With the amazing capabilities of the ReMarkable 2, it is certainly a common thought – in fact I’ve asked myself: “Is the reMarkable 2 good for drawing?“
In this article we will delve deep into the features of the ReMarkable 2 to determine how suitable it is for your drawing needs.
Related: 7 Best Remarkable Alternatives
By exploring its design, professional features, and ease of use, we’ll be able to decide whether this device will fit the needs of an artist, digital artist, or graphic designer (we’ll even cover architecture)
Key Takeaways
- reMarkable 2 is a suitable device for basic drawing; however, both I and professional artists I’ve collaborated with agree that its best used as a sketchbook – not a digital art machine
- The reMarkable 2 faces limitations – slower processing power, resulting in slow performance during detailed drawings, zooming, and layering. Its restricted drawing tool selection, grayscale-only colors, and lack of a “merge layers” feature can be frustrating for artists.
- Accidental touch issues, the absence of a stencil tool, and no opacity control further hinder the drawing experience.
- Auto zoom works, but many users report this isnt good enough for digital art – a drawing pad like the wacom, gaomon, Xencelabs, or XP-Pen is ideal.
- If you’re an animator, architect, graphic designer, or aiming to create any form of digital art with an E-ink device, the BOOX Note Air2 or a dedicated drawing tablet is a suitable choice.
Related: How do Drawing Tablets Work
Was the ReMarkable 2 made only for handwriting?
The Remarkable 2 was not made only for handwriting. While it is primarily marketed as a digital notepad for note-taking and annotating documents, it also serves as a sketching and drawing tool for artists.
Related: Kindle Scribe vs Remarkable 2
The device’s high-quality e-ink display, low latency, and pressure sensitivity make it suitable for various creative tasks, including sketching and drawing, in addition to handwriting and reading, but it has many limitation compared to drawing specific devices.
Is the reMarkable 2 good for drawing and sketching?
Yes, The Remarkable 2 is a good device for drawing, but myself, as well as professional artist I’ve worked with in the past agree it’s only good as a sketchbook. Let me explain…
The tablet offers a natural pencil-like drawing experience, with excellent tilt and pressure sensitivity, low latency, and a paper-like feel. It also has layers and vector export capabilities, which can be further edited on a computer.
Related: Kindle (Ads vs NO Ads) – Is it worth saving $25?
However, it has some limitations such as its small size, lack of color, limited editing functions on the device, and inability to export files with layers. Despite these drawbacks, the Remarkable 2 remains a suitable choice for artists who primarily work in black and white and seek a portable digital sketchbook experience.
Related: Boox Note air 2 Plus vs ReMarkable 2
Exactly how good is it for drawing?
The reMarkable 2 is suitable for drawing, particularly for sketching and creating rough drafts due to its paper-like feel and E-ink display. However, it may not be ideal for advanced digital art or those requiring color, as it only supports grayscale and has limited drawing tools.
The device may have slow performance with zooming and layering features. Overall, the reMarkable 2 is good for basic drawing needs, but artists seeking more advanced features may prefer dedicated drawing tablets.
Related: 7 Ways to Draw on a Laptop
Do Artists of any level use reMarkable 2 to Draw?
How suitable is the reMarkable 2 for an artist? If you’re an animator, architect, graphic designer, or someone who is looking to create any level of digital art (and want a E-ink type device); then reMarkable 2 should not be your primary device.
The BOOX Note Air2 or a drawing is better in several ways…
A drawing tablet, graphics tablet, or iPad with Apple pencil 2 (& Procreate) is going to be an objectively better alternative – not only can you draw with color, but you won’t be limited (I’ll cover all the limitations of the reMarkable 2 for drawing)
Related: Best tablets for PDF reading
Drawing capabilities
The reMarkable 2 offers a paper-like feel, making it comfortable for basic drawing and sketching (but, not advanced digital art or graphic design). The Marker Plus (the stylus pen), with its magnetic attachment, provides a convenient drawing experience.
Related: 10 Best Drawing Tablets for Cricut Design
Can the reMarkable 2 handle detailed artwork and illustrations – to a degree, but it may not provide the advanced features and color options found in other specialized digital art devices or software (think Sketchup, Autocad, Procreate, etc)
Pros
The reMarkable 2 offers a paper-like feel, making it comfortable for drawing and sketching. The Pen Plus, with its magnetic attachment, provides a convenient drawing experience.
The tablet’s gesture navigation simplifies the user experience, and the layers feature allows for complex illustrations. The E-ink display reduces eye strain, and the long battery life ensures extended drawing sessions without recharging.
Related: Best Stylus Pens for iPhones (Drawing & Writing)
Pros:
- Paper-like feel
- Pen Plus with magnetic attachment
- Gesture navigation
- Layers feature
- E-ink display
- Long battery life
However, the tablet lacks a “merge layers” feature, which can be frustrating for artists. Accidental touch issues, the absence of a stencil tool, and no opacity control further limit the drawing experience on the reMarkable 2.
Disadvantages of using the reMarkable 2 as a drawing tablet
The primary limitations for drawing on the reMarkable 2 stem from the device’s inability to display colors, the challenges in merging layers, the lack of layer renaming options, and the constraints in creating advanced digital art.
While the auto-zoom feature is functional, artists seeking more comprehensive drawing capabilities may find dedicated drawing tablets, such as those from Gaomon, Wacom, XP-Pen, or Xencelabs, to be more suitable for their needs.
Related: The 7 Ultimate Drawing Tablet Setups for Digital Artists
I have utilized 1.6GB of the tablet’s available storage. I attempted to create a new digital notebook for an additional drawing, but the zoom wait time remained nearly unchanged.
The response time felt equally slow when adding extra layers. After backing up all my files, I performed a factory reset on the device. The drawing process (starts off good) begins smoothly, but once zoomed in, the tablet’s response time becomes exceedingly slow, worsening with the addition of more layers.
Cons:
- Limited processing power
- Limited drawing tools
- No color support
- Limited layer functionality
- Accidental touch issues
- Lack of stencil tool
- No opacity control
Why the Zoom function is holding remarkable back for artists and creative professionals
The reMarkable 2’s zoom function presents challenges for artists, mainly due to the following factors:
Slow refresh rate: The time it takes for the display to refresh when zooming in or out can be significant, leading to frustration and decreased productivity. This issue is particularly evident when adjusting the zoom level multiple times during a drawing session.
Limited zoom options: Users have expressed dissatisfaction with the available zoom features, such as the absence of a zoom percentage indicator and the inability to select a specific section to zoom into.
Performance degradation with layers: The device’s responsiveness decreases when working with multiple layers and zooming in, leading to further delays and a less seamless drawing experience.
To improve the reMarkable 2 for drawing, addressing these issues would be helpful:
- Improve the refresh rate: Enhancing the device’s processing power or optimizing the software to handle zooming and layering features more efficiently would significantly improve the user experience for artists.
- Disable or customize touch controls: Allowing users to disable or customize touch controls, such as the “×” button would truly help prevent accidental disruptions during drawing sessions (this is big for artists)
- Enhanced zoom features: Providing more advanced and customizable zoom options, like selecting a specific section to zoom into or displaying the zoom percentage, would give artists greater control over their work.
- Optimize layer handling: Improving the device’s ability to handle multiple layers without compromising responsiveness would enable artists to work more efficiently on complex illustrations.
By addressing these concerns, the reMarkable 2 could become a more suitable tool for artists who require a seamless and efficient drawing experience.
How does the reMarkable 2’s e-ink display affect the drawing experience?
The reMarkable 2 tablet features an E-ink display, designed to closely mimic the feel of traditional pen and paper. This display technology creates a comfortable drawing experience by reducing eye strain during long sessions and providing a high contrast for easy visibility of fine details.
The E-ink display, however, has its limitations when it comes to advanced digital art. It only supports grayscale, restricting the range of artistic expression for those who work with color. Additionally, E-ink displays have slower refresh rates compared to other screen technologies, which can lead to slower response times when zooming, panning, or working with multiple layers.
The reMarkable 2 was primarily created for handwriting and sketching basic drawings, making it an excellent tool for note-taking and simple illustrations. However, for more complex digital artwork, artists may find the grayscale limitations and slower refresh rate to be drawbacks, as they hinder the versatility of the tablet for advanced digital art creation.
Is reMarkable 2 good for architecture?
- The Remarkable 2 tablet is adequate for architects, designers, and creatives who need to sketch or draw digitally, offering a paper-like writing experience, various pen types, and background templates.
- The device is lightweight and allows for easy sharing of notes and sketches, as well as having desktop and mobile apps that are constantly being updated.
- The e-paper tablet has some limitations, such as the inability to adjust opacity for marking up PDFs and the lack of advanced drawing tools that you’d find in an iPad app.
- Despite its limitations, the Remarkable 2 tablet could potentially replace physical notebooks and a part of the iPad functionalities for specific users, especially for those who travel for work.
The Remarkable 2 tablet struggles to replace an iPad or traditional sketchbooks in architecture due to its limitations in opacity adjustments and advanced drawing tools. Instead, a person should consider using it alongside other devices to maximize its unique features for note-taking and sketching. The benefits include a paper-like
Related: 32+ Best Remarkable 2 Templates (digital planner templates and more)
I have utilized my device for producing final illustrations, particularly black and white drawings. The ability to zoom in and work with layers is ideal for inking and adding final touches even though it doesn’t work well as I need it do.
If you consider it to be an improved version of paper rather than a substitute for Photoshop, it works well. Additionally, having a sketchbook with limitless pages is a significant advantage of the device.
How does the reMarkable 2 compare to other drawing tablets for artists?
The reMarkable 2 is a unique paper tablet designed primarily for writing and note-taking. While it does support drawing with tilt and pen pressure sensitivity comparable to dedicated standalone drawing tablets, it falls short in certain aspects that are crucial for advanced digital art.
The device’s E-ink display is limited to grayscale, and it lacks features like color, efficient zoom functionality, and tools for creating intricate artwork, animation, or architectural designs.
In comparison, dedicated drawing tablets from brands such as Gaomon, Wacom, XP-Pen, and Xencelabs offer a more comprehensive range of features tailored to artists’ needs. These devices often provide full-color displays, smooth zooming capabilities, and a wide selection of advanced drawing tools.
My take on the topic from an artists perspective
The remarkable two is not a drawing tablet, but i.e. paper tablet that is focused on writing. This doesn’t mean that you can’t draw on it, of course you can draw on it. But with that being said, it does have tilt and pen pressure that is comparable to other drawing tablets.
But it lacks other features such as color, issues with the zoom feature, and basically the device was not created to make advanced digital artwork, animation, or architecture.
