Best Laptops For Drawing in 2024
In the ever-evolving world of digital art, one cannot stress the importance of using the proper tools to bring your visions to life. For anyone who is a professional artist, a graphic designer, or any person interested in art and would like to start creating one, a good and powerful machine that is portable, such as a laptop, is your best companion.
This guide is designed to help you navigate the latest and greatest in laptops for drawing, highlighting the top contenders that stand out in terms of performance, display quality, and user-friendly features. Whether you’re looking for a device with a responsive stylus, a long battery life for on-the-go creation, or the best color accuracy for your detailed work, we’ve got you covered.
List of Best Laptops For Drawing in 2024
Dell XPS 13
The outstanding display and speed characteristics of the Dell XPS 13 laptop make it a widely respected device for digital art and drawing. Its 13.4-inch FHD+ touchscreen, which has a brightness of 500 nits and a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, is one of its most notable characteristics. This high-resolution screen is perfect for artists who need accuracy in their work since it reproduces colors with precision and vibrancy. For digital art to remain fluid and precise, there must be no latency while drawing, which is ensured by the touchscreen’s responsiveness.
The Dell XPS 13 is a great option for artists searching for a powerful yet portable computer. Its compact and light design—it weighs only 2.7 pounds—allows for easy portability. The laptop’s carbon fiber chassis improves both its appearance and durability, making it more resilient. The XPS 13’s battery life, which can go up to 13 hours on a single charge, adds to its portability. Artists who need to work on their projects for extended periods of time without having to continually look for a power outlet will especially benefit from this increased battery life.
This laptop boasts a performance-enhancing 11th-generation Intel Core mobile processor and Intel Iris Plus graphics. These parts provide you with the power you need to do hard jobs like gaming, streaming, and digital creative creation. Artists especially benefit from the incorporation of Intel Iris Plus graphics since it guarantees precise and fluid rendering of images and films. The laptop also has 4K graphics capabilities, which is advantageous for artists who work with high-resolution photos and films since it gives them a crisper, more detailed picture of their work.
The Dell XPS 13 laptop, equipped with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, is designed for high performance and seamless multitasking, making it ideal for digital artists. The substantial RAM allows for running multiple applications simultaneously without lag, while the SSD offers ample storage and fast data access, improving productivity.
The laptop features advanced connectivity with Wi-Fi 6 technology, providing a stable and fast internet connection essential for downloading large files or streaming content. It also includes a sophisticated thermal management system with dual fans to prevent overheating during intensive use, ensuring consistent performance.
Additionally, the XPS 13’s AI Eye Tracking technology facilitates hands-free control, allowing artists to navigate through their work without a trackpad or mouse, enhancing convenience and efficiency.
Price:
$999.99
Specifications:
Brand: Dell
Model Name: XPS 13
Screen Size: 13.4 Inches
Hard Disk Size: 512 GB
CPU Model: Core i7
Ram Memory Installed Size: 16 GB
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
Graphics Card Description: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Graphics Coprocessor: AMD
Acer Spin 5
The Acer Spin 5 laptop stands out as a highly suitable and affordable option for drawing and animation, primarily because of its impressive 13.5-inch 2K IPS LED-backlit touch display. This screen offers a sharp, immersive visual experience, which is crucial for artists working with detailed visuals in drawing software like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. The IPS technology ensures that the colors remain vibrant and accurate from various viewing angles, while the 2K resolution provides ample clarity for intricate work. This makes the Spin 5 a great option for artists looking to create high-quality digital art without breaking the bank.
One of the key advantages of the Acer Spin 5 is its lightweight and portable design, weighing in at less than three pounds. This makes it easy to carry around, whether you are working from a café, traveling, or moving between rooms in your home. The laptop’s innovative 360-degree hinge further enhances its portability and versatility, allowing it to be used in multiple modes, including as a traditional laptop or a tablet. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for artists who may prefer to draw directly on the screen in tablet mode or use the laptop mode for tasks like editing or animating.
In addition to its portability, the Acer Spin 5 boasts a battery life of up to fifteen hours on a single charge, which is remarkable for a laptop in its price range. This extended battery life ensures that artists can work on their projects for prolonged periods without worrying about finding a power outlet. Moreover, the laptop can remain on standby for up to forty-five days, which is convenient for users who may not use it every day but want it to be ready to go when needed.
Performance-wise, the Acer Spin 5 is equipped with the latest Intel Iris Plus Graphics, which enhances its capability to handle demanding applications smoothly. This is particularly important for artists working with complex graphics or animations, as it ensures that their software runs efficiently and without lag. The laptop’s 10th generation Intel Core i7–1065G7 processor, capable of reaching speeds up to 3.9 GHz, further supports its strong performance. This powerful processor enables users to multitask effectively, running multiple programs simultaneously without experiencing slowdowns, which is essential for artists who often need to switch between different applications.
The laptop also comes with 16GB of RAM, which is ample for most drawing and animation tasks. This allows for smooth and fluid operation when editing artwork or animating scenes, even with several programs open at once. Additionally, the 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD provides significant storage space and fast data transfer speeds, minimizing the time spent waiting for files to load or render. This is crucial for maintaining productivity and ensuring a seamless workflow.
In terms of connectivity and additional features, the Acer Spin 5 includes Intel Wi-Fi 6 technology, which provides a fast and reliable internet connection. This is particularly useful for downloading large files, streaming reference videos, or collaborating with others online. The laptop also features dual side vents for continuous airflow, helping to keep the device cool during extended use, which is important for maintaining performance and longevity.
The backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader are additional conveniences that enhance the user experience. The backlit keyboard allows for easy typing in low-light conditions, while the fingerprint reader provides quick and secure access to the laptop, saving time and enhancing security.
Price:
$989
Specifications:
Brand: acer
Hard Disk Size: 512 GB
CPU Model Core: i7-1065G7
Ram Memory Installed Size: 16 GB
Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Graphics Card Description: Integrated
Graphics Coprocessor: Intel Iris
Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi
Graphics Processor Manufacturer: Intel
Microsoft Surface Pro 7
The Surface Pro 7 is a versatile and powerful tool for artists of all levels, offering a range of features that make it ideal for both professional and hobbyist creators. One of its standout features is its 12.3-inch touch-screen display, which has a high resolution of 2736 x 1824 pixels. This level of detail ensures that the drawing tools and artwork are rendered with clarity and precision, which is essential for intricate design work. The display supports pen input, allowing for a natural and intuitive drawing experience that mimics the feel of traditional drawing tools. The pen can be customized to match your preferences in terms of pressure sensitivity, eraser type, and even different nibs, providing a highly tailored experience that can cater to various artistic needs.
Equipped with a 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, the Surface Pro 7 delivers a significant performance boost, offering up to 1.8 times more power than its predecessors. This enhanced processing capability ensures that multitasking is smooth and efficient, which is crucial for artists who often need to switch between different applications or work on complex projects that require substantial computing power. The laptop’s support for Windows Ink and touch display further enhances its utility for creative pursuits, allowing for seamless integration with various art and design software.
The Surface Pro 7’s 12.5-inch PixelSense display is another highlight, providing an immersive visual experience that is both vibrant and detailed. This makes it an excellent choice for artists who require a high-quality display for their work, whether it’s for detailed illustrations, digital painting, or graphic design. The inclusion of 8GB of memory ensures that the device can handle intensive tasks without lag, allowing for a smooth and responsive experience when working on documents, design projects, or digital art.
Storage-wise, the Surface Pro 7 comes with a 256GB SSD, which offers enough space for storing your art projects, applications, and media files. The SSD not only provides plenty of storage but also ensures fast load times and quick access to your files, which is essential for maintaining a productive workflow. This makes the Surface Pro 7 a reliable device for both work and play, providing the speed and capacity needed for a wide range of activities.
The Surface Pro 7 is highly favored among artists, especially for using art programs like Photoshop, Sketchbook, and Corel Painter, owing to its fantastic hardware and adaptable display. It supports various stylus types, including those from Wacom and Huion, catering to artists with different preferences. The matte finish on the display reduces glare and improves grip, facilitating detailed work without the screen feeling slippery.
In terms of connectivity, the Surface Pro 7 offers USB-C, USB-A, Bluetooth 4.1, and Wireless 802.11ac networking options, ensuring easy file transfers, device connections, and internet access from anywhere. This versatility suits artists who require a flexible workflow across different locations and devices.
Price:
$745.99
Specifications:
Brand: Microsoft
Model Name: Surface Pro
Memory Storage Capacity: 256 GB
Screen Size: 12.3 Inches
Display Resolution Maximum: 2736 x 1824
Asus Zenbook Duo OLED
The ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 stands out as a uniquely designed laptop tailored for drawing and creative tasks, thanks to its innovative dual-screen setup. Unlike traditional laptops, the ZenBook Duo 14 features not one but two full-size 14-inch screens, with one of them cleverly integrated underneath the main display and above the keyboard. This dual-screen design offers unparalleled versatility for artists and designers, allowing for simultaneous use of both screens for multitasking or extending the canvas for drawing and creative work.
The primary benefit of the dual-screen setup is its ability to enhance productivity and creativity by providing additional screen real estate. Artists can use the main display for drawing while keeping reference images, tool palettes, or other applications open on the secondary screen without cluttering the workspace. This setup facilitates a more streamlined workflow, where switching between tasks or applications becomes seamless and intuitive.
Both screens on the ZenBook Duo 14 support stylus input, enabling precise and responsive drawing directly on the display surfaces. This capability is crucial for digital artists who rely on accurate pen input for sketching, painting, or detailed illustrations. The laptop’s stylus support, combined with its touch-enabled screens, enhances the tactile experience of digital drawing, making it feel more natural and intuitive compared to traditional mouse or trackpad inputs.
In terms of performance, the ZenBook Duo 14 is equipped with powerful internals that ensure smooth operation even with demanding creative applications. The exact specifications may vary depending on the model, but typical configurations include high-performance processors, ample RAM, and fast SSD storage options. These components ensure that artists can work efficiently without experiencing lags or slowdowns, even when working on large-scale projects or using resource-intensive software like Adobe Creative Suite.
Build quality is another strong suit of the ZenBook Duo 14, featuring a solid construction that feels premium and durable. This robust build not only enhances the laptop’s aesthetic appeal but also contributes to its reliability and longevity, making it suitable for both professional use and everyday tasks.
Price:
$1,699
Specifications:
Brand: ASUS
Model Name: UX8406MA-PS99T
Screen Size: 14 Inches
Hard Disk Size: 1000 GB
CPU Model: Core i9
Ram Memory Installed Size: 32 GB
Operating System: Windows 11 Home
Special Feature: Portable, Support Stylus
Graphics Card Description: Integrated
Lenovo IdeaPad 5
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 stands out as an excellent choice for artists and gamers alike, thanks to its combination of sleek design, powerful performance, and versatile features. It features a 15.6-inch LED-Backlit IPS Touch Display, which offers a crisp Full HD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. This display ensures impressive color accuracy, clarity, and wide viewing angles of up to 178 degrees, making it ideal for both entertainment and creative work where visual fidelity is crucial.
Powered by integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, the IdeaPad 5 delivers clear and detailed rendering, enhancing the drawing experience with smooth lines and vibrant colors. This makes it a suitable tool for digital artists who rely on precise visual representation in their work. Additionally, the laptop’s touchscreen functionality supports Windows Ink technology, enabling intuitive interaction with drawing applications using either a stylus or fingers.
Under the hood, the IdeaPad 5 is equipped with an Intel Core i7-1165G 4-core processor, which offers great performance for demanding tasks such as gaming, photo editing, and large-scale project handling. With a base clock speed of 2.8GHz and up to 12GB of RAM, this laptop ensures responsive multitasking and seamless operation across multiple applications. The inclusion of a fast 512GB SSD further enhances performance by providing quick boot times and rapid access to stored data, critical for maintaining productivity and efficiency in creative workflows.
Design-wise, the IdeaPad 5 maintains a sleek and lightweight profile, making it portable and suitable for use on the go. Its backlit keyboard adds convenience, allowing comfortable typing in low-light environments, which is beneficial for artists working in varied settings. The laptop’s integrated graphics not only support drawing applications but also enrich gaming experiences, making it a versatile choice for users who value both creativity and entertainment.
In terms of connectivity and additional features, the IdeaPad 5 offers a range of options including Windows 10 Home – 64-bit operating system, a fingerprint reader for secure logins, and a variety of ports for external device connectivity. These features enhance usability and ensure compatibility with a wide range of peripherals and accessories, further enhancing the laptop’s versatility and appeal.
Price:
$839
Specifications:
Brand: Lenovo
Model Name: Lenovo Ideapad
Screen Size: 15.6 Inches
Hard Disk Size: 512 GB
CPU Model: Intel Core i7
Ram Memory Installed Size: 12 GB
Graphics Card Description: Integrated
Hard Disk Description: SSD
Resolution: 1080p
Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth, Ethernet
HP Spectre x360 16 OLED
The HP Spectre x360 16 stands out as a highly versatile and powerful device tailored for drawing and creative tasks, thanks to its unique design and impressive specifications. One of its standout features is the 360-degree hinge, which allows the screen to flip back into tablet mode, enhancing flexibility and usability for drawing and inking directly on the screen. This mode is particularly solid and dependable, providing a seamless transition between laptop and tablet functionality, ideal for artists who prefer a tactile drawing experience.
The laptop’s 4K+ OLED screen is another highlight, offering excellent color coverage and a brightness of 400 nits. This high-resolution display ensures vibrant colors and sharp details, enhancing the visual necessary for detailed drawing and graphic design work. The inclusion of an HP Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen further supports drawing and inking, providing the precision and control that artists require for their creative endeavors. Additionally, magnets on the display’s right-hand side securely hold the pen when not in use, ensuring it’s always within easy reach.
Under the hood, the Spectre x360 16 is powered by an Intel Core i7-1260P processor, 16GB of RAM, and a spacious 1TB SSD. This configuration delivers strong performance capable of handling intensive drawing applications and light content creation tasks with ease. Whether you’re sketching, editing photos, or working on digital illustrations, the laptop’s powerful hardware ensures smooth multitasking and responsive performance.
In terms of battery life, the Spectre x360 16 impresses with up to 12 hours of video playback on a single charge, making it suitable for extended work sessions without needing to plug in. This long battery life is complemented by fast charging capabilities, ensuring minimal downtime and maximum productivity for artists on the go.
Connectivity options are extensive, featuring Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, a microSD card reader, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports with speeds up to 40Gbps. These ports enable fast data transfer and versatile connectivity options, allowing you to connect external devices and peripherals effortlessly.
While the OLED panel’s 60Hz refresh rate may not be as high as some gaming-oriented displays, and sensitivity at lighter pressures might be slightly lacking compared to specialized drawing tablets, the overall performance and feature set of the Spectre x360 16 make it a compelling choice for artists and creative professionals. Its combination of a stunning OLED display, powerful hardware, flexible design, and bundled stylus support ensures it meets the demands of modern digital artists seeking a premium drawing experience in a versatile laptop form factor.
Price:
$1,249
Specifications:
Standing screen display size: 16.1 Inches
Max Screen Resolution: 3840 x 2160 Pixels
Processor: 4.7 GHz core_i7_family
RAM: 16 DDR5
Hard Drive: 1 TB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor: Intel
Chipset Brand: NVIDIA
Card Description: Integrated
Graphics Card Ram Size: 16 GB
Wireless Type: Bluetooth
Apple MacBook Pro
The Apple MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro or M1 Max chipset stands as a top choice for artists and designers seeking unmatched performance and capability in a laptop for drawing and creative work. At its core, the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips represent a significant leap forward in CPU, GPU, and machine learning capabilities, boasting a massive 10 billion transistors. This technological prowess translates into a computing experience that enables artists to create more realistic and detailed artwork with stunning color accuracy and precision.
The MacBook Pro’s M1 Pro chip features a 10-core CPU that delivers up to 2x faster performance compared to previous generations. This enhanced processing power allows artists to work seamlessly with graphics-intensive applications like Adobe Photoshop, enabling faster rendering and smoother performance when handling complex projects with multiple layers. The ultra-high-resolution Retina display further enhances the creative process by providing crisp visuals that showcase every detail of your artwork with clarity and vibrancy.
For graphics-intensive tasks, the MacBook Pro offers up to a 32-core GPU with up to 4x faster performance, ensuring smooth operation and responsiveness in applications that demand high graphical fidelity. The inclusion of the Touch Bar provides quick access to favorite tools, while Touch ID simplifies secure logins with biometric authentication, enhancing convenience and security for users.
Machine learning tasks benefit greatly from the MacBook Pro’s 16-core Neural Engine, which accelerates tasks such as transforming photos and videos into high-quality artwork with remarkable speed and efficiency. This capability not only speeds up creative workflows but also opens up new possibilities for AI-driven creative tools and applications.
Battery life is another standout feature of the MacBook Pro, offering up to 21 hours on a single charge. This extended battery life ensures that artists can work uninterrupted for long periods, whether in the studio, on location, or while traveling, without needing to recharge frequently.
Storage options are great with up to 8TB of superfast SSD storage, providing ample space for large art projects, applications, and media files. This fast storage capability ensures quick app launches and file access, contributing to a smooth and efficient workflow essential for creative professionals.
The Retina display with True Tone technology further enhances the MacBook Pro’s appeal for artists by adjusting the screen’s white balance to match ambient lighting conditions, ensuring consistent color accuracy across different environments. This feature is particularly beneficial for ensuring that colors appear true to life, whether you’re working indoors or outdoors.
Price:
$2,423.99
Specifications:
Brand: Apple
Model Name: MacBook Pro
Screen Size: 14.2 Inches
Hard Disk Size: 1 TB
CPU Model: Apple M1
Ram Memory Installed: Size 16 GB
Operating System: macOS Monterey
Special Feature: Anti Glare Coating
Graphics Card Description: Integrated
Samsung 13.3” Galaxy Chromebook
The Samsung 13.3” Galaxy Chromebook stands out as an excellent choice for artists seeking a lightweight and portable laptop tailored for drawing and creative tasks on the go. Its standout feature is the 4K AMOLED display, which offers stunning color accuracy and detail. This high-resolution display is essential for artists who require precise rendering and vibrant colors in their artwork, ensuring that every stroke and detail is well represented.
The Galaxy Chromebook’s foldable form factor adds to its versatility, allowing seamless transition between laptop and tablet modes. This flexibility is particularly advantageous for artists who prefer to work directly on the touchscreen using a stylus or their fingers. The touchscreen functionality enhances the tactile experience of digital drawing, making it intuitive and responsive.
Powered by an Intel Core i5-10210U processor and Intel UHD Graphics GPU, the Galaxy Chromebook delivers sufficient power for most drawing applications. While it may not match the performance levels of higher-end laptops or dedicated drawing tablets, it offers adequate performance for creating artwork, editing images, and running lightweight creative software.
Design-wise, the Galaxy Chromebook is stylish and compact, making it highly portable and easy to carry around. Its sleek appearance and foldable design contribute to its appeal as a travel-friendly device for artists who need to work on their projects while on the move. Because of its sturdy construction, the Chromebook is even more resilient to wear and tear from regular use.
Price:
$628.55
Specifications:
Brand: SAMSUNG
Model Name: Galaxy Chromebook
Screen Size: 13.3 Inches
Hard Disk Size: 256 GB
CPU Model: Core i5-10210U
Ram Memory Installed: Size 8 GB
Operating System: Chrome OS
Special Feature: Support Stylus
Graphics Card Description: Integrated
Start Your Drawing Journey Today
Deciding on which laptop to use to start your endeavor in drawing and graphic design is determined by your personal preference as well as your budget. There is performance, display, portability, battery life, and the nature of the design work that will be done on it.
So always bear in mind that the best laptop for you is the computer that aids in unlocking the creativity of a designer and fulfills the goal of expressing an idea into a design.
Now that you already have an idea regarding different laptops for drawing, as we have discussed, you can start your drawing journey now.
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