Tools I Use for Professional Cartoon Illustration

As a professional cartoonist with decades of experience, I’ve worked with a wide range of drawing tablets for digital illustration. The tools listed below are those I currently use in my studio, along with professional drawing tablets I recommend based on real-world use.

This page is designed to help illustrators, cartoonists, and digital artists choose the right drawing tablet, whether they’re starting out or upgrading a professional setup.

My Current Drawing Tablet

Huion Kamvas 22-Inch Drawing Tablet (My Daily Studio Tablet)

The Huion Kamvas 22-inch drawing tablet is the tablet I currently use for my professional cartoon illustration work.

It offers a large drawing surface, responsive pen performance, and reliable colour accuracy, making it well suited to cartooning, illustration, and vector-based artwork. For my workflow, it strikes an excellent balance between performance, comfort, and value.

Why I use it

  • Large 22-inch display ideal for illustration
  • Accurate pressure-sensitive pen for clean line work
  • Comfortable for long drawing sessions
  • Excellent value compared with premium brands

This tablet comfortably meets professional requirements without unnecessary expense.

👉 View the Huion Kamvas 22-Inch Drawing Tablet on Amazon

Recommended Professional Upgrades

Huion Kamvas Pro 24 – 4K UHD Drawing Tablet

The Huion Kamvas Pro 24 (4K UHD) is a strong upgrade option for artists who need higher screen resolution and improved colour accuracy.

It’s particularly well suited to:

  • Detailed illustration and cartoon artwork
  • Print-focused projects
  • Artists upgrading from smaller or lower-resolution tablets

This model offers professional-level performance without entering the highest price brackets.

👉 View the Huion Kamvas Pro 24 (4K UHD) on Amazon

Huion Kamvas Pro 24 (Gen 3) Drawing Tablet

The Huion Kamvas Pro 24 (Gen 3) is Huion’s latest generation professional display tablet, featuring improved pen technology, refined colour performance, and a more premium build.

For artists looking for a top-tier drawing tablet for professional illustration, this is Huion’s flagship option and a serious alternative to much more expensive brands.

👉 View the Huion Kamvas Pro 24 (Gen 3) on Amazon

Wacom Drawing Tablets – Professional Perspective

I’ve used Wacom drawing tablets extensively in the past, including higher-end professional models.

Wacom tablets are well built and widely respected in the industry. However, they also carry a significant price premium.

From a professional cartoonist’s perspective:

  • Wacom tablets are excellent
  • Huion tablets now offer comparable performance for illustration work
  • For cartooning and line-based artwork, the price difference is often difficult to justify

For many professional artists, Huion provides outstanding value without compromising results.

Affiliate Disclosure

Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, this helps support the site at no additional cost to you. I only recommend drawing tablets I use myself or would be confident using professionally.

Choosing the Right Drawing Tablet

The best drawing tablet is one that feels comfortable, reliable, and disappears into your workflow. Whether you choose a mid-range tablet or a high-resolution professional display, the tools listed here are all capable of producing professional cartoon and illustration work.

The decision ultimately comes down to budget, screen size, and how far you want to future-proof your studio.

Can ‘AI’ really do jobs like these?

Can ‘AI’ really do jobs like these?

Anyway, 10 Good Things About AI… 

1. Bye-Bye Boring Jobs!

AI takes care of the dull, repetitive stuff—so humans can focus on the fun, creative bits!

2. Always Awake!

Need help at 3 AM? No worries! AI never sleeps (and never needs coffee).

3. It Gets You!

From music to movies, AI recommends stuff you actually like—it’s like having a mind-reading best friend!

4. Super Brain Power!

AI crunches data like a genius on rocket fuel—helping businesses and doctors make smarter decisions.

5. Robot Doc on Duty!

Diagnosing illnesses, suggesting treatments, and even inventing new medicines—AI is changing healthcare for the better.

6. Helping Everyone!

Voice-to-text, smart captions, and real-time translation make the world more accessible for everyone.

7. Your Digital Sidekick!

AI assistants remind you, answer your questions, and might even tell a joke (some better than others 😅).

8. Creative Spark Plug!

AI can help write stories, draw cartoons (but not as cool as yours!), compose music, and spark new ideas.

9. Catches the Bad Guys!

Spotting fraud and sniffing out cyber baddies before they cause trouble—AI’s got your back.

10. Planet Protector!

From smart farming to energy-saving systems, AI helps us take better care of Earth.

INTERACTIVE CARTOON – Warehouse Hazard spotting cartoon

This is an interactive cartoon – hover over what you think is a warehouse hazard. If you’re right a box will pop-up with information in it. Engage your workforce with interactive videos and images. Make interactive hotspots in your training that show text, images, video, link to other sites, live streaming, almost anything! I can create similar interactive cartoons on any health and safety subject or setting. The possibilities are endless. Did you spot the hazards in the warehouse? Educate your warehouse staff with this cartoon – health and safety cartoons can save accidents. In this cartoon you should have picked out the following hazards: guy climbing up racking, split chemicals on the floor, guy has a ladder on top of some pallets trying to reach something from a ladder, broken window pane, fire exit blocked with pallets, rubbish and wheelie bins, guy on the forks of a fork lift truck, guy over-reaching from off the top of a stack of pallets, guy smoking, guy about to tread in oil spilt- slip hazard, unguarded machine, leaping over safety barrier, fork truck driver has load lifted very high over colleagues heads, twisting hazard, cutting hazard and finally lady in high heel shoes. You can purchase the NON-INTERACTIVE version of this cartoon at my sister website: https://www.cartoonmotivators.com/warehouse-health-and-safety-hazards.html

Cartoon Whiteboard Animation Video – Barriers To Business Growth!

Here’s a cartoon whiteboard animation video I’ve just completed for a long term client Maria Odeyemi of Coaching2Transform.com

A little bit about what Maria does at  Coaching2Transform:

“We have been supporting leaders and business owners step into the characters necessary to  Start,Stay, and Grow their business for many years. Leaders gain more clarity, understanding, as well as focus. During that time we’ve become very successful in helping our clients to generate the leads ..and dramatically increase their revenue and profits”.

BOOKING APPOINTMENT LINK FOR NEW CLIENTS
http://coaching2transform.setmore.com/

A little bit about what Maria kindly said about me!

Richard of the Cartoon Doodle Videos has always provided inspiring, motivational cartoons and illustrations for my growing Coaching and Mentoring Practice. Since 2004 Richard has always been professional, patient, and accommodating.
Once again thank you for my very first ever You Tube Whiteboard AnimationVideo ‘Stop Struggling with Your Business’ whiteboard animation. I hope that it  truly speaks and captures the heart of all small business owners who want to work ‘on’ their business as well as working ‘in’ their business.

Nice one Maria, thanks!