My Life-Changing Digital Drawing Experience with the iPad Mini 6

I still remember the frustration of ruining a drawing due to technical issues. That was the moment I realized I needed a better solution for my art.

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Since I was drawing on paper with liners, I had zero room for error. That's when I decided it was time to invest in a digital drawing tool. And that's exactly what led me to the Apple iPad Mini 6.

What's the iPad Mini 6 all about?

So, why did we choose this one? I think the main reason was its compact size and ease of use. As an artist, I'll soon need to take it to the studio with me, and I wanted something lightweight. The Pro version was out of the question because it's just too heavy. You can see the comparison with the Pro model in the photos below.

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I've got a big tablet in my hands - it's either the 2019 or 2020 iPad Pro. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure, but I remember my friend's husband bought this tablet for his wife around that time. She's a professional illustrator and painter who takes on commissions, creates custom mugs, t-shirts, and so on. She needs a large screen for her artwork, and she uses this tablet exclusively at home, so the larger format is really convenient for her. When she saw my iPad mini, she was taken aback, saying, 'It's like a tiny microscope, almost like an iPhone!' On the other hand, after using the mini for a month, I realized that I don't actually need the iPad Pro.

When my daughter and I went to a restaurant, we were torn between the iPad Air and iPad mini. They seemed like a better fit for our needs, and I didn't even consider the standard iPad because I thought it was underpowered for the tasks my daughter and I have. We both came to the conclusion that the iPad mini is more convenient for us. Plus, my daughter just got her own, so the format and size were already familiar to her. As you can see from the photo, she's holding the very same tablet that I got her for her birthday.

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2015 2017 I'm pretty sure this is the third model we've bought, but I know for a fact that we purchased it straight off the shelves in July 2015.

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We're so used to mini versions that we also got the new tablet in a mini format. But along with the tablet, which set us back almost 70,000 rubles, we immediately needed a stylus. At the time, a stylus cost between 10 to 18 thousand rubles. I searched the market and managed to find it for exactly 10 thousand with a bit of a discount, which I think is a great deal.

I won't go into the technical specs, but my mini tablet, which I think is the latest model from 2021, is surprisingly fast. It doesn't lag or freeze, and it handles its features perfectly. Plus, the battery is still at 100%, which means it should last for a while.

🛍️🛍️ Unboxing.

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I've got to say, one of the downsides of buying multiple new devices at once is that they might not all arrive on the same day. And that's exactly what happened with the tablet and the stylus. The tablet showed up one day, and the stylus arrived the next. To be honest, it's not super convenient. I can imagine it would be even less convenient if the stylus had arrived first - how would I even test it right away?

The tablet arrived in a compact box, and I opened it right away. From both sides, it looks pretty great - we bought it in fuchsia with 256GB of storage. Considering what we needed it for - drawing with my daughter - we've got more than enough storage. I mean, our phone has 10,000 photos with the same amount of storage, and it still has 50% of its space free.

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I've noticed that this tablet charges via a Type-C cable, and the adapter comes with it, but there's a catch. The charger itself isn't Russian, and the tablet didn't come with a Rostest sticker. That was weird for me, especially since it was 2021 and there were no sanctions yet. I thought it'd be a no-brainer for these kinds of devices to be sold with a Russian charger on our market. But it turns out not all of them are. So, I've been charging it more often with the headphones' cable, which is a bit shorter but has a standard USB input. We still haven't bought an adapter for the Type-C port.

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The volume controls and power button are located right next to the charging port, and I think there's also a speaker on top. Up top, you'll find the volume buttons and a power button with Touch ID. That means this tablet doesn't unlock with Face ID – it's still using a fingerprint.

I have to admit, I had a pretty funny moment when I set up Face ID. I set it up on my index finger, and then my daughter just casually unlocks it with her own finger. To be honest, it didn't surprise me at all, because we've had the same experience with our previous iPhones. My last iPhone with Touch ID was an iPhone 7 Plus, and she could unlock it just as easily with her finger. And I think she could have unlocked my sixth iPhone just as smoothly. On the one hand, there are security concerns, but on the other hand, it's actually really convenient because I doubt anyone else would be able to unlock our screen with their finger.

As an aside, since this tablet doesn't really leave the house, we haven't even bought a case for it. After a month or two of regular use, there aren't any scratches, cracks, or other damage on the screen. The paint quality is pretty good, and it feels metal-glassy to the touch. The metal body and glass screen are a great combination. In terms of design, it looks a lot like the iPhone 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. It's a bit rounded at the edges, but otherwise it's a pretty rectangular shape.

Why did we buy it?

I'm not going to sugarcoat it – I bought this tablet based solely on the design concepts, not the full feature set. To be honest, the first day was a struggle for me. I just couldn't wrap my head around the new drawing techniques, and the best I could come up with was this pig below. I was about to give up, but my illustrator friend told me to calm down and take a step back. She said, 'Just clear your mind, turn off the thoughts that you're not good at drawing digitally, and just start drawing.'

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I was pleasantly surprised by how well this tablet works with a pencil. Speaking of which, it's worth noting that you'll need the Apple Pencil 2 to get the most out of it. The first version won't work with it, so if you're planning on drawing, I'd recommend checking the compatibility before making a purchase. It's better to be safe than sorry and ensure that your tablet will work seamlessly with your existing pencil or the one you plan to buy.

I was stoked to figure out how to use the pen by the end of the first day - it took me a while to get the hang of it, but I finally managed to create a decent sketch of my puma. The only downside is that my drawing speed is still a bit off. If I'm honest, my drawing speed on the tablet is nowhere near as fast as it is on paper.

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I have to admit, I was skeptical about Procreate's brushes at first. It wasn't until I figured out which ones I needed that I felt like I was finally getting somewhere. I'll be sharing more about the brushes I bought separately in my review of Procreate, but the key takeaway is that you just need to find the right tools for your style. Just like with traditional art, not everyone's work is going to be a home run. Some people are naturals with oil paints, while others struggle to get the hang of it. Same thing with digital art – it's all about finding the right tools for the job. And with Apple Pencil, it's no different. Want to create soft, blended lines? There are brushes for that. Want to get the look of a fine liner? You can find those too. Heck, there are even brushes that mimic the look of dots. I actually downloaded some of those, and they ended up being a game-changer for me when it came to replicating my signature dot-work style. Plus, the fact that you can apply a bunch of dots at once really speeds up the shading process. Overall, I've found that digital art is actually pretty intuitive, and this tablet is a great tool for the job.

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I've already got around 15 rough sketches in Procreate at this point, which will come in handy and bring in some income in the future, of course. I've got it down to a science now. My daughter's also drawing on the tablet. I realized that using a stylus is a lot more convenient. At first, her brain had a hard time adapting, and she'd say things like, 'I'd rather draw with my finger, I'm not going to use a stylus, what were you thinking buying it for?' But she's gotten used to it now, just like I have. Although she's not drawing in Procreate, she's using a different program, but it's also compatible with the stylus.

As for the camera quality and video playback, it's showing video just fine. When it comes to apps like VK or Telegram, I find them less user-friendly than on my phone. Honestly, I only checked that the camera works when I first bought it. The camera isn't as good as my 13 Pro Max iPhone, but it's on par with my daughter's 11 iPhone. I wasn't planning on using this tablet as a photography tool, so I don't have any complaints about the camera quality or the fact that it exists.

👍🏼👍🏼My Verdict.

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I've gotta say, I'm not using this thing for anything super fancy, but as a casual user, I've been really impressed with the iPad mini 6 in 2024. It's got the performance I need for drawing, and it's been doing all the tasks I want it to do without a hitch. One thing I've noticed is that the battery life is pretty solid - I've been getting around 8 hours of use out of it when I'm actively using it as a graphics tablet, and that's more than enough for me. I don't always use it for 8 hours straight, by the way - I like to take breaks and give myself time to rest. And honestly, it's not like I'm using it every day, so I don't need it to last forever. If I do end up taking it with me on the go, I'll probably spring for a case to protect it. My daughter and I have decided that the mini format is the way to go, so if we do end up getting a second one, it'll be the same model - the iPad mini. I don't think the standard Air or Pro models would be the best fit for me, to be honest - they're just too big and heavy. For 2024, I think the iPad mini is a great option. I'm giving it 5 stars and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who needs a reliable tablet for everyday use. And honestly, I haven't found any major drawbacks in my usage so far.