The iPad in combination with the Apple Pencil seems to have completely supplanted graphics tablets in the fields of illustration, design and digital art.
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Apple has managed to take full advantage of the functionality of its stylus to combine it with the excellent screen of the iPads, so that they can replace the notebook of an artist, animator or architect, thanks to the many applications for drawing on iPad that are currently available. are available on the App Store.
Perhaps if you are not unfamiliar with the subject of digital drawing, you know more than one program to draw on iPad than those that we propose today, but even if this is the case, we are sure that you will be encouraged to try new apps to draw on your iPad.
What is the best app to draw on iPad?
1. Procreate (Paid)
Procreate is a digital drawing app specially designed to work seamlessly with Apple Pencil, so you can take full advantage of all its benefits.
Among other things, it highlights the wide range of customizable brushes it offers, as well as support for layers and adjustment masks. However, what really makes it an essential application if you are looking for the best apps to draw on iPad is the possibility of exporting your works to Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
Opinions about Procreate
Exceptional
I have been using design programs for 25 years, and Procreate is by far the one that has surprised me the most thanks to its ease of use. Simply wonderful: to say that in a single day you will amortize its price (which in my opinion is ridiculous for everything it offers).
Very good
Excellent app for drawing, I only miss the option to put aside a section to put reference photos, instead of having to put it on the same canvas.
2. Concepts (Freemium)
Concepts is a drafting and technical drawing application designed especially for architects, designers, and engineers.
It stands out above all for the number of functionalities and options at your disposal, although perhaps what is most striking is that despite offering so many features, its interface is extremely intuitive.
Concepts is a Freemium app, since you can use a limited number of options in its free version, so if you want to take advantage of its full potential you will have to pay the annual subscription fee.
Opinions about Concepts
The best of the best
I use it for everything: taking notes, drawing, making graphs and diagrams. The possibilities it offers mean that you are always learning something new, so its potential is inexhaustible.
Great app
A great app for sketching and creating vector drawings.
3. ibis Paint X (Free + in-app purchases)
ibis Paint is another option that can be considered among the best apps to draw on iPad for free , after Procreate, with the difference that it is totally free.
Of course, you also have purchases within the application, at the rate of three subscription plans, one of them to remove the ads.
It includes a wide variety of brushes, adjustments and tools, as well as the possibility of saving the drawings in PSD format.
Opinions about ibis Paint X
Highly Recommended
An excellent app for drawing, especially if you follow the instructions and advice provided within the application itself. It is one of the few applications that you will find free to draw on an iPad.
I love it ❤️
I use an iPad Pro, and the app works very well for me. It doesn’t really bother me that I have to watch ads to unlock special brushes, because if I had to pay for them, I wouldn’t have them.
4. Adobe Fresco (Freemium)
Adobe Fresco is a vector drawing app for artists, designers, and illustrators. It has tools for freehand drawing, as well as for creating geometric shapes and text from paths.
It also includes a wide variety of brushes and settings, which makes it a good choice when looking for good apps to draw on iPad . Fresco is free although, as usual in Adobe, it offers a Creative Cloud subscription plan to access all its features.
Opinions about Adobe Fresco
The most amazing drawing app
It’s beyond amazing, giving your fingers much more power than other apps, as well as an impressive number of brushes in the free version.
An armed robbery
If having Procreate for life costs the same as a single Adobe monthly fee, who would want to pay infinitely more for similar benefits? It’s ridiculous.
5. INKredible (Free + in-app purchases)
INKredible is a freehand drawing app specially designed to work with the Apple Pencil. It offers a wide range of customizable brushes, as well as various layers and adjustments.
With INKredible you will be able to take full advantage of all the possibilities of the Apple stylus, which makes it a must-have app for artists and designers looking for the best drawing app for iPad with Apple Pencil .
INKredible is a free app, although it offers purchases within the application itself, especially for brushes and different types of paper.
Opinions about INKredible
Perfect, only one detail missing
I loved the options that this app offers, it would only include an option to expand to the area of the screen, to display a box under the document that allows writing more easily, I saw it in an app called Penultimate. Other than that, it’s an app of 10.
improvements
For me it is one of the best apps, although it could be the best. The drawing is very good with the pen, however the system for saving the notes is painful: it saves all the pages together, you cannot save them individually or by folder! And when searching, as I say one by one.
6. Affinity Designer (Paid)
Affinity Designer is a vector drawing application that offers all the tools you need to work with graphic design.
It has a simple and intuitive interface, and allows you to export to Photoshop, Illustrator and other graphic design programs. Among its most outstanding features it includes a wide variety of brushes, adjustments and geometric shapes.
Affinity Designer is a paid application, although it does offer a free trial limited to 30 days.
Opinions about Affinity Designer
Wonderful
Wonderful the same in MacOs as in iPad, in addition, the same file works for both versions. Goodbye subscriptions.
Very good
But since the new OS for iPad, it turns off again and again. Being impossible to use without losing work. a pity
7. Tayasui Sketches (Free + in-app purchases)
Tayasui Sketches is a freehand drawing application intended for both professional and amateur artists.
It stands out for the large number of brushes, adjustments and layers it offers, as well as the possibility of exporting to Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
Tayasui Sketches is free, although it includes in-app purchases.
Opinions about Tayasui Sketches
It’s marvelous
Impressively good app, highly recommended and you really have nothing to lose by downloading it. The drawings are great!
Cool
The app is great: it’s so easy to use, and with Apple Pencil you make it even better. The interface is clear and concise, making the app very easy to use. I have the Pro version, but the normal version is also very good.
8. ArtRage (Paid)
ArtRage is a digital drawing and painting application that offers all the tools you need to create works of art.
It includes brushes, adjustments, geometric shapes, and text, as well as support for layers and adjustment masks. The effects achieved in this app are extremely similar to those obtained with real painting materials.
ArtRage is a paid application, although it offers a free trial limited to 14 days.
Opinions about Art Rage
Procreate’s tough competitor
I bought the app because I saw how realistic the pictures painted with it, and the truth is that I was very surprised. She has loads of brushes with awesome textures and behaviors. Highly configurable and perfect for iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. I come from Procreate, and although the latter is more advanced, Art Rage is more realistic in its results.
Art Rage VS Procreate
Painting with a watercolor effect in this app is wonderful, because it mixes and dilutes the colors with total realism. I find it much simpler and more intuitive than Procreate, really.
9. Art Studio for iPad (Paid)
Art Studio for iPad is a digital drawing and painting app that includes numerous brushes and options for artistic creation. Its minimalist and intuitive interface makes it a good option when looking for uncomplicated apps to draw on iPad.
Art Studio for iPad is a paid application, although it offers a free trial version limited to 7 days. It also has purchases within the app, which include packs of brushes of different textures that can range from imitation oil to different hair textures.
Opinions about Art Studio for iPad
Good app
A very intuitive app with plenty of resources to draw.
Cool!
It is a complete application, easy to learn and very fun. My favorite so far.
10. Paintstorm Studio (Paid)
Paintstorm Studio is a digital painting application specially designed for artists and designers. It offers a wide range of brushes, adjustments, and effects, as well as support for layers and color adjustments. It also incorporates the functions of Timelapse recording and line correction.
Paintstorm is a paid application, although it offers a free trial limited to 7 days. The good thing is that once you make this one purchase, you will have access to all its features.
Opinions about Paintstorm Studio
How to have Photoshop on your iPad
Without a doubt, it is the perfect app to have on an iPad Pro 12. The only thing that I see that could be improved are the basic gestures to make it more similar to Procreate.
Thank you for adding Spanish 🙂
Magnificent app, you work with many options in terms of brushes and strokes, and in my opinion it is the closest thing to Corel Painter that I have seen. Of the entire App Store, only Art Rage is similar in terms of options, but I still prefer this one and Procreate.
11. Sketch Line (Free + in-app purchases)
Linea Sketch is a simple and intuitive app, which can be an excellent app option to draw on iPad for children . It includes a wide variety of brushes and adjustments, as well as the ability to save drawings in PDF format.
Linea Sketch is free, although it includes purchases within the application at the rate of three types of subscriptions: monthly, annual or complete, the latter with a price of $29.99.
Opinions about Sketch Line
It has quickly become my favorite sketch app!
Linea Sketch has an excellent balance between features and usability: it has enough drawing tools, the interface is comfortable, which makes drawing with Apple Pencil much easier.
Excellent drawing app
The application offers options to make several layers, import images to trace or have as a reference, blending modes, etc. Exporting is child’s play, making this an excellent solution during any point in the workflow
What is your favourite among the applications to draw on the iPad that we have presented to you? We hope that whoever you choose, you will learn to draw on an iPad like a professional if that is what you set out to do.
Frequent Questions
To finish, we answer the most frequently asked questions that users of iPad and its drawing apps ask themselves:
What app is used to draw on iPad for free?
There are several free applications to draw on iPad, among the most recommended are ibis Paint, Linea Sketch and Tayasui Sketches.
Where to draw on an iPad?
Apps for drawing on an iPad can be easily downloaded from the App Store, though if you’re in a pinch, you can use the Notes app to do a little doodle.
How to draw on an image on iPad?
To draw on an image on iPad, you need to open the Photos app, select the image to modify, and then tap the Add icon. Select the app you want to use to add drawings to the image, and then follow the app’s instructions.
As an extra fact, all the apps that we present to you on this occasion have the option of importing images from the Gallery to draw on them as if you were tracing, or draw directly on top of them.
How to download Procreate for free on iPad?
Procreate is not a free app, it is priced at $9.99 on the App Store. If you want to get Procreate for free, you can do it through some unofficial websites, but this is illegal and can be dangerous for your device.
The best way to get Procreate “almost” free is through Apple’s education program, which offers a 50% discount to students.
What is the original Procreate?
The original Procreate is the app found on the App Store and priced at $9.99. However, there are applications similar to Procreate, such as Concepts and ibis Paint X, which can be downloaded for free.
How to draw pictures on iPad Pro?
To draw on iPad Pro, you can use Apple Pencil or a pen through the Notes app. You can also import PSD files into Procreate to work with them, or download a free app from the App Store.
Which iPad does Procreate have?
Procreate is available for iPad 2 and up, as well as all iPad Pro models. There’s even the Procreate Pocket app, for use with iPhones.
What is the most similar app to Procreate?
There are several applications similar to Procreate, although perhaps the most similar is Concepts. Another very good application similar to Procreate is ibis Paint X, although the latter is free.
How to draw on iPad without Apple Pencil?
Although it makes more sense to use the different applications to draw on iPad with Apple Pencil , the truth is that you can always use styluses compatible with the iPad, or even use your fingers, although clearly the facilities provided by the pen compatible with the brand are incomparable.