What is an Artist Glove And Do You Need it for Drawing? 

Ever thought about getting an artist glove? You’re not alone. Many artists wonder if they need one.

An artist glove helps reduce smudges on paper and stops fingerprints on tablets. It makes drawing smoother. 

Do you need it? It depends on your art style and the problems you face. This article will explain the benefits of artist gloves for both traditional and digital artists.

What is an Artist Glove?

Have you ever seen an artist wearing a glove while drawing? In case you don’t know, it’s called an artist glove or a drawing glove

The artist glove is designed to cover the ring finger, pinky, and part of the hand. It is made from breathable material. Its main role is reducing friction, especially when drawing with charcoal or graphite.

Made from breathable materials, its primary function is to reduce friction, ensuring a smoother, smudge-free drawing experience. It’s also referred to as a drawing glove, anti-fouling artist glove, or smudge protector.

In the past, these gloves were rarely included with drawing tablets. However, in a shift towards better customer experience, most drawing tablet models now offer an artist glove as part of the package. 

Whether you’re a traditional or digital artist, this glove has become an essential tool for creating art.

Benefits of Using an Artist Glove

The artist glove is designed to address specific challenges you may face. These are the advantages you can get from using an artist glove.

For Traditional Art

• Clean Hands: Art mediums like graphite or charcoal can dirty your hands. The glove ensures your hands remain clean, reducing the need for constant cleaning.
• Smudge Protection: The glove helps prevent unintentional smudges and greasy marks, especially when using mediums like charcoal or crayons.

For Digital Art

• Protect your drawing tablet from your sweaty hand: The drawing glove prevents the sweaty pinky from sticking to the screen protector, especially on humid days.
• Friction Reduction: Even on cold or dry days, the glove helps reduce friction. Only the stylus nibs that create friction, not your hand.
• Transparent Screens: Beyond just fingerprints, artists with warm hands can face condensation issues on cold tablet surfaces. The glove acts as a barrier, ensuring the screen remains clear and free from sweat or grease.
• Smoother Line: With the glove, drawing tablets respond better to the artist’s hand movements. This primarily benefits artists using larger drawing tablets, allowing smoother, longer strokes.
• Psychological Benefits: For some artists, wearing the glove can be ritualistic, helping them get into the creative zone. Once you wear your artist glove, it’s hard to stop unless you have finished creating your art.
• Reselling Opportunity: Since many drawing tablets now come with a free artist glove, if you find you don’t need yours, you could consider selling it. You rarely get an artist glove if you purchase a used drawing tablet, though.

By using an artist glove, you can keep your drawing tablet cleaner and reduce the need for regular cleaning.

Of course, you still need to know how to clean your drawing tablet properly if you want it to last a long time.

While the glove has practical benefits, its impact can also vary from person to person. So not all people will notice the benefit of wearing them.

Do You Really Need Artist Glove?

Artist Glove is not a necessity, so you don’t need them.

You don’t need an artist glove to create great art. I rarely wear them when I draw on my iPad Pro or with my medium-sized Wacom Intuos.

Why, you may ask? Well, because I find them uncomfortable to use. 

I always wash my hands before and after drawing, so I don’t personally enjoy the benefit of wearing them.

However, some people, especially those with sweaty hands, might find them useful.

Considering the benefit of having an artist glove, you should try drawing with an artist glove for once.

After using it, ask yourself:

Is it comfortable to use? 

Does it Improve your drawing?

Your experience will help you decide if an artist glove is right for you.

7 Top Drawing Tablets Under $200 in 2023

Choosing the Right Artist Glove for You

Choosing the right artist’s glove comes down to personal preference. Here are some factors you need to consider:

• Material: Opt for breathable fabrics like lycra or nylon to prevent excessive sweating. Lycra is a popular choice for artist gloves.
• Size: Typically, gloves come in small, medium, and large sizes. Choose the right size. The glove should fit snuggly but not too tight. If it fits, it shouldn’t restrict your movement at all.
• Design: While many artist gloves are black, some brands offer creative designs and colors
• Dominant Hand: Artist gloves usually come as a pair, so you can use them even if you’re left-handed. But be careful. Not all artist gloves are suitable for a left-handed artist.

Our Top Picks of High-Quality and Affordable Drawing Gloves

Here are some popular picks among artists:

Huion Artist Glove

My recommendation for an artist glove that is suitable for everyone is the Huion Artist Glove.

Huion Artist Glove is known for its smooth feel and excellent fit across various hand sizes. This is the most used artist glove since this glove came free if you bought a Huion drawing tablet.

Pros

• Ambidextrous design.
• Made of sweat-absorbing Lycra.
• Flexible and fit for all hand size
• Suitable for traditional art mediums like sketching, charcoal drawing and painting.
• Available in colorful designs.

Cons

• Only come in three sizes (Small, Medium and Large)

Artika Drawing Glove

Artika Drawing Glove is a premium artist glove that many artists use for drawing on their iPads. If you’re drawing on an iPad without a screen protector, consider using this artist glove.

Pros

• Made from premium, elastic lycra
• Designed for the digital artist, it allows your hand to slide freely across the screen.
• Comfortable to use for drawing for a long time
• You get a free drawing course (you need to redeem the course digitally)
• Have a good reputation among digital artists

Cons

• Not ideal for traditional artists
• Higher cost compared to other brands.

Parblo PR-01

Parblo PR-01 is a budget-friendly glove from Parblo, a brand known for drawing tablets.

Pros

• This glove can be used on both right and left-hand
• Budget pick for artist glove
• Perfect for beginners who want one size fits all glove

Cons

• Only come with one size
• Average build quality.

Artist’s Glove Care and Maintenance Tips

Once you’ve got yourself an artist glove, here’s maintenance tips you need to remember:

• Wash regularly: Over time, gloves can accumulate dirt and sweat. Regular washing prevents odors.
• Hand wash is preferred: While many gloves can be machine washed, hand washing preserves their shape and quality. Given their small size, machine washing might damage them.
• Air dry: Avoid using heat-based drying methods that could warp or shrink the fabric.

Wrapping up

Artist gloves are optional for every artist out there (beginners or professionals). It can provide added benefits like smoother strokes or smudge prevention, but many artists get by just fine without one.

If you’re still unsure, why not try it out? They’re generally affordable and might improve your drawing experience. 

Ultimately, choose what feels right for you.