Hey all!

I am wanting to get into digital art a bit. Like the fun quote signs and pictures you can buy on etsy (the calligraphy type ones). I know there are loads of you who are waaayyyy more familiar in this area then me so I thought I would ask!

What are the good simple, beginner art tablets and/or programs for that kinda stuff? Preferably that don't break the bank.

Thank you much!

-Cody Creek

I have an iPad gen 6 and an Apple Pencil, iPad Pro would be good too, but they're more expensive. I use Procreate as my program and you can buy additional calligraphy brush packs etc if you want, but I do everything off of the original brush pack that comes on the app

I got my Wacom tablet brand new for pretty cheap, and it's been going for a good few years now. There are also quite a few free art programs available:

GIMP isn't on there, but I believe that's also pretty good, as well as Fire Alpaca. It's definitely something to play around with, and find out which you're comfortable with. Don't stick to the first one you get, be sure to play around with as many programs as possible!

This is all assuming you are on computer. However, if you're on mobile, I 110% recommend Procreate. It costs about 12$, but definitely worth it. There are plenty of cheap styluses that you can get from Amazon as well, I'd recommend an Apple Pencil but they are notoriously pricy and, yknow, only compatible with Apple, so if you have an Android, less than helpful.

I currently have an iPad Air 4th gen, Apple Pencil and Ibis Paint and that does absolutely everything I need but for quote type things, I'd honestly recommend Procreate and any sort of tablet that can support a stylus

I use a Microsoft Surface laptop with a surface pen which works great if your looking for non tablet ideas too.

For editing programs I use Gimp which is great. Its free and I would recommend it to anyone. It takes a bit of getting used to like most programs but it an overal great way to edit or draw.

I have one of those super old Wacom bamboo tablets that they really don't make anymore. I think Wacom is the best way to go if you're just starting out since other options can be pretty pricy and with a basic Wacom tablet, you can go a long way AND they last forever. I've had mine for about 5 years now and it's still going with no bugs so far.

I made a whole forum post about the best photo manip and digital art programs. For text and lettering, GIMP is the best I've used that is free but overall Krita is the best free art program but I have yet to find a text option on there and I've used it for about 2 years. Overall you can beat photoshop l, though it is a little pricy. If you are in school of any kind, typically they offer student discounts if you need/want PS. I know my college pays for it for all students who say they need it and my high school offered discounts to students and paid for about half of the program. Still that can be an expensive option if you're just starting out so I'd recommend going with Gimp based on what you have said you'll be doing.