Sketching has become increasingly popular in this super-charged digital age, with artists, designers, and enthusiasts embracing the convenience and versatility of sketching apps. Whether you're a professional artist or simply enjoy doodling in your free time, having the right sketching app can greatly enhance your creative process. In this short guide, I will walk you through the 10 best sketching apps for both phones and personal computers, offering a range of features to suit different preferences and skill levels.
Procreate (iOS)
Procreate is a highly acclaimed sketching app designed exclusively for iOS devices. It offers a wide range of powerful tools and a user-friendly interface, making it a top choice for professional artists.
With its extensive brush library, layers, blending modes, and advanced customization options, Procreate provides unparalleled control and precision in your digital artwork.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a well-known and versatile software used by professionals across various creative fields. Its robust set of drawing tools, including brushes, textures, and blending modes, allows for detailed and realistic sketches.
Photoshop's compatibility with graphics tablets further enhances the drawing experience, making it an excellent choice for digital artists.
Autodesk SketchBook (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS)
Autodesk SketchBook offers a comprehensive sketching experience across multiple platforms. It provides an intuitive interface, customizable brushes, and a variety of helpful features such as perspective guides and layer blending modes.
The app's streamlined interface makes it suitable for both beginners and experienced artists.
Tayasui Sketches (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS)
Tayasui Sketches offers a minimalistic and user-friendly interface, perfect for artists seeking simplicity. It provides a wide range of realistic brushes, various layer options, and an infinite canvas for unrestricted creativity.
Additionally, the app offers advanced features such as pressure sensitivity and palm rejection for a more natural drawing experience.
Procreate Pocket (iOS)
Procreate Pocket is the smaller, more portable version of Procreate, designed specifically for iPhones. Despite its compact size, it retains many of the features found in the full-sized version.
Artists can enjoy an extensive brush library, layers, blending modes, and the ability to create high-resolution artworks directly on their phones.
Corel Painter (Windows, macOS)
Corel Painter is a professional-grade software that simulates traditional artistic tools with remarkable accuracy. It offers an extensive range of brushes, textures, and painting effects, allowing artists to create stunning digital artworks that closely resemble traditional paintings.
Corel Painter also provides innovative features like Dynamic Speckles and Watercolor brushes for unique and realistic effects.
Concepts (iOS, Android, Windows)
Concepts is a flexible and powerful sketching app that emphasizes precision and versatility. It combines the ease of sketching on paper with the benefits of digital tools, providing an infinite canvas, an extensive brush library, and a wide range of customizable tools and options.
The app's vector-based workflow enables smooth scalability and ensures high-quality outputs.
MediBang Paint (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS)
MediBang Paint is a feature-packed sketching app suitable for both beginners and professionals. It offers a vast selection of brushes, tones, and textures, as well as cloud storage for seamless synchronization across devices.
MediBang Paint also features a collaborative platform where artists can share their work and participate in contests and challenges.
Sketchable (Windows)
Sketchable is a popular sketching app designed exclusively for Windows devices. It provides a user-friendly interface, an extensive collection of brushes, and a range of customizable tools.
Sketchable's unique feature is its dynamic UI, adapting to different devices, whether it's a desktop computer or a tablet, for an optimized drawing experience.
ArtRage (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS)
ArtRage is renowned for its realistic simulation of traditional art mediums, such as oil paint, watercolor, and pastels. Artists can enjoy natural brushstrokes, blending effects, and a wide range of artistic tools.
ArtRage also offers a customizable interface, allowing artists to create a workspace that suits their needs and preferences.
Wrapping it Up:
With the advancement of technology, sketching apps have revolutionized the art world by providing a digital platform for creativity and self-expression. The 10 sketching apps listed above offer a diverse range of features and functionalities, catering to artists of all skill levels and preferences. Whether you're using a phone or a PC, these apps provide an immersive and powerful sketching experience, allowing you to unleash your artistic potential in the digital realm.