Digital drawing tablets (also known as graphics tablets or drawing pads), as a core tool connecting traditional painting and digital creation, are widely recognized by professional creators and enthusiasts for their performance in painting. They not only replicate the feel of traditional painting but also offer unique advantages of digital technology. Their specific effects can be analyzed from the following aspects:

I. "Realism" simulating traditional painting

Digital drawing tablets can highly reproduce the feel of traditional painting tools through pressure sensitivity technology and brush stroke simulation, eliminating the "stiffness" of digital painting:

Pressure sensitivity feedback: Mainstream drawing tablets support 1024-level, 2048-level, or even 8192-level pressure sensitivity (the higher the pressure level, the more sensitive the response). When the pressure of the pen varies, the lines will show changes in thickness, depth, and intensity — light touches create thin lines (such as hair strands or leaf veins), while heavy presses produce thick color blocks (like stacked brushstrokes in oil painting), which is close to the natural performance of traditional tools such as writing brushes, pencils, and oil painting brushes.

Tilt sensitivity: Some high-end drawing tablets (such as Wacom Intuos Pro and XP-Pen Artist series) support tilt pressure sensitivity. When the simulated brush is tilted, it produces a "side stroke" effect like a real brush (such as wide lines when a pencil is tilted or the smudging effect of a watercolor brush applied at an angle), enhancing the detailed expressiveness of the painting.

Nib material and panel texture: The nibs of many drawing tablets are made of materials imitating pencil leads or writing brush tips, and the panel is designed with fine textures. When painting, you can feel the "friction" similar to paper, preventing the nib from slipping and making it easier for creators to control the direction of the lines.

II. "Flexibility" brought by digital technology

Compared with traditional painting (which relies on consumables such as pigments and paper), digital drawing tablets combined with painting software (such as Photoshop, Procreate, and Clip Studio Paint) can achieve more breakthrough effects:

Unlimited modification and layered creation: You can "undo" mistakes at any time without worrying about wasting paper. Through the "layer" function, you can draw line drafts, colors, and shadows on separate layers, and adjust a single layer without affecting the whole (for example, when modifying the background color, the character lines will not be damaged), which greatly reduces the error tolerance rate of creation.

Rich brushes and special effects: The software has thousands of built-in brushes (such as watercolor, oil painting, airbrush, and halftone paper), and supports customizing brush parameters (such as hardness, flow, and blending mode). It can simulate effects that are difficult to achieve with traditional painting (such as "luminous brushes" for painting starry skies, "texture brushes" for creating an aged texture), and even create brand-new visual styles.

Efficient post-processing: After completing the line draft, you can quickly adjust the perspective, proportion (such as lengthening the character's legs), and color balance (such as changing warm colors to cool colors) through the software. You can also add filters, halos, and other special effects with one click, saving a lot of modification time.

III. "Compatibility" adapting to different painting styles

Digital drawing tablets can accurately meet the needs of realistic, cartoon, illustration, and concept design:

Realistic painting: With high-resolution pressure sensitivity and delicate brushes, you can depict details such as skin texture and fabric folds. Combined with "airbrushes" and "soft-edged brushes" to transition colors, the effect is close to traditional oil painting or watercolor.

Cartoon/anime: Use "hard-edged brushes" to outline clear lines, and combine with the "fill tool" for quick coloring, which is much more efficient than traditional hand-painting. Use the "selection tool" to accurately draw symmetrical patterns (such as character eyes and clothing patterns), reducing repetitive work.

Concept design (such as game and film scenes): It supports quick sketching, uses "perspective grids" to assist in building spatial structures, and then adds materials (such as metal and rocks) with "texture brushes", facilitating the rapid iteration of creative schemes.

Handwriting and decorative painting: Simulate the brushstrokes of writing brushes and markers to create calligraphic fonts or decorative patterns, and can be directly exported as vector files (without losing quality when enlarged), suitable for printing, screen display, and other scenarios.

IV. "Additional value" of portability and collaboration

Portability: Compared with traditional painting materials (drawing boards, pigments, brushes, etc.), drawing tablets are small in size (entry-level models are about the size of A4 paper, and there are even foldable styles). They can be used for creation anytime and anywhere with a laptop or tablet, which is suitable for outdoor sketching and travel recording.

Collaboration and communication: The painted works are saved as digital files (PSD, PNG, etc.), which can be quickly shared with team members for modification through the cloud, or directly used for printing and new media release, without the need for secondary processing such as scanning and taking photos, reducing image quality loss.

Possible "limitations" (to be viewed objectively)

It takes time to adapt to "hand-eye separation" (eyes look at the screen, hands draw on the tablet) initially, and some people may need 1-2 weeks to get used to it;

High-end drawing tablets (such as screen-equipped pen displays) are relatively expensive (thousands of yuan), and entry-level products (hundreds of yuan) have slightly weaker pressure sensitivity and sensitivity, but they are sufficient for beginners' needs;

Although they can simulate traditional brushstrokes, they lack the "textured feel" of real pigments (such as the thickness of oil paint stacks and the smudging and spreading of watercolor). For creators pursuing the ultimate traditional texture, they may still need to combine traditional tools.

Summary

The effect of digital drawing tablets in painting not only retains the feel and artistry of traditional painting but also breaks through creative limitations through digital technology, becoming the mainstream tool in modern painting (especially in commercial illustration, design, animation, and other fields). For beginners, it lowers the entry threshold (easy to modify, low consumable cost); for professional creators, it improves efficiency and creative possibilities. Despite a slight "adaptation period" for getting started, their comprehensive performance has been verified by the industry — nowadays, most visual creations in animation, games, and films are inseparable from the support of digital drawing tablets.