Save $200 on Cintiq Interactive Pen Display, get a $50 Dell gift card

Illustrators, graphic designers, and other artistic peeps know that there’s a difference between a tablet you can draw on or tablets designed for drawing.

The Wacom Cintiq 22HD Interactive Pen Display proves why that difference matters, and Dell wants you to experience the magic for yourself: The Cintiq 22HD is $200 off and under $1,500 through Feb. 28, and your purchase gets you a free $50 Dell e-gift card. (That can get you Wacom’s felt marker-ish Art Pen for $49.95.)

Before computers, an artist’s main goal was to translate an idea in their head into something tangible — whether that be on paper, a canvas, etc. Today’s devices and software have changed the way we make art, while amping up creative possibilities — but that “pen to paper” feel is still hella important.

And in the same way that finger painting isn’t as precise as a paint brush, the way a stylus indirectly hits a traditional tablet (like the Wacom Intuous) leaves room for lines, colors, and more to go astray. The Cintiq’s focus on mimicking pen to paper is obvious — actually, Mashable illustrator Vicky Leta, who uses the Cintiq in her work for the site, said that it has given her the most natural drawing experience. The display is also nearly two feet long, so there’s that.

Each artist is unique and churns out projects differently than the next one. (Duh.) While some design devices force artists into a rather rigid approach with limited leeway, Wacom puts customization on top. The ergonomic base can be rotated to draw comfortably, with an ambidextrous design ensuring that creative left handers don’t get the shaft. The included Grip Pen detects 2048 levels of pressure and has customizable switches that give you control of all the pen’s functions.

Bob Al-Greene, another member of Mashable’s art team, said it best:

“The Cintiq 22HD is a huge display, with a great adjustable base that allows you to orient it at different angles and rotate the screen naturally. It has tons of customization options to suit an artist’s workflow, and it really is the closest thing to working directly on paper or canvas that I’ve ever used.”

Regularly $1,699.95, you can save $200 and get it for $1,499.95 through Feb. 28. And don’t worry if you don’t see your $50 e-gift card from Dell right away — it should be sent within 20 days.