Do you or your teenaged child use an iPad or other tablet for art?

[ShowOfHands]

DD is a v keen and quite talented artist, currently doing art GCSE but planning to continue with art as a career or a serious side hobby. She likes digital art and we bought a basic Lenovo, second hand art tablet for her birthday a couple of years ago and it's been used to death. She says she really would like something with more capability and compatible with better programmes, plus faster. Her art teacher has an iPad and Apple pencil apparently and DD has been using them at school. She is willing to use her own money and we (us, grandparents, aunts, uncles) could contribute for Christmas but we're really not made of money.

I've never owned an Apple product in my life and a cursory Google of iPads is utterly baffling. They range from a couple of hundred quid to over a grand. And then we'd need a stylus and she's mentioned a Procreate subscription?

What do other people use or recommend? I don't know if it's really in reach for us financially.

Procreate is a one off app purchase price - I think we paid £9.99. There’s no ongoing subscription charge.

DD is being encouraged to do all sorts of art by her teacher. We are v lucky because her teacher has been mentoring her a little bit and does give her a bit of extra time, plus materials. DD is lucky to have an art studio (sounds grand but our house had a rubbish summer house in the garden and we did it up, insulated it and her teacher helped us kit it out with stuff she needed to learn new skills) and she's already filled her portfolio with all sorts and is currently learning to sculpt and doing some dressmaking. She is only half a term into her GCSE and is loving it.

I'm an okay artist with a pencil or a biro and I'm amazed my how much better dd's efforts are with the materials she has. Even her pencils are impressive. They should be. She saves a long time for them!

Thank you for the recommendations for refurbished sellers. That is the likely route we will go.

And Pumpkin, I'll be in touch!

I love the encouragement your DD is getting.

Whether it becomes a full time job or hobby it's lovely she has space and support.

Maybe when she does work experience they may lend her equipment or at least advise on the best cheapest products or pass her items they've replaced that are still fit for purpose.