XPPen Artist12 11.6" Graphics Drawing Tablet

As a traditional artist I have used many drawing tablets. I really found it difficult to get used to drawing on the surface while looking at the screen, and so my digital art was slow, clunky and awkward. I just couldn't get the accuracy I wanted because I couldn't see where the pen was relative to my art. I kept missing subtle lines. I didn't want to spend a fortune getting the ability to draw on the screen because I didn't know if it would make the experience easy enough to justify the cost. I did a lot of research before deciding on this. It was worth every penny I spent on it. As a disabled artist I now have the ability to create art even when I'm not able to get out of bed, as long as I can look at a screen, I can create. This allows me so much freedom as it will even install on a tiny notebook through the USB-C connector with an adaptor without any issues. It isn't completely portable as it needs a power source, but it is as portable as I need it to be. In the box you get everything you need to set this up and work with it straight away. To avoid any issues I suggest that before you unbox, go into the computer that you're going to install it on and ensure that you have uninstalled every last bit of any old drawing tablets, hardware and drivers. Update windows to the latest possible version. Update your graphics card drivers. Then restart your machine. Later on you may have to disable Windows Ink, but I'd leave that unless you need to. The reason I suggest this is that I was running into an annoying glitch that meant that my pen was controlling the main monitor and wouldn't map to the XP pen display at all. Then my keyboard and mouse would start randomly flashing and everything froze. I geeked the problem and solved it, but updating all your drivers before you install would be the best way to avoid the issue altogether in my opinion. Having done all that, download the drivers for the XP pen display and install them. Turn your computer off. Now you can unbox your shiny display and get it set up and plugged in. Start your computer. Display settings will let you set the XP Pen display up as a second monitor. Then use the program it installed to get your pen calibrated to the screen and set your preferences. Set your express keys there too. I suggest Ctrl as one for quick colour picking and Ctrl+z for a quick undo. But you know how you work best. The only drawing program I use these days is Krita, and I have not tested the XP Pen 12 with any other programmes. In Krita the eraser end doesn't map to an eraser. It's just the active pen. That's a software issue in Krita apparently; it works well in other drawing programmes according to other reviewers. This is the only issue I've not been able to solve using the XP Pen 12 in Krita. With time I'm sure there will be a way to get this to work. Drawing on it is really nice. The surface is slightly tactile and gives a natural feeling to draw on. The pen is really nice to hold even with sore hands that have grip issues, and the buttons are recessed which means I get accidental clicks less often. You can set the buttons to do what you want them to do in the set up programme. Overall this is worth the money, works very very well, and would be ideal as your first tablet monitor pen display as an upgrade to tablets where you're looking at the monitor while drawing on the tablet. The pen is very accurate and I have had no problems with parallax. The pen pretty much draws where you put it. My only beef with it is that the unit is MUCH bigger than the active screen surface, however at this price knocking a star off for that would be nitpicking. With this I have got my money's worth and it does everything I want it to do. I created the piece in the picture here during time that I was too ill to do traditional art, and that makes me happy. I highly recommend this unit for all budding digital artists. The added bonus is that it works as a second monitor in places where you wouldn't usually have the space to install one. Even when I'm not drawing on it, it is still in use. If you're looking for a gift for any artist who has a computer that will work with this, then it will knock their socks off. Don't hesitate, just buy it.

I've had this product for a little under 3 months now, and so far its worked perfectly! once you have it set up its easy to use, only issue I'm having is forgetting what buttons I've set what for- no issue to the product itself. the box it came in is wonderful, and it was packaged safely inside, when I received my package, the amazon box it came in was a little dented- due to the fault of the delivery (so be careful ordering of amazon) but everything inside was perfect! nothing out of place or broken. It is a little hard to set up once first received, and setting it to the correct colours and stuff that are on your pc screen is somewhat annoying (you get it very orange tinted lol) but once you've fixed all that its wonderful! I recommend this for anyone willing to buy something cheap(ish) or a beginner artist as its value for its money!

I have never used a graphics table before but this seems great. Currently using Autodesk with this and it is working really well. I connect it to my laptop then once in Windows I shut the laptop lid, lean it against the wall and sit on the sofa with the tablet on my lap, a set up that works really well. The image quality on the screen is really good. There is a nice depth to the colours and being able to alter the brightness with buttons on the device is really helpful. The pen is nicely weighted, has a solid feel to it and I like the hexagonal shape. The pen also comes in a really nice quality tube with lots of spare nibs. The variation in line thickness with pen pressure is really good. The box the device came in itself is also really nice and although only cardboard is of solid construction and will protect it well. TOP TIP: The pen pressure didn’t seem to be working at first but in the driver software for the tablet if you tick the small box at the bottom left that says ‘Windows Ink’ this resolved the issue (this may have been the cause of the issue experienced by another reviewer here) Screen Protector: BROTECT Screen Protector Matte Lenovo Yoga 710 11.6 I used the above screen protector and it fitted the tablet really well, Just 1mm (if that) less on the height and width, not a problem at all unless you’re really fussy and covers the workable drawing area. Looks like it will protect the screen really well and it gives a really nice feel as it moves over the screen, almost giving it a paper like feel with the the pen.