AppleInsider is supported by its audience and can earn commissions on qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate and Affiliate Partner. These affiliate partnerships do not affect our editorial content.
Step up your digital art game by grabbing our personal favorites iPad Accessories for artists.
although Huakang Once the king of digital art, the iPad has completely solidified itself as a serious contender. With great art apps like Procreate, adobe muraland Affinity Designer can be used for iPad operating systemmany artists use the iPad to complement their workflow.
However, as good as it is, it doesn’t mean the iPad can’t be better. By curating a range of valuable tools, you can take your digital art setup to the next level.
we would not recommend Apple Pencil We assume that most digital artists using the iPad are aware of this.
Instead, these products are designed to take your Apple hardware to the next level by simplifying drawing, painting, and modeling.
Sketchpad Pro
If you’re the kind of artist who spends hours a day drawing on an iPad, you probably already know that this can lead to neck pain — as well as your back, arms, and more.
That’s why we’re big fans of Sketchboard Pro. It’s essentially a big case for your iPad. All you need to do is press your iPad into the rubber groove and it will fit securely with the screen flush with the rest of the Sketchboard Pro.
On the back of Sketchboard Pro are four outriggers that pop out and tilt upwards 20 degrees for a familiar drawing desk feel. This angle helps prevent back and neck pain and encourages us to sit in better posture. You can also pop out the two “side” legs to create easel mode.
The only downside is that it’s heavy, so it’s not the most travel-friendly, but it’s still the best iPad easel/drawing tablet we’ve come across.
PenPad for Procreate
If you’re someone who grew up drawing on a Wacom tablet and migrated to an iPad, chances are you’re missing the shortcut buttons. This is especially evident in Procreate, our personal favorite app for digital artists.
Procreate is very fast and easy to use, but after drawing and navigating the UI with our dominant hand, our arms get tired.
Pen Tips solves this problem by moving the most common shortcuts to PenPad, a Bluetooth-enabled shortcut panel. Then, simply place it on the side of the iPad and hand over UI navigation to the non-dominant hand.
It features more than 20 shortcuts, including turning on and off full screen mode, accessing and hiding the layers panel, increasing and decreasing brush size, undo and redo, and more.
It’s one of our most-used iPad accessories, even though it might seem like a one-trick pony because it’s only for Procreate. But trust us – if you spend more than a few hours a day on Procreate, it’s a lifesaver.
paper pattern
If we recommend one tool to anyone using the Apple Pencil (Available at B&H) Usually, it’s like paper.
Paperlike is a screen protector that adds enough friction to your iPad screen to make it feel like you’re painting on paper instead of glass.
While this may seem like a small thing to worry about, it gives you more control over your strokes. It also prevents muscle fatigue if you’re an artist working between traditional and digital media.
Apple’s Magic Keyboard
While it’s not for artists, having a great keyboard will definitely make working on the iPad easier. After all, it’s definitely better than switching between an iPad and a desktop every time you want to get some typing done.
Our personal picks are Apple’s own Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro and iPad Air. Comfortable to type on, with a USB-C connector to charge your iPad, and a built-in trackpad that’s the best in the game.