Apps where to draw?
First, think about your drawing goals, what you want to draw, and whether your art will stay digital or go to print. This will help you find the drawing apps that are right for you, which is especially important if you want to draw comics.
This article introduces the best tablets for beginners to digital art!
30 Drawing & Painting Apps for iPad 2023 Free/Paid
Scroll down to see the features of each drawing software/app as well as price information, support, and trial versions. For first-time users, you might value a drawing software or app with more reliable support from the app developer. Trial versions allow users to try something out before investing in them so you can make a more informed choice about which one suits you best.
A professional graphics software that’s popular with professional designers, photographers, and editors. Abundant in features, it is also useful for drawing illustrations. Photoshop CC requires some customization, so it is suitable for intermediate artists.
Developer: Adobe Systems Co., Ltd.
Trial version: Download the full-feature seven-day trial version from the Free Trial Download page.
Note: To use all the features, you must obtain an Adobe ID and register for the trial version.
How to purchase:
Creative Cloud Photography Plan: $9.99 USD/month
You can purchase a subscription from the official website, Adobe accepts payments through credit card, PayPal, and wire transfer.
Support:
For some issues, the Adobe support team can be contacted via their official contact form or a chat feature. You can ask questions on the community forum as well but topics are mainly related to design and photo processing.
There are also many booksand websites that introduce Adobe Photoshop, but again, there is little information specializing in illustration and comics.
Community:
There is a large community of artists from amateur to professional focusing on mainly design and photography. Many people also have created brushes and other materials to make the program more friendly to draw pictures with.
Overview:
Photoshop CC is prominent in the design and photo processing industry, and many design schools use Photoshop to teach students. This versatile software can export multi-page data for use online, in print, and for videos.
You can draw in Photoshop, but it wasn’t created with illustration or comics in mind. It takes time and effort to customize the pen and brush tools, and features like pen pressure are turned off by default. However, if you are looking for a highly-customizable program, Photoshop CC will work well for you.
Since it was initially software for photo processing, it is quite good at adjusting colors. It also supports CMYK, the go-to format used for printed works. Since Paint Tool SAI does not support CMYK, you can use them in conjunction.
Photoshop CC is suited for intermediate users, so we recommend it if you know what you want to create and are happy to customize your software. If you want a more drawing-friendly Adobe experience then you might want to look at Adobe Fresco.
Clip Studio Paint is a multi-functional graphics app that suitable for creative works, including illustration, comics, and animation. You can draw comfortably with its versatile brushes and high customizability.
Developer: CELSYS, Inc.
Trial version:
Check out a free trial from the Free Trial page. The trial allows you to use the app for up to 3 months for free. If you go through the Galaxy Store, you can enjoy up to 6 months free.
How to purchase:
Windows/macOS
One-time payment (download version)
Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Galaxy/Android/Chromebook Monthly Plan
A flexible monthly usage plan for a single preferred device (Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Galaxy). You need to apply from the app.
There are also other offers available for multiple devices. For more information, please refer to the official website.
Support:
There is a dedicated support site with a contact form that you can use to directly reach the support team. The support site also includes a Frequently Asked Questions section with helpful guides and explanations.. Not only that, but there is also a Q&A service, Clip Studio ASK, that allows users to ask and answer each other’s questions. Many users also use social media to exchange information.
You can also find books about this software. However, because it is continuously releasing new updates, the information may not match the latest software specifications.
Community:
Clip Studio boasts an impressive library of community-made assets with new materials being added daily. Materials range from 3D materials to custom brushes, with a wide range of them available for free. There are also official tutorials and user tutorials available on the Clip Studio Tips site.
Overview:
Clip Studio Paint is a long-selling app that is geared towards drawing and painting. Its unique brush engine allows you to draw intuitively with realistic painting strokes as if you were painting on paper.
Many schools also use Clip Studio Paint to teach comic, illustration, or animation courses because of the amount of specialized tools.
Clip Studio Paint supports multi-page data export for digital, and printed work. With features for arranging images and text, it’s suitable for simple design work as well.
Furthermore, it comes with webtoon canvas settings and the ability to split long vertical pages into multiple smaller pages. Last but not least, your process can be recorded with the canvas timelapse feature and then shared to social media in video format.
It takes some time to learn how to use everything the software has to offer. Some features like the posable 3D drawing figures are great for beginners.
In addition to pens and brushes, it also has many other digital art tools such as gradients, filters, and layer effects. You can download and add pens, brushes, tones, etc., from Clip Studio ASSETS, the official material library, and you can import Photoshop brushes (extension: .abr). Customize brushes optimized for your sketching pleasure.
There are two versions, PRO and EX. Multi-page comics and full-fledged animations can be created with the higher grade EX version.The tablet and smartphone versions for iPad and Samsung Galaxy devices have the exact same features as the desktop version. When using it on multiple devices, you can use a cloud service to migrate your files and settings.
Corel Painter 2022 is a graphics software suitable for painting. The brushes offer a comfortable drawing experience and high customizability. It’s good for painting in a realistic style.
Developer: Corel Corporation
Support:
You can contact user support from the website’s official contact form. Detailed manuals and user galleries are also available on their dedicated tutorial website, and several books have been published that teach you how to use this software.
How to purchase:
Download the desktop version (Windows/macOS) from the official website.
Overview:
Corel Painter is made with drawing and painting in mind. It is a good software for someone who wants to replicate their drawing and painting style digitally. Although expensive, its preset brushes and intricate customization make it suitable for a range of painting styles. However, the focus on realistic brushstrokes makes it less ideal for creating cartoon or comic styles.
To improve the speed of launch and operation, we recommend that you check the specs of your computer before installing and use a computer with specs that exceed the software’s minimum specifications.
Its independent color selector allows you to select a color while checking it against other colors. It also has a Color Harmonies function that lists colors that match the selected color. So even if you aren’t confident in picking colors, these features help inexperienced people choose colors more easily.
Its annual subscription is available for both Mac and Windows, and includes various types of brush packs for purchase. A more economical version of Painter Essentials 8 is also available. Although it has fewer brushes, the freedom of customization and the independent color selector is comparable to the full-featured version.
Corel also has an app for Android called Painter Mobile that comes in both free and paid versions. The paid version comes with more functions.
Krita is an open-source, free drawing software. This digital illustration tool is complete with basic drawing functions and brushes.
Developer: Krita Foundation
How to purchase:
$14.99 USD (Steam, Microsoft Store), $9.99 USD (Epic Store)
Support:
You can contact support from the website’s official contact form. Krita also has tutorials, an online user manual, and a Frequently Asked Questions page. Furthermore, you can download additional resources and browse their user gallery.
Community:
Krita is actually made by a community of developers and fans who run it through the Krita Foundation. Purchasing versions of it on the various stores helps fund the program.
Overview:
Sketch to your heart’s content for free. Unlike other software, Krita supports Linux. You can also use many brushes and import additional user-created resources, a feature unique to open-source software.
In addition to the ability to create an infinite number of layers, it has vector layers that you can use to transform figures and text without losing image quality. Krita also has a symmetry drawing tool that allows you to draw objects with intricate patterns.
Even though it is free software, it has animation features, supporting frame-by-frame animation and simultaneous playback of animation and imported audio.
The drawback is that you will need to get used to brushstroke lag if you want to draw with it. This lag exists regardless of device, so if you are looking for high-performing brushstrokes, we recommend Clip Studio Paint.
Krita is available for purchase from Steam, Microsoft Store, and the Epic Store.
Beta versions for ChromeOS and Android are also under development and can be downloaded from the official website.
Paint Tool SAI is a software with a simple interface and a smooth brush engine. However, it lacks functions such as text input, gradients, and figure drawing, so we recommend it for artists who want to create illustrations rather than comics.
Developer: SYSTEMAX, Inc.
Trial version: Download the trial version from the official website. You can use the trial version for free for 31 days after installation.
How to purchase:
Purchase from the official website.
The website accepts payment via Paypal and credit card.
¥5,500 JPY
Support:
The official website has a Frequently Asked Questions page but no official community.
The software comes with a simple manual.
Community:
Paint Tool SAI has existed for over a decade, so plenty of books are available to explain how to use the software to draw illustrations, as well as numerous tutorials online.
Overview:
Many people love drawing with this software due to its excellent stabilization and the overall feel as you draw. However, it only has a handful of methods for adjusting colors, and it does not support CMYK output. You’ll need to switch to another software to carry out these steps. Still, it is easy to draw in and one of the leading drawing software for beginner illustrators.
Paint Tool SAI lacks strong user support and requires basic knowledge of Windows to use. SYSTEMAX is developing Paint Tool SAI Ver.2 with text input and ruler features. A beta version is currently available on the official website, and users who own Paint Tool SAI can use it free of charge. Some hobbyists use the beta version to draw manga.
A fast-growing free app that lets you draw illustrations and manga on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Recommended for artists who want to try out digital drawing for the first time.
Developer: ibis mobile inc.
Support: Check the official website for Frequently Asked Questions and tutorials. It has a lot of useful content, perfect for digital art beginners. You can also contact support from the website’s official contact form. In addition to an Official YouTube channel, other users’ tutorial videos are also available on their official website gallery.
Community:
In addition to an official YouTube channel, other users’ tutorial videos are also available on their website gallery where you can see other user’s artwork.
How to purchase: Free version (ibisPaint X)
Download the app from the following links. The free version has ads and limited functions. To become a prime member, you need to purchase it within the app.
Paid version (ibisPaint)
Purchase the paid version of (ibisPaint) from the App Store.
Overview:
ibisPaint is a free illustration and manga drawing app with a UI design optimized for smartphones and tablets. In addition to more than 2,500 textures and screentones, it also has a full range of manga production features such as paneling tools. And it can support B5 or A5 canvases that have a 600 dpi resolution, a requirement for printing black-and-white comics.
The free version displays ads and limits the number of brushes, but watching an ad will unlock these functions for a limited amount of time. Purchasing the paid version removes ads and brush restrictions. If you become a premium member of their monthly membership system, you can use the member-only filters as well.
You can also record your drawing process as a timelapse video and post it to their official website and Twitter.
ibisPaint is compatible with Clip Studio Paint, so you can upload ibisPaint artwork to the Clip Studio cloud, then continue working on the same layers in Clip Studio Paint.
A classic and Apple Design Award-winning iPad paint app. Its wide canvas with touch operation ensures a comfortable drawing experience. The simple UI makes it easy to find features.
Developer: Savage Interactive Pty Ltd
Trial version: No trial available.
How to purchase:
Purchase from the App Store.
$9.99 USD
Support: Procreate’s official website has a mail contact form and a user community. There are plenty of user tutorials available online too.
Community:
Procreate has a dedicated community site called Procreate Folio where you can check out other users’ art.
Overview:
Procreate has many digital features, such as brush customization, perspective rulers, clipping masks, text tools, and animation. Not only is it rich in features, but it also has a clean interface that’s easy for beginners to understand. When you start the app, it displays an impressive video on how to use it and high-quality sample artwork.
There is a Procreate app for the iPhone with fewer features called Procreate Pocket.
Neither application has a trial version available and, therefore, unfortunately, no way to test them out before purchasing.
Adobe Fresco is a painting software released by Adobe in 2019. Its main feature is its live brushes that you can watch blend and expand in real time.
Developer: Adobe Systems, Inc.
Trial version:
Instead of a trial version limited to 30-days, the app is available as a free scaled-down version in a freemium model.
How to purchase:
Free for Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers or $9.99 a month for non-subscribers.
Adobe Fresco can be purchased on its own from the Abode official website, Adobe Creative Cloud, or the App Store (iPad version:$9.99 a year).
The Windows version can be downloaded from the official Adobe website.
In addition to its own separate plan, it also comes in a plan with Photoshop or the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan.
Support and manuals:
As with Photoshop, you can make inquiries using chat and email via the inquiry form on the official website.
Official website tutorials focus on watercolor and oil painting.
Overview:
Like Procreate, Adobe Fresco is also designed for use with pen and touch-operated devices. Its main feature is its ability to mimic aspects of traditional painting, such as color mixing and bleeding. It uses live brushes that bleed and mix colors. You can also adjust the amount of water and how the paint mixes for each brush. Mixing yellow and blue mix in Fresco makes green, an aspect that is not often reproduced in other digital painting software. You can also use both raster and vector brushes on the same canvas. In this way, Adobe Fresco is similar to Clip Studio Paint in that it combines both the feel of watercolor and oil painting with the benefits of working with vectors.
Adobe Fresco is highly recommended for those who already use Adobe products. It specializes in drawing and rounds out Adobe’s other specialized area software (photo processing, design, animation, etc.), resulting in a full, robust digital art workflow. Furthermore, it uses Photoshop brushes as well as Adobe’s cloud service.
MediBang Paint is free software with many features for drawing manga. If you register as a user and log in, you can unlock more features. It’s a good way to try out features before committing.
Developer: MediBang Inc.
How to purchase:
Download it from the official site.
Free (with ads)
Support:
You can contact the developer from the email form on the official website. Additionally, their website offers tutorials, materials, and an FAQ on basic app usage and announcements. You can search for OS-specific queries, but results can sometimes still come back with mixed OS results.
Community:
There is a dedicated social media service the developer runs called ARTstreet. It details ongoing illustration contests, users’ artworks, and resources.
Price: Free (with ads)
Overview:
This app is a free simple drawing tool. Although you cannot customize it as much as paid ones, it has essential functions for drawing manga, such as frame borders and screentones. It’s made by the same company that makes the apps Jump PAINT and MangaName. These are apps for creating comics rather than illustrations.
It has over 1,000 screentones you can use through the cloud. It also offers 3 GB of cloud storage so that you can switch to a different device and keep drawing. You need to create an account in order to use this service. If you opt for MediBang Premium, you will get increased cloud storage as well as be able to unlock more features. Be aware that you will not be able to transfer your brush settings between different OS, for example, from desktop to iPad. You will be able to transfer over application settings for Windows and macOS.
If you are looking to draw black-and-white comics, MediBang Paint or Clip Studio Paint, the de-facto industry standard, are both good go-to options.
Paintstorm Studio is a low cost, advanced painting software available for Windows, macOS, and iPad. It has a wide variety of brush types and many customizable features. So if you draw digitally, you should check this software out.
Developer: Sergei Komarov
Trial version:
Download the desktop version (Windows/macOS) from the official website. You can launch the trial version up to 30 times within a limited amount of time.
For the iPad, there is a feature-limited version, Paintstorm Studio Lite.
How to purchase:
You can purchase the desktop version (Windows/macOS) from the official website via Paypal and credit card. The iPad version can be downloaded from the App Store.
Price:
Support: Paintstorm Studio’s website has a contact form and a user community.
Community: Fan communities exist independently of the program.
Overview:
There are many default brush settings, allowing you to draw natural objects and backgrounds using CG-like effects. Many of the default brushes have a traditional feel, suitable for impasto painting. However, you can customize brushes to suit detail work and other drawing styles such as manga and anime-style illustrations.
Paintstorm Studio also has a Mixer palette that allows you to mix colors. It’s quite a unique drawing tool, and having some previous knowledge of CG will help when working with this app.
The iPad version of Paintstorm Studio has almost all of the same functions as the desktop version. Sadly, you cannot share files between devices.
GIMP is a long-established open-source, free software with an abundant amount of functions for image processing and the ability to add user-created plug-ins. Due to this high amount of software customizability, GIMP requires some computer skills to use.
Developer: The GIMP Team
How to download: Download GIMP from its official website.
Free
Support:
Check the official website for Frequently Asked Questions and tutorials.
Many websites share links to guides and paperback books on GIMP, making information on software usage accessible.
Overview:
The functions available for image processing are almost the same as similar paid software options, making it a good choice for adjusting color illustrations. However, since GIMP was initially developed for photo manipulation, it’s not recommended for print or animations.
If you have the technical skills needed to manage its customization abilities, GIMP can be an asset to illustration production.
Affinity Designer is a vector drawing application for making illustrations, icons, and other graphic designs.
Developer: Serif Labs
Trial version:
No trial version available.
How to Purchase:
One-time purchase of $54.99 USD on the official website.
Support:
Check out the basics of using the program on the official website as well as an FAQ section.
https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/tutorials/designer/desktop/
https://forum.affinity.serif.com/
Community:
There is an official forum where users can answer questions from each other and chat.
Overview:
Affinity Designer is a vector-based drawing app that can export files in PDF, EPS, SVG, and PSD formats, but not AI formats. Something that sets it apart from other apps is how you can not only edit vector paths but you can paint over a vector base with a raster brush to add texture. With powerful shape tools you can easily create offset paths and make designs that will come out beautifully when printed.
There are also tools like grids, guides, alignment snapping and more to give you control of the design. It also comes equipped with raster brushes usable with pen displays, powerful typography editing, symbol registration functionality, and more. There is also an iPad version available, but it will not be able to offer the same high-level functions as the PC version.
A painting application dedicated to getting real medium textures. Choose rich oils, delicate watercolors, and more to get the feel of various traditional mediums.
Developer: Ambient Design
Trial version:
You can try it out by downloading ArtRage 6 Demo for free.
Note: You cannot save or export files in the trial version.
How to download: One-time purchase of $59 USD on the official website.
Support:
Check out the basics of using the program on the official website as well as an FAQ section.
https://www.artrage.com/support/
Community:
Users can ask questions on the official forum and chat. You can also browse other user’s works in the Art Gallery and comment on them.
https://forums.artrage.com/
Overview:
ArtRage 6 is a painting program that focuses on replicating the look of traditional painting, especially with the thicker brush mediums. Not only can you use tools like pencils and paintbrushes, but also traditional tools not usually found in digital art apps like paint rollers and palette knives.
Another unusual feature is the stencil function which allows you to place a stencil sheet on your canvas and fill it in from above.
There are grid rulers and a perspective grid available that will provide a guide to snap to as you are drawing. Unfortunately, you can only use one grid on your canvas, so it might not lend itself to be a super precise way of drawing.
The iPad version of Adobe Illustrator, the standard in vector drawing programs. Design intuitively, as if using a pen and paper, with a system optimized for the iPad and Apple Pencil.
Developer: Adobe Inc.
How to Purchase:
Download it from the AppStore
In-App Purchases
Illustrator on iPad:
$9.99 USD/month
Adobe Design Mobile:
$14.99 USD/month
$149.99 USD/year
*You do not need to purchase any plan if you already are on a Creative Cloud plan with Adobe Illustrator.
Support:
You can find FAQ and a contact form on the official website.
Overview:
The iPad version features over 18,000 fonts and over 20 different color palettes. Subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud to be able to use your files in conjunction with Photoshop, Fresco, and the PC version of Adobe Illustrator.
Saved files will automatically be saved on the cloud, freeing you from dependency on any one device. You will want to make use of this if you already use Illustrator.
You can use this program for one month free, but after the trial period is up you will be charged. For $9.99 USD a month for Illustrator on iPad you will have access to over 17,000 fonts, be able to study how to use the program with live tutorials, and of course use Illustrator. For $14.99 USD a month you can subscribe to an Adobe Design Mobile plan to use not only Illustrator but also other Adobe mobile apps like Creative Cloud Express, Photoshop, and Fresco.
You need to select the plan you would like to try before starting the trial period, so keep in mind you will be charged after the first month of trial use based on the plan price.
Article by Art Rocket
Artists and illustrators have a new super-tool in their arsenal - Drawing Apps. Tech-savvy creatives are switching from paper to digital and reaping the benefits that drawing apps and art apps offer - powerful drawing tools, special effects, the ability to create vectors or raster images, and even 3D models.
There are a ton of drawing apps, art apps, painting apps, and sketch apps available now to creatives, each with its own USP. Some excel in vector drawings, others in graphic illustrations. There are dedicated apps for image manipulation, mimicking hand drawing, and 3d modelling. While several apps come only in paid versions, plenty of free drawing apps are also available. If you google drawing apps, an extensive list of good drawing apps with their popular features and website links comes up.
We have curated a list of the 47 best free and paid drawing apps for 2023 to express your ideas in the form of digital art.
No list of digital art apps would be complete without listing offerings of Adobe drawing apps. Adobe has led the pack for decades, and Adobe Photoshop is still the professional's choice for raster art creation. Photoshop is one of the best drawing apps for iPad, Mac and PC; they also provide accessory apps for mobile devices and tablets.
The biggest drawback of Adobe’s offerings, especially for beginners, is that you must purchase a subscription to use these drawing apps for computers. For established pros with stable cash flow, this presents a little problem, but for aspiring amateurs and beginners, there are plenty of good editing apps that offer good functionality at a fraction of the cost.
If you’re looking for a drawing app that combines the ease and simplicity of drawing on your mobile device with the power of Adobe Photoshop, check out Photoshop Sketch. When combined with your Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, Photoshop Sketch allows you to fine-tune images created on your tablet later on your computer.
Just as Photoshop is the industry-standard drawing app for iPad, PC and MacOs for raster pictures, Illustrator is the go-to digital art app for vector art. Illustrator is used to creating everything from basic graphic design tasks like logos to elaborate and beautiful landscapes and portrait photos. With a little practice, you can make nearly anything into a vector in Illustrator.
Similar to Photoshop Sketch, but for vector drawing, Illustrator Draw, a great drawing app for iPad, allows you to create vector drawings on the go easily. You can then save them to your creative cloud account and fine-tune them in the full program later. Both Photoshop Sketch and Illustrator Draw are free downloads, but if you want to export the images for later editing, you’ll need a Creative Cloud subscription.
Sketchbook from Autodesk is one of the most robust raster drawing apps you will find. Compared to Photoshop, Sketch is a purpose-built platform for artists on the go. It’s not meant for photo editing or other tasks, so the program focuses on just what you need to draw on your tablet easily. The program is available for Macs, PCs, iOS, and Android devices. Unlike many drawing apps that stick to proprietary or generic formats, Sketchbook conveniently has the option to export to Photoshop PSD format with layers intact. The best part? Autodesk has now released the full-featured drawing app for free. There are plenty of completely alternatives to Photoshop here are the best.
A full-featured vector editor for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Create your own vector art or use built-in graphics to craft original scenes from pre-made elements. A perfect tool for those who work with visuals for social media, content marketing, ads, etc. The app is 100% free. Built-in graphics are free for a link.
An online graphic app that lets everyone create awesome visuals without special skills and costly design software. Use templates or create your own illustrations from pre-made elements (including 3Ds!). Or quickly make up custom photos that look like real. The app's gallery features thousands of cutout photos of diverse people, objects, and animals. Drop them on them on the canvas, combine with a proper background, and your photo is good to go. Working in Mega Creator is like playing a graphic lego.
Sketchpad is a free drawing application, to create stunning digital art, suited for all ages. You can easily share your work online and export it in various formats like JPEG, PNG, SVG and PDF. Sketchpad is available for download on both PC and Mac.
The Astropad Studio is a different sort of art app that can be a great help to folks looking to create digital drawings. For Mac and iPad users, Studio allows you to connect your iPad wirelessly to your desktop and use it as if it were a drawing tablet. The interface is pretty smooth, but make sure you have a clean system with plenty of free memory to avoid lag. You’ll also want a great stylus like the Apple Pencil.
The Affinity set of art apps is poised to take a significant bite out of Adobe’s market share. These programs are full-featured to the point of having things you have to buy aftermarket in Adobe. Designer is Affinity’s answer to Illustrator. It is a desktop vector art program with every feature you could ever want and one of the best drawing apps for Apple computers. Designer is available for Mac desktop or iPad.
Affinity is also ready to answer your raster art needs. Photo by Affinity is analogous to Photoshop. Its user interface is a bit smoother, however, with cleaver skin changes based on the type of task you’re looking to complete.
Both Affinity apps are inexpensive when compared to Photoshop and Illustrator. If you’re looking for a great drawing app for iPad and one that is a digital art application for editing or raster drawing, look no further than Photo and Photo for iPad.
For all the painters out there, Inspire Pro turns your iPad into the ultimate painting canvas. This is one of those simple raster drawing apps that can produce some really fantastic artwork thanks to super realistic brushes and massive canvas sizes. You can download Inspire Pro from the Apple App Store.
A few key features make Medibang’s apps the best drawing app for some artists. The app is available on any platform you can think of, from Windows and Mac desktops to Apple and Android tablets. They all have a cloud feature, which allows you to easily store, share, and open your work from any device. This is one of the best free drawing apps you really should check out if you are looking at an affordable and easy way to start drawing.
Procreate is an iOS-only app designed to fully harness the power of Apple’s popular iPad Pro and Apple Pencil combination. More than just a drawing app, Procreate combines many of the powerful tools you’d expect to find in a much more robust program like Photoshop. Layers, custom brushes, and all sorts of special effects are available on your tablet. You can export images, with intact layers, straight to PSD format to open in Photoshop. It is a popular drawing app for iPad for 2021. For on-the-go art, check out the drawing app iPhone version as well.
Zen Brush is a simple ink brush app for mobile devices. A drawing app for free, it’s super inexpensive and fun to use, but it is pretty limited. However, ink and paper are limiting too, but that hasn’t stopped artists from making amazing artworks with them for the last thousand years.
Pixelmator Pro is a Mac OS app that combines many features and functions of the best editing apps all into one tidy app. Pixelmator features many of the best features for drawing and the standard top photo editing apps functions of other editors. It also features a "layouting" mode for publishing and graphic design work. Their iOS app for mobile is really more of a photo editor rather than an art app.
Those in the graphic design world know that there’s a lot more to digital art creation beyond hand sketching. Illustrator and other vector programs use shapes to “assemble” designs, and this is the idea beyond the Assembly app. By simplifying this process, the app allows users to create logos and design elements with ease quickly. Assembly is made for iOS devices.
Formerly iDraw, Graphic is a full-featured vector design program for Mac, iPhone, or iPad. The program has all of the features of its more popular competitors, and it allows for the creation of anything from portraits to technical layout and CAD style drawings.
Inkist is a super basic drawing app that is available for Mac computers and iOS devices. The mobile app is currently free. It’s not flashy, but it has all the right features to make your artwork pop.
Luckyclan’s ArtStudio is a full-featured raster art app for iPad or iPhone. It features multiple canvas sizes, layers with masks, over 400 brushes, unlimited undo/redo, and even over 40 filters.
Rizer’s Pixaki has a bit of a limited audience, but if you’re into pixel art, you’re going to love it. Export your creations to GIFs and other simple animation formations. The program can open and save to all the popular formats, including Photoshop, PNGs, and ZIP archives. Start with a sketch or photo, and soon you are rocking it retro style like it’s 1990. Here is the list of some best Animation software in the market.
Available on Google Play for Android tablets, Painter is a user-friendly drawing app that you’ll love. Organized workflows make navigating the screen easy and keep the workspace less cluttered. Powerful tools like 3D rendering and over 80 brushes make this one of the best full-featured 3D drawing apps for Android devices.
If you’re looking for great drawing apps that can work on nearly any computer or tablet, you’ve got to check out ArtRage. ArtRage is available in multiple versions, including their free drawing apps called ArtRage Lite for Windows and Mac computers. This program and a loyal following of users, with many fantastic tutorials and inspiration available from other artists.
The Concepts App is an interesting program aimed at professional designers that work on Apple, Windows, and Google devices. It uses a vector drawing app to store ideas; it is very much like a pocket notebook that has gone entirely digital. From brainstorm to “exploring happy accidents,” as the company puts it, to rendering captivating color illustrations and sharing them with the built-in presentation mode, Concepts has your creative brain covered.
If drawing comics is your beat, Comic Draw is worth checking out. The app is tailor-made for creating single-panel cartoons on your mobile device. You can pair it with the company’s Comic Life app for desktop on either Windows or Mac. Put your frames together into a full-featured comic spread with this digital art app.
If you’re looking for a doodle and sketchbook app to collate your ideas and let your creativity go on a walkabout, you’ll love this app. One of the best free drawing apps we know of, it's super simple and yet powerful. With a simple toolset and a blank page, let your mind go creative in Paper.
Available for Mac desktop, iOS mobile devices, and Android, Tayasui’s Sketches app is an artist favorite for many reasons. The user interface and app functions are some of the smoothest on the list. The clean look of the sketch space can’t be beaten. Color blending and gradient tools, along with patterns and the most realistic brushes you can find, round out this fantastic app. Not many free drawing apps offer so many great features. If you really like what you see inside of Sketches, there is an upgraded Pro version available with even more brushes and tools. The community is an excellent source of both advice and examples.
As the name suggests, one of the best parts of Sketch Club is the club. The first rule of sketch club: everyone talks about Sketch Club. Combining social media inside the app, you can share your creations and comment on others. Who doesn’t love browsing an art gallery on your tablet? The community features daily themed challenges and lots of featured artists whose works you can browse for inspiration. The Sketch Club app is available for Apple iOS in the App Store.
If your Android tablet isn't feeling the love with all of these iPad apps in the running, don't lose heart. Artflow is a beautiful drawing app for Android that features a clean user interface and lots of pro features like layers and custom brushes. It is the perfect drawing and painting app to create paint your dream.
Art Set app for Ipad features tools that look very similar to ones in real life. Art Set 4 is the redesigned and upgraded version of Art Set with more advanced tools for digital painting. This paint program now also has a 3D paint feature along with a workspace that adjusts according to your needs. Although it is a free drawing app for iPad, the pro version gives a ton of features that are essential like setting the canvas size of any resolution, auto backup, layers, and 150 more brushes than the free version.
This app also features pastel tools that give the feel of real pastels. You can also blend colors on the app using your fingers. iPastels is a free drawing app that is especially useful when you want something to improve your skills when you are in the early stages of your learning. This iPad Pro drawing app has features like layers, apple pencil support, high accuracy which is done by "floating point accuracy." The blending of pastels also can be done without much effort in this art drawing app. One unique feature of this easy drawing app is that you can show the pictures as tiles alongside each other; this feature is called the seamless pattern editing mode. Don't have an iPad? Don't worry, iPastels is also a drawing app for the iPhone.
Brushes Redux is a free open source painting app which is used both on iPad and iPhone and the work syncs between the two. Other features of this iOS app are the ability to autosave, unlimited undo and redo, adding layers among others. This digital drawing app is quick and easy to use with openGL based painting engine and offers 64-bit paint. On their 3.2 version of the app, they are now providing experimental apple pencil support and started the iTunes file sharing option.
If you are looking for an iPad drawing app that has dedicated tools to create manga and comics, this might be the perfect app for you. Not only this, but you can also do illustration, drawing, and painting on this art app. To get six months free subscription a user has to sign up for the EX version of the app. This online drawing app is specially designed for professionals as it has a different exporting option like a movie or animated GIFs, it supports apple pencil, and Wacom bamboo sketch. One can draw moving illustrations as well in this drawing app for iPad.
An award-winning app, uMake is an iPad Pro drawing app for 3D design. Its website claims that uMake is the first 3D design app created for iPad. This 3D modeling and design app gives the features of desktop CAD software on the iPad. An excellent tool for those who are learning 3D modeling and the ability to do so in iPad opens the door for more creative work on the go. They also provide video tutorials on different topics so that it gets easier to learn how to use the app and to create desired results. Some of their best features are 3D tools to pull and push, augmented reality features and complex surface creation making it one of the best drawing apps for iPad pro. They offer a 14-day trial and then you can subscribe monthly, quarterly or yearly based on your requirement.
This android drawing app is suitable for those who want to learn drawing or painting. It has a feature called basemap which helps a user to set a photo as translucent and draw over it. This Android painting app is very similar to someone tracing on a paper and drawing over the original. This free app is suitable is more amateurs and has additional features on the pro version which can is through in-app purchases.
ibis Paint is the of the best drawing apps for Android out there. It has some unique features like recording your drawing as video, and SNS features where you can see and learn from videos other users have made. Other features like fast open GL technology, 142 brushes, 37 filters, and 700 fonts makes it an obvious choice for people looking for an android drawing app with lots of plus points. Apart from this, there are separate features for those artists who are interested in creating manga. To get more features like lesser ads, additional fonts, and materials, gradation map filter, etc. one has to purchase through in-app purchases.
Dotpict drawing free app is available on Android, iPhone, and iPad. This drawing app is only designed to create pixel art. Some features of the dotpict app are different sharing and exporting options, zoom of canvas to see fine details, and display of grids among others.
As the name says, RoughAnimator is used to create animations. RoughAnimator drawing app lets you create hand-drawn frame-by-frame animations on multiple kinds of devices like Android, iOS and desktop as well. This animation app offers essential features like unlimited layers, onion skinning, audio, and video import, apple pencil and Wacom stylus support, and more but at a price. What better way to start learning animation on your mobile?
Sketch by Sony is a simple Android and iOS sketching app in which brushes and other tools are used to create digital art. The drawing can be done using a finger or a stylus, and the user can create layers in this application. Sony has provided with a big community in this app where people can explore other works and showcase their work as well. One can also personalize their feed and collaborate with other artists to create new work. The in-app purchases can access some additional features.
Pigment describes itself as an adult coloring app, but it looks like kids will also have a lot of fun with it. It is an app to color already drawn pages by professionals and many exclusively by Disney. There are more than 4000 pages to choose from and its drawing tools like pencils, markers and paintbrushes give you the feeling like you are using natural colors and tools. There are unlimited colors to choose from the color wheel, sounds fun right? To get features like premium brushes and the entire library you have to subscribe to the premium version.
Hexagon is a free software for creating 3D models. It has all the tools a graphic artist would need. Some of the outstanding features are DAZ Studio Bridge, freehand modeling brushes, micro displacement modeling tools, comprehensive UV mapping modules, and more. In Hexagon, you can see real-time shadows and instant ambient occlusion. With this free 3D modeling software, you can create 3D models for game development in high quality.
An excellent platform for someone who wants to make a foray into the world of 3D drawing. With Sculptris, you can create base models which can then be refined in other software like ZBrush. The 3D software can locally redefine the internal structure of the model you are working with. Sculptris has tools that will make you feel like you are working with real clay. You can also paint a wrapped texture on the mesh surface with this software. (Please note that Sculptris was last updated in 2011 and may not function in newer systems)
Blender is an open-source, free 3D software, which supports modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, composition, and motion tracking, editing video, and 2D animation pipeline. Developed by experts from multiple fields around the world, Blender has a built-in powerful path-trace engine that offers real results. It has advanced sculpting and other tools through which you can create and transform the models with ease. Blender has a flexible interface in which you can adjust the layout, colors, fonts, etc. There are a lot of add-ons created by users which can be used by anyone using the software.
ZBrush is one of the best software for digital sculpting. With the customizable brushes, you can create shapes, textures, and paint virtual clay. The advanced tools offered by ZBrush is the same as the tools used by designers and artists worldwide. The software has a Non-Photorealistic Rendering (NPR), which enables you to see the artwork in a whole new way. You can convert the 3D artwork into 2D drawing and transfer the sculpted artwork into a comic book. Through ZBrush, you can add overlaying textures, draw outlines, and apply various effects from built-in presets.
Krita is an open-source painting program, made by artists to provide affordable art tools. This free painting app can be used to create conceptual art, texture and matte, illustration, and comics. Krita, designed for both amateurs and professionals, provides an intuitive interface. This interface can be customized according to your workflow. The dynamic brush tool in Krita can be used to create drag and mass and you can smoothen and stabilize your brush strokes. There are more than nine different brush engines like color smudge engine, shape engine, and more through which you can customize your brushes, to suit specific requirements.
Aseprite is a program through which you can create 2D animations. Through this program, you can also create sprites, pixel art, retro-style graphics, and everything related to the 8-bit and 16-bit era. Aseptrite can work on Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu. The program can organize layers, create animations, and custom brushes. The work can be saved in GIF, PNG, and JSON format.
Hexels is a grid-based painting, animation, and design program. With Hexels, you can create complex designs and stunning drawings. With the combination of digital art tools and geometric grid, through which you can paint in free form with the precision of vector art. Powerful software for a pixel artist who can keep track of the colors and gradients with the palette. The canvas can be turned into animation, and a sprite sheet can also be exported easily. This program can be used on Windows as well as Mac devices.
If you're serious about taking up digital drawing, consider your hardware choices carefully. Ideally, you'll want to sample the exact tablet and computer setup with the stylus of your choice. In short, some are glitchier than others, and creating art requires more finesse than some can deliver.
If possible, consider a tablet with a stylus made by the same manufacturer, for example, the Apple iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil. This ensures the two pair perfectly for the smoothest possible drawing experience.
Also, look for pressure sensitivity. Different styluses handle the task differently. The feedback provided with pressure sensitivity adds an extra realism that makes drawing on your tablet as close to analog pencil and paper as you can imagine.
As with all apps, be sure to check the operating system used by the app of your choice. The most popular platforms are Windows, macOS, Apple iOS, and Android, and unfortunately, very few apps work on all of them.
In the digital world, there are two sorts of images you can draw. Raster images, like JPG or PNG photographs, are drawn pixel by pixel. If you zoom in or enlarge the picture, it will get blurrier and blurrier if it exceeds the pixel size of the image. Think of this as drawing on paper, and you are limited by how large your paper is. You cannot expand the paper size like you cannot expand the pixels. Drawing a raster image is as simple and reasonably intuitive, depending on the app.
Vector drawings solve this problem but unfortunately, add much more complexity. Vector images, like AI or EPS formats, are the world standard in the printing industry. These pictures are made more like computer programs than photographs. In vector drawing applications, you make many paths (lines or shapes) that make up your image. It takes a bit more practice. Some vector apps make the process super simple, but the professional programs with all the bells and whistles take a bit of getting used to.
No discussion of online drawing apps would be complete without a word about three-dimensional drawing apps. If you're looking to create 3D modeling,3D printing ideas or going for that other-worldly feel that is everywhere, you'll want to make sure to pick the best drawing app that is capable of producing 3D images too. And don't feel left out if you got your drawing apps for free, some of these include 3D rendering also!Here are most useful 3d printing ideas that you can get inspired by.
Now that you have an idea of how many free drawing apps are out there to choose from, you may feel a bit taken back. But remember, the most fun part of finding the best canvas for your project of choice is the adventure in trying them all out! So which do you think is the best drawing app?
Do check out our list of the best Drawing tablets for Graphics, Art, and Illustration.
Disclaimer: The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the final product. All images are copyrighted to their respective owners.
- Krita. Krita is free, open-source software that works for Windows, Mac, and Linux users.
- MediBang Paint Pro.
- FireAlpaca.
- Autodesk Sketchbook.
- CorelDRAW.
- Adobe Photoshop.
- Procreate.
- Blender.
