You can draw anywhere you go with the best tablets and laptops for drawing and art. You will be able to interact directly with your creation and have the battery life to do this every day, no matter where you are. It’s the ultimate dream, right? It could, if one is an artist.
We considered all options, focusing on performance (high end drawing apps require a lot of power), portability and battery life. We also considered how many storage options the devices had, screen size, keyboard quality and connectivity options.
We at TechRadar are computer experts who have reviewed hundreds of computers over the years. You can use our search field to find the right device for you. We don’t want you to go down this rabbit hole by yourself, so we decided to gather the best laptops and tablets available, perfect for drawing and art, and put them all here for your enjoyment.
The best laptops and tablets for drawing and artwork in 2022 in full
1. HP Spectre x360 (2021)
The best laptop for drawing and art with long battery life
Specifications
CPU: 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-1165G7 quad-core, 8MB Intel Smart Cache up to 4.7GHz Turbo Boost
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe integrated
RAM: 16GB LPDDR4 (3200MHz)
Storage: 512GB SSD (PCIe, NVMe, M.2)
Touchscreen: 13.3 inches FHD (1.920 x 1.080).
There are many reasons to buy
+Fabulous design+Excellent battery performance+Great performance for daily work+Large, comfortable keypad
Avoidable reasons
Pricey-Fans can be loud – Not great for a tablet device
The computer aims to be both a tablet and a laptop, but can also function as a tablet. It looks very much like a traditional tablet computer. However, you can flip the screen back to make it a touchscreen-enabled tablet-like device.
The HP Spectre x360 2021 is a significant upgrade to the previous model. Its components and performance are the most important. This laptop also showcases Intel’s latest mobile processors. This machine, thanks to the 16GB RAM and new CPU, is a very fast performer. Windows 10 feels responsive and fast. It didn’t slow down at all when multitasking with multiple apps open simultaneously, as well as Edge tabs.
The HP Spectre x360 delivers on its promise of long battery life. This is one of the most important quality-of-life improvements Intel has made with the Intel Evo platform. The battery test showed that it lasted for an impressive 11 hours and 22 seconds. This included looping a 1080p video file at 50% brightness, until the battery died.
It’s a powerful, portable machine that is great for whatever you need, even though it is expensive.
2. Dell XPS 17 (2021).
The best premium laptop for content creators
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H (8 core, 24MB Intel Smart Cache) – Up to 4.6GHz Turbo Boost
Graphics: Intel Iris Plus, Nvidia GeForce GTX 3060
RAM: 32GB DDR4 (3,200MHz)
Storage: 1TB SSD (PCIe, NVMe, M.2)
Touchscreen: 17-inch UHD (3.840 x 2.400).
There are many reasons to buy
+Thin and light+Great keyboard+As beautiful or ever+Excellent performance
Avoidable reasons
Ports are scarce and expensive
The 4K display on this Dell is truly amazing. We were sent the 4K touch Dell XPS 13, and although the OLED Dell XPS13 is better – it is OLED afterall – this Dell display is still the best we have used and is great for media work.
This laptop packs an 11th-generation Intel Core processor as well as an Nvidia GeForce RTX3060 GPU, so it shouldn’t surprise that it can handle most workloads.
This laptop shines in creative work, where the 4K display really shines. This laptop will save you more time than the MacBook Pro.
This laptop can be used to edit 4K video on the road thanks to its powerful discrete graphics and powerful RAM.
Like its rival, the only problem with this model is the price. However, you get what you pay.
3. Acer Spin 5 (2020).
The best laptop for drawing and creating artwork at a budget price
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i7-1065G7
Graphics with Intel Iris Plus Graphics
RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X
Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Screen: 13.5-inch FHD (2256×1504) VertiView IPS Display
There are many reasons to buy
+Portable+Excellent battery life+Feature-rich stylus included+Powerful Intel CPU+3-inch display ideal for note-taking
Avoidable reasons
-3:2 screen not suitable for 16:9 video-Bloatware also includes desktop pop-up advertisements-Gaming isn’t great-Sound is just okay
The typical 2-in-1 laptops are 16:9 in aspect. This means that they feel cramped when drawing or writing on them. The Spin 5’s 3:2 ratio is a great example of this.
Although the included stylus can feel small and fragile, since it has its own charging port and housing port, it is much more likely to be lost or damaged than other 2-in-1s.
The ultra-fast charging system is perhaps the most important feature of the stylus. Just plug it in to the laptop for about 15-20 seconds and it will give you approximately 90 minutes of charge.
The Spin 5 does not look as powerful as it is. The latest Intel Ice Lake mobile processors are packed into the slim chassis. They also include Intel’s new Iris Plus integrated graphic GPU. This does a decent job for integrated graphics.
The Spin 5 excels at multitasking. These processors can handle even the most complex apps without a hitch. The 16GB RAM will make memory-hungry applications like Adobe Photoshop easier to manage.
4. iPad Pro 12.9 (2021)
Best tablet for multitasking
Specifications
Apple M1 CPU
Graphics with 8-core GPU
RAM: 8GB / 16GB
Storage: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB
Screen: 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR Mini LED LCD 2048 x 2732
There are many reasons to buy
+Phenomenal power+Fantastic display+Long battery life
Avoidable reasons
A staggering price of 128GB storage makes it feel limited.
The iPad Pro 2021 12.9 inch tablet is not for everyone. It’s expensive and too large for people who don’t require a huge screen (although artists won’t be complaining about this).
The Liquid Retina XDR MiniLED display is stunning. It has brightness levels that are unmatched on other tablets. This slate can compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7+. This screen is great for watching movies and will also work well for daily tasks.
Apple’s M1 chipset has been much discussed. This is the first time that the company has included its desktop-powered silicon in an iPad. Is it something you really need? It’s unlikely, but the iPad Pro has incredible power and is an excellent choice if you need it.
You won’t likely appreciate the extra power unless you are gaming intensely, using power-hungry apps or pushing your tablet to its limits. Although it will load apps quicker than before, most users won’t notice the difference unless they are using the most intense App Store experiences.
The tablet’s battery life is excellent. We tested it and found that it would last approximately 10 hours on a single charge. You’ll get different mileage depending on your activities, but this great battery performance is something that should not be overlooked.
5. Microsoft Surface Pro 8
The best all-rounder for art and drawing
Specifications
CPU: 3.0GHz Intel Core i7-1185G7 Quad-core, 12MB Intel Smart Cache up to 4.8GHz Turbo Boost
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
RAM: 16GB LPDDR4x
Storage: 256GB SSD (PCIe, NVMe, M.2)
Screen: 13-inch QHD touch (2,880×1,920).
There are many reasons to buy
+Faster processor+Gorgeous new design+Bigger display+Thunderbolt 4
Avoidable reasons
-More costly-No more USB Type A-Type Cover sold separately
It’s difficult to find the right balance with a device as portable as the Surface Pro 8. It should be fast but not too fast that it loses its battery or becomes too hot.
Cinebench R15, a test that we have retired and replaced by Cinebench R23, shows that the Surface Pro 8 is almost 50% faster than the Surface Pro 7. This is an incredible generational improvement. GeekBench 4 is not as fast, but the difference is still noticeable.
The Surface Pro 8’s performance against its sibling, Surface Laptop Studio, is even more impressive. It is only 12% faster than Microsoft’s creative workstation in Cinebench and just 5% slower on GeekBench. This is despite the fact that the Surface Pro 8’s thickness is almost half of the Laptop studio, and its weight is nearly half. It is a powerful and impressive tablet for its size.
We tested the Surface Pro 8’s battery life with PCMark 10. It was able to last for 8 hours and 15 minutes. This makes it a device that you can use all day without charging. The Surface Pro 8 is a great device for artists, particularly if it’s paired with the Surface Pen. This device is essential for artists on the move.
We also feature the top business laptops, and the best tablets for business.
How do you choose the best tablet and laptop for drawing?
Tablets and laptops that are best for drawing and art offer an unrivaled creative experience. It is important to choose a device that meets your content creation needs.
A laptop that has a strong CPU and lots of RAM is essential if you intend to use graphic intensive apps to enhance your creativity. High screen brightness and long battery life are important for those who travel a lot. If you are looking for a lightweight and portable experience, make sure to check the weight and dimensions of your device. If you have other devices you need to connect, make sure the laptop has the appropriate type of connectivity.
How we tested the best tablets and laptops for drawing and art:
We considered the following factors when choosing the best tablet and laptop for drawing and art: portability, storage capacity, screen size, quality, and performance.
We evaluated their RAM and CPU, and also assessed how they performed with different graphic-intensive programs like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. We evaluated their battery life when running various types of applications like web browsers and video players.
We also checked whether the laptops could run creative apps and the quality of the speakers. We also looked at whether accessories such as a stylus were included with the laptop/tablet.
