Like any other profession, the Artist is not only relevant in the present circumstance in technological advancement, it’s also striving to keep abreast with current day realities. No doubt, the Artist will definitely rely on technology to turn vision into reality, and to create the type of ‘world’ everyone would fantasize about.
With the type of high-tech computers in the market currently; and with the fast-changing world of ours, the only right thing to do is to look for the computers that can best perform the tasks that meet this new vision.
As we try to create a mental picture of this vision, we sincerely want to present to you the best laptops for drawing and artists.
Before you talk about the best laptop for drawing, you must first bear in mind the artist, because the best laptop for drawing means the best laptop for artists.
Most, if not all of these computers have touchscreens, while some also come with a surface pen to aid drawing. This is one of the main reasons we considered them as the best laptops for drawing and artists
We have painstakingly selected these computers we find to be the best laptops for drawing and artists in 2022. Please feel free to digest each of them and see which one suits you most as an artist.
Contents
- How to Select the Best Laptops For Artists and Drawing
- BEST LAPTOPS FOR DRAWING & ARTIST in 2022
- 1. Hyper HP ZBook Studio x360 G5
- Specifications:
- Pros and Cons of HP ZBook Studio x360 G5
- 2. Microsoft Surface Laptop 2
- Specifications:
- Pros and Cons of Microsoft Surface Laptop 2
- 3. Apple MacBook Air
- Specifications:
- Pros and Cons of MacBook Air
- 4. Dell XPS 13″ 9370 Laptop
- Specifications:
- Pros and Cons of Dell XPS 9370
- 5. Microsoft Surface Pro 7
- Specifications:
- Pros and Cons of Surface Pro 7 Laptop
- 6. 2019 Samsung Notebook 9 Pro
- Specifications:
- Pros and Cons of 2019 Samsung Note book 9 Pro
- 7. HP Envy x360
- Specifications:
- Pros and Cons of HP Envy x30
- 8. Lenovo Flex 2-in-1 Convertible
- Specifications:
- Pros and Cons of Lenovo 2-in-1 Convertible
- 9. MicroSoft Surface Laptop Studio 14.4″ – Recommended By Drawing Artists
- Specifications:
- 10. Lenovo Flex 5
- 11. Samsung Notebook 9 Pro
- Specifications:
- Pros and Cons of Samsung Notebook 9 Pro
- 12. HP Spectre x360
- Specifications:
- Pros and Cons of HP Spectre x360
- FAQ’s – Best Laptops for Drawing Artists in 2022
- 1. Which laptops are best for artists?
- 2. What computer should I get for drawing?
- 3. Can I draw on a laptop?
- 4. What should I look for in a laptop for digital art?
- 5. What kind of computer do I need for art?
- 6. What is the best surface for drawing?
- 7. Are 2-in-1 laptops good for artists?
- 8. Are there laptops you can draw on?
- 9. What kind of a screen is preferred by digital artists?
- 10. Are gaming laptops good for digital artists?
- 11. Are apple laptops a good choice for digital artists?
- 12. Where can I buy the best laptops for digital art?
- 13. How much do laptops for digital artists generally cost?
- How to Maintain Your Laptop as an Artist.
- Conclusion:
How to Select the Best Laptops For Artists and Drawing
What should be the primary reason for getting a laptop for drawing artists? They may vary, depending on what exactly you need in a laptop. But consider the following factors as a guide to purchasing your favorite laptop for drawing artists.
BUDGET.
Yes, your budget. This is central to your purchasing a laptop. If you’re financially buoyant, then go for the big ones such as Microsoft Products, MacBooks, etc. However, other products like Lenovo Thinkpad and Chromebooks are also great for good prices.Your money determines it all.
RAM SIZE.
For optimum performance, 8 GB of RAM is ideal. This will give you enough speed for multitasking. If you’ll be gaming, or be engaged in video editing, you could go for something higher. But a minimum of 8 GB RAM will do you a lot of good. Your computer won’t lag.
PROCESSOR.
I can say for sure that you don’t need an i9 processor for your digital drawing work or assignments. However, I also think that any of the i3, i5, and i7 will be just fine. Also, if you’re not a big fan of intel and want to go with the AMD processors then Ryzen product line is doing quite well on the market.
And yeah, just selecting a processor based on its name won’t make your laptop an efficient pick one. So, you also need to think of cache memory, clock speed and generation and ideally for intel 11th gen is recommended while for AMD we suggest you to go for at least 5th gen as it’s latest at the moment on the market.
STORAGE.
Normally, the average storage capacity for storing documents in your laptop should be from 128 GB. So for drawing artists, I’ll recommend same to you, except you have some other activities with which you’d like to engage your laptop with.
BATTERY LIFE.
The battery is the life of the laptop. If you want your laptop to be alive for longer hours, especially if you live in areas with unsteady power supply, check out any laptop with at least 8 hours of battery life. However, if you’re going to engage in a longer period all the time, then look for something that can go beyond 8 hours unplugged.
PORTABILITY.
Weight matters. A device that won’t weigh you down is all you need to work on the move. A portable device that you can slip into your bag is ideal.
Moreover, if you’re planning to try your hands on digital art or drawing field then our experts have curated a list of best laptops for digital art here in this article.
BEST LAPTOPS FOR DRAWING & ARTIST in 2022
1. Hyper HP ZBook Studio x360 G5
Specifications:
- RAM:64 GB
- Storage: 2 TB SSD storage capacity
- Processor: 10th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H Hexa-core processor
- Display: 15.6 inch 4K touchscreen display
- 13.5 Hours Video Playback
- Built-in S pen for drawing and animation
- Battery: 10 Hours of battery life
- Weight: 3.9 pounds
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
For all creative pros out there, say hello to the mother of all 2-in-1 workstations; The HP ZBook Studio x360. This is one of the best laptops for high-level video and picture editing. The chassis is extremely durable and also features an eye-catching design. It’s like carrying a professional mobile digital art studio on the go. It also comes with a stellar 4K display and a very long battery life. It will be an understatement to state that it’s a perfect laptop for drawing. In fact, it’s a delight to all artists.
The ZBook Studio features a mind-blowing 64 GB RAM for unlimited speeds and a massive 2 TB storage to run any kind of software you want. Armed with a 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7-8750H processor and Nvidia Quadro P1000 4 GB dedicated graphics card, the ZBook Studio is obviously a speed demon. The ZBook is overzealous in ambition and exquisite in performance. For the artist, it can only be the best laptop for drawing
It will easily surmount Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, etc without breaking a sweat. It’s one of the best laptops for professional artists because it’s expensive as hell. As a laptop for drawing, it’s a crazy device! It comes with very powerful features and awesome capabilities to make user experience very pleasant.
The HP ZBook Studio comes with a stunning 15.6 inch 4K gleaming touch screen display with a very high resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels for ultra-clear picture quality which is a great advantage to graphic designers. The pictures come real on display. For the artist, this laptop for drawing is a gift from science. It’s my candid opinion that this is the best laptop an artist would ever need.
The keyboards offer heaven on earth typing experience due to their Island-style keyboard. The keys are punchy, very responsive, and are closely packed together offering a 1.2mm key travel distance.
It also has a silky-smooth large centered touchpad that features great tactile feedback when you click either of the buttons. The pad also supports Windows 10 features like two-finger scrolling and three-finger tab switching. Every feature of the ZBook sums up to give it an edge over its contemporaries.
With 64 GB RAM, a Core i7 processor, 4GB dedicated graphics memory, it’s clear that the HP ZBook Studio is armed with all the specs to cater to all the needs of artists. You can open up to 40 chrome tabs, stream youtube videos at 1080p, download multiple games all at once because of the beastly performance of the ZBook Studio. You’ll not be doing the ZBook a favor by saying it’s the best laptop among its brands; you’re only restating the obvious.
It also ships with two USB 3.0 ports, two USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, a SIM card slot, power jack, an HDMI port, headphone jack, and an SD card slot. Although, if you’re looking for an affordable drawing laptop, the ZBook Studio might not be your best option.
Pros and Cons of HP ZBook Studio x360 G5
Pros
- Sleek design
- Spectacular 4K display due to ultra-high resolution
- Extremely durable
- Great keyboard and stylus pen
- Stellar performance and graphics
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Lid flexes
- Lackluster webcam
- Extremely Expensive
2. Microsoft Surface Laptop 2
Specifications:
- RAM:16 GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD storage capacity
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8650U Hexa-core processor
- Display: 13.5 inches touchscreen display and a resolution of 2256 by 1504 pixels
- Battery: 16 Hours of runtime
- Weight: 2.76 pounds
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
One of the first sets of laptops released by Microsoft is the Surface Laptop 2. It is a very powerful laptop that offers high performance and an awesome display. The chassis is completely high-end aluminum and you can get it in Silver, Cobalt, and an all-black finish. It’s one of the best laptops an artist can ask for.
The Surface Laptop 2 is equipped with 16 GB RAM for high speeds and 512 GB SSD storage for storing all your prototype and completed designs. The Surface Laptop 2 can be used to undertake light editing and projects without a lot of data included. But if you’re going to be dealing with a very large amount of data, this laptop might not be your best option. However, for digital artwork, it’s still one of the best laptop for artists.
It also comes with an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 8650U processor. This should be suitable for your day-to-day tasks like light photo editing, Photoshop, web surfing, and tying. Although the base model comes with an i5 processor which might not serve you properly if you’re going into heavy photo editing.
The Surface Laptop 2 comes with a “PixelSense” display which is mostly the same unusual thinner size of 13.5 inches. It has an unusual resolution of 2256 x 1504 pixels which is definitely not bad by the way. Its 3:2 aspect ratio is far better than the Full HD resolution but less than the more common widescreen 16:9 which results in n high-quality display.
The display is very vital for digital art, so it should be considered when choosing the best laptop for an artist. That’s why I’m recommending it to you.
Furthermore, with well-stabilized & balanced sound output from its built-in speakers doing your music production projects on this laptop becomes a cup of tea, and, hence our experts have included this laptop among our best laptops for FL studio as well.
The keyboard is made up of soft, fuzzy keys (Microsoft calls it Alcantara) which feels very comfortable when typing. The keys also possess the appropriate amount of key travel without being mushy. It also features a backlit keyboard with three varying levels of brightness which glows in white. Type with ease whether day or night. This might be an advantage to the artist who might want to work at night when the atmosphere is very serene.
With 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage, the Surface Laptop 2 also comes with NVIDIA GTX 1060 graphics card that complements the already powerful processor. This is by no means a gaming laptop but is very suitable for light editing and also do some casual gaming. I consider it one laptop for artists as regards speed, quality, and performance.
It also comes with a fine-centered touchpad that’s very roomy, smooth, and very responsive. It comes with very few ports – just One USB 3.0 Type-A port, mini display output, and a headphone jack. The lack of ports might be very frustrating especially if you make use of many input devices like a mouse, or even charging your phones.
Pros and Cons of Microsoft Surface Laptop 2
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- Crisp quality display
- Beautiful design
- Quiet and comfortable keyboard with Alcantara covering
Cons
- Fewer ports selection compared to competitors
- The touchpad sounds very loud when clicked
- The stylus pen is sold separately which could result in extra cost to artists.
3. Apple MacBook Air
Specifications:
- 8 GB RAM
- 256 GB HDD or 512 GB SSD
- 13-inch Screen Retina Display
- GPU: Intel Iris Plus
- Apple M1 chip
- 18 Hours Battery Life
- Backlit keyboard
Choosing the best laptops for digital art won’t be as easy as pie. That’s why I’m recommending the 2020 Apple MacBook Air. It’s your first choice. Talk about its beauty, or speed, you’ve got the Apple MacBook Air. It’s a revolution from Apple.
With all its exciting features, you can’t afford to miss this computer.
The MacBook Air 2020 has a RAM capacity of 8 GB. It assures great speed for its size. When you add it to the 512 GB SSD storage capacity, you have a wonderful machine for your entire drawing project.
You’re assured of very high performance and efficient system with the 8 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. Lagging will be a thing of the past as long as you’re on your Mac.
With a configuration of either an Intel i3 or i5 processor, the MacBook Air can undertake a lot of multitasking without sweat.
Recent improvement in tech has added an advantage to the MacBook Air. The newer versions now have the latest Apple M1 chip and carry a very high processing power. For every artist, it’s the best for your digital art.
The Apple MacBook Air is not deficient in terms of display quality. It has anti-glare protection to safeguard you eyes from excessive brightness. It has a display resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, good display for laptops for artists. Don’t worry when you’re glued to your screen, it’s friendly with your eyes.
What about the keyboard? It has what Apple described as a magic keyboard. It’s quiet, responsive, with excellent backlit feature for any night work.
In terms of performance, MacBook Air stands high. With its 8 GB RAM, and the Intel Iris Plus GPU, you get the best performance ever. Even though you may be doing just drawing, and you may not need advanced GPU, the MacBook Air is also available for gaming.
As part of the innovation from Apple, the MacBook Air has no fan. Because it uses just air, it produces no noise. You’ll never hear any noise when the MacBook is at work. So no need to bother about overheating when you’re engaged with multitasking. Those who have interest for quality will find MacBook as the best laptop for artists.
The MacBook Air can synchronize with all your apps. It’s compatible with other Apple devices. Adobe, Microsoft 365, and Google Drive will automatically be recognized by it. Your iPhone, and iPad will sync with MacBook Air as it works on MacOS. With MacBook Air, you’re in for a wonderful digital pleasure.
Well, unfortunately, the MacBook Air is not cheap. Those who have an eye for quality, will agree that it’s the best laptop for artists. You can create high-quality work in your drawing experience.
Pros and Cons of MacBook Air
Pros
- Noiseless, yet very high performance
- Great Boot-up Speed
- Powerful Display Quality
- Compatible with Apple devices
- Backlit Keyboard
- 18 Hours of Battery Life
Cons
- Not Cheap for artists on a budget
- Small Screen
4. Dell XPS 13″ 9370 Laptop
Specifications:
- RAM:16 GB
- Storage: 512 GB PCle SSD storage capacity
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8550U Quad-core processor
- Graphics Card: Integrated Intel UHD 620
- Display: 13.3 inches 4K UHD Touchscreen Display
- Battery: 10 Hours of battery life
- Weight: 2.76 pounds
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Over the past years, Dell XPS 13 has remained one of the consumer-favorite laptops as a result of its lightweight, thin borderless display, and sleek design. Dell has evolved from its traditional designs and brought out a premium flagship featuring slimmer dimensions, attractive white and gold color combinations. It’s one of the best high-end ultraportable laptops for art and drawing.
The latest XPS 13 comes with two different configurations. The base model comes with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD Storage. For professional artists, we recommend going for the higher configuration that’s equipped with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD Storage capacity.
Its processors are also different based on which configuration you get. The base model comes with an Intel Core i5 processor while the 16 GB RAM XPS 13 comes with a faster Core i7 8500U chip for seamless multi-tasking.
The Dell XPS 13 9370’s 13 inches 4K touchscreen has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 which makes the images crystal clear, while also offering wide viewing angles. Brightness and contrast are excellent. This is arguably the best 13-inch laptop on the market, and definitely one of the best laptops for artists.
However, stylus pens can be bought separately to improve drawing and animation accuracy.
The keyboard however is a bit shallow. This is no surprise for such a slim laptop. The keys are evenly spaced, have low key travel of 1.2mm, and are also very responsive facilitating fast typing. The touchpad glides smoothly from end to end but the button keys are a bit stiff.
One of the things we look out for when choosing the best laptops for artists is their weight. The laptop on its own is an ultra-portable laptop weighing only 2.76 pounds. It’s easy to carry.
In terms of performance, both of the 9370’s configurations (16 GB and 8 GB RAM) will tackle every bit of activity you throw at it from web surfing, light gaming, photo editing, typing, etc. The Dell XPS 13 handles it without having difficulties. With its integrated Intel UHD 620 graphics card, the XPS 13 can handle light gaming and professional photo editing.
You don’t have to worry about heating problems whenever you’re running memory-intensive programs like compressing or streaming a 4K video. Unlike most other laptops that throttle their processor when being overloaded, the Dell XPS 13 does not. This is as a result of its dual fans, dual pipes, and special thermal insulation.
Because of the ultra-portable nature of the Dell XPS 13, it redated on ports. USB-A and SD card reader slots have been removed. In its place, you’ll find two USB Thunderbolt 3 ports for charging the laptop and connecting high-speed peripherals. For those still making use of older drives, the Dell XPS 13 provides USB-C to A dongle to connect to your older drives.
Pros and Cons of Dell XPS 9370
Pros
- Very attractive design
- Great battery life
- Stunning 4K display
- Excellent performance
- Amazing cooling system
- Two Thunderbolts 3 ports
- Gen Intel Core i7
Cons
- No USB Type-A and HDMI ports
- Webcam looks up your nose even though it’s been improved
Also Read :-
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- Best Laptop For Law School Students, Lawyers, & Law Professionals in 2022
5. Microsoft Surface Pro 7
Specifications:
- RAM: From 4 GB, 8GB and 16 GB
- Processor: Intel Core i5 (8M Cache, up to 4.9 GHz)
- Screen Size: 12.3 inches Touch Screen
- Storage: From 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB SSD models
- Battery Life: 10.5 hours battery life.
- Operating System: Windows 10 with a free upgrade to Windows 11 when available
When it comes to tablets, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is arguably one of the best laptops for artists. Yeah, it’s a great improvement from Surface Pro 6, and it offers better features than the previous specs. For instance, it’s RAM capacity ranges from 4 GB to 16 GB, and can possess storage capacity of up to 128 GB and 1 TB. It’s a convertible 2-in-1 laptop, which makes it appropriate for digital drawing.
As indicated here already, the Surface Pro latest model comes in varying configurations; from 4 GB up to 16 GB RAM capacity, and from 128 GB to 1 TB storage. This ensures awesome speed while storing large chunk of documents.
Talking about performance, the Surface Pro 7 is a best pick. Supported with a standard Intel i5 processor, you can’t match its performance speed. You can do a lot of multitasking without dropping speed and power. You have real value for your cash.
Furthermore, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 carries a screen size of 12.3 inches touch screen. You can do all your typing, touching, drawing, as if you’re practically handwriting naturally. It’s a wonderful user experience.
Also, the battery can last for about 10 hours. Isn’t that almost a full day’s work? So no need to always carry your power pack.
The Surface Pro 7 is not in short supply of ports. It has both USB-C and USB-A ports available. You can connect all your external devices and other accessories.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 weighs just 1.7 pounds. It’s ultra-slim, it’s light, and it’s portable. You can easily journey with it.
Even though Windows 11 is not here now, the Surface Pro 7 has a free upgrade to Windows 11 whenever it is available.
Remember, the Surface Pro 7 is both a tablet and a laptop. The keyboard can easily be disconnected from the screen so that it can function as a tablet. Writing on tablet mode or on laptop mode is seamless
It also has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity to make your internet connections fast, smooth and secure.
Moreover, it’s not just an artist’s laptop, this is also perfect fit laptop for cricut maker as well.
Pros and Cons of Surface Pro 7 Laptop
Pros
- Very High Performance
- Fast and Easy Wi-Fi 6 Connectivity
- Excellent Storage Capacity
- Portable and Convenient
- Excellent brightness and contrast
- Convertible 2-in-1
- Fast Boot up Speed
Cons
- Keyboard Sold Separately
6. 2019 Samsung Notebook 9 Pro
Specifications:
- RAM:16 GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8550U Hexa-core processor
- Screen Size: 13.3 inches Touchscreen IPS Display
- Built-in S pen for drawing and animation
- Battery: 10 Hours
- Weight: 2.92 pounds
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
For those artists looking for a mix of Macbook and Windows, say hello to the 2019 Samsung Notebook 9 Pro. This laptop comes with a silver aluminum chassis whose edges are shaped in a diamond-cut pattern with a beautiful premium design. The keyboard is a lot like the MacBook’s featuring very dark keys and when in tablet mode, the laptop brings satisfaction to its user.
Unlike most laptops for artists, the 2019 Notebook 9 Pro comes with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD storage. This is not bad by the way, but compared to its price competitors, it’s a little average. But this doesn’t stop the 2019 Notebook 9 Pro from performing all necessary tasks an artist could possibly do.
The small RAM size is compensated hugely by the Intel Core i7-8565U processor which allows the artist to speed through up to 40 chrome tabs, stream up to five 1080p videos and edit photos and videos without lagging.
It has a 13 inch IPS touch screen display panel and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It’s colorful and sharp but it’s a bit dimmer than we would have preferred. Included with the laptop is a free Active pen which can be used for drawing and animation. It also features an AMOLED “photo mode” that provides rich photo color.
The keyboard on the other hand is shallow because of the ultra-portable nature of the laptop. Samsung adopted Apple’s butterfly keyboard which looks fancy but doesn’t offer the smoothest typing experience. The keys are well spaced but when fully pressed, they appear to be lower than the surface of the keyboard.
The touchpad is very large, smooth, and very responsive. It can be turned off using a dedicated function key on the keyboard. Its fingerprint reader is located on the power button, unlike its predecessor which was embedded in the trackpad.
With an Intel UHD 620 Graphics card, the Notebook 9 Pro beats the average performance rate for premium laptops. However, this GPU is not appropriate for playing extremely high-end games, or intensive photo and video editing. With an 8 GB, RAM, and a Core i7 processor, this laptop is good for digital art, drawing and animation, light photo editing using Photoshop, and casual gaming.
The Notebook 9 Pro also features pretty decent ports but it’ll have been great if a USB-A port was included. It comes with two USB thunderbolts 3 ports, a USB-C port, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. It’s also very lightweight weighing only about 2.9 pounds. This is a great laptop for digital art.
Pros and Cons of 2019 Samsung Note book 9 Pro
Pros
- Exquisite design
- Great battery life
- Decent performance
- Great display
Cons
- Performance wanes in CPU intensive apps like CC Photoshop
- The keyboard is not so comfortable
7. HP Envy x360
Specifications:
- RAM: 16 GB
- Processor: 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10510U up to 1.8GHz processing speed
- Storage: 512GB SSD Capacity
- Graphics Card: Integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega 8
- Backlit keyboard
- Display: 15.6 inches 1920 x 1080 pixels full HD display
- Battery Life: 15 hours
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Yeah, another high-end convertible 2-in-1 laptop is the HP Envy x360. With its 15-inch touchscreen, backlit keyboard and other interesting features, it offers a wonderful user experience.
Although considered to be a bit heavy in tablet mode, but you may not get something better with a 15-inch 2-in-1 laptop. It’s a powerful choice for the artist.
The 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB storage capacity, it’s expected that this must be a powerful machine. And with the 10th gen Intel Core i7 processor, it’s all you’d need in your art career. Yeah, with such superior storage caliber backed by an efficient RAM your work experience will be a fabulously productive one.
Not only that, the 16 GB memory and the 512 GB storage are upgradable. It means you can extend the memory to 32 GB and the storage to 1 TB if you want. Yeah, this extensive feature will allow you to stay updated in future when you need more workforce out of your art friendly laptop.
With a well-spaced backlit keyboard, working in the dark or at night is no problem. It even has a 3-stage backlight – off, bright, and even brighter. It’s adjustable to suit your need.
Without buttons, the touchpad is large and responsive and provides wide viewing angles. It has a complete HD display. Yeah, The touchpad is very large. It possesses no buttons but is very responsive when tapped. It has a very bright and good contrast offering wide viewing angles and a full HD display. Drawing is made easy and fun. And yeah, not only drawing, but with this digital art-friendly laptop you can do 2D & 3D modeling using AutoCAD software too.
With Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, you’re able to make external connections with other Bluetooth devices.
It also carries 2 USB 3.1 Type-A ports, 1 USB 3.1 Type-C port, and an HDMI port configuration. It also has a slot for your SD card reader. With these, you can connect to your TV screens, and all your plug and play devices.
Weighing 4.11 pounds, relatively heavy, yet portable.
Multitasking comes easy and handy with HP x360 Envy. Play your favorite videos, work on multiple browsers, draw, type and play at the same time without slowing down your computer speed.
Pros and Cons of HP Envy x30
Pros
- Excellent performance
- Beautiful color display
- Extended battery life
- Backlit keyboard
- Very sleek design
- great value for money
Cons
- Somewhat heavy
- Very few ports
8. Lenovo Flex 2-in-1 Convertible
Specifications:
- RAM: 16 GB
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Quad-core processor
- Storage: 256GB SSD Capacity
- Graphics Card: Integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega 8
- Screen Size: 15.6 inches 1920 x 1080 pixels full HD display
- Battery Life: 16 hours
- Privacy shutter for webcam privacy
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
For artists looking for a laptop that is budget-friendly, the Lenovo Flex 2-in-1 convertible might be the perfect option for you. It punches far above its weight. This budget laptop offers smooth performance and speeds that even laptops that cost twice as much don’t offer. It has a well-designed chassis and a touch screen which is essential for digital artists. It is also very portable weighing only about 3.5 pounds.
The Lenovo Flex 14″ 2-in-1 is equipped with 12 GB RAM and a 256GB SSD capacity. This convertible laptop is convenient for running all your drawing software needed by artists. You get great value of money as a result of its large RAM size and good storage capacity.
The Flex 14 features the powerful AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor which is equal to or even performs better than Intel Core i5, and also the AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 graphics card, you can perform heavy computing tasks like opening up to 30 chrome tabs, seamless video, and photo editing, web surfing, 3D animation, multimedia content creation, etc. Unlike most of its price competitors, the Lenovo Flex 14 can handle graphics-intensive tasks.
On the Flex 14″, you get a digital drawing tablet with a full HD touchscreen display that produces sharp image quality. Viewing angles on the Flex 14″ is quite good, thanks to the IPS display technology. The display isn’t quite powerful when using the laptop outdoors but overall it provides a great display for digital artists.
Like most drawing laptops, the Lenovo 14″ supports input from the Lenovo digital pen. The pen has two customizable buttons and offers 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. It is a full-fledged digital stylus pen that is not recharged, unlike the Lenovo Yoga C940 which has an integrated pen that is recharged in a slot built into the laptop.
With 8 GB RAM, an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, and an AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 Graphics card, the Lenovo Flex 14″ performs absolutely well for gaming, graphic design, and Photoshop. Although intensive use of Photoshop and Lightroom stresses the CPU like most other laptops in its category. Don’t expect a budget laptop to perform as high as a high-end laptop.
The Lenovo flex also comes with a backlit keyboard with slightly concave keys. It doesn’t include a number pad by the way. The keyboard overall is very responsive and great for drawing at night due to the backlit feature.
Below the keyboard is a fingerprint scanner for signing into your Windows profile and also unlock your Windows hello supported apps with just a single touch.
The touchpad on the other hand is mid-sized. It delivers very accurate swipes and is very responsive offering smooth performance. Wireless connectivity includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. Sadly it does not support the latest Wi-Fi 6 but is not expected in any laptop of this price range.
It features a respectable array of ports ranging from a USB-C port, an HDMI port, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a full-sized SD card reader, and a headphone jack. The USB-C port can be used to charge the laptop but since it’s only one USB Type C port, we suggest requesting a barrel-style AC adapter so you can charge the laptop and also make use of the USB- port.
Pros and Cons of Lenovo 2-in-1 Convertible
Pros
- Excellent computing performance
- Very durable chassis
- Being a laptop with best Webcam, it comes with privacy shutter for improved security
- Relatively budget-friendly
- It can rotate 300 degrees to improve touch use in tablet mode
Cons
- Fairly heavy
- No Thunderbolts 3 ports
9. MicroSoft Surface Laptop Studio 14.4″ – Recommended By Drawing Artists
Specifications:
- RAM: 32 GB
- Storage: 1 TB storage capacity
- Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U Quad-core processor
- Display: 14.4-inches Touchscreen Display
- Weight: 5.92 pounds
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is one of the high-end laptops in the market, highly suitable for drawing artists and people dealing with graphic/visual intensive tasks. The laptop can serve efficiently as a studio for you to carry out your artistic works.
First of all, it comes with an amazing touch screen facility with a 14.4-inch display. The display is very important for drawing artists, as that’s pretty much everything they are going to deal with the whole day. The laptop has the best display to support your art or drawing. It is also suitable for personal uses like binge-watching movies, browsing, etc.
The display is equipped with a PixelSense Flow touch display feature for a smooth touch experience and comes with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz for faster frames. It also features Dolby Vision and Dolby Vision IQ for best quality image production.
People of other fields can also prefer this high-end laptop for a brilliant performance. The display produces true to life colours, which does not change even during video calls. Most laptops’ screen quality changes during video chats. But, this one produces quality visuals during video calls.
It also comes with a good audio system to deliver cinematic sound while you are watching movies and videos. In terms of CPU and GPU, the laptop features Intel core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU to provide you fast and attractive performance and speed. You can carry out visual intensive tasks with ease using this processor and GPU.
The laptop comes with a Surface Slim Pen 2 to facilitate drawing, especially for artists. You can use the Surface Slim Pen 2 for high precision touch and drawings. People of other fields can also use the Pen for their purposes. The laptop can be folded flexibly for the Studio experience. It has USB 4.0 ports and Thunderbolt 4 support for faster data transfer. You can easily transfer a high amount of data using these ports. Coming to the operating system, the laptop uses Windows 11 Home OS to let you make the best out of the device.
If you are done with the touchpad or touchscreen, you can use the wireless mouse for easy access. The laptop has a portable screen, which you can use with infinite flexibility according to your comfort position. It can turn from a laptop to a studio in a minute.
Concerning memory, the laptop comes with 32 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD storage space. This is very much sufficient even for people indulging in complex activities that involve plenty of storage. You can save innumerable drawings and files with this storage.
Who doesn’t love Platinum-finish? The studio laptop comes in this attractive colour and is also of thin and sleek design. Overall, the laptop is a great choice for drawing artists. Make sure you are ready to invest quite some amount in this device as it is very expensive. But, trust us, it is worth it!
Pros and Cons of Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Pros
- Touch feature with a flexible screen
- The high amount of storage
- Thunderbolt 4 support
- Fast performance
- Thin and portable
Cons
- Very costly
10. Lenovo Flex 5
- RAM: 16 GB
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
- Storage: 256 GB SSD
- Graphics Card: AMD Radeon Graphics
- Screen Size: 14 inches
- Battery Life: Up to 14 hours
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home (64 Bit)
If you are someone who is into digital art, and are looking forward to buying one of the best laptops for drawing artists, your search ends with the Lenovo Flex 5. This laptop offers you the perfect combination of finesse as well as portability. Lenovo has consistently been one of the best brands preferred by artists – and the Flex 5 is one of their best products indeed. Let us take a closer look at why artists love this laptop:
Lenovo’s Flex 5 is a 14-inch laptop from the brand, which offers the users with some impressive specs. Itruns on the fourth generation Ryzen 5 4500U CPU, which is equivalent to an Intel Core i5. The laptop features 16 GB of RAM along with 256 GB of SSD storage. This gives you an ample amount of memory + storage combo, allowing you to run all your graphic processing software, while also ensuring all your files remain safely stored in your laptop. This laptop runs on the Windows 10 Home OS – and when the time comes, there’s a good chance you’ll get the Windows 11 upgrade as well.
One of the best things about this laptop is the portability and the multi-purpose access that it gives to you. You can use this laptop in multiple different modes: firstly, as a regular laptop, secondly, you can completely flip the display to the back and use it as a tablet and draw on it. Lastly, you can keep it in the tent mode and view content on it. This gives you complete freedom to use it the way you want to. You also get a digital pen free with this laptop, allowing artists to easily turn it in the tablet mode and sketch away!
The display that we have talked about above, which can be turned and twisted around with ease – features a 14 inch screen. You get a 14″ FHD (1920×1080) IPS 300nits Anti-glare display here, which is great for artists as it ensures you can make use of the laptop outdoors without the bright natural light of the sun disrupting you. The Lenovo Flex 5 comes with integrated AMD Radeon Graphics, and provides impressive color and clarity to the viewers.
Another interesting aspect about this laptop is that it comes with a rather power-packed battery life too. The Lenovo Flex 5 can easily last you for up to 14 hours on a single charge. For artists and people who like to work while moving around and in a wire-free environment, this is a big plus. Another great thing about this laptop is that this is pretty lightweight. Weighing in at just 1.38kgs (3.04lbs), the device can be kept in your lap or placed anywhere that you want, as it is fairly weightless. It comes with an aluminum body on top and the bottom, which adds to its premium looks.
The laptop comes with a USB 3.2 Gen-1 port, as well as another USB 3.2 Gen-1 port (always-on). There’s an HDMI 1.4b port, a 3.5mm port for headphone and microphone connections, a USB Type-C port, and a card reader as well. Connectivity-wise, this device has pretty much got you covered. The laptop also comes with a free WOOV HDMI cable. The keyboard on the Lenovo Flex 5 is backlit, and there are two major privacy features here – a camera shutter, as well as a fingerprint scanner, which makes sure all your files are truly secure and can be accessed only by you.
All said and done, not only is this one of the best laptops for those looking forward to buying one for digital art – but also one for those who want a decent home and office device, and a laptop that can last you for a long time, while also being rather portable and easy to carry around.
Pros and Cons of Lenovo Flex 5:
Pros
- Premium looks: aluminum body, backlit keyboard
- Lots of connectivity options and ports
- Lightweight and easy to carry around
- Excellent screen which can be turned around to be used as a tablet
- Long lasting 14 hour battery life performance
Cons
- Charger tends to heat up upon prolonged usage
11. Samsung Notebook 9 Pro
Specifications:
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 256 GB storage capacity
- Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U Quad-core processor
- Display: 15 inches Full HD Touchscreen Display
- 13.5 Hours Video Playback
- Built-in S pen for drawing and animation
- Battery: 14 Hours
- Weight: 3.9 pounds
- Operating System: Windows 10
One of the best laptops for drawing for an artist is the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro. With it, you can handle all of your work. It’s one of the latest laptops produced by the popular Samsung company. It’s a convertible laptop equipped with 16 GB RAM, a powerful Core i7 processor, excellent battery life, and a built-in stylus pen which complements the very smooth touchscreen display. It’s a very good laptop for drawing ‘naturally’.
The Samsung Notebook 9 Pro ships with 16 GB RAM facilitating unlimited speeds when drawing and 256GB SSD Storage for storing all your past and ongoing projects. For a notebook, this is pretty fantastic. Due to its large RAM capacity, be sure to say goodbye to lagging whenever you’re drawing.
When searching for the best drawing laptop, processing power would definitely take up much of your thought. With the Notebook 9 Pro, you’re presented with a very powerful Quad-core Intel Core i7 8550U processor for seamless multi-tasking. No doubt, this power will certainly rank it as the best laptop when compared to its competitors.
Since you’re doing a lot of graphics-intensive work, you’ll need a laptop with a very powerful graphics card. The Notebook 9 Pro’s got you covered, it comes with AMD Radeon 540 graphics card with 2 GB dedicated memory to improve your graphics processing speed to prevent lagging when you’re editing your photos.
One of the key features you look out for when considering purchasing a drawing laptop is the display. The Notebook 9 Pro comes with a 15.6 inch Full HD Touch screen display and 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution that offers very wide viewing angles to get all the best possible views during drawing and animation. Any laptop for drawing should possess high-quality display features, hence the Notebook 9 Pro is recommended as the best laptop for drawing.
It also comes with Samsung’s S pen which is an incredible tool for any artist. Unlike other laptops’ pens, this S pen does not need replacing or recharging of batteries. The pen is compatible with Adobe Creative Cloud apps and Windows Ink apps. A pen is a great tool for any laptop for drawing.
The Notebook 9 Pro comes with a centered touchpad that reacts quickly to multi-touch gestures. It also features a backlit keyboard with a bit of shallow key travel but is still comfortable for typing. The uniqueness of its touch system makes it stand out as the best laptop you can think of.
With 16 GB RAM, a Core i7 processor, and an AMD Radeon 540 dedicated graphics card, you’re assured of seamless multi-tasking while you work. This laptop tackles Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator without dropping performance. This is the beauty of this product. These are excellent features you could find only on any device that is qualified to be the best laptop for drawing.
It also comes with a good mix of ports like a microSD card slot, two USB 3.0 ports, a headset jack, a USB Type C port, and an HDMI port. You can also use the USB-C port to recharge the laptop from an external battery pack. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 for smooth and secure connectivity. You probably may not fault anyone who testifies that the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro is the best laptop, because he may be speaking from experience!
Pros and Cons of Samsung Notebook 9 Pro
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- Very bright display
- IR Camera for Windows Hello
- Buil- in S pen for drawing and animation
- Excellent performance
Cons
- No 4K screen option
- Smaller storage compared to rivals
12. HP Spectre x360
Specifications:
- RAM: 16 GB RAM
- Storage: 512GB SSD CAPACITY
- Processor: 10th Generation Intel Core i7
- Screen Size: 13.5-inch Ultra HD touchscreen display
- Convertible 2-in-1
- Weight: 2.01 kg
- Operating System: Windows 10
Another great laptop for drawing artists is the HP Spectre x360. With a whopping 16 GB RAM, and 512 GB storage capacity, it assures of a great speed and an awesome performance.
Your research projects and all your documents and files can easily be stored and accessed when necessary. You can manage your library effectively. So you can now see why the Spectre x360 is considered one of the best laptops for artists.
And it comes with the latest 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor, for very high computing tasks. In addition, fast boots and fast load times are guaranteed.
You can multitask easily; you can play videos, open multiple browsers, and also work on your docs at the same without creating tension on the Spectre x360
Because you’ll be engaged with a lot of research work in your drawing, you’ll likely work for longer hours. This is where long lasting battery life comes in. This battery lasts for about 10 hours at a stretch. Almost all your day is covered.
Your Spectre x360 is ideal both as business laptop and as a leisure device.
The LED touchscreen technology is amazing. With a resolution of 1920 x 10080 pixels, it provides brilliant colors and visual clarity, and enables wide viewing angles.
It also has a fingerprint reader to add more to its security features.
The Spectre x360, with the combination of its 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD storage, you have the power to create your world in your drawing experience. As a 10th generation laptop, nothing short of a powerful performance is expected.
Yeah RAM + Processor + SSD are enough to produce great performance and gives the artist power for creativity and a wonderful drawing experience.
Well, with its superior and powerful storage capacity, this laptop also secured a place among our best laptops with SSD storage capacity as well.
This laptop comes with a 4 GB graphics card memory, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti. With this, you’re good to do all your gaming activities effortlessly at your leisure time.
As for typing exercises, the Spectre x360 possesses a very responsive keyboard. The keyboard also has a backlit feature so that working at night or dark places won’t pose any problem to you. Work anywhere anytime.
Other interesting features you can find on your Spectre x360 include HP audio boost, for a great audio performance for those who are lovers of music. Some like their volume to be very high, some like it cool. The Spectre x360 meets your expectations.
With Bluetooth compatibility, you can pair all your Bluetooth devices on your laptop.
It’s also portable. Weighing about 4.3 pounds, you can travel with it.
Furthermore, budget-friendly price point of this laptop makes it a perfect fit laptop for nursing students & teachers as well.
Pros and Cons of HP Spectre x360
Pros
- Powerful Performance
- Beautiful Touch Screen
- Fingerprint Reader
- Very Extensive Battery Life
- High-Speed Memory
- Great Storage Capacity
- Superb Audio Quality
Cons
- Thought to be Quite Expensive in some quarters
FAQ’s – Best Laptops for Drawing Artists in 2022
1. Which laptops are best for artists?
The best laptops for writers aren’t always a one-answer question. It depends on the level of work you’re doing. For professional artists, you need a computer with at least 16 GB RAM. You might get away with 8 GB but if you really want to engage in intensive photo editing, we suggest getting a laptop with at least a Core i5 processor and 16 GB RAM. Any laptop that fits this description should give you great value for money.
2. What computer should I get for drawing?
Getting a drawing laptop in 2022 can be an overwhelming task because most drawing laptops should compulsorily have touchscreen displays. We recommend getting drawing laptops with at least 8 GB RAM, an i5 processor, 256 GB storage which also comes with a touch screen, and optionally a stylus pen. Any of the laptops listed above should suit you.
3. Can I draw on a laptop?
Yes. But not all laptops are meant for drawing. Laptops for drawing must have a touchscreen display because what else are you going to draw on? And the laptop should support pen input. If you’ve found a laptop with these features you can definitely draw on it.
4. What should I look for in a laptop for digital art?
Digital artists should look for the following when purchasing a laptop: RAM size at least 8 GB, Processor (i5 recommended), Storage capacity (256 GB would suffice), Graphics card because you’re dealing with mostly graphics (a card with at least 2 GB graphics memory), Pen input support, Battery life (8 hours minimum), Great display quality (ideally 1080p).
Once you’ve considered all these factors, you should have pinned all the necessary requirements for your digital art laptop.
5. What kind of computer do I need for art?
Virtually all artists need high-end laptops to be truly successful, if not you’re most likely not going to enjoy your job. For entry-level artists, they can get away with a mid-spec laptop like Lenovo Flex, Surface laptop 2. But for professionals in the industry, we suggest getting a high-end laptop like Macbook Air, HP ZBook Studio G5, Samsung Notebook 9 Pro, etc.
6. What is the best surface for drawing?
There are many great surface laptops you could use for drawing. As we have enumerated above, all of these surfaces are ideal for drawing. They’re powerful, with unprecedented levels of performance. But if you ask me, I’d recommend the Microsoft Surface Pro 7. It comes with a surface pen that enables you to write with a precision ink pen. Samsung Notebook 9 Pro, HP ZBook Studio x360 G5 are also great for drawing.
7. Are 2-in-1 laptops good for artists?
Yes. 2-in-1 laptops are very good laptops for artists. Since they are convertible, they are likely to be very portable hence improving your comfortability when drawing. You are more likely to be making all your drawings in tablet mode than when your laptop is on the table. This can only be achieved when you have a 2-in-1 laptop.
8. Are there laptops you can draw on?
Yes. You can draw on laptops that support pen touch input and have a touchscreen display. Laptops like Microsoft Surface Pro 7, HP Envy x360, HP ZBook Studio x360 G5, etc, these laptops can be drawn on.
9. What kind of a screen is preferred by digital artists?
Digital artists generally prefer screens that are bright and vivid – and display the color in the most natural way possible. Furthermore, they also prefer using screens that can be turned around and give them a better access and a larger area to work on. For those drawing on dedicated drawing pads and devices, they would prefer making use of a laptop that comes with a touchscreen display – so that they can zoom in on certain portions when they want. However, the highest preference goes on the color output aspect of things.
10. Are gaming laptops good for digital artists?
Gaming laptops are a good choice for most users who want to make use of heavy duty software, and can be useful for digital artists when it comes to the post-production part. If you are someone who wishes to make use of the laptop for tasks such as coloring and grading, and providing a more ‘digital’ finesse to your art, you might want to consider gaming laptops. Another benefit of using gaming laptops is that they generally have a powerful GPU which is great for the visual output. However, most graphic designers prefer getting portable devices that are easy to carry around.
11. Are apple laptops a good choice for digital artists?
Yes, apple laptops are a great choice for digital artists, particularly those who draw using external devices and import their visuals to a laptop for post-processing such as coloring and grading. Given the fact that Apple’s laptops offer a superior visual output, and that these laptops can also run all your graphic processing software with ease, they are a good choice. Most graphic designers today prefer using iMacs and MacBooks for their digital artwork related tasks.
12. Where can I buy the best laptops for digital art?
Laptops for digital art aren’t really a specific category. You need to know what specs you are looking for and buy accordingly. Most of the laptops on our list above can be easily purchased from any retail store that sells computers and laptops around the US. You can even find them on multibrand retail stores. However, we strongly recommend checking out Amazon as the best platform to buy these laptops, as you get a larger range of products on their web store, as well as better deals and discounts. Lastly, their exchange and return policy is pretty relaxed as well.
13. How much do laptops for digital artists generally cost?
Laptops for digital artists generally cost a little more than what regular home and office laptops do, but cost a lot lesser than what most high-end laptops and gaming devices do. You can find a decent laptop for digital artists and artwork priced somewhere between $600 to $900 – with $750 being the average price point. However, this is bound to shoot up if you were to add dedicated GPUs and graphic cards that bring in more power and a better visual capacity to the device.
How to Maintain Your Laptop as an Artist.
Like every device, your laptop will also need some maintenance from time to time. Maintenance is what determines how long your laptop will last. Although many of the newer laptops are durable, they still require some level of maintenance.
Here are some basic tips for taking care of your laptop.
1. Regular Shut Down and Reboot
No device runs 24/7 without being maintained, it will surely break down. So, power down your laptop before you sleep or when not in active use. Always reboot your laptop when you notice any unusual performance.
2. Don’t Download Unsecure Software
Many software on the internet nowadays are illegal, unsecure, pirated or even scams. They’re capable of damaging your system. They may contain malware or viruses that can adversely affect your hardware. They can even encrypt your entire system and cause you to lose your valuable files.
3. Regular Updates
Always be on the lookout for software updates. As hackers and viruses evolve, so are manufacturers producing more software to tackle security lapses. This will help you plug any vulnerability lapse on your laptop’s OS.
4. Don’t Overload, Don’t Overheat your Laptop
If you’re careful with the strength of your laptop, you won’t allow it to be overloaded with files. You won’t also be opening multiple tabs at the same time. Overloading it will cause lagging, and overworking may lead to overheating. Know what programs to run, know the capacity of your hardware resources.
5. Charge your Battery Before it Finally Runs out
Never allow your device to shut down on its own. Plug in your charger as soon as you notice your battery power is draining. And worse still, don’t always allow your laptop charge overnight. Overcharging will reduce its lifespan.
All in all, make sure you’re taking appropriate care of battery and power requirements on your laptop and doesn’t causing it to fail unnecessarily by charging it excessively or not charging at all.
6. Always Delete Unused Files:
You’ll always have many unused files. No matter the size of your hard drive, allowing unused files on your laptop will definitely slow down your device. Just delete any file(s) occupying unnecessary space on your device.
Conclusion:
I’m sure you’re now well informed about what to lookout for when purchasing a laptop for drawing artists, and also, you ought to have known how to take care of your laptop to keep it safe for your operation. You don’t need to be a hardware engineer to be able to take care of your laptop. Good luck.
In this article, we’ve analyzed independently all the best laptops for drawing or the best laptops for artists.
Ideally, anyone serious about art or becoming a digital artist should not go for a laptop below 8 GB RAM, 256 GB storage, a Core i5 processor, and a Graphics card of at least 2 GB to ensure a smooth visual experience whenever you’re drawing or making illustrations.
We hope this article has helped you decide the best laptop for artists like you.
Have a wonderful drawing experience