtube videos who compare other more expensive  versions with this one, it is clear you get a solidly working device that is improving all the time and keeping up with more reputable brands at a much lesser cost.

One thing I will mention, this tablet sometimes does and sometimes doesn't come with the stand. Mine didn't but I didn't mind because I knew it wasn't important to me and it does change the price point. It is something to be aware of.

Current I use it with my Affinity software and it works great. My computer isn't strong enough for most things but still manages not to crash most of the time, so it must be a  good device to work with my computer!

If you want to try drawing on a computer, or tablet, it is an inexpensive way to try it without going overboard. It is just the right size for portability and versatility and I am glad I chose the size I did. I think for my needs, another size would have been too big, and the 12 just that little bit too small.

I use it almost nightly doing edits since I received it and I have not had any issues. I love the way the stylus pen moves over the textured surface. It is isn't just sliding along, there is a little bit on the surface which makes it feel more natural, and although it only has a few shortcut hot keys on the side, honestly, I don't need any more than that. There is a switch button at the bottom too so the long centre side bar can be easily switched between moving in and out, changing the size of you brush tip and scrolling up and down. All handy features!

So enough about my purchase. If you want to be an illustrator for books for instance, I would highly recommend this little gem. It is fun and more importantly, means I can make a better, cleaner, colouring book with less headaches and time. All good! After all, edit, edit, edit!