Wacom’s Intuos Small Graphics Drawing Tablet is a cost-effective choice for digital artists who want to tackle everything from painting to 3D sculpting and sketching. This tablet includes a highly tactile surface, intuitive pen nib, bundled design software for photo editing/illustration, and custom ExpressKeys to expedite repetitive tasks like selecting a brush or erasing a stroke.

In this review, I outline its features, design, and ergonomics to help you determine if it is good for your next digital art project.

Price, availability, and specs

Wacom’s Intuos Small Graphics Drawing Tablet is available for $39.95 on Amazon.

It’s compatible with Windows 7 or newer, Mac OSX 10.11 or higher, and Android devices using a USB adapter with a standard USB type A. The Wacom website contains all necessary drivers with the option to use bundled software, including Corel Painter Essentials 6, Corel AfterShot, and Clip Studio Paint. Setup also takes less than 10 minutes.

What I liked

Excellent all-around performance for the price

The Wacom Intuos small graphics drawing tablet is a versatile workhorse. It starts with a clean, intuitive drawing experience. Its pen offers 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, which offers neat control over line thickness and image opacity, resulting in truly engaging artwork. Drawing on this tablet feels natural, closely simulating the experience of drawing on paper.

The tablet feels somewhat sturdy (albeit a bit hollow feeling), compact, and portable, measuring just 7.87 by 6.3 by 0.35-inches and weighing under 9oz. Its comfortable rounded edges and four rubber feet keep it securely in place on your desk. It’s also very easy to set up. Connect it to your computer with the provided USB cable, install drivers from the Wacom website, download the bundled software, and start drawing. The setup documentation is clear, even for those with limited technical knowledge.

I also appreciate this Wacom tablet’s seamless integration with Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter Essentials, and Corel AfterShot. Each software serves distinct purposes: Painter Essentials is great for digital painting and illustration, while AfterShot excels in photo editing, providing a lot of versatility. Adobe Photoshop is a jack of all trades, with helpful tools to customize brush settings for even greater precision (e.g. changing brush size and opacity for improved shading and blending). Plus, there are numerous online guides and tutorials to help you get started.

One of our favorite features is the customizable ExpressKeys. These keys allow users to tailor their workflow by applying shortcuts for repetitive tasks such as undoing, redoing, deleting strokes, and switching tools. It’s a great way to maintain continuity and minimize interruptions while drawing or sketching.

Another standout feature is the pen pressure sensitivity. 4,096 levels of pressure mean the stylus can detect a wide range of pressure, offering versatility in line thickness, opacity, and other attributes. Lighter pressure results in thinner lines, while heavier pressure produces thicker, more opaque strokes. Other popular tablets with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity include the Microsoft Surface and Samsung’s defunct Galaxy Note line.

What I didn’t like

Small drawing area and bundled software installs

One limitation of the Wacom Intuos Small Graphics Drawing Tablet is its ergonomics at times. For starters, it has a small drawing area that is rougher than average, leading to quickly worn-out pen nibs. Although three nib replacements are provided, heavy use can wear them out quickly. Don’t be surprised if your pen nib becomes flat after several months of heavy use.

Secondly, there is a slight learning curve when downloading its drivers and bundled software. Drivers are available online, while bundled software comes as physical CD copies, requiring some patience and mental dexterity to navigate. However, the trade-off is worth the effort once the tablet is fully set up.

In short, avoid the Wacom Intuos Small Graphics Drawing Tablet if you prefer a larger drawing area. However, if you value portability and convenience over size, this tablet is an excellent option.

For the price, the Wacom Intuos Small Graphics Drawing Tablet offers a lot. It delivers a decent drawing experience with good performance at various pressure levels. Creating thin lines and even strokes is easy with minimal wobble.

Plus, it is very responsive with no noticeable lag. However, the tablet has a slightly rough texture, and the pen nibs wear out faster than average. Thankfully, the tablet includes three replacements, which should last several months with regular use.

In summary, if you are a high-usage artist, we recommend considering more expensive options like the Microsoft Surface Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab. However, this Wacom tablet is a solid choice if you’re on a budget or depend on its bundled software.