With the Apple Pencil, you can turn the iPad into a full-fledged drawing tablet. But you can also create beautiful works of art without this pen. In this article, Techzle team list the eight best iPad drawing apps, whether you have a Pencil or not.
1. ArtWorkout: Learn How to Draw
ArtWorkout is a comprehensive drawing learning app for iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Apple Vision. This app is designed to help users in all levels to learn to draw effectively and fast, in a fun method. Whether you’re a child starting learning to draw or a seasoned pro eager to hone your skills, ArtWorkout promises to be your personal drawing trainer.
Download ArtWorkout from the App Store
ArtWorkout adopts a playful approach to teaching drawing. It doesn’t feel like a traditional tutorial; instead, it engages you in a game-like manner. If you’re using an iPad with an Apple Pencil, ArtWorkout fully supports it. You will enjoy a seamless drawing experience with precise and fluid strokes.
With over 700 lessons, ArtWorkout covers a wide range of drawing topics. From basic doodling to advanced painting techniques, this app caters to all skill levels. In each lesson, this app provides clear, step-by-step instructions to help you create beautiful drawings. Whether you’re sketching landscapes, characters, or abstract art, ArtWorkout guides you through the process. It’s very easy to learn to draw with this app.
ArtWorkout offers interactive courses in Doodling, Sketching, Drawing, Painting, and Handwriting. You’ll find comprehensive lessons that combine theory with practical exercises. Users can learn at their own pace and track their progress in real-time.
2. Procreate
Procreate is the drawing app for serious artists. The program is packed with features that you probably won’t find in other programs. The paid app is brimming with drawing tools developed exclusively for the iPad that make useful use of the Apple Pencil. You can tell from everything that the program has been developed exclusively for iPadOS, and has not been transferred from the Mac.
There is no way to list all the possibilities, but what is unique about Procreate, for example, is the detail of the canvas. You can also compose a shortcut menu yourself and easily fix errors. The completeness of Procreate is also a potential downside: all options and settings can seem rather intimidating.
3. Adobe Photoshop Sketch
Adobe Sketch is extremely accessible, even if you don’t have an Apple Pencil. The program is intuitive and invites you to create. The basics, such as adding lines, choosing markers and adding shapes, will be mastered quickly enough. However, the program also has plenty to offer for professional artists.
You can choose from dozens of brushes and set the size, color and transparency yourself. Plus, you can import thousands of Photoshop brushes, mix photos with drawing layers, and learn to illustrate yourself using templates.
Adobe Sketch also assists you with perspective and graph grids. Of course, the app also works closely with Adobe’s other iOS apps, so if you already have an Adobe account, a Sketch is an obvious choice.
4. Clip Studio Paint
Are you making manga? Then Clip Studio Paint should give it a try. The app is packed with features and you can completely customize the program. Clip Studio Paint particularly excels when it comes to drawing lines and colors, making the app a favorite among manga artists and cartoonists.
The brush dynamics in particular are excellent, giving you incredibly sharp, consistent and smooth lines. The biggest downside of Clip Studio Paint is that the drawing app is not made especially for the iPad. The interface is therefore full of all kinds of small buttons that are difficult to control. The learning curve is also quite steep. It is nice that you can try the app for free for six months.
5. Adobe Fresco
Adobe Fresco is one of the newest iPad drawing apps. Adobe has clearly copied from Procreate and learned some nice features. Fresco tries to bridge the gap between extensive drawing tablets that you find in design studios and simple drawing apps for the iPad. Fresco is especially interesting for those with a Creative Cloud subscription, because the app syncs seamlessly with other Adobe programs.
Adobe Fresco has some pluses. The most eye-catching are the live brushes. It allows you to imitate the effect of working with oil and watercolor paints and paint and draw in a natural way. Another advantage is the extensive collection of brushes, allowing you to create almost any drawing and illustration style. It’s also nice that you can use vector and raster brushes on the same canvas.
6. Paper
Paper has been one of the trusted iPad drawing apps for years and is now published by WeTransfer, the company behind the large file sharing service. You use this app to make sketches quickly and easily. This can be done on both your iPhone and iPad. The free app has a wide range of drawing tools, such as a brush, pencil, fountain pen and marker.
You can also zoom in to the smallest detail, so that you never have to draw outside the lines again. Plus, you can use Paper to draw over photos or take notes. A nice addition are the manuals and challenges. You can acquire new techniques and apply them immediately. Paper is free, but the full experience requires a subscription.
7. Tayasui Sketches
As you can see from the name, illustrators who prefer to make sketches are at the right place at Tayasui Sketches. The free app has a hefty pencil box full of different drawing styles, so you can draw exactly the lines that match your ideas. By adding several layers you can be sure that your drawing will not become a mess.
As you sketch, certain parts of menus are automatically hidden, leaving only the most important parts. As icing on the cake, Tayasui Sketches supports several styli, including the Apple Pencil. The app is free to use, but to unlock all functions you will have to buy the Pro version for 6.99 euros.
8. Pigment
Pigment describes itself as the app for adults who want to color. So if you don’t feel like coming up with a work of art yourself, but do want to get started creatively, Pigment is the place to be. The app is packed with color plates that you can fill in with all kinds of different tools. If you don’t have all the time in the world, you can draw pencil lines and color a surface in one go.
In total there are more than 5000 color plates in the app. These are categorized by theme, such as patterns or animals. You can try the pigment for free for seven days. If you do not cancel this, you will automatically take out a subscription. The advantage of this is that Pigment is well supported and drawings are added every week.