The 25 Best iPad Drawing Accessories

Apple, Logitech, Elevation Lab

You’ve finally dedicated your artistic mind to the convenient world of iPad art. But as it turns out, creating art on your iPad can get pretty uncomfortable if you don’t have the right tools.

Thing is, shopping for iPad drawing accessories can be kind of overwhelming. There are a ton of products on the market, and they won’t always suit your needs. Some styluses won’t suit your drawing style, some mounts or kickstands aren’t as adjustable as they should be, and it can be hard to pick out an iPad keyboard if you’ve never used one before.

Lucky for you, we’ve taken the time to hunt down and organize the top 25 iPad drawing accessories. Don’t worry, you won’t need all 25–just one or two from each category that suits your needs. With these accessories in hand, you can finally take the iPad out of your lap and end your heinous iPad fingerpainting lifestyle.

A Stylus: The Number One Necessity

The Apple Pencil, the Bamboo Sketch, and the Logitech Crayon — Bamboo, Apple, Logitech

Apple’s flagship stylus, the Apple Pencil, is honestly a fantastic device. But if you don’t already own a Pencil or you wish the Pencil had more programmable buttons, it’s worth looking into a wide variety of styluses that work for the iPad. You could save a lot of money, and you could find a stylus that’s directly suited toward your needs.

There are just two things to keep in mind. For one, iPads made before 2017 don’t work with the new Apple Pencil, and the old Apple Pencil only works with iPad Pro’s made after 2015 and the 2018 models of the regular iPad and the iPad Air. Basically, if you’re using an old iPad, you’ll need a stylus that connects over Bluetooth.

The other thing that you should know about is palm-rejection. When a stylus (like the Apple Pencil) has palm-rejection features, it essentially tells your iPad to ignore any accidental inputs. This technology is a godsend for artists that tend to lay their hand on the paper while drawing. That being said, if you buy a stylus that doesn’t have palm-rejection features, then you’ll need a drawing glove (or really good posture).

Apple Pencil 2nd Generation ($130) – The Apple Pencil is one of the best styluses on the market. It’s optimized for the iPad, it’s super responsive, and it doesn’t need to pair over Bluetooth. If you want to make the Pencil even better, try adding a grippy magnetic sleeve, or a protective tip cover.
Apple Pencil 1st Generation ($95) – If you don’t want to spend $130 on the new Apple Pencil, just buy the old one. It still works great, the only big difference is that it doesn’t have a programmable “double tap” feature.
The Friendly Swede 4-in-1 Brush Stylus ($25) – This stylus set is ideal for anyone that prefers to draw with traditional tools. For just $25, you get two fine-tips styluses, two disc-tips styluses, and an attachable brush tip. This stylus will work on older iPads, and it doesn’t have palm-rejection features.
The Logitech Crayon ($70) – This stylus is built to be a direct alternative to the Apple Pencil. Like the pencil, it’s responsive, it doesn’t need to pair over Bluetooth, and it has palm-rejection features. That said, this stylus won’t work on older iPads.
Wacom Bamboo Sketch ($55) – If you’re a digital artist, then you’re already familiar with Wacom. The Bamboo Sketch reflects Wacom’s legacy, it’s easy to use, super responsive, and it has two programmable buttons. While the Bamboo Sketch will work on older iPads, it doesn’t have palm-rejection features.
Adonit Pixel ($63) – If you’re looking for a cheap alternative to the Pencil, then the Adonit Pixel may be for you. It’s designed to look and act like the Pencil, with two extra programmable buttons on the side. This stylus has palm-rejection features, and it can connect to older iPads.

Of course, no matter which stylus you use, the iPad’s screen will always be a bit slippery. If only there was a way to make the iPad screen feel a bit more like paper…

A Paper-Like Screen Protector for Extra Control

An iPad with the Soke paper-like screen protector. — Soke

When creating digital art on an iPad, you should avoid using any bulky screen protectors. Thick screen protectors can make your iPad less receptive to stylus input, which can be extremely frustrating when you’re trying to draw with a lot of detail.

Instead, you should use a thin, paper-like screen protector that’s specifically designed for artists. These screen protectors give your slippery iPad screen a bit of texture and resistance that’s similar to paper. And while they aren’t as protective as tempered glass screen protectors, paper-like screen protectors add a useful element to your artistic experience.

Soke 9.7″ Paper-Like Screen Protector ($23) – An easy to install anti-glare screen protector with a paper-like texture.
LITCHI 10.5″ Paper-Like Screen Protector ($18) – This surprisingly affordable screen protector is anti-glare and anti-smudge. Plus, it’s made with bubble-free adhesives, so it’s easy to install.
PYS 11″ Paper-Like Screen Protector 2-Pack ($28) – An anti-glare screen protector at an affordable price. This screen protector is made with bubble-free adhesives, so it’s easy to install.
Soke 12.9″ Paper-Like Screen Protector ($28) – This is the ideal paper-like screen protector for the iPad Pro. It’s anti-glare and anti-smudge, and it’s made with easy to install bubble-free adhesives.