Air Stylus is an app that turns your iPad into a graphics tablet.

A frail girl with an iPad is sitting in a chair. From a distance it seems that she is enthusiastically playing something. But if you look closely, you can see that she is moving across the screen not with her finger, but with an unusual white “pencil”. As soon as you get closer, the sight immediately captivates you: the hand of a master creates stunning drawings on the tablet screen.

Meet Bogdana Serebriyan, designer of Mail.Ru Group. First, a short creative autobiography:

In personal projects I experiment with illustration: I try new techniques and tools. I'm currently making a series of one-page comics where readers influence the plot. I recently completed an artistic tattoo course to understand the peculiarities of drawing on skin.

At Mail.Ru, designers create at the intersection of print design and web. It seems to me that new gadgets are like iPad Pro will be indispensable if they help designers and artists create work that is suitable for more than just screensavers.”

Three times lighter than a professional tablet

The iPad Pro comes in two versions: with a 9.7-inch or 12.9-inch screen. The first one weighs about 450 grams - almost the same as a regular iPad Air. The large “proshka” weighs 723 grams, and this is still less than the weight of the lightest ultrabook. We gave Bogdana a 9.7-inch model.

Our designer’s main working tool is also a tablet, but a very unusual one. It's called the Wacom Cintiq Companion and is actually a flat computer, 1.5 centimeters thick and weighing 1.7 kilograms, that runs under Windows control 8. It turns out that you can install any full-fledged program, including Adobe Photoshop, and work with its full interface using a stylus on a 13.3-inch screen.

Draw on the iPad Pro 9.7 screen

The most powerful iPad

Apple positions the iPad Pro as a full-fledged desktop replacement. And the power reserve of the tablets is really decent: it is installed inside dual core processor A9X and 4 GB random access memory. Combined with the near-perfect optimization that Apple is famous for and very proud of, the tablets are truly fast and stable.

I tried to draw on the iPad Air 2, but programs often crashed and froze. From a hardware point of view, the iPad Pro is a revolutionary thing. There are no performance problems: I can comfortably work with at least 40 layers.

Bogdana Serebriyan

Designer Mail.Ru Group

For comparison, the Wacom Cintiq Companion 2 has up to 16 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor, just like in desktop computers and laptops. This is an Intel Core i7-5557U with a frequency of 3.1 GHz. It is more powerful than the A9X, but it consumes battery power much faster, and most importantly, it requires active cooling fans. This leads to an inevitable increase in the size of the device and noise. AND high price, of course: a Wacom tablet costs from 100 to 250 thousand rubles, while the cost of an iPad Pro starts at 53,000 rubles.

An error occurred while loading.Creating a beautiful drawing with corporate style on iPad Pro 9.7

Screen with “paper effect”

The younger iPad Pro model has the same screen diagonal and the same resolution as the iPad Air - 9.7 inches and 2048x1536 pixels. But the underlying matrix is ​​different, it is much better.

It's very high contrast, excellent anti-glare control and excellent color reproduction thanks to 103% sRGB color space coverage. The latter is very important for artists, because this is the standard that everyone supports modern devices and programs, it is the most universal. Plus, the iPad Pro 9.7's screen is 20% brighter than iPad display Air 2.

On a Wacom tablet there is a very large gap between the matrix and the protective panel. It doesn't feel like you're drawing on paper like the iPad Pro does. There is no air gap in it. But I have to set the brightness to maximum, otherwise it’s hard to see what I’m drawing.

Bogdana Serebriyan

Designer Mail.Ru Group

Convenient stylus with flimsy charging

Once upon a time Steve Jobs He said that no one needs styluses. Under Tim Cook Apple's opinion changed, and the company released Pencil, a special pen for drawing on the iPad Pro screen. In Russia, the gadget costs 7,800 rubles.

Apple Pencil It looks minimalistic and very beautiful; from a distance it can be confused with an ordinary pencil. The package includes an additional tip (in case the main one is lost) and a Lightning adapter for charging from an Apple proprietary cable.

Apple Pencil stylus

The port itself is hidden under a cover on the back of the stylus. By the way, it is not necessary to use a cable: to charge, you can connect the pen directly to the connector on bottom end iPad Pro. Frankly speaking, all this does not look reliable and convenient at all.

The Pencil connects to the tablet via Bluetooth. There are no mounts for the stylus either on the iPad Pro case or on the cases. A flaw: this makes it easier to accidentally lose an expensive pen.

The stylus supports 2048 degrees of pressure, and by tilting it you can do shading. But the ability to control line thickness depends on the program in which you draw. Some developers sell this as additional function. And some programs, when drawing, “recognize” pressing the edge of the palm on the screen - this is a minus.

Bogdana Serebriyan

Designer Mail.Ru Group

There are many programs, but there is no universal one

Bogdana Serebriyan talks about the programs and what is more convenient to draw on the iPad Pro:

"Drawing programs with using iPad There are a lot of Pros in the AppStore. But any artist chooses what suits his style and the problems he solves. I've tried several.

AutoDesk SketchBook – complex program, which is only suitable for sketching. Or, more simply put, preliminary sketches, on the basis of which a larger work will then be created.

Bamboo Paper is a program made specifically for working with Wacom styluses, but you can draw in it even with help Pencil. It recognizes degrees of pressure well, but at the same time “works out” pressing with the edge of the palm while drawing.

An error occurred while loading.Quick sketch on iPad Pro 9.7

Paper 53 - it used to be popular program for sketching, and now it has turned into a presentation program. You can draw in it, but the drawings are so tiny that it is impossible to work with them any further. There is a similar limitation in Photoshop Sketch.

My favorite program was Pro Create. You can save a file in PSD format in order to then send it to your computer and modify it there with tools that are not available in applications on the iPad. It is also ideal for calligraphy. Since I draw tattoos and learn how to fill them, this is relevant for me.

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There are a lot of nuances with tattoos in general. It is important that the sketch of the future drawing on the body is very, very clear. Often you have to give up computer programs and simply draw with markers on paper - this way you can understand in advance exactly how the image will look on the skin. But on the iPad Pro screen, future tattoos look great: the result is very close to the paper version, all the details are perfectly worked out.

In a word, with separate images It's comfortable to work on the iPad Pro. But if we're talking about about batch work, say, with a dozen illustrations, then you have to tinker with each one individually. At the same time, I can open them on the Wacom Cintiq Companion, run macros, and generally work faster and better with layers in full Photoshop.”

4 hours for charging, 6 for drawing

An hour of drawing at maximum brightness iPad battery Pro 9.7 drains by 16%, and the Apple Pencil barely drains. By comparison, the Wacom Cintiq Companion lasts only 4 hours without a network connection. A much more compact tablet has better battery life.

But if the iPad Pro 9.7 suddenly runs out of power, you'll have to take a long break. It will take 3 hours and 50 minutes to charge the device to 100%. But the Apple Pencil charges quickly: in 40-50 minutes from the iPad connector and even faster from an outlet via a cable. A full charge of the stylus, according to Apple, will last for 12 hours.

Choosing the best drawing tablet to suit your needs can be challenging. We have compiled a rating of the best tablets for artists, supplemented it with reviews and additional information designed to make your choice easier. Do you need to draw, sketch, write, upload and share your artwork? Or maybe you want to encourage your child to draw? Our rankings have a tablet for every artist and budget. Even the cheapest graphics tablets can dramatically improve your creative process.

Below are the most outstanding mobile devices whose purpose is drawing, including graphics tablets, tablet computers, as well as 2 in 1 laptops with a stylus. We hope you find your next art tablet among them.

Below we will discuss the best tablets in the market and their best uses:

Wacom Intous Draw

One of the major names in the digital graphics and graphics tablet industry, Wacom has a long history of delivering a great user experience with each of its tablets. The Wacom Intous Draw is an ideal option if you're looking for a quality artist tablet aimed at budding digital painters. This tablet is compatible with all operating systems and you can use it with programs like Adobe Photoshop without any difficulty. Little of, Graphics tablet Wacom Intous comes with a free artist package that includes tutorials as well as ArtRage painting software. The drawing stylus that comes with the tablet does not have a battery, making it a great choice for those looking for a low-maintenance device.

Huion H610 Pro

Another well-known name in the art tablet market, Huion have hit the nail on the head with the latest H610 Pro. With 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, the tablet is one of the best in its price range. The H610 includes a rechargeable stylus, a nice feature for those who don't want to keep spare batteries on hand. This tablet also comes bundled with 16 customizable hot cells as well as 8 hot keys, making it ideal solution for beginning artists and professionals. The tablet is compatible with operating rooms Windows systems and Mac, making it versatile enough for most users, although some argue that setting up this tablet is more difficult than most others.

Wacom Cintiq 13HD

For successful artists with big budgets, very few tablets can beat the Wacom Cintiq 13HD. Complete with full interactive big screen, this tablet combines the sensitivity of a graphics tablet with the screen of a tablet computer, making it the ideal tablet for artists of any level. The interactive display acts as an actual second monitor, allowing the user to draw directly into the program, as if the drawing were on paper. For those looking to make a long-term investment in a graphics tablet, the Wacom Cintiq 13HD is definitely worth considering.

Lenovo Yoga Book

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An innovative drawing tablet, the new Lenovo Yoga Book is a hybrid tablet and laptop, of which there are many on the market, you might think, but the innovative part of this device is touch keyboard Halo, which also acts as a graphics tablet. Lenovo developed the keyboard and digitizer in collaboration with Wacom to ensure a quality experience for artists. The attractive design as well as the versatility of this tablet cannot be underestimated. Complete with a large screen, the Lenovo tablet can easily compete with the renowned graphics tablets in the market. And in your free time from art, you can check messages on a social network or watch a TV series.

AppleiPadPro

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With the development of modern tablets, artists no longer have to choose between a graphics tablet and a laptop: they can combine them in one device. One of the first tablet computers on the market was Apple's iPad; since its release, the computer giant has been improving the concept year after year. Most latest tablet Apple's iPad Pro is designed with digital artists in mind and is great for drawing. Complete with an interactive tablet, it can have three functions at once: a laptop, a graphics tablet and a tablet computer. Hundreds of drawing apps available for download App Store, many of them are free, which makes Apple iPad Pro is a great choice for any artist interested in combining a graphics tablet and a computer.

Microsoft Surface Book

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One of the most recent Microsoft products The Surface Book is one of the most powerful modern hybrid tablets on the market. With mind-blowing processing speeds and an Ultra HD screen, this laptop tablet is great for drawing when you want to use your laptop as an art device. Surface Book runs at full capacity Windows versions 10, which means you can install programs like Adobe Photoshop on it and work without any problems.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A withS Pen

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A budget drawing tablet in response to the iPad Pro, the Samsung Galaxy A becomes a great choice for digital artists. He comes with large size screen and a reduced price when compared to its competitor from Apple, making it the best choice for users on a limited budget. This drawing tablet comes with a Wacom digitizer, which is much better than regular styluses for drawing. Like other tablets in its class, the Galaxy Tab A has access to thousands of apps from Google Play Store and, except for drawing, it can perform all the functions of any other tablet computer, be it browsing the web or watching videos.

Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 2

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For those looking for a laptop but still need a drawing tablet, the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 2 is the answer. This system comes in the form standard laptop, With touch screen and a detachable keyboard. However, what makes the tablet special is its 360-degree hinge, which allows you to use the machine as a standalone tablet. The tablet comes with a Wacom pen designed specifically for digital artists. Like any other tablet computer, the Yoga 2 can run any drawing program, and the tablet's moderate size makes it an acceptable portable laptop. Compared to some of the other drawing tablets on this list, this option remains the most affordable, and it's also a good choice for students who need a computer for studying and drawing.

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Together with latest Windows 10, Surface Pro 4 is the latest iteration of the well-known series of tablet computers. Since the release of the Surface Pro 2, Microsoft has included an interactive stylus with the Pro models. With the release of the Surface Pro 4, the stylus has undergone many changes, making it one of the best on the market. Surface Pro also functions as a laptop, but it was designed with artists and students in mind. The price tag reflects the seemingly limitless capabilities of this drawing tablet, but users who have purchased it believe that the tablet is worth the cost.

MicrosoftSurfaceStudio

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Microsoft's Surface Studio was the digital graphics world's biggest release of late 2016, and we suspect the all-in-one PC will remain the high-end choice in 2017. The only serious competitor to this system is the flagship model Wacom Cintiq 27QHD or Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16. It's an all-in-one PC, but you can think of it as a giant drawing tablet, but either way, this is a professional system designed for digital artists, architects and 3D modeling. As an artist, you might notice some shortcomings. In some programs, the pen does not register immediately for the first time. Pressure sensitivity is not as good as on the Cintiq.

More details: .

Best drawing tablet: Which one should you choose?

Wacom dominates the digital art world, with its Cintiq monitor tablets and Intuos graphics tablets familiar to all digital artists, but they're not the only pair of worthy devices in the computer graphics world. They offer the most advanced features and excellent quality assemblies, but some alternative solutions also have the right to life.

The Intuos or Intuos Pro graphics tablets are absolute mid-size favorites, and the Huion H610 Pro is also great choice, we recommend Huion to those who can customize the tablet properly.

When it comes to tablet monitors, the Wacom Cintiq is the most popular, however, check out the XP-Pen 22E and Yiynova, which offer large tablets for drawing for artists on a limited budget. Another alternative to Wacom for those who are even more limited in budget is the UGEE 1910b. Artisul is another company with attractive offerings in the 10-13 inch drawing tablet space.

Wacom's latest projects include the Cintiq Pro and Intuos Pro Paper Edition. The Cintiq Pro is similar to the 13HD, and comes in a 15-inch diagonal. It also comes with the Wacom Pen Pro 2, which boasts 8,192 pressure levels. This is the most modern model, but you need to be sure that your system will be able to offer USB-C or Thunderbolt ports. There is also a high-end MobileStudio Pro.

Among portable tablets, we love the iPad Pro 12.9 because of its size and tilt-sensitive Apple Pencil. However, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A is almost as good for drawing and is much cheaper. We think this is the best Android tablet for drawing.

Additionally, a tablet computer can be quite versatile as a computer and graphics tablet. Lenovo Yoga series tablets are equipped with Wacom pens and are powerful and reliable computers with comfortable keyboards.

The new Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 was released with a Wacom AES stylus, but it's a very thin hybrid that doesn't have the performance of the XPS 13, and while we recommend it for drawing, it's not a fast enough system for heavy graphics work.

On the other hand, new Dell Latitude The much more powerful 2 in 1 was announced in January 2017 and will hit store shelves very soon.

Who uses tablets for drawing?

Illustrators, graphic designers, photographers, animators, architects and other artists use graphics tablets with digital pens. There are specialized, art-oriented graphics tablets, as well as traditional tablets suitable for drawing. One size fits all doesn't work here. The best drawing tablet is determined by your individual requirements.

Okay, what's the best tablet for the money?

If you want to portable tablet, we would recommend the Galaxy Tab A with S-Pen 10.1. You get portability, Google Play apps, a MicroSD slot, and a Wacom stylus.

What to look for?

The best drawing tablet is the one that feels most natural. What's hidden under the screen has a lot to do with it. Good tablets have an active digitizer under the screen. The digital converter receives the pen signals. The styluses of such tablets are called active.

First, almost all nibs should be pressure sensitive. Pressure sensitivity means that when drawing, the harder you press, the thicker the line will be, just like drawing with a pencil on paper. In some programs, you can also control transparency and other functions using a pressure-sensitive stylus.

You're also looking for good pen precision. “Parallax” is the name given to the small gap you see between the pen and the line.

And you don't want to see a delay between the moment you touch the tablet with the pen and when the line appears on the screen.

Protecting against accidental operation of the touchpad is important. It allows the tablet to distinguish between the touch of your hand and the pen while drawing, so you can't accidentally ruin your drawing with your hand.

Multi-touch is the ability to use gestures such as zooming, panning, and moving using two or more fingers. Software increasingly integrates visual arts into sensory technologies. Almost all graphics tablets are familiar with multi-touch, not to mention traditional tablets. However, this feature is not a necessity. Alternative Wacom graphics Tablets often do not support this feature.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is what graphics tablet do I use when working digitally? How to choose the right tablet? Which one would I recommend? Finally, we got around to this topic. I've been drawing on company tablets all my life. Wacom. I had a variety of Wacom Intuos Pro(which needs to be connected to the computer) up to Wacom Cintiq Companion(which itself is both a computer and a tablet). I like. Before tablets Wacom there was no competition. But now it has appeared Apple iPad Pro, which looks like it can easily compete with the good old Wacom. Unfortunately, I know very little about this instrument. I don't have one. But the drawing on it is wonderful. She prepared for us a detailed review of both tablets and the arguments for her preference. iPad Pro.

"By using Apple iPad Pro I manage to create complete, print-ready, professional illustrations everywhere: on an airplane, on the beach, in bed, and in cozy cafes around the world. All this happiness became available to me after an initial investment in iPad Pro, pencil Pencil and several free applications for drawing. Thanks to these tools, I no longer feel like an isolated freelancer, spending my days alone at my desk at home. I can choose where I want to work and I don't have to constantly carry large bags of paints, paper and pencils with me.

How it all began

I realized I needed to invest in a digital drawing tool after finishing my first children's book “Make a Face” with the American publishing house Pow!Kids. The fact is that all my illustrations for this book were made using traditional materials (colored pencils and markers) on paper. Although I love working with these materials, I found it difficult to cope with the stress of commercial work. I was afraid of making mistakes that would be difficult to redo in a limited time. I also had to spend a lot of time scanning all the drawings, removing the background and cleaning up the scans in Photoshop - which is a very monotonous job. I decided to find more quick way creating illustrations that I would feel more comfortable with.

Here is a little video sharing my workflow on Adobe Draw. ✎ I do all my illustrations in Draw first, then import into Sketch to add texture. I have never been a Procreate girl 😬 I like everything about Draw: the line, the fact that it’s vector, its seamless integration with desktop version of Illustrator. And you? Adobe or Procreate? 🤔Actually, this is an excerpt from a longer video which is going on Youtube later on. #adobedraw #adobesketch #adobe #procreate #digitalillustration #speeddrawing #photoshop #illustration #digitalart #cactusdrawing #drawing #sunday #inamoodforart #apple #ipadproart #howtodraw

Published Trees for Anya Week, 4th February 2018

How to choose an electronic tablet? iPad or Wacom?

So, I decided to buy myself a tablet. How do you decide which one?

Illustrators are generally divided into two camps: supporters Wacom And iPad Pro. Both tablets have their pros and cons, and several main differences:
Buying iPad Pro, you can draw and see the picture directly on the tablet screen. A similar effect is only possible with Wacom Cintiq, which costs more than iPad Pro.

Portability

If you buy Wacom Intuos or Cintiq, you can only use it by connecting it to a computer or laptop, so portability and ease of movement are no longer out of the question. To have a truly PC-standalone tablet, you will need to purchase Wacom Mobile Studio Pro, which will also cost you much more than iPad Pro.

Buying Wacom, you're limited to the applications you use on your computer, typically Photoshop and Illustrator. On iPad Pro you can choose from a variety of dedicated drawing apps. Nowadays there are many applications suitable for animation, which is also very useful for illustrators.

Multifunctionality

You don't have to use iPad Pro for drawing only. It may be useful to you in other life situations, for example, to check email, post a picture on social networks, edit a film, etc. You can't do something like this through Wacom.

Let's compare the differences between the two types of tablets in detail.

• Ease of drawing with a stylus

Wacom tablets are renowned for providing a very lifelike and accurate drawing experience. Still, this company has been specializing in tools for artists for many years. However, to what extent is this justified and is the surface really iPad Pro very different from the surface Wacom? According to my feelings - not much. Having initially tried iPad Pro, you will notice that its surface is more slippery. But! You can buy a very cheap matte screen sticker (I use this one) that will give it a rougher, paper-like appearance. It should also be noted that Apple is developing technology very rapidly. iPad Pro, improving the properties of the pencil. Therefore, buying a new one iPad Pro you get a tool no less professional than Wacom. That's why he, in fact, iPad “PRO”.

• Software

The second argument of the supporters Wacom, this is usually what Wacom works through professional programs such as Photoshop, which provide file sizes and resolutions (more than 300 dpi) suitable for professional work. Indeed, at the very beginning of the release iPad Pro, there were few applications on the market that provided good resolution. But at the moment the situation is completely different. Firstly, a popular application Procreate allows you to choose any resolution and drawing materials. Secondly, the giant of creative programs itself Adobe released two professional drawing applications on iPad, This Adobe Photoshop Sketch And Adobe Illustrator Draw. They integrate perfectly with computer Photoshop and Illustrator through the service Creative Cloud. In them you can draw in both vectors and raster graphics.

Note! People often say that they lack full-fledged Photoshop on iPad, How on Wacom or on PC. For this there is special application Astropad, which displays the entire contents of your screen on iPad, thereby turning it into Wacom Cintiq. You can choose between a free and paid version of the service (free is enough for me). Drawing through Astopad a little slower than drawing on a Cintiq, but cheaper.

Final Thoughts

Choosing between Wacom And Apple iPad Pro, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I want to draw in full Photoshop, with all its functions? If the answer is yes, then this would be more suitable for you. Wacom. You will be able to use iPad Pro c Astropad, but it will be slower and less enjoyable than Wacom Cintiq.
• How important is it for me to be able to work anywhere? If it is very important, feel free to choose iPad Pro. If you're happily working from your home, Wacom into your hands.
• Do I like to experiment with different new mobile applications? If the answer is yes, then you will have a lot of fun trying it. various applications for iPad. If new technologies cause you fear rather than interest, then you may find it easier to master Wacom, which simply displays the usual Photoshop.

In any case, go to your nearest hardware store and try it out for yourself. iPad Pro. Listen to your own feelings.

My Favorite Drawing Apps on the iPadPro

Here I would like to list my favorites Adobe applications to create illustrations on iPad Pro. Most of these apps are free, but if you have an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, you'll be able to use additional useful features, which really make life easier for the illustrator. For example, you can easily send an entire image from an iPad with all its layers to Photoshop or Illustrator on a PC. You can also create libraries with color palettes and shapes, and use them in all your programs. For me personally, these functions turned out to be very important.

Requires special mention here Kyle Brush are the coolest electronic brushes created by American illustrator Kyle Webster. Until recently, all of Kyle's brushes could be purchased through his website, but now some of his brushes are integrated into the program for free Adobe Sketch.

• Adobe Capture – to find colors and scan shapes. Eit's a monster, not a program. With its help, you can do such unthinkable things as digitize your drawing into vectors simply by photographing it. Or create a color palette of 5 colors by pointing the screen at an object or drawing. Sometimes I just walk along some beautiful city or at an exhibition, and if I see an interesting combination of colors somewhere, then I save it with using Adobe Capture. This is very convenient for digital illustration, where you often don't know what colors to use. With this app you can make impressive patterns and recognize fonts, create your own brushes and much more. It's just an app from the future!

Modern tablet computers, which include, of course, the iPad, have long ceased to be perceived as devices for solving purely trivial tasks, like surfing the net, communicating in in social networks, watching movies, etc. The powerful hardware that comes with today's tablets allows them to turn into multifunctional tools for work and creativity. In some areas, however, the device can provide more capabilities, in others less. As part of this review, we will tell you about an area in which Apple tablets have almost managed to catch up with desktop PCs, namely drawing.

It must be said that there have always been quite a few programs that allow you to use the iPad as a graphics tablet. But when, together with the first “pill” Pro line presented a special tool for drawing on Apple iPad Pencil, their number began to grow exponentially. And although styluses for the iPad existed before, the release of a branded accessory for drawing perfectly focused attention on this tablet capability. That’s why, when compiling this review, it was quite difficult to skim off the “cream” and choose from a bunch of truly worthy programs.

In the end, we settled on five applications - Paper, Art Set, Procreate, Autodesk SketchBook and Artist's Touch. Each of these programs is top-end and very cool, but each also has its own “trick.” Well, let’s figure out how to use the iPad with these programs. powerful tool for drawing.

Let's start the review with the most “light” program from our list of favorites - the Paper application. This program is downloaded to the iPad completely free of charge and is used for drawing, mainly, various kinds of sketches. It is fantastically intuitive and easy to use - the interface is concise and very pleasant.

When you open the application, you come across several notepads that are visually very similar to the currently fashionable Moleskine. The user can work with one notebook or with several, assigning each a specific topic - for example, people, landscapes, ideas, etc. You can not only assign names to notebooks, but also change covers. Also in the application you can see the work done by various users with its help.

There are few tools and options in Paper, and why should they if we are talking about sketches, which should be simple and concise by default. Initially, only a pen is available to the user for drawing; if he wants to have other tools, they need to be purchased. The color palette here is quite wide, but not a single one would call it rich good artist the tongue won't turn. And yet, the main drawback of the program, users say, is not the meager palette (after all, you can buy a so-called “blender” and use it to mix colors), but the inability to “play” with the thickness of the tool line.

Simplicity Paper makes the application truly universal. The program will also be appreciated by artists - after all, real talents and with a small set of tools will be able to depict something masterpiece and just creative people, because no one bothers to use Paper not for drawing, but, for example, for drawing up a weekly schedule in a creative style.

There are quite a few applications similar to Paper in the App Store (for example, Bamboo Paper), but judging by the number of downloads and the huge number positive feedback, it is Paper that represents best option programs for creating sketches, creative notes, etc.

Art Set

But the Art Set application can hardly be called universal; of course, we do not rule out the fact that everyone will be interested in “playing” with it, however, perhaps only true artists will truly appreciate it. The main feature of this utility is the maximum proximity to drawing with real tools on a real canvas. Virtual instruments The programs look as natural as possible; you can choose a canvas of a certain texture and color.

Art Set has a tool for every artist - are you used to drawing with a pencil? Please! Do you prefer pastel crayons? They are here too! How about some butter? No problem! The set also includes pens, markers, rubbing pads and sponges.

The main drawback of Art Set is that the color palette is not wide enough for a true artist; it is, of course, much cooler than that of Paper, but, nevertheless, it is not rich enough. However, the advantages of a simple interface and the ability to use the iPad as a drawing tool to feel like you are creating on a real canvas completely cancel out this disadvantage.

Is it possible to find an analogue of Art Set in the App Store? Certainly! For example, ArtRage, however this application does not have such a simple and intuitive interface as Art Set, here, before drawing, you will have to tinker a little with the settings on your iPad.

Procreate

The next program that we will look at is called Procreate - perhaps it is the most popular creative program for iPad. This utility is not for sketching a quick fix and not for the aesthetic pleasure of feeling like you are drawing on paper, it is intended for serious projects. Many designers and artists use Procreate for their work. Here you can draw in layers, export the file as PNG, JPEG and even PSD . Thus, you can easily start doing some project on the road, and transfer it to your home at home. full-fledged Photoshop on your PC and continue working there.

By default, Procreate comes with 120 brushes, and each one can be customized by playing with 30 parameters—in short, there's a ton of choice. In addition, a special editor allows you to create your own optimal brush. The color palette in the app is, of course, gorgeous.

With all this vast field of possibilities, Procreate can boast intuitive interface, the control of which is partially transferred to gestures for simplicity.

If we talk about Procreate analogs, there are, of course, a lot of them. This program probably has much more competitors than those described above. However, if you prefer to work with a brush, Procreate simply irreplaceable. If you need other tools, then pay attention to Tayasui Sketches, Adobe Illustrator Draw, Brushes, etc. All of these applications are similar, and, probably, their main difference is the interface, so to choose the optimal one, you will have to download each in a free trial version and simply “use” them.

Autodesk SketchBook

This application, in general, could be put on a par with its competitors Procreate, but we decided to highlight it separately. Why? There are two reasons. Firstly, this application provides ample opportunities not only for drawing, but also for drawing. Secondly, he is especially praised for the fact that mobile version The program is almost as good as a similar desktop one. And at the same time, users note that creating in SketchBook is easy for both a professional who has been familiar with the utility for several years and an absolute beginner. The application also deserves a special plus for its tool - symmetrical drawing.

Artist's Touch

And finally, one more interesting program Artist’s Touch, which is addressed not so much to artists, but ordinary people who sometimes want to draw something worthwhile, but have absolutely no talent.

It works like this: the desired drawing is loaded into the application, and the main lines are automatically drawn - the result is something similar to a sketch made in pencil. Then the user can design the sketch as he pleases - there are a lot of tools, settings and effects, at first it’s even difficult to navigate their diversity.

Let's summarize

Well, as you can see, you can find programs on the iPad for drawing from simple sketches to complex projects. You may be a talented artist or just someone who suddenly wants to draw something but doesn't know how to do it - but whoever you are, you can find an iPad app that will help you bring your idea to life. And you won’t need a real canvas, brushes and other professional artist’s tools, which, by the way, are now very, very expensive.

Do you love to draw and constantly use a graphics tablet? Would you like to turn your favorite iPad into it? Astropad will allow you to draw in any graphics editor installed on your Mac, connecting via Wi-Fi or USB.

Astropad was developed by two former Apple engineers, Mat Ronge and Giovanni Donelli. The application works great with all the most popular models styluses and allows you to draw in all graphics editors on Mac.

To run Astropad, you need two apps, one for iPad with installed iOS 8, the second - for Mac with Mavericks or Yosemite.

Of course, I couldn’t pass up such an application and immediately tried it out. When you install the program on your Mac and iPad, you have a connection between the two devices, and you immediately see a dedicated area of ​​the Mac screen on your iPad.

In Astropad, you simply control the cursor with your iPad. So all you have to do is launch Photoshop or Pixelmator and start drawing or editing a photo. I'm not much of an artist, but, in any case, I can assure you that the application works just fine, without freezes or misunderstandings.

To speed up your work, you can quickly change tools using your mouse and immediately continue drawing on your iPad. And to change the drawing area, you need to select “move & zoom” in the lower left corner. If you find the Astropad toolbar obscuring part of the screen, you can simply click on the circle that is permanently displayed on the iPad screen.

Since I don’t have a stylus, I couldn’t try this tool in the program. But you have this opportunity, you just need to download two applications. You can use Astropad for free for 7 days, then if you like the app, buy it for $50 ($20 for students).