Wacom Cintiq 22 Review: A Great Investment For Digital Artists

The Wacom Cintiq 22 is one of the newest models in the company’s effort to lower the costs of its well-known lineup of drawing tablets. The Cintiq 22 features a 1920 x 1080 full HD pen display with vibrant color that you can easily plug into your computer and draw on with the included Wacom Pro Pen 2. While lacking some of the more high-end features found in Wacom’s Cintiq Pro range, the Cintiq 22 appears to be aimed more at digital art aspirants, students, and casual users. With that in mind, let’s dive into our review to see what makes this drawing tablet unique and worthwhile.

See Where The Wacom Cintiq 22 Ranks In Our List Of The Best Drawing Tablets For 2021.

Overview Of The Wacom Cintiq 22

If you’re not new to the digital art world, you’re probably already aware that Wacom has long been at the forefront of this industry when it comes to providing some of the best digital drawing tools. That’s why it comes as no surprise that the Cintiq 22 immediately became a fan favorite among the digital art crowd. In fact, this drawing tablet is quite popular among both professionals and beginners.

You won’t need an external monitor to view the artwork you’re sketching thanks to its stunning 22-inch 1080p display. Although the Full HD resolution lacks the high pixel counts of more recent models from Wacom’s Cintiq Pro line, the 1080p display should be enough to satisfy most users unless it is absolutely necessary for you to have a higher resolution on your artworks.

Furthermore, the anti-glare surface ensures that you can use this drawing tablet for hours on end and draw to your heart’s content without hurting your eyes. With that in mind, it’s safe to say that drawing on this tablet will be a very satisfactory experience.

Apart from its display, the provided Wacom Pen 2 is also one of the best styluses you can get on the market. With 8,192 pressure levels of pressure sensitivity and perfect tilt detection, it’s almost as if you’re sketching on real paper or canvas when you’re using it. Personally, once you get a taste of this experience, it’s hard to go back or settle with anything lesser.

Features & Specificiations

• Brand: Wacom
• Dimensions: ‎16.2 x 10.4 x 0.7 inches
• Item Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Operating System: Windows
• Compatibility: Windows 7 & later, Mac OS 10.13 & later
• Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Full HD
• Drawing Area: 18.7 x 10.5 inches
• Color Gamut: 72% NTSC (CIE1931) typical
• Pen Pressure Sensitivity: 8192 levels
• Express Keys: No
• Connections: HDMI, USB 2.0
• Stylus: Battery-free
• Stand: Foldable Legs (Optional Adjustable Stand)

What’s In The Box

• Wacom Cintiq 22 Pen display
• Wacom Pro Pen 2
• Adjustable Stand
• Detachable Pen holder (with 3 replacement nibs)
• A nib removal tool
• HDMI to HDMI cable (2M)
• USB2.0 (2M)
• Power cable (1.8M)
• AC adaptor (60W)
• Quick Start Guide

Check Out The Product Preview Below of The Wacom Cintiq 22

Want To Check Out Other Drawing Tablets? Read Our Top Recommendations Here.

What We Love About The Wacom Cintiq 22

Display & Drawing Surface

When it comes to drawing tablets, the first thing you usually look for and consider is the screen resolution as this will have a significant impact on how your drawings will look like. The Cintiq 22 shares the same full HD 1080p display as its smaller sibling, the Cintiq 16.

This instantly implies that these two displays have a significant trade-off. The Cintiq 22 has a wider drawing area, allowing for more comfortable, expressive arm movement when sketching without having to continually zoom in on certain areas you’re working on. At the same time, this also means that the screen image quality will likely be less crisp compared to the Cintiq 16.

While the image quality on the Cintiq 22 isn’t as crisp in comparison to other Cintiq models, this shouldn’t sway you from the fact that the drawing experience on this tablet is truly remarkable. Unless it’s an absolute requirement for you to create your artworks on higher resolution displays, then the 1080p display shouldn’t bother you at all.

Not to mention, compared to the Cintiq 16, the bigger size of the surface truly shines when you’re sketching for an extended period of time since it allows you to create more lengthy pen strokes and more comfortable arm movements as you draw.

Speaking of the drawing area, the Cintiq 22’s active surface is actually rather good. The anti-glare glass is coated to give it a subtle texture, giving you a drawing experience that makes you feel like you’re sketching on actual paper when you glide the stylus across it.

Color Gamut

For some of you, the Cintiq 22’s color gamut might be something of concern. Compared to other Wacom drawing tablets, specifically the models under the Cintiq Pro line, the Cintiq 22’s stated color gamut is 72 percent NTSC, putting it in the same category of the more budget-friendly drawing tablets you might find in the market.

The color spectrum of Cintiq Pro monitors is 94 percent NTSC. While that technical difference may appear to be a deal-breaker, keep in mind that the Cintiq 22 can display 96 percent of the color gamut permitted by the sRGB color profile, which many professional designers and artists use by default.

So this shouldn’t really be too big of an issue if you’re just doing digital art as a hobby or you’re not really aiming for higher percentages on your drawing tablet’s color gamut.

Wacom Pro Pen 2

The addition of the Wacom Pro Pen 2 stylus, which we’ve seen on other Wacom drawing tablets, is one of my favorite features of the Cintiq 22. With 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and excellent tilt sensitivity, it’s a pleasant and responsive pen to use.

It also doesn’t need to be charged since it uses Wacom’s electromagnetic resonance (EMR) technology to pull power from the Cintiq 22, eliminating the need for a battery. The stylus can be stored in a tight fabric loop on the drawing tablet’s side when not in use.

Upon closer inspection, the Pro Pen 2 seems and feels like a big pen in your hand. It includes two physical controls that are next to one other so you can easily access and press them. The one closest to the pen tip is a right-click button, while the one behind it opens a circular onscreen menu with eight menu options split like pie slices.

Our Least Favorite Things

Expensive

While the Cintiq 22 is definitely a lot more affordable compared to other Wacom drawing tablets under the Cintiq Pro line, it’s still pretty hard to deny that this model still borders on the more high-end range of digital art tools. So if you’re on a budget, I highly suggest looking for a cheaper alternative that can provide you with better value. However, I do think that the Cintiq 22 is still a pretty solid option for those who can afford it. Wacom tablets are always worth the investment and this is no exception to that rule.

In A Nutshell

Now that we have discussed the things we liked and disliked about the Wacom Cintiq 22, here is a narrowed-down list of the good and the bad with this particular drawing tablet.

Our Final Verdict

Overall, I have to say that the Wacom 22 does not disappoint at all. This is pretty much expected of any Wacom drawing tablets at this point. If you want to start your digital art career or hobby on one of the best drawing tablets in the market, then this is a good place to start.

It’s not as expensive as the other Wacom models within the Cintiq Pro lineup but it definitely covers all the basics and more for any budding digital artist. This is perfect for you if you don’t necessarily need a higher resolution such as a 4k display for your artworks or the extra fancy features professionals require in their line of work.

Moreover, because Wacom is the industry standard, familiarizing yourself with how a Wacom tablet feels and performs is a wise move and a great investment if you’re serious about pursuing a career in digital art. However, do keep in mind that while the Cintiq 22 is relatively more affordable compared to its Pro counterparts, it is still quite pricey with a price tag that goes over a thousand bucks.

Have you already bought your own drawing tablet? Did you get the Wacom Cintiq 22? Was our review of this particular drawing tablet helpful? Let me know in the comments section below if you have any suggestions, insights, or questions to ask. I would love to hear all your thoughts!

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