I’d been working as a freelance graphic artist for years with my very old and battered XPPen Star 03 when I finally decided it was time to upgrade.
I did a lot of research before making the XPPen Artist 15.6 Pro V2 purchase, since $400 is a hefty amount to spend on one device.
This model is the next step up from the XPPen Artist 15.6 Pro. If you need a more precise X3 pro stylus and more convenient usb-c connection, this XPPen drawing pen display tablet fits the bill.
If you are interested, Keep on read my in-depth review of the XPPen Artist 15.6 Pro V2 display drawing tablet. Find out the specs and see what it’s like in use for both illustration and retouching.
What’s In The Box?
The whole Artist 15.6 Pro V2 package is sleek-looking and feels very high-end.
I was impressed by the range of extra accessories included. In addition to the tablet, stylus, power adapter, and cables, you also get a foldable tablet stand, a stylus holder with 8 extra nibs, a black drawing glove, a screen protector, and a cleaning cloth. Very generous!
The AC41 tablet stand is made of plastic and has rubber pads at the top as well as the bottom legs.It folds up flat in a slim form factor. Its leg folds out and snaps into place which gives you a single drawing angle of about 19°. Although more customizable angles would have been better, still – it gets the job done.
Design and Build Quality
In terms of the design – The Artist 15.6 Pro V2 has all the buttons and shortcut options on the left and working area on the right-hand side.
It has 2 USB-C ports which is located at the right edge of the tablet along with the power switch and brightness controls.
Its 15.6 inches medium-size display, the thickness of just 12.9 mm, and overall lightweight make it perfect for working on a desk as well as your lap.
The drawing tablet itself feels very sturdy and nice. It’s heavy and well made. There is no flexing or creaking sound audible when pressed hard.
There are two big strips of rubber pads on the back of the device which makes it very stable on the smooth surface.
A Quality Screen
This Artist 15.6 Pro V2 tablet has a 15.6-inch display size, providing an ample canvas that allows me to work on details without frequently zooming in and out.
The screen has a FullHD 1,920 x 1,080 resolution that measures 141 pixels per inch, which is sufficient enough for this size. Where it really shines is its color accuracy.
Its IPS panel has a professional color coverage of 96% Adobe RGB / 96% DCI-P3, 1000∶1 Contrast Ratio, and showcases 16.7 million colors, which produces very accurate and vivid colors, ensure my artwork always looks right.
I know how frustrating poor color accuracy can be on a drawing tablet. That’s why I was so relieved when I started using theArtist 15.6 Pro V2.
The Artist 15.6 pro V2 also has a fully laminated display tech. XPPen calls this optical bonding. Basically what it does is reduce the space between the glass your pen is drawing on and how far below that glass your screen sits. As a result, there is almost no parallax.
The matte screen protector reduces glare and gives a more resistant and nature feeling when you draw, similar to paper. It does dull the colors a bit, but If you feel constrained by dimness, you can break free with a few simple tweaks of the tablet driver settings.
Since I have a hard time sitting still when inspired, I appreciate the 178° span of viewing angles and low parallax, letting me see clearly without color distortion or cursor misplacement at almost every angle.
A Precise Stylus Pen
One of the best parts about using the Artist 15.6 Pro V2 is the X3 Pro Pen with smart Chip pen tech. It reacts to the slightest changes in pressure and angle, giving me the precision I need for detailed work.
That lower 3g activation force is no joke, the pen register strokes even at extremely light pressures…. When compared to my Star 03 (which took quite some force to activate the strokes, which makes lightly sketching almost impossible without change the brush size constantly), X3 Pro pen was amazing.
Also the 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity is bonus, far surpassing what many mid-range tablets offer. Every stroke is smooth, accurate, and effortless, whether I’m sketching fine lines or shading with precision.
The 60° tilt recognition meant it caught every detail of my hand movement. This accuracy was crucial when sketching out complex scenes, and it felt like the pen was just an extension of my hand.
The X3 Pro Pen has a slight tapered design, with two buttons along the side, and an eraser on the top end. And, as is standard, it is battery-free, so I can use it as long and as much as you like without worrying about charging.
I like how it comes with a neat cylindrical pen holder for protect the pen and nibs. The lid also doubles as a pen stand. The pen stand holds the pen in an upright position, which is very handy when not use the pen.
Customization makes work efficient
Probably one of the best thing about this display tablet is its shortcut options.
The Artist 15.6 Pro V2 comes with a total of 8 programmable buttons located on the left-hand side of the tablet.
Along with the buttons you also get a red roller wheel that help you with things like changing the size of the brush and eraser as well as pan, zoom, and rotate the artboard.
These buttons and red roller wheel are very handy when drawing, especially the dial that make the whole drawing experience fun and enjoyable.
More Convenient USB-C Connection
Note that the Artist 15.6 Pro V2 must be plugged into a computer to work. Wireless connection is unfortunately not yet a viable option for this kind of display digital tablet.
There are 2 different ways to connect the Artist 15.6 Pro V2 to the computer. You can either use a single USB-C cable, or HDMI+USB-A (3-in-1 cable).
The single USB-C to USB-C cable is more modern and convenient that handles all video and power through one slot. This will definitely eliminate the tangled cords in your carrying case, greatly improving portability.
The Artist 15.6 Pro V2 comes with its own power adpter + USB-C to USB-A cable in case your unplugged laptop can’t satiate its electronic hunger.
Also note that you will need to buy the 3-in-1 cable separately if your computer only has USB-A and HDMI port instead of modern USB-C.
If you don’t know, The 3-in-1 cable splits into separate USB-A, HDMI, and power connections in one end. The other end is one simple plug ( USB-C) for the tablet.
Installing the Driver
Before being able to use your tablet, you need to install the Driver. The driver is free to download for both Windows and Mac devices and available on the XPPen official website.
A driver is a software that communicates with the computer and helps it to understand the pressure, tilt, and location data. It also gives you extra settings options for your tablet.
In the settings panel of the driver, you can change the pressure curve of the stylus and assign the custom shortcuts to the buttons on the pen.
The driver also allows you to customize the rolling disk with a total of 5 different shortcuts. Its layout is easy to understand and the whole setup just takes a couple of minutes.
Compatibility
The tablet supports Windows, MacOS, Chrome OS, Linux, Chrome OS and Android Devices. If you buy it just for use with Chromebook or android phone, avoid do that, It’s not worth it.
It supports all the popular drawing applications including Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel painter, Krita, clip studio paint, and 3D modeling and sculpting applications like Maya, Cinema 4D, Mudbox, Blender, Zbrush.
Portability
Despite its larger size providing a beneficial workspace, it does limit the portability of the Artist 15.6 Pro V2. It’s not as convenient to carry around as smaller tablets. If you want to carry it out, You will need a laptop bag.
If you want to save money and has better portability, the smaller 13.3-inch XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro V2 is a better choice.
Drawing Experience
I have been using the Artist 15.6 Pro V2 almost daily for about a month after upgrading from a normal XPPen Star 03 tablet.
If you’ve used a pen tablet before, you’ll know there is a learning curve involved, a disconnect that happens when you are looking at the screen while drawing, instead of at your hand.
While some adapt, I was never able to become 100% comfortable with my Star 03 and digital art was something that stressed me out at times.
The XPPen Artist combines all the comfort of traditional art with the convenience of digital. It has improved my work flow, and significantly improved my working speed.
There is no learning curve. You plug it in and its as if you’ve never worked with anything else. In that alone, it has more than paid for itself.
The 15.6-inch size felt about as big as a large sketchbook does, which is very comfortable for sketching and general linework. Colors and Clarity are pretty good!
As soon as I put the x3 pro stylus down on the screen it feels natural. Slow angled lines are perfect. No fiddling, no stroke smoothing, exactly the way I want them. Slow lines, fast lines, keeping a consistent pressure. It’s all there.
When in Photoshop, there are so many tools that take advantage of pressure sensitivity, that I can’t image drawing or retouching without one.
Even better, This pen sensitivity plus the paper-like feel of the nib against the matte coating makes it feel quite “real” and fun to use.
Eight buttons and roller wheel on the tablet speed up my workflow quite a bit, allowing for quick changing of size and such.
Conclusion
Overall, the XPPen Artist 15.6 Pro V2 is a great device. It is very accurate and a much more comfortable digital art experience than a normal tablet.
The 2 drawbacks of this tablet is the lack of 2k resolution and etched glass surface compared to Huion Kamvas Pro 16 or XPPen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2). However, at this price point it’s still a great value tablet.
Is it worth $400? That is up to you, but if you use a tablet often or daily and have enough money to purchase one, I definitely suggest it.
