The best drawing apps for iPad and Apple Pencil manage to give enough complexity to make great works of art, whilst being intuitive to learn pretty quickly. Whether you are looking to create new pieces of art or edit pictures to be better than before, there's a drawing app out there for you to try out. 

It doesn't matter if you are a professional artist being paid for your work or a humble hobbyist, thinking of getting some color on the page, you should be able to get quite a lot of joy out of nothing but an iPad and an Apple Pencil.

If you have something excellent like the iPad Pro M2 (2022), one of Apple's best iPads, or you're planning to upgrade to the new iPad Air 6 or M4 iPad Pro — Apple Pencil can turn a blank page into a rough sketch in mere moments.

Due to the Apple Pencil Pro coming on May 15, as well as these new iPads, the brand-new features of the stylus could help transform how you use your preferred drawing app. For example, a new 'squeeze' feature allows you to open up a palette on your iPad, letting you switch tools and more.

With the great iPadOS 17, you can customize PDFs easily so drawing apps will give you even more utility out of the same purchase. 

Though your iPad is the best way to use many of these apps, some of them even work with iPhone 15 and iOS 17 has made them even better. 

With that in mind, here are the best drawing apps for iPad and Apple Pencil right now.

The best drawing apps for iPad and Apple Pencil—our expert picks

Best free drawing apps for iPad

Freeform

Apple's Freeform app debuted with iPadOS 16.2 in November 2022. It's there waiting to be used and it's ideal for drawing as well as brainstorming on your iPad. Working seamlessly through iCloud, you can easily access, edit, and collaborate across multiple different devices including iPhone and Mac. 

The app provides many brush styles and color options so you can sketch out ideas or basic artwork. However, if you want a more dedicated drawing app, you'll need something more in-depth and versatile such as others listed below.

Linea Sketch

If you're overwhelmed by Procreate, Linea Sketch is a more welcoming and approachable option, especially if you don't usually draw. It features a simple and intuitive interface that provides you with many powerful tools that all work great with Apple Pencil. Even little details like circles are made easier here with the app able to create perfect circles and other shapes. 

It also shows you colors that complement your selected hue perfectly, so you don't need to figure that out yourself. Additionally, it offers layers, a split screen view, and much more. Linea Sketch exports your projects as PSD, JPG, or PNG files so that they can be easily accessed from other devices, like your Mac.

Adobe Fresco: Sketch & Draw

Adobe Fresco is part of the Adobe suite of graphic apps, built specifically for the iPad and Apple Pencil. It works well for anyone who wishes to draw professionally or just for fun.

Our review of Adobe Fresco sums up why it works so well. You get a combination of user-favorite Photoshop brushes along with vector brushes and well as Live Brushes. What this means for you is plenty of functionality to express yourself. It also offers essential tools for illustrators, as well as selection and masking tools. At all times, the UI is flexible enough to work well for all purposes. While you can use Adobe Fresco for free, some premium features come with a paid Creative Cloud account.

Paper by WeTransfer

For a free and accessible option, Paper by WeTransfer is a great choice. Via Paper, you can create many journals all offering a different place to capture your sketches and notes. It's intuitive to use with six basic tools that are excellent for drawing, outlining, and writing.

If you opt for the optional Pro subscription, which is $8 for six months or $12 for a year, you'll get access to more tools like diagrams, collages, and cut-and-fill. Creativity is rife as well with the option to add multiple photos to a journal, along with cutting, sticking, or fixing without the need for complicated layers. You can also customize your sketch journals as much as you'd like, with your work synced across devices, providing you have a Pro subscription.

While you'll need a Pro subscription to get the most out of Paper, you do get the basics for free, so it's a good idea to give them a try before committing. Or if you can live with the basic feature set, then you won't need to pay a dime.

Best paid drawing apps for iPad

Procreate

For the absolute best drawing app on iPad, you need Procreate. It's one of the most powerful sketching, painting, and illustration apps around. Built for professionals, it works perfectly with Apple Pencil. 

With Procreate, you gain access to exclusive tools like its dual-texture brushes and immediately responsive smudging tools, so there's plenty of flexibility here. Even better, if you can't find the tool you need, you can simply create your own. The app also has very high-resolution canvases so you can print out your work to massive sizes. All of your work is available in PSD, native .procreate, TIFF, transparent PNG, multi-page PDF, or even web-ready JPEG file formats. 

Procreate also supports time-lapse replays, so you can share the creation process with your favorite streaming service or social media app. If Procreate feels intimidating, we have a tutorial on getting started with Procreate for some helpful advice.

Sketch Club

A lot of the premium drawing apps we've mentioned so far can be a bit pricey, but Sketch Club is a little more affordable. That's while still offering plenty of nice features for both amateurs and pros.

In Sketch Club, you'll find plenty of brush tools, along with blurring, filling, procedurals, selection, smudging, text, and vector tools. If you're worried about creating perfect shapes, there are shape tools with automatic ratio snapping so you can be guaranteed that nothing looks off. Sketch Club also offers layer support, plus all your canvases can go up to 16K with presets, along with 300 DPI prints.

Sketch Club also has an integrated community, which is great for getting motivation and inspiration. The community has daily challenges, weekly competitions, monthly group events, annual awards, and more. The tutorials are fantastic too if you're trying to improve your drawing skills and learn something new.

Astropad Standard

Astropad isn't like other drawing apps. Instead, it turns your iPad into a drawing tablet for your Mac. If you prefer to use image editors on your Mac, but like to draw on an iPad, this is the perfect way to do that. Think of it like turning your iPad into a Wacom pen display. To get Astropad to work properly, you'll need to get the free Mac companion app.

Using Astropad gives you a natural drawing experience with the results delivered straight to your Mac. It's fast and keeps up with your drawing at 60 FPS, even via a Wi-Fi connection. It can work either wirelessly or through USB, with flawless Apple Pencil support. Pressure-sensitive, you'll gain accurate drawings.

The app itself can be a little pricey, but compared to buying a Wacom tablet for your Mac, it works out as a much cheaper alternative. It's also a better alternative for when Sidecar isn't enough.

Pixelmator

Pixelmator is a good option for anyone seeking a full-featured, layer-based image editor that works just as well for photo editing as it does for sketching and painting.

It offers over 100 brushes that are designed by fellow artists. The possibilities feel endless here with the tools specifically designed for various painting techniques. Chances are high that you'll find what works for your vision. The brushes also replicate the wetness effects well, such as watercolors and crayon brushes. 

Double-texture brush technology provides you with the best detail as you paint, while the Pixel brush is fun to use. Pixelmator also supports layers, has an eyedropper color picker, and is fully optimized for Apple Pencil.

Pixelmator can save your images in PSD, JPEG, PNG, and more file formats. Your work can be shared via social platforms, or you can upload and sync it right to your iCloud to be accessed anywhere.

Best drawing apps for iPad for vector graphics

Adobe Illustrator: Vector Art

Adobe Illustrator lets you create logos, illustrations, and graphics on your iPad using Apple Pencil. It's possible to work on projects across Illustrator, Photoshop, and Fresco, with your work automatically synced to the cloud. 

Designers can create vector lines and shapes, type, make gradients, add effects, and merge and cut graphics with their Apple Pencil. The app also has over 20,000 fonts to utilize.

Affinity Designer 2

If you need to work with vector graphics, Affinity Designer 2 is one of the best ways to do that. It's effectively the desktop app converted into a great mobile experience.

Designed to take advantage of Metal, you get blazing-fast performance while you work. Panning the canvas out or zooming demonstrates the silky advantages of 120fps with the relevant iPad.

It also works flawlessly with the Apple Pencil, taking advantage of pressure, tilt, and angle sensitivity. You also get plenty of the best pen, pencil, corner, curve editing, geometry operations, and smart shape tools available at your disposal, and the Apple Pencil means phenomenal accuracy.

Other ways to upgrade your iPad

The apps listed above are perfect for all types of art, although we love them the most for drawing. 

The iPad and Apple Pencil combo isn't just about drawing though. Besides the best note-taking apps for iPad being useful for jotting down your thoughts, it's also worth seeing how the best iPhone and iPad apps for college students can solve many scenarios, even if you're not a college student.

Also, don't forget to keep your iPad safe with one of the best iPad cases and while you're working on being more productive,  consider something like one of the best keyboards for iPad Mini 6 too.

Adobe Creative Cloud added a "Content Analysis" section to its privacy and personal data permissions as part of an update. Unfortunately, this automatically opts users' content to be "analyzed by Adobe for product improvement and development purposes" unwittingly — something many users are not happy about.

If you don't want Adobe's machine learning training programs to analyze and learn from your work, you must go in personally and opt-out. First, we'll explain a bit more about what Content Analysis is and explain how to turn it off. 

What is content analysis?

Automatic opt-in for content analysis has been on Adobe for a while now, but it was first brought widely to people's attention after Twitter user @Krita_Painting posted a tweet about it in early 2023. Adobe provides an official Content Analysis FAQ on its website to explain what it means when users opt-in. Still, it's very vague, putting users' privacy rights in question. 

Additionally, when iMore reached out to an Adobe customer representative, they could not provide a satisfactory explanation for what Adobe actually does with the media taken from users and failed to explain the privacy and permissions content analysis might be affecting. 

This content analysis for "Creative Cloud and Document Cloud content includes but [is not] limited to image, audio, video, text or document files, and associated data." However, files that are stored locally on your device are not analyzed. Adobe also states that "the insights obtained through content analysis will not be used to re-create your content or lead to identifying any personal information." 

However, some content created on iPad, Mac, PC, tablet, or mobile devices could be reviewed by Adobe employees working with the software and ensuring that everything is running smoothly. This can be an uncomfortable situation for sensitive imagery or work that parties shouldn't view outside of a contractual agreement.

How to turn off content analysis for Adobe Creative Cloud

Enough with the chatter. Here are the simple steps to opting out of Adobe Creative Cloud's content analysis. 

• Go to Adobe's website and click on your profile icon in the top right corner.  

2. Click on your profile icon again in the drop down menu that appears. 

3. Select Privacy and personal data on the right side of the screen. 

4. Click on the On button under Content analysis to toggle it off. 

Better safe than sorry

Adobe seems to be intentionally making it unclear what exactly content analysis does with user content in Adobe Cloud. The fact that the software company seems so unwilling to explain it in simple words is sending up red flags to many creators. Not to mention the whole, opting everyone into it by default is a somewhat shady move. 

If you don't want your work to be taken and analyzed by Adobe anymore, then make sure to go into your account and turn it off ASAP. 

Photoshop is the industry standard for creatives, but it's not the only photo editing and drawing software out there. Plenty of other powerful options are available and most don't require a subscription. So if you're looking for a program that doesn't cost nearly as much or something that simply requires a one-time payment, there are plenty of choices to choose from. 

Adobe Photoshop

Of course, it wouldn't be right to start this page off without a quick reminder that there's a reason that Photoshop is the photo editing software of choice among designers and the creative industry. For one thing, it has a wide range of powerful tools that can do anything from graphic design projects to photo editing and even digital drawing. In addition, you can do about anything with its tools and find tutorials online anywhere, including YouTube.

Photoshop is also the standard program for several big companies, so knowing how to use it is important if you plan on getting a job in the design industry. Moreover, Photoshop can be used on almost any major creating device, including Mac, iPad, PC, and Microsoft Surface tablets, making it a very convenient program.

Affinity Photo

Of all of the Photoshop competitors out there, Affinity Photo is by far the most similar. If you're already familiar with Photoshop, you'll take to Affinity Photo quickly. Due to its wide audience, there are plenty of tutorials online to help beginners. It's also a powerful program perfect for making photo edits, designing graphics, or drawing digitally. 

In addition to Mac and PC versions, the program can be used on compatible iPad and Microsoft Surface devices. Create your work on the go or on the desktop. If you have both means of access, you can continue working on your files cross-platform between your devices. 

Adobe Fresco

You don't even need to leave the Adobe family to find a powerful alternative that doesn't cost a penny. As I stated in my Adobe Fresco review, this free software is one of the best iPad drawing apps. In addition to the iPad, it's also available on iPhone, Microsoft Surface Pro devices, and the Creative Cloud Desktop for Windows. In many ways, it feels like a simplified version of Photoshop, just with a heightened focus on drawing and painting.

You can pay a subscription to access more brushes and tools, but the base version gives you so many options that I feel a subscription isn't necessary. Perhaps the most exciting part of this software is that it can handle raster brushes, vector brushes, and live brushes from the same file. That gives you plenty of control to start and end a project from this software. 

Procreate

Procreate is a very popular graphics and design program that has won the Apple Design Award twice now. It features an intuitive interface, plenty of brushes, and several helpful tools. It also receives updates regularly, keeping it a competitive option on the market. You don't even have to spend much to get it. 

One of the things artists love about it is that you can easily tweak brushes to give a unique look to your work. The only potential downside is that it is only available for iPad. But if you already have one, grab your Apple Pencil, and you can get drawing! 

GIMP

GIMP emerged as an unparalleled free image editor a few decades ago. It doesn't have the prettiest interface, but there's no denying that it's rather powerful considering you don't have to pay to use it. Moreover, despite being an older option, it continues to receive regular updates, so you know it will continue to get better over time. 

Use it to manipulate images, create designs, and much more. If you need help learning how to use it, there are several tutorials on the GIMP website, or you can watch one of the many helpful videos on YouTube. 

Pixlr X

Unlike some of the other options on this list, Pixlr X is a web-based program. This means you don't have to download anything; you access it from a browser. As a result, it's less of a photo editing software and more of a graphics builder. For instance, there are several templates and stock photos to use to create things like restaurant advertisements, pamphlets, or animated images optimized for specific social media sites. 

Choose a template or start from scratch, and then you can customize things to your liking. This includes fonts, layer positioning, preset effects, drawing brushes, and filters. There is also a retouch tool to help remove blemishes or distracting elements from your images. 

Luminar Neo

Luminar Neo is a simple editing software that allows you to quickly improve your photos using preset filters and adjustment sliders. It's a powerful tool that both beginners and veteran photographers find useful. Anyone looking to streamline the editing process with just a few clicks will appreciate having it at their disposal.

This is the only other software on this list that offers a subscription to access it. Though, technically there are three plans available: Explore, Pro, and Lifetime. If you would rather not deal with a subscription, you can choose the last option and pay a one-time payment for unlimited access. 

Krita

Several digital painters and drawers love using Krita as their primary software. Although it's free to use, it doesn't skimp on the tools. There are plenty of brushes to choose from; you can work in layers and quickly make adjustments. Additionally, there are several tools that Photoshop users will be familiar with, including gradient, shapes, and text tools.

It also has several limitations compared to Photoshop, so don't expect to find any Content-Aware Fill abilities. But the Smart Patch tool will help remove blemishes and minor elements from your images if desired. 

Photopea

As with Pixlr X, Photopea is a web-based program that you access from your browser. It can handle PSD files, works in layers, and gives you access to a toolbar that looks similar to Photoshop's. But, of course, it also helps that it is yet another free option. With this program, you can edit photos or create just about anything you want. 

The pre-made templates don't look very professional. However, the means to create beautiful designs are there. You just need to supply the right photos and place your text in the right places to make the most use of them. 

Photo editing and drawing programs

It's impossible not to compare drawing and photo editing software to Adobe Photoshop. It's the most widely used program in the creative industry due to its powerful abilities, healing tools, and text options. However, that ongoing subscription is not appealing to everyone. Fortunately, there are plenty of other options out there. 

If you're looking for the best Photoshop alternative, you should check out Affinity Photo. It gives you both photo editing and digital painting tools, and it's yours with a one-time subscription. What's more, it's designed in such a way that anyone familiar with Photoshop will be able to learn it quickly. At the same time, newcomers can find plenty of helpful tutorials and videos to get started.

Of course, if you're looking for a digital drawing program, I cannot recommend Adobe Fresco enough. It's a free tool similar to Procreate, but unlike its competitor, it's available on several devices including iPad, iPhone, Microsoft Surface Pro devices, and Creative Cloud for Windows. 

It's no secret that Photoshop is the best photo editing software out there, but it can also be a daunting program to learn. With the right skills and features applied, your images can go from good to fabulous. 

We'll take a look at the five most important tricks you want to know in order to get the most out of your editing or digital drawing experiences on the best Mac hardware out there. 

Before we get started on the Photoshop tips, it's important to remember that your editing job will be far easier if the initial image you're working with is a good one. So take time to really set up your shots before heading to the editing process. 

1. Select things the easy way

Though basic, being able to select things efficiently is the first step for making important edits. There are several Selection Tools and mastering each will give you far more control. The Rectangular Marquee Tool selects anything within a square while the Lasso Tool just below it allows you to draw whatever shape you'd like. 

For more detailed selections, you want to use the three selection tools on the fourth slot of the toolbar just below the Lasso Tool. Quickly clicking the icon changes to this Tool while holding down the mouse allows you to swap between the three options:

Object Selection Tool: This tool simplifies the selection process by attempting to analyze and select an object in your image with just one click. Just make sure the Object Finder box is ticked near the top of the window. It isn't always perfect on the first attempt, but you can click the Add to Selection or Subtract from Selection options at the top and then use the mouse to add more to the initial selection or take parts away until it's perfect. For instance, I used Object Selection to select a cake on a plate.

Quick Selection Tool: It permits you to drag the mouse across the image and the software automatically detects the parts you go over and selects them. If you hold down the Command key while clicking and dragging, you can remove parts of the selection. 

Magic Wand Tool: With one click, this tool will attempt to select pixels of the same color that are touching. For instance, clicking on a white plate on a brown table ensures that only the touching white sections are selected. To get the most out of it, you need to adjust the Tolerance on the Options bar.  It can be anywhere from 0 to 255. The higher the number, the more pixels it selects, but you're usually serviced better if it's somewhere between 10 and 80. It's great for removing skies or backgrounds from images. 

Pro Tip: You can also select everything but your initial selection if you first select something and then go to Select > Inverse. Additionally, the hotkey Command + D will quickly deselect anything you have selected.

2. Content-Aware Fill and Spot Healing

Sometimes you take an amazing photo only to realize that there's something in the shot that detracts from its perfection. Fortunately, Photoshop can easily help you get rid of these unsightly distractions.

Spot Healing Brush: This tool is represented by a bandaid icon with a selection circle and is found on the toolbar. Long-click on the icon to bring up additional tools. You can use this brush to remove dust on objects, dog hair on clothes, zits on people's faces, or any other distracting marks simply by drawing over them. The closer the brush is to the size of the area that needs healing, the more accurate the tool will be. 

Clone Stamp Tool: This is a very useful tool that lets you select an area of your image and then paint using what's there. For instance, selecting an area of sand in an image and using it to paint over beach toys or people in the background. 

To use it: Select the Clone Stamp Tool, use hotkey Option + click where you want to pull from, now let go of the keys and use the mouse to paint over areas you don't want to see. 

Content-Aware Fill: This is one of the tools that really makes Photoshop the best photo editing software out there. You can think of this like the cavalry that gets called in when a large area needs to be fixed rather than a small spot. Photoshop's AI attempts to fill in a selected area based on what it detects in the image. For instance, getting rid of distracting objects in the background of a beach picture and replacing it with sand.

To use it: Select an area that you want to have replaced then use the hotkey, Command + F5. Make sure Content-Aware is listed in the Contents drop-down menu, then select OK. 

Photoshop will now work to replace the selected parts of the image. Sometimes it doesn't do a perfect job, so you might need to do it a few times to get it right. Then go in with the Healing Brush or the Clone Stamp Tool to clean any small bits up. 

3. Perfect color and lighting with Adjustment masks

Sometimes you take a picture and the shot comes out a bit too dark or doesn't stand out as much as you'd like it to. Thankfully, Adjustment masks allow you to tweak elements of your images without permanently altering the original layer. There are several Adjustment masks to choose from, but the ones you'll want to master first are Brightness/Contrast and Hue/Saturation.

Brightness/Contrast: Use this when dealing with a picture that came out a whole lot darker or muddled than you expected. Just note, that if an image is too dark or too bright to start with, it will be filled with noise (look pixelated) and cannot be saved. 

To do this: Go to Images > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast > Slide the bars until the image looks good. 

Once a Brightness/Contrast layer has been made, you can adjust the sliders at any time from the Layers tab while selecting the Adjustment Layer. 

Hue/Saturation: You can completely alter the colors and tones within your image just with a few clicks and drags. Changing slightly can help you correct colors that came out too muted. Alternatively, you can also make drastic adjustments for a crazy effect. 

Hue determines what base colors the pixels in the picture pull from. Saturation determines the intensity of those colors. Finally, Lightness determines how bright or dark the image is.

To do this: Go to Images > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation > Slide bars. 

Changing just one color with Hue/Saturation: If you only want to change one color in the image you can do so. For example, changing the color of a spatula but nothing else. Click the pointing finger icon while in Hue/Saturation menu, then click on a specific color on the image. Finally, adjust the Hue, Saturation, and Lightness sliders as you will for that color. 

4. Three most important Filters: Sharpen, Blur, Dehaze

Filters in Photoshop (located along the top menu bar) are more than just choosing a Sepia overlay. They allow you to minutely adjust various settings on your image to really help things stand out. The ones you'll want to acquaint yourself with the most are Sharpen, Blur, and Dehaze.

As the name implies, Sharpen increases the focus of your image making the shot look clearer. This can sometimes save a shot if it's just barely not clear enough, but don't expect it to perform miracles on really blurry shots. When used on a picture of my dog, Penny, her eyes became clearer as did each individual strand of her fur.

There are five options within the Sharpen Filter menu, so experiment to see which ones work best for any given scenario. Just don't do it too much or your image will look pixelated. 

The Blur Filter can be used to muddle certain elements of your shot, bringing better attention to the focused parts. For instance, I took an image of a Nintendo Game & Watch, but my messy kitchen in the background is distracting so I blurred it out. There are 16 options under the Blur and Blur Gallery Filters, so try them all out to get a feel for them.

To do this: First, create a Duplicate layer of the image. Next, on the bottom image, go to Select > Subject. If you need to use the selection tools to clean up the subject selection, do so now. Now go to Select > Modify > Expand > Enter 5 pixels > OK. When that's done, go to Edit > Content-Aware Fill. The main subject will get removed from the image. 

Go to the top layer that still has the subject selected. Select the Mask Layer tool at the bottom of the layers tab. With the Mask Layer selected, Filter > Other > Minimum > Enter 6 pixels > OK.

Select the bottom layer where the subject has been removed. Press Control + click on the bottom layer > Convert to Smart Object. Now go to Filter > Blur Gallery > Tilt-Shift. A blur field appears. You can increase the blur on the right slider or click in the center of the circle within the blurred field to move the blur location. Place the Blur Tilt-Shift field at the base of your subject so that it is in focus and the background is blurred out. If there are any areas around the subject that aren't clean looking then go around with an eraser and clean it up. 

Dehaze is an option located in the Camera Raw Filter. It helps you remove atmospheric haze and thus makes an image look clearer. For instance, when I took a picture of these Happy Meals, the bright sun caused the yellow from the boxes to reflect and haze up the image. Dehaze took away those reflecting yellow rays.

How to do this: Filters > Camera Raw Filter > Slide the Dehaze bar > OK.

5. Draw with realistic pencil and paint brushes

Some of us like to use Photoshop as a drawing software with the help of a drawing tablet or by using Photoshop on iPad with an Apple Pencil. In order to make the brush deliver strokes that really do look like physical media, you need to adjust the Opacity and Flow of your brushes. These adjustments are found near the top of the Photoshop window when the brush tool is selected. 

The Opacity percentage determines how transparent the brush strokes are while the Flow allows you to build upon strokes to make them darker with each pass over.  

How to do this: For a pencil-like stroke, use a basic round brush then set the Opacity to 25% and the Flow to 23%. Experiment with different percentages, brushes, and brush sizes to get the perfect feel for your work. 

Pro tip: When painting or drawing, use a light grey background. This prevents you from making images that are too bright or too dark. 

One final tip

Photoshop can be a daunting tool for beginners, but when you have a good handle on these tools and start using them together while editing an image, you'll be able to enhance your pictures to perfection. Be patient with yourself and learn from any mistakes you might make. 

My final tip is to rely on the help of others. Photoshop is used by thousands of creatives who are eager to explain the software's capabilities. If you ever get stuck and can't do something then use YouTube to search for an explainer. The information is out there and you can easily get step-by-step help in no time. 

Today, Adobe revealed some big updates coming in the Fresco 3.6 release that go a long way toward making this popular painting and drawing software even better on iPhone and iPad. Not to mention, the base version is still free, but the premium version is getting a huge price reduction that everyone should take advantage of.

Whether you've been a long-time Fresco fan or are interested in checking it out for the first time, these new features open up a wide range of creative possibilities that are easy to use.

Adobe Fresco Premium's price drop is a steal

Adobe Fresco has offered a free plan since it first launched in 2019. It gives millions of users access to a number of beginner-friendly brushes and tools. However, anyone who wants access to additional features like thousands of additional brushes, fonts, and shapes; plus more Creative Cloud storage has been able to pay $9.99 a month. Today, Adobe revealed that the price for this premium version will be dropping to only $9.99 a year. That's a significant change that can save you roughly $110 to access the service for 12 months. Honestly, at that price, you really ought to check it out.

NOTE: This new pricing offer is only available for iPad and is not available for the iPhone or Windows versions. The new iPad pricing option will roll out to different areas over time.

Other plans are also available like bundling Fresco with Photoshop on iPad for $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year. For anyone who wants to use even more creative programs on iPad, you can get the Design Mobile bundle, which gives you access to Fresco, Photoshop, Illustrator, Spark Post, and Creative Cloud assets for $14.99 a month or $149.99 a year.

New Adobe Fresco features in the 3.6 release

With the Adobe Fresco 3.6 release comes several new features that will make the creative process easier. I'll go over what all the new features are and what their inclusion means for you.

Motion options came to Adobe Fresco a little while ago, but soon it will be even smoother to make fast animations thanks to the new Motion Paths tool. This allows the user to set a path for elements to follow. For instance, making stars rotate behind a young woman or making a bird fly from one side of the image to the other.

You can even transform the motion layer by rotating it, stretching it out, squishing it, or even copying and mirroring it for quick dynamic effects. This addition will make it much easier to add animations to projects without requiring hours and hours of mundane work.

One of the most exciting new features of the 3.6 release is reference layers, which allows users to cleanly and quickly color in areas of a piece. For instance, if you had a line drawing of a character, you could mark this layer as the reference layer and then on a layer beneath it perfectly color in the lines from the image above it. That way your original line layer stays unaltered and you can make as many non-destructive changes as you want in a layer beneath it. This will make experimenting and making alternative versions of things a whole lot easier.

Though a seemingly small change, this is notable for anyone who switches brushes frequently or hasn't touched their project in a while. Similar to how the program already remembers the various colors you've used in a document, Adobe Fresco will now remember what brushes you've used and will show them in a list so you don't have to fumble around trying to find the right one again. As you can imagine, this will allow users to work more efficiently.

There are times when you realize that a piece you've been working on feels small and you'd like to add more to it. This can cause a hassle when trying to plot out the perspective points of an established piece. But soon, users can simply import an image and then push the Perspective Grid button, which makes the software analyze the image and draw perspective lines over it for your reference. That way you can extend a piece from what's already there. The program can handle all perspectives including one-point, two-point, or three-point.

Three new vector brush types have been created specifically with manga artists in mind. Unlike raster brushes, vector brushes always maintain smooth edges regardless of how much you zoom in or zoom out of the image as well as whether you expand or shrink the stroke. As such, these new brushes will also give more control to anyone who likes to create line art or draw in a comic book style.

• G-pen: Creates strokes with plenty of depth for more dynamic lines.
• Mapping pen: Perfect for making smaller details like fine-lined facial features and hair.
• Drawing pen: Ideal for making backgrounds or frame lines.

Anyone who is familiar with Photoshop or any other best iPad drawing apps has probably felt a little limited with Fresco's selection tools in the past. However, this new update brings with it the Magic Wand tool, which allows creators to select an area of their image based on color. The update also includes a tolerance slider, which changes what is selected when adjusted so users can specify exactly what they want to have in those selection lines.

The Liquify Tool is yet another important feature commonly found in drawing programs and soon it will finally come to Adobe Fresco. This tool allows you to go into a layer and push, pull, swirl, or otherwise distort pixels in an artistic way. It can also be used to enlarge or shrink a part of your image, like a character's eyes, without ruining the look of the piece.

Learning how to use Adobe Fresco

If you're new to Adobe Fresco there are plenty of helpful tools to get you acquainted with the program's features. Upon opening the app, clicking on the Learn tab brings you to a list of hands-on tutorials where you can learn things like how to use brushes, layers, masking, and even motion tools. What's more, these tutorials are interactive and allow you to make changes to them. If you'd like help understanding the user interface, you can also check out our Adobe Fresco guide.

Additionally, Kyle T. Webster, an award-winning illustrator and designer who works for Adobe, hosts a show every other Thursday at 11 a.m. ET called Let's Go Fresco on Adobe Live and YouTube. You can tune in to his videos to learn plenty of helpful tricks to improve your drawing skills.

Growing better and better all the time

I've been a major fan of Adobe Fresco ever since the drawing app first released for iPhone and iPad. It somehow offers a free version while giving creatives intuitive access to raster brushes, vector brushes, and live brushes all within one document. Anyone wanting access to more features can take advantage of the recently reduced-priced premium version.

Adobe Fresco's new features not only give users creative freedom without requiring them to jump between different programs but also lets them make professional-looking projects on the go. The team behind Fresco is dedicated to constantly improving the app so we're sure to witness the drawing program getting even better as time goes on. I highly suggest you check it out if you haven't already.

Apple's Pencil and Pencil 2 stand out from the rest of the stylus crowd for a number of reasons. They work in tandem with Apple's iPad displays to create low-latency brush strokes, they're both lengthier than your average digital pen, and they charge up without the need for any extra accessories.

And when it comes to drawing or writing with one, there are only a few basic techniques you need to know before you can start mastering your new tool. Here's what you need to do in order to learn how to draw with Apple Pencil.

Download some drawing apps for iPad

It may sound obvious, but one of the best ways to figure out how to get the most out of your Apple Pencil is to download a bunch of apps and start practicing.

Apple's built-in Notes app is a good place to start since it's already on your iPad and offers some basic handwriting and sketching support, though there are plenty of great drawing apps for iPad and Apple Pencil that you can snag from the App Store. We recommend starting out with some of the free options in order to learn the basics, then head for the in-app purchase or paid-for app once you've got the hang of things.

Get to grips with your Apple Pencil's features

While doodling around in your drawing app of choice, it's well worth getting to know exactly how to use your Apple Pencil and learning some of the features it boasts. Apple Pencil is more than just a stylus; it actually offers some built-in smarts that set it apart from third-party iPad styluses.

When you draw with Apple Pencil, your hand, arm, and fingers can rest on the screen thanks to the iPad's palm-rejection technology. While previous third-party styluses have had variations on palm rejection in certain apps, they never quite worked perfectly; the Apple Pencil, in contrast, is about as perfect at palm rejection as you can get with a digital touchscreen (though its implementation in some apps can, admittedly, vary).

Because of bad stylus experiences in the past, it's common for first-time Pencil users to awkwardly grip it and hover their hand above the screen but you don't need to. Feel free to rest your hand against the screen while you draw. It'll take a bit of getting used to, but once you do, it'll feel as natural as resting your hand on paper.

Equipped at the drawing end of the Apple Pencil is a beautifully responsive nib for all manner of sketching and writing. It's pressure-sensitive, too, so you shouldn't be afraid to press harder and softer on the screen to see how your Pencil reacts.

One of the best calibration tests with any new drawing tool — digital or not — is drawing a series of vertical and horizontal lines, to test how different pressure results in different line widths. We highly encourage everyone to do something similar — not only will it get you comfortable with the Pencil's variations, but you'll also get a better sense of how you need to hold the tool for optimal control.

We also recommend moving your grip up closer to the nib when doing detailed lettering or drawing. It gives you more precision over those fine lines. And don't be afraid to pinch-to-zoom with your free hand — most great apps support it.

It's not just the tip of the Pencil nib that works on the iPad Pro's screen: The entire cone of that nib is responsive. As a result, you can use the side of the Pencil to shade with your digital brushes — much as you might use the side of a graphite stick to color in a shadow on paper. Not only is it a cool effect, but it's a feature you might easily miss when first getting to know your new tool.

Shading also looks different in different apps and with different brushes — don't be afraid to experiment to find which brushes and apps work best for your purposes.

With the Apple Pencil 2, you can double-tap the flat edge in order to quickly switch between different tools. For most apps, including Apple's Notes app, this will default to switching to the eraser tool and back to your drawing tool, though you can customize the Apple Pencil double-tap function. Third-party apps can also assign different actions to this gesture.

In addition to being a great drawing implement, the Apple Pencil can be used to navigate your iPad in between drawing programs.

It's surprisingly enjoyable to use the Pencil to scroll lists and swipe between views — its precision tip makes tapping and selecting certain items a whiz, and if you have to switch to another app while drawing, it keeps you from having to put the Pencil down between tasks.

Learn how to draw from the masters

If you love the idea of an Apple Pencil but your drawing skills are lackluster, the oldest idiom is the best advice: practice makes perfect! Drawing constantly is the best way to get better.

If you're just starting out, we recommend looking at some of your favorite artists, studying their styles, and trying to recreate them on your choice of digital canvas. It's a fun exercise and should get you thinking about shapes and styles.

That might be too complex for you — and that's fine! If you truly want a 101 course, there are a couple of drawing websites and services out there that offer great tutorials, videos, and PDFs.

• Drawspace boasts the slogan "now everyone can draw," and if its excellent step-by-step drawing lessons are anything to go by, that statement is the absolute truth.
• Proko offers a bunch of great videos on drawing forms and anatomy shapes.
• Draw a Box offers some great active tutorials for drawing everyday objects, people, landscapes, and yes — boxes.
• Learning in Hand has a great resource for starting to draw on the iPad, as well as some all-purpose tips for setting up your workspace and drawing.
• The Postman's Knock is a website designed to teach modern calligraphy techniques with a dip pen, but their printable PDFs are also incredible tools for learning letter forms and figures.

Improve your experience with Apple Pencil accessories

Whether you've got the original Apple Pencil or the Apple Pencil 2, there are ways to get more out of your drawing experience with accessories.

The first-gen model, for example, is perfectly round which poses some ergonomic and functional challenges. With the right Apple Pencil accessories, however, you can assuage any concerns about it rolling off the table with a neat stand or equip your Apple Pencil with a dedicated grip for a more comfortable hold.

The flat edge on the second-gen Apple Pencil already works to solve these problems, and the magnetic charging means you'll usually be resting it atop your iPad anyway, though you could still consider an Apple Pencil 2 case to protect it with. That would be especially useful if you want to prevent it from being knocked off your iPad's edge while traveling.

Novice to pro

The Apple Pencil and iPad integration is a prototypical example of Apple's hardware and software working in complete unison which makes drawing and sketching on the iPad a joy.

Whether you're totally new to digital art or getting back into drawing with your iPad after some time off, the above guide should get you up to speed quickly.

Updated March 2022: Updated for Apple Pencil 2 and current iPad lineup.

When looking for the perfect new game to add to your iPhone 12, a solid multiplayer experience can be essential. While there are tons of games that support multiplayer, some do it better than others. We here at iMore have tested hundreds of these games and selected the very best. Read ahead for our favorites, and be sure to check out our best game controllers for iPhone to really take your game to the next level!

Sky: Children of the Light

The award-winning game, Sky: Children of the Light, is a heartwarming social game in which players work together to bring life back to a stagnant world. Literally every aspect of this game is designed to be played with others, and thematically, that's the point.

In Sky, you play as an angel-like child equipped with a magic cape that allows you to fly. Your cape is powered by candlelight which you gain by helping others. Using your light, you save lost spirits, restore the kingdom, and return constellations to the night sky, but every step of the way, there are other players who you can work with to solve puzzles and progress in the game. You can even take the hand of fellow players to fly even further than your own light can carry you.

This game is both beautiful and endearing, with the core principle of building a better world together, and I can't think of a better way to spend time with friends and family than that.

Among Us

Although it technically came out in 2018, the last year has seen the social deduction game Among Us soar in popularity, and for good reason: this game is a ton of fun!

Set in distant space, you are part of a crew of interstellar travelers. Each crew member has a set of tasks to complete, but not everyone is what they seem. Up to three players are, in fact, shapeshifting alien imposters bent on sabotaging the mission and killing the crew. If you can figure out who the imposters are and convince the rest of the crew, they can be ejected into space (or into an active volcano!), but if you vote off the wrong players, you'll soon find yourself outmatched.

The simplicity of this game is what makes it so fun. Each match takes less than 15 minutes, making it the perfect party game, but you can also play with random players from around the world.

UNO!

One of the most popular card games on the planet, UNO! is now available as an app, but there's a lot more to this game than the deck of cards. UNO! has a variety of play modes, including the classic, all set in real-time. You can play solo or partner up, play against the computer, your family and friends, or even players from around the world.

What really makes this app stand out is the wide variety of customization available. With a catalog of house rules, you get to decide what goes in your game. It gives them the freedom to make each game unique, switch things up frequently, and keep from ever getting bored.

Even more exciting, as UNO! celebrates its 50th anniversary, tons of fun events and updates will be released all year long.

Words with Friends 2

Source: Zynga

While there are many Scrabble-like games out there, Words with Friends is probably the best known, and now Words with Friends 2 has given the game some big updates. With multiple events running most of the time, several types of gameplay, and lots of fun boosts you can use to really up your game, Words with Friends 2 is a great way to play with family, friends, or complete strangers.

The only big complaint I have with this game is the ads. There are just so many! There is a monthly subscription that removes all the ads, but compared to many other games which charge a one-time fee to remove ads, this might seem like a lot for the average player. Still, for those who really enjoy these sorts of word games, Words with Friends has a lot to offer.

Minecraft: Pocket Edition

Minecraft: Pocket Edition brings the best-known and most successful sandbox game of all time to your iPhone. Although Pocket Edition doesn't have every feature that the desktop versions have, it does have a lot and is a great way to have fun with friends and family.

For those unfamiliar with Minecraft, the game provides massive open-world maps full of countless resources. You adventure through those maps to collect resources to build shelter from the various creatures that come out at night. Where you go from there is up to you. There are literally hundreds of add-ons you can purchase to give new resources, creatures, and skins, but there's so much in the core game that it's easy to have loads of fun without ever spending a dime.

Pokémon Go

Five years in and over a billion downloads, Pokémon Go remains one of the most popular mobile games of all time. Niantic and The Pokémon Company teamed up to combine all the fun and nostalgia of the classic Pokémon games with real-world data into a fun and addictive game that has continued to top the charts.

Playable from virtually anywhere in the world, your gameplay in Pokémon Go will change based on where you go. The locations for in-game activities are all based on real-world locations, like small shops, museums, and landmarks, inviting you to explore the world around you through a new lens. Even the time of day and weather in the real world can impact what Pokémon you encounter and how well your own Pokémon perform.

From the very start of Pokémon Go, working together with friends has always been a cornerstone, as demonstrated by the monthly Community Day events. Many of the powerful Pokémon you might want to battle and catch can only be beaten in teams, and the PVP Pokémon Go Battle League provides even more multiplayer fun.

Mario Kart Tour

Source: Nintendo

It's hard to find fault with the Mario Kart series. In addition to being really well-made racing games, they're also a lot of fun. Sure, not everyone is into the cute cartoon characters, but can you really complain too much when you have the option of racing as Yoshi?

Now you can enjoy the fun of Mario Kart from your phone with Mario Kart Tour. Join up to seven other players to race around the world, with tracks based on classic Mario Kart levels and ones inspired by real-world cities. The more you race, the more drivers, karts, and badges you earn, all while climbing the ranks on the global leaderboard. Best of all, when you link your Nintendo account to Mario Kart Tour, you can earn points to exchange for real-world prizes, as well as in-game items.

Hearthstone

From the mystical world of Warcraft comes Blizzard's award-winning battle card game that has been a huge hit since its release in 2014.

Hearthstone pits you one-on-one against other players or AI opponents of varying difficulty levels, so no matter your skillset, you can jump into the fray. You'll need to play minions, spells, and other useful cards to lower your opponent's health to zero before they beat you.

As you progress through the game, you'll get more cards, and with hundreds of cards available, there are a ton of different strategies you can employ to win matches.

Asphalt 9: Legends

Asphalt 9 is one of the best racing games on iPhone, and it's great to play with friends. It skips all pretensions of realism and provides an over-the-top, high-octane game with all the fixings.

Players can work their way through the career mode, unlock new rides, upgrade the ones they have, or take the competition online in staggered or live multiplayer. The usual race modes are there, plus an off-the-wall mode called Infected, where players have to tag other racers before succumbing to an explosive virus.

The incredibly polished graphics and outstanding soundtrack make Asphalt 9 an adrenaline trip you won't soon forget.

Genshin Impact

A gacha-based open-world RPG, Genshin Impact gives you the role of an interstellar traveler who, alongside their twin, has been trapped on the planet of Teyvat, a world full of gods and monsters. Build teams of four elementally aligned heroes to explore the world, defeat monsters, and uncover the mysteries of Teyvat's history.

Genshin Impact is also available on Android, PC, and PlayStation, and it supports cross-platform play with fantastic multiplayer options. Save for just a couple of key storyline quests and battles, every aspect of Genshin Impact is better when played with friends. In fact, much of the game is designed specifically for co-op, including extremely challenging boss fights and events.

Phase 10: World Tour

Source: Mattel163 Limited

If you've never played the hit Mattel card game Phase 10, you're missing out. Described as "Rummy with a Twist," each hand of Phase 10 has sets of cards you must collect before your opponent can, all to empty your hand first. It's a pretty basic concept with much room for variation and easily one of my favorite games to play with the family.

Phase 10: World Tour builds upon the basic rules of the traditional card game but adds new playstyles, international leaderboards, and more. You can challenge players around the globe or stick with the computer drive NPCs, both of which provide different types of challenge. This is a must-have if you enjoy traditional card games, like gin, rummy, racehorse, or UNO.

Heads Up!

This popular game is from Ellen DeGeneres, who often plays it on her show. Now, you can play it with your friends and family at home!

The concept of Heads Up! is simple: one person has the phone or tablet and places it on their forehead with the screen facing out so others can see. People will then act out what is displayed on the card, and the person holding the device will have to guess what the word is that everyone is acting out. Once the word is guessed correctly, the person tilts the device forward to pull out the next card, or they tilt it back to pass if they can't get it. The objective is to correctly guess as many as you can before the timer runs out — you have about a minute.

Heads Up! features many different categories, with even more options available as in-app purchases. Heads Up! is the perfect little game to enjoy with others anytime and anywhere.

SketchParty TV

Do you enjoy Pictionary but don't want to deal with a bunch of scraps of paper to throw away after? Then SketchParty TV is what you need, and it's a blast for everyone participating.

With SketchParty TV, everyone can play using their own iPhone or iPad, and everything shows up on your AirPlay-enabled TV (or you can use an Apple TV or Apple TV 2, or with an AV adapter or Mac/PC app like Reflector). The premise is simple: there's a word to draw, and one person draws it with their team trying to guess what it is. Whichever team has the most points wins.

The SketchParty TV app also has a new Dark Mode and drag-and-drop team set up to make things even easier.

Spaceteam

Are there two or more people in the house? Does everyone like to push buttons and shout at each other with technobabble nonsense? Then Spaceteam is the game for you.

Up to eight people can enjoy this cooperative party game, so you know it's going to be fun. Each participating player will need their own mobile devices, such as an iPhone or iPad, and everyone yells at each other until the ship explodes. There's a random control panel on their screen with each player, and it's full of buttons, switches, and dials. Everyone must follow time-sensitive instructions, but these directions are being sent to all of your teammates, so everyone needs to coordinate with each other before time runs out.

Spaceteam is a fun little game about teamwork with a lot of confusion and shouting, but all in good fun. It definitely helps pass the time, though, and it's free to try.

Fluxx

Do you enjoy creating chaos when it comes to playing card games with others around you? Then Fluxx is for you.

This fun card game is all about chaos and evolution. As you play, the rules for the game change depending on the cards in play, so it's constantly evolving and developing. It's never going to be the same game twice. So even if someone thinks that they're winning, the tides can turn at any time, thwarting someone's close chance at victory. It's competitive, chaotic, and unpredictable. It's definitely a fun game to play with others in the house since it has pass-and-play multiplayer, but you can also go online if you want to.

Psych! Outwit Your Friends

If Heads Up! isn't enough for you, there is another game from the same creative minds, and that is Psych! Outwit Your Friends.

With Psych!, the goal is to outwit your friends by giving fake answers to real trivia questions. Who can spot the outrageous real answer among everyone's fakes? You get points for picking the real answer, and for each other player that you psych into picking your fake one. There are plenty of different categories to pick from, including the brand new "And The Truth Comes Out" deck. Do you think you really know your friends and family?

Stay entertained

These are just a few of our favorite multiplayer games to play with friends and family. Did your favorite not make the list? Comment below with your hidden gem, and it just might make our list next time!

What you need to know

• Adobe Fresco is a free drawing and painting app that works with Apple Pencil.
• Adobe recently released an update for Adobe Fresco.
• Some new features include Type tools, brush customization, and drawing aids.

As we said in our Adobe Fresco review, it's surprising that such a powerful drawing and painting tool is available for free. Users get access to live brushes, vector brushes, and pixel brushes all within the same software. You can even work in layers and adjust opacity. Not to mention, it works beautifully with both the 1st Gen and 2nd Gen Apple Pencil. This many impressive features isn't always common with the best drawing apps. Things just got even better with Adobe Fresco's version 2.5 update which brings even more features to the app.

Here's everything brought with the May 2021 update:

• Ability to add text to projects using the newly added Type tool. There are even a number of fonts at your disposal.
• Users also get access to Kyle T. Webster's latest Spring 2021 brush pack.
• Ability to manage and personalize Pixel brushes on iPad, Windows, and iPhone.
• New drawing aids make it easier to add perfect shapes to your projects.
• Vector brush strokes have fewer anchor points to simplify editing.

If you already own an iPhone or iPad you really ought to give Adobe Fresco a try. It's free after all, so there's nothing to lose. The pressure sensitivity responds incredibly well to strokes from the Apple Pencil and there are several brushes and layer types you can use. Not to mention it's way easier to learn than Photoshop. We'll even help you get started with our Adobe Fresco basic tool guide.

What you need to know

• Corel has announced its new 2021 Graphics Suite.
• It's coming to both Mac and iPad.
• That includes support for Apple silicon Macs.

Corel has announced that its new CorelDRAW graphics suite for 2021 is coming to both iPad and Mac, bringing with it support for Apple silicon.

In a press release today the company stated:

CorelDRAW can be used for illustration, typography, photo editing, and more. The 2021 suite brings a slew of new updates including a new dashboard, live comments, Microsoft Teams Integration, Multipage View, Multi-asset export, and more. Specifically for Apple, there's Apple silicon support:

The Suite is available at a subscription cost of $249 a year, or you can buy a permanent license for $499.

You can read the full release here.

There are so many drawing and digital painting programs out there, which makes it hard to know which ones are actually worth your time. On top of that, many are complicated and take hours of classes to understand. Ideally, you want some intuitive software that allows you to paint and draw while looking and feeling as if you're using traditional tools.

I had the opportunity to test Adobe Fresco on an iPad Pro — a free drawing and painting app created specifically for tablets. In the 30+ hours I spent testing it, I discovered that not only is the interface incredibly easy to navigate, but the tools work beautifully and give you plenty of control when designing. Though the software is free, I will say that you will definitely want to use the Apple Pencil in order to get the most out of this app. I used it in my testing and found that it pairs beautifully with Adobe Fresco. It's available on a number of iOS and Android tablets and there are plans to bring it to even more devices.

There is a premium subscription for Adobe Fresco. However, you only need to upgrade to the paid version if you'd like access to additional brushes and tools. If you're already a fan of the Creative Cloud, this is a great companion software and if you aren't familiar with Adobe's other programs, it's a far more user-friendly starting point compared to Photoshop or Illustrator.

Easy to use with realistic effects

Adobe Fresco What I like

From the minute I placed the Apple Pencil on the screen and began sketching around in Adobe Fresco, I could tell that I was going to like this software. The tools are easy to find and utilize, making it a great fit for beginning digital artists, but they are also complex enough to satisfy professionals. Here are all the things I loved about Adobe Fresco.

I really can't stress this point enough. Whenever I use the various tools, the program responds so realistically that it looks exactly as though the designs have been created with physical art supplies instead of via tablet.

The water color brushes spread and create that familiar cloudy effect whenever I put down multiple brush strokes. The pencil tool responds to pressure and looks just as though I've been sketching in my notepad. In addition to drawing with the Apple Pencil's tip, you can even use the sides of the tip to produce a scumble effect for soft shading.

Similarly, the harder you press down with the vector brush, the thicker the strokes become, allowing you to give depth to your images like you can do with physical pen and ink. Plus, you can adjust how much water is on the brush, the opacity, and the flow, thus affecting what it looks like when you make strokes on the screen. This really helps you get the exact feel you're going for with your work.

This realism opens up a lot of possibilities, but the program also allows you to cheat since it's more forgiving than traditional mediums. If you make a bad stroke, you simply tap two fingers on the screen to undo. Plus, you can always go in with the eraser and remove any aspects you don't like from the various layers.

Whenever you hear that a drawing program is free, you usually figure that it's going to either not be that good or that it's going to hide most of its features behind a pay wall of some kind. However, Adobe Fresco's free version surprised me with how many tools it offered.

You get unlimited layers, so you don't have to worry about feeling limited in that respect. And then there is a mixture of 85 different brushes, including live, raster, and vector brushes. Although, you will find that 33 additional brushes (mostly comic and background effects) and the ability to import your own brushes are only accessible via the premium subscription.

What makes this Adobe software unique is that it allows you to use pixel brushes and vectors within the same project, making it a very toned down mix of Photoshop and Illustrator. That not only makes it a lot easier to create full works of art within one Adobe program, but it also gives you the freedom to create interesting designs that you couldn't make in raster-only or vector-only projects.

This program is pretty basic compared to Photoshop or Illustrator, but it includes the most important paint and drawing tools, such as: selection tools, the eye dropper, opacity options, a fill tool, layers, and an import button.

I was also happy to find that you can edit the toolbar. I'm left handed, which means that when I first used the app, my knuckes kept tapping on the various tools on the left side of the screen while I was drawing. As you can imagine, this was really frustrating. So, I was really happy to find that I could move the toolbar to the right side of the screen to avoid this problem. Things went much more smoothly after that.

I don't know about you, but I learn best when I get some hands on experience. Adobe understands this and has made it easy for anyone new to digital drawing to learn how to use Fresco by letting them poke around in completed works. You'll find video tutorials as well as layered files in the Learn section of the app, which you can manipulate and explore in to better understand the software.

There's also a Gallery where you and other users can upload their work for all Fresco users to see. You'll even find that people upload live videos of themselves using Adobe Fresco. By watching them, you might be able to pick up a thing or two from fellow artists.

Lacks some options

Adobe Fresco What I don't like

As you can tell by the star rating I've given this app, it isn't perfect. Here are all of the things that I didn't like about Adobe Fresco.

I was absolutely surprised to find that there isn't a text tool in Adobe Fresco. Granted, this is supposed to be more of a drawing and painting software rather than a graphic design software. However, not being able to add text is very limiting for many users. While testing, I ended up porting a finished piece into Photoshop and adding text that way, which was easy enough to do since I already had access to Photoshop, but that won't be an option for some folks.

Additionally, while the effects of the brushes looked incredibly realistic, it was a letdown when I discovered that there aren't any canvas options for changing the texture of your background. This might not be important for some users, however, I like adding more depth to my pieces by choosing what my base layer looks like. In some other drawing and painting software, being able to choose different canvases can affect what the brushes look like when they get applied and thus gives you more control over how your piece looks.

As I've said before, I absolutely love the brushes and tools that come with the free version of this software. Many beginner and professional artist will be able to do a great deal of designing in this app without feeling limited. However, if you're really serious about your digital art, you're going to want to upgrade to the premium subscription.

There are 1000 additional brushes with the premium version. Plus, instead of only providing 2 GB of Cloud Storage, the paid version gives you 100 GB. Considering how big layered images tend to get, you're going to want that additional amount of space if you plan on using this app regularly.

The thing is, you'll need to pay $10 per month for the premium version. That's the same as paying for Adobe's Photography plan, which gives you both Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as 20GB of storage. And yet, Adobe Fresco doesn't offer nearly as many tools, functions or storage as Adobe's flagship software. Granted, $10 per month is less expensive than paying for the Photoshop subscription on it's own.

Adobe Fresco Bottom Line

I only planned on spending roughly seven hours testing the free Adobe Fresco drawing app, but I found myself enjoying it so much that I ended up testing it for over 30 hours. It's a remarkable program that produces true-to-life effects for pencil, brush, and ink tools. If you're already familiar with Adobe software, you'll find this software super easy to use compared to Photoshop or Illustrator. This also makes it a great option for novice digital artists.

While I loved Adobe Fresco quite a bit, I was disappointed when I discovered that it doesn't have a text tool and there's no way to change the canvas type for your projects. The lack of these options can feel very limiting for some users. However, I was impressed when I found that a mix of 85 live, raster, and vector brushes were included with the free version. This gives you plenty of room to create the digital drawing and painting projects you envision.

If you feel you'll be using this software a lot, you can also pay $10 per month for the premium version, which gives you access to additional brushes and 100 GB of Cloud Storage.

Gallery

The makers of Astropad have done it again: Luna Display, which launched on Kickstarter earlier this week, is a small $59 hardware module (USB-C or Mini DisplayPort) that lets you instantly turn your iPad Pro into a practically lag-free (and Retina-quality) second monitor. Did I mention that it's wireless, too?

I've been testing a Luna prototype for the last week and a half with my 13-inch MacBook Pro and 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and I never want to travel without it again.

Why hardware vs software?

If you've been keeping track of the iPad-as-second-display market, there are already a handful of apps that do basically this same thing — usually connecting to your Mac via Lightning cable to create a virtual second display on your Mac.

Of the lot, Duet Display is far and away the best option, with the least lag and best image quality. But it requires being consistently tethered to your Mac, sucking battery life from your laptop, and pegged the CPU — an even bigger power suck.

On the other side of the table is Astro HQ, with Astropad: The original Astropad and Astropad Studio apps made waves by creating a Wacom Cintiq-like experience for iPad users, mirroring your main display on the iPad Pro and adding in full touch and Apple Pencil support, to boot. And it did so with the option of going completely wireless, thanks to its proprietary Liquid technology.

But even with better latency and touch controls, Astropad was limited to screen mirroring, rather than providing a secondary display. Not a deal-breaker for those who needed Astropad's tools, but it did mean purchasing a different app if you wanted to use your iPad as a secondary display.

Luna is Astro HQ's answer to this problem. "The problem with software simulated second displays is that they don't get any graphics acceleration or Metal support," co-founder and CEO Matt Ronge told me via email. "On a modern OS like MacOS, graphics acceleration is used for nearly everything, so when you don't have it, lots of things break. By using hardware, we can provide a true, 100% graphics accelerated experience so that everything works properly, no glitching or poor performance."

In quick tests against Duet Display, Luna was faster, more responsive, and rendered a better quality screen — all while wireless. (What's more, if you want even faster performance, you can always connect your iPad to a second port on your Mac.)

Luna won't offer color calibration for the iPad Pro at launch, but it's a planned feature to support Wide Color (the P3 space) down the road.

Why Luna and the iPad Pro make the perfect second monitor

I could gush about why Luna is my perfect iPad + Mac accessory, but rather than bore you all with endless platitudes, let's talk facts.

Because Luna is hardware-based, it can hook into features only hardware-connected displays have access to — like HiDPI/Retina support.

Luna's HiDPI 2x mode (left) and 1x "giant screen" mode (right)

On a 10.5-inch iPad Pro, that means the option of having 1112x834 HiDPI (2x) resolution, or using the iPad's full pixel grid to run a 2224x1668 monitor. The latter option can be a little small for people with poor eyesight, but it's an amazing alternative to have while on the road, especially if you need more space than a laptop screen can provide.

HiDPI mode looks gorgeous: When the machines are at rest, you can't tell the difference between the Mac's native screen and the iPad Pro's simulated external display. When you're moving windows or typing text, you'll get a momentary pop of pixelation as Luna redraws the screen, but it's often almost invisible in everyday use. The only time I really saw significant lag or screen degradation was when I brought my iPad Pro across the apartment to continue working in the living room — and even then, the screen would restore to pixel-perfect quality at rest.

When Astropad first launched in 2015, it blew me away in large part because of its cohesive touch and Pencil support. macOS isn't designed to be touch-sensitive, to be sure, but there's something to be said about being able to quickly select regions or pinch to zoom on a Photoshop canvas. Astropad Studio's Magic Gestures took that one step further, allowing users to build custom shortcuts based on finger input and pencil interaction.

While the Luna app doesn't have all of Astropad's many touch features built in, it still offers a fair amount of multitouch support for interacting with macOS: You can tap to select or tap and drag to resize windows; two-finger drag to scroll through windows; and two-finger pinch or spread to zoom.

And when the Luna module officially launches next May, Astropad and Astropad Studio will both get software updates to enable external display support. As such, Luna owners will instead be able to launch one of those programs and use all of their multitouch tricks, shortcuts, and tools with an external display canvas, rather than a mirrored one.

Here's the game-changer for me. Duet Display, despite its technical achievements, always felt clunky because you had to plug your iPad into your Mac to make it work. Working at a café, I often felt one step away from the folks who brought in iMacs with external keyboards and mice — when your electronics and wires are taking up more of the table than your food or beverages, you've basically created a mini-office for yourself.

In contrast, I've brought Luna out to various cafés in Montréal with my MacBook Pro and iPad with no problem. I've worked outside on the grass; I've sat on balconies and in the back seats of cars. The lack of wires really does give you a freedom to set up a workspace wherever your heart desires.

But here's the real kicker, and one I suspect will appeal to people with less mobile computers: Because Luna works over Wi-Fi, you can move away from your primary computer and still use your iPad as a second screen. I've left my desk and MacBook Pro multiple times, bringing my iPad to the kitchen, living room, or even front balcony, and continued working from there with my Pencil and an external keyboard.

To give a better example: If you work in an open office setting with an iMac, you can plug Luna into your iMac and take your iPad and a keyboard into a conference room or common area and continue working with the full power of your Mac behind you.

I won't lie: The screen redraw time and lag is noticeable the further you move your iPad from your Mac, but I was able to walk almost 100 feet — through different rooms — and still have a functional display (you can see a quick demo of that in my video above). That's not something you can do with even the best external monitor.

I really only have one minor complaint about the Luna module: I'm afraid of losing it! I hope that the company's shipping version comes with a keychain, pouch, or other option to keep terrible people like myself from losing a $60 accessory.

(Just saying, Astro HQ: I would pick up a little Luna Cat keychain where I could store my Luna module in a heartbeat.)

Bottom line

If you travel at all — or your primary computer is a MacBook Pro — Luna is an invaluable accessory for expanding your workspace, and is in many ways better than lugging around a high-quality USB-C monitor. In the week I've been testing a Luna prototype, I can't imagine ever traveling without it again.

Luna has already been fully funded on Kickstarter, and should begin shipping to backers in May 2018. You can check out more information about Luna on Astro HQ's Kickstarter page, below:

See on Kickstarter

I've been beta-testing the Iconfactory's Linea [yes, Lin-ee-ah] sketchbook app since its early days, and I'm thrilled to see it at last come to market. But I didn't think I could accurately portray how much I like Linea in text...

So I made an animated video, instead. Using Linea itself.

I hope it convinces you to give the app a whirl! Linea has supplanted Paper in my iPad's dock as my go-to sketching program — and for those who know me, that's a shocker: I haven't really sketched in anything consistently other than Paper since its 2013 release.

For those curious, I used the following to make this video:

• 9.7-inch iPad Pro
• Apple Pencil
• The Linea app
• USB-C cable to Lightning Cable
• 13-inch MacBook Pro
• QuickTime Player's Screen Recording Feature
• Final Cut Pro X

I recorded everything live as I was sketching via QuickTime, then dropped the final file into Final Cut, sped up some sections, and scored it to Silent Partner's Down For Whatever (a YouTube Audio Library classic).

Linea - Download now

In 2015, I wrote about Astropad, the iPad app that turned your tablet into an untethered Wacom Cintiq-like experience. But the emphasis there was on the "like": While I was incredibly excited by Astropad's potential, the app was limited to a few styluses for the full pressure-sensitive experience, and only in certain apps. It might be a fun tool for me to play around with, but my more serious artist friends wouldn't be throwing out their Cintiq models anytime soon.

Enter Astropad Studio: The successor to the original Astropad comes nearly two years after the original, and it is every bit as innovative and smart as its predecessor, adding must-have features for true professional graphics artists — and making me question whether I'll ever need a Wacom tablet again.

• Astropad Studio

Astropad Studio in a nutshell

A few things you should know about Astropad Studio, if you're unfamiliar with the original Astropad: It turns your iPad Pro into a second-screen experience for your Mac, giving you practically lag-free drawing, sketching, or photo retouching using the company's patented Liquid rendering engine. It works either connected via USB or via Wi-Fi alone — meaning you can sit on your living room couch and sketch directly to a Photoshop canvas on your iMac. (I did myself several times during this week's testing.) Ideally, you also needed a Bluetooth pressure-sensitive stylus like 53's Pencil or Adonit's Jot Touch to get the full sketching experience in apps like Photoshop.

Astropad Studio builds upon the promise of the original Astropad by designing the app around the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil: Not only does it continue to offer a minimal-lag second-screen experience for your iPad, but the company has added full pressure compatibility with Apple Pencil and customizable settings across the board. It's not a replacement for Astropad, mind — the developers are continuing to support it, now as "Astropad Standard" — but a pro-level variant for those who need it most.

I spent the majority of my few days with Astropad Studio untethered, drawing from my couch or bed with my iMac or MacBook Pro on the other side of the room, and found the lag barely noticeable — this app's Wi-Fi connection is almost as good as the original Astropad's tethered connection. When tethered via USB, I honestly stopped worrying about lag and just drew — it was so minimal as to no longer be distracting (and that preview line helps make everything still feel instantaneous).

The amount you can customize in Astropad Studio is staggering in comparison to the original version. It truly allows you to tweak the second screen tablet experience you prefer on the iPad, rather than having to settle for developer decisions.

In short, you can customize:

• pressure smoothing (and later in 2017, customizable pressure curve settings)
• color choices for the stroke preview line (when lag prevents the draw line from being instantaneous),
• ColorSync display calibration
• whether you want to see or hide the cursor
• each app's Workspace tools, including toolbar shortcuts for undo/redo, new layers, and more
• the look of said tools in the toolbar, and where the toolbar is located (left or right)
• two gesture based tap shortcuts
• Astropad Studio's new "Magic Gestures"

I mentioned ColorSync calibration in that list above, but it deserves a brief shout-out here: In an age where designers are worrying more about how an image looks on multiple devices and color schemes, this is an incredibly forward-looking move from Astropad's developers, and should make those working on photo and video correction very happy.

Magic Gestures and tap shortcuts — integrating the iPad experience into the Mac

Let's talk about perhaps my favorite new Astropad Studio feature: The app's new Pencil and gesture combinations, which the company calls Magic Gestures.

There are three Magic Gestures shortcuts and two tap shortcuts, all customizable. By default, the gestures consist of the Pencil in hand, along with one, two, or three fingers down on the screen. They can trigger things like auto-Eraser (default Pencil + one finger), Right Mouse Button (Pencil + two fingers), modifier keys like Command, Option, Shift, or Control (Pencil + three fingers), or a mode called Hover, which lets you move the Pencil to pinpoint a drawing location.

The two tap gestures, by default, are set up like many of the iPad's local drawing programs — two fingers to undo, three to redo — but you can change those to any keyboard shortcut available in your Mac's currently-running program if you so choose.

Those gestures, in practice, make drawing on the iPad a dream. I can minimize Astropad Studio's customizable toolbar — a win in its own right — while sketching in Photoshop, and use the Right Mouse Button gesture to quickly swap between brushes and brush sizes; I can tap to undo or redo in seconds, and flip to the eraser without ever having to open a control panel or take away from the drawing experience.

One of the Pencil's few critiques over the last year has been its lack of programmable buttons, like Wacom's styluses; with Magic Gestures, Astropad seems deadset on proving to those critics that there's a better way to do shortcuts — and, quite frankly, they've succeeded in my eyes. Gestures let me take control of my canvas without having to worry about accidentally holding down a button while drawing or getting a hand cramp from the bulkier Wacom-style pens. I only ever triggered Magic Gestures accidentally once, while resting one hand on the screen while drawing with my other. Whoops.

Drawing and beyond

While I didn't test this extensively, Astropad Studio's "customization for any app" model may also make it useful in non-drawing situations, especially if more tools are added for Pencil: I tried it with Final Cut Pro, specifically, and was able to trim, build, scrub through, and assemble a quick "movie" out of old clips in minutes — much faster than a mouse-based input.

Special note: If you have one, you can also use hardware keyboards like the Logitech Create to write text in apps — and execute shortcuts, too.

For film editors alone, the possibilities are tremendous: Think about being able to preview a scene in a screening room, connected to your work machine, and being able to pause the playback from your iPad, jump into the timeline, and move a clip from one area to the other — or swap between timelines altogether to preview an alternate version of the scene.

I've dreamed of making the iPad into a smart second screen experience for my Mac for years, but it's Astropad Studio — not Apple — that seems poised to make that a reality.

Bottom line

Astropad Studio, like many of its creative pro software brethren, has chosen to go the subscription route for this app: You can pay $7.99/month, or $64.99/year to gain access to the iOS app, along with the free companion Mac program that enables the second-screen functionality. It's the Creative Cloud route, and honestly, one that makes sense to me — many semi-pro users may not need Astropad Studio's features every month but want to test it out for a project or two, while others may use it every day. This business model allows everyone to pick the option they need for their business or hobby without having to pay $50 or $100 up front to use software they may not know will work.

For me, a hobby "prosumer" when it comes to drawing, I'm all in with Astropad Studio after just a few days. I can easily see how this fits into my daily routine, and it also gives me a reason to keep my 12-inch iPad Pro living near my living room couch — it's a great way to harness the processing power of my iMac without having to sit in front of my desk.

Artists will love Astropad Studio. Folks who want to control their Macs with the Pencil and smart touch gestures will too. Will you?

• Astropad Studio

Autodesk Graphic is just that great. It's so good, it's arguably worth buying an iPad Pro for—as long as you pick up the Apple Pencil, too.

Since 1987, Adobe has had a virtual monopoly on vector-based illustration software. When you see something drawn with clean, mathematically precise lines, chances are it was made with Adobe Illustrator. This subset of design is called vector graphics, where every curve is not made up of pixels; instead, lines are comprised of mathematical formulas between points, which can then be infinitely scaled up or down. In the 90s, when I learned Adobe Illustrator, I spent $600 on my 4.0 license. Since then, I've faithfully paid to upgrade every other year. It's an expensive program, but there haven't been any serious options because of Adobe's virtual monopoly.

Until Autodesk Graphic, that is: The core of what you can do with Adobe Illustrator is all here, except it doesn't cost $239.88 a year—it's just a $9 one-time purchase.

The Graphic Basics

What do you get for your money? All the basics you need to make professional illustrations. Layers, path select tools, line smoothing algorithms, and—with the iPad Pro and Pencil—even more precise control over lines than Illustrator.

Using Apple's Pencil with Graphic to draw is one of the most joyous experiences I've ever had in making professional art. It makes drawing fun in a way I haven't experienced since I was a child. All too often, vector graphics can turn into a technical slog of adjusting lines, tweaking fills and altering bezier curves. Apple's Pencil makes you forget all of that. You just need to sketch—and the result happens to be mathematically perfect lines. I've spent thousands of hours hunched at a desk using Illustrator. Now, I get to curl up on the couch and sketch while watching a movie. It's not just incredibly precise and faster—it's a lot more enjoyable, too. Simply put, Graphic and the iPad Pro is the way vector art should be made.

The line tools are my favorite part of Autodesk Graphic: After drawing a line, you can then tweak it to your heart's content with an intuitive graph editor. It's not adjusted as a global set of brushes, but rather, each line. It's a faster, more intuitive way to create precise line work.

Work to be done

Despite all Autodesk Graphic's excellent fundamentals, there's still a lot of work to be done for the next version.

Path-joining tools are all but nonexistent in Graphic. This is, by far, the thing that keeps Graphic from being a true competitor to Illustrator, and makes coloring and shading nigh-impossible. Fortunately, the export tools are solid—as long as you are going to a pixel format. Graphic is sadly missing SVG and AI export, so your vector work can't be transferred to a desktop application.

The ability to use a gradient as a color is fundamental in illustration. And as of this writing, Graphic's gradient tools get an D-. You can technically build gradients, but only in one direction, and with terrible aliasing around it. Illustrator's gradient mesh tools are so sophisticated they can make photorealistic vector art; Graphic can't even bend a gradient along a line (though it can thankfully fade into an alpha channel).

Outside of major tools, there are quite a few bugs and strange omissions in Graphic. As of version 3.1, strange artifact glitches appear when you resize and pan around the iPad. Amazingly, shortcut keys also do not exist for Graphic, a curious omission that really slows down input, requiring manual selection of each tool.

A bright vector future

For the price of $9, there's little to complain about. The real question is whether Apple is willing to listen to developer feedback and change App Store policies to make pro apps like Graphic profitable. If Autodesk were to invest heavily and deliver features like gradient meshes and SVG export, there's currently no way for them to get paid for that work. The iPad Pro is capable of running professional creative tools, but it's up to Apple to make delivering them profitable.

For the moment, Graphic isn't a total replacement for Illustrator. But for me, I'm willing to work around the shortcomings because it makes drawing fun again. And isn't that the whole point of art?

• $8.99 - Download now

If you're an adult that likes to sit down and relax with a good coloring book every now and again, a new app for iPhone and iPad called Pigment might be worth a look. Pigment allows you to pick from more than 200 patterns, designs and more to color, and comes chocked with different coloring tools to get the effect you want. There are also several color palettes to choose from, along with Apple Pencil and 3D Touch support. Here are the highlights:

• Pigment is the only coloring book app that simulates pencil and brush strokes for a realistic coloring experience
• 8 kinds of coloring tools — colored pencil, marker, paint brush, fill, airbrush, circle brush, linear gradient, and radial gradient
• Fully supports finger, Apple Pencil, and third-party stylus input
• 200+ professionally illustrated works to color
• Unlimited number of colors using the professionally curated palettes and the innovative shade control
• Share your work by email, SMS, Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks
• AirPrint the art that you create
• Subscribe to Premium Access for a new book of designs every week

While Pigment certainly shines on the iPhone, where it has real potential is with the combination of the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro to replicate the traditional coloring experience without the usual limitations. Pigment is free to download, with an optional premium subscription that gives you access to all of the designs in the Pigment Library, removes watermarks and lets you save high resolution versions of your works. If you'd like to check it out, be sure to hit up the App Store link below.

• Free (optional subscription) - Download Now

Via: MacStories

During my iPhone 6s testing, I came across a wonderful fact for those who like sketching with something other than their finger: Any iPhone or iPad stylus can take full advantage of 3D Touch—which means, yes, you can use Notes's pressure sensitivity (and any other drawing app's) with your favorite pen. Technologically, it makes perfect sense: The iPhone screen is sensing pressure input upon it, so it really shouldn't matter if you're pressing down with your finger or some other sort of capacitative nib.

That said, this isn't going to bring you detail work and drawing as nice as you might get with the impending iPad Pro and Pencil. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have much lower screen refresh rates, which means higher latency, and your third-party stylus won't have the pinpoint accuracy on the screen that the Pencil enjoys.

I did a quick 15 minute sketch (timelapsed above for your entertainment) with the Jot Dash on my iPhone 6s, and while the Dash definitely suffers from latency drag and accuracy at times, it was much more pleasurable to sketch with than my finger. Adding pressure to lines with a stylus nib felt as natural as it does with a finger: You don't have to worry about pressing too lightly or too hard and lines not registering. And Notes offers pinch-to-zoom while drawing, so the latency and accuracy issues aren't nearly as bad as they might otherwise be, were you attempting to draw 1:1 on the iPhone's smaller screen.

Regardless of the limitations, I'm delighted to see that styluses can take advantage of the iPhone's pressurized screen—especially on an iPhone 6s Plus. Drawing on the iPhone 6s with the Jot Dash wasn't too cramped with pinch-to-zoom, but drawing on the 6s Plus feels downright luxurious. (And to top that, I love being able to do nice sketches on the go even if I don't have my iPad with me.) It's a pretty neat little bonus for those of us who are drawing-inclined.

Earlier this year, Astropad made waves by being one of the first second-screen drawing experiences for your iPad that wasn't bogged down by lag. Not only could you interact with your Mac's screen via iPad in great resolution, but pair Astropad with a pressure-sensitive stylus, and you could draw on your Mac's screen, too. With pressure.

I loved testing it, and I was thrilled to hear that the creators of Astropad planned to offer a similar program for the iPhone. That app is out today: I've spent the last few days playing with Astropad Mini and I'm happy to report that it brings all the control and finesse of its full-sized cousin to the iPhone—and if you have an Apple Watch, it gets even better.

Astropad Mini, like Astropad, requires a small Mac helper app to get started; once you have it running, just launch Astropad Mini to connect to your Mac. You can connect via Bluetooth or USB, though I've found USB connections to be slightly more solid over my testing. (Bluetooth is still great, but suffers from a few more screen refreshes than the USB option.)

Once you've set up Astropad Mini, you'll see your Mac's screen replace your iPhone's. By default, the app shows a portion of your Mac's screen; you can tap one of the three control buttons in the upper right corner (the one that looks like a select box) to resize your screen.

The other two buttons allow you to swap between drawing with your finger (no pressure) and a pressure-sensitive stylus, and toggle the command, option, shift, and control keys.

Missing from the main screen of Astropad Mini are the app-specific controls allowing you to change your brush size, toggle the eraser and brush type, undo and redo, and zoom in and out. And smartly so: Having the commands on-screen would eat up valuable iPhone screen real estate.

Instead, the creators have offloaded these buttons to an Apple Watch helper app: If you have an Apple Watch, you can control all of these sub-options from your wrist. (This was most helpful to me in that my watch was on my dominant hand, so I could draw and tap at the same time—but I imagine it's similarly useful on the non-dominant hand, as well.)

Drawing feels smooth and effortless, just as on the full Astropad iPad app, and though using an iPad pressure-sensitive stylus on an iPhone takes some getting used to—I found it most functional when my iPhone was lying on a table, rather than trying to hold it up—it's still a pretty delightful experience.

If you're editing drawings on the go, can't justify bringing an iPad along with a MacBook on a trip, or simply don't have an iPad at your disposal—check out Astropad Mini. It's a great resource in the artist's toolbox and I'm thrilled to see it on the app store.

• Astropad Mini - $4.99 - Buy Now

Magnate Interactive has released a free version of SketchParty TV, its fun drawing game for the iPhone and iPad that uses AirPlay to let you play the game on your TV with friends. A bit like Pictionary, SketchParty TV asks you to draw your given words within a time limit while trying to out-draw the other team.

For those that have never played before, SketchParty TV sees players divide into two teams, with up to eight players per team. You're given five words that must be drawn within two minutes under the standard settings, though these limits can be changed. Games must be played over AirPlay on a TV, so you'll need a second generation or later Apple TV.

SketchParty TV Free is available now on the App Store for both iPhone and iPad.

• Free - Download Now

Not only does Napkin let you annotate single screenshots, but you can also arrange multiple Retina-quality screenshots on a single canvas and export them accordingly. That might sound like niche software, but it's essential for those of us who need to annotate screenshots for articles, books, interface review, and other jobs involving design or production. Its latest updated, version 1.5, adds a bunch of must-have annotation features including redacting images, cropping them, and new arrow and fill shape styles.

Napkin's been a favorite since I started at iMore and now it's even more useful in my day to day. Before this update, I had two complains with Napkin: it had an annoying tendency to slow down when open for too long, and it couldn't redact screenshots. Both of those nitpicks are vanquished in 1.5: Memory leaks have been plugged, scrolling is faster, and there are three different types of redaction available now.

You can also crop images within Napkin, rather than having to pre-crop them beforehand — a huge boon for tweaking iPhone screenshots — and add rectangular outlines to images to create callouts. Previously, the only way to highlight an image was to draw a flat line around it or drop one of Napkin's circular callout atop it.

There are lots of other great Napkin features hanging about, including instant pixel measurement of heights and widths with the line tool; an instant PNG save pip, which lets you save a copy of the Napkin canvas as a PNG anywhere you drag the pip; a brand-new, clean, Yosemite interface; better handling of Retina images; and lots more.

We use Napkin for all our help and how-to articles on iMore, so if you've been reading us for any length of time, you've seen it in action. I'm really excited to use Napkin's new update in my day-to-day work; you can check out more on Aged and Distilled's website or pick up the full version from the Mac App store.

• $40 - Download now.

Disclosure: Longtime tech pals Guy English and Chris Parrish make up a large part of the Aged and Distilled team; friendship aside, however, they also make great software.

I've long thought the iPad was perfect for rough storyboarding: It's not an artist's preferred medium for detail work, but it's portable, and easy to sketch on, and has plenty of storage space. Forge, built by the folks behind the Jot Touch stylus, invites you to explore a hundred different ideas and sketches in storyboard format, iterating and trashing and reinventing as you go. I've been testing Forge for months, and it's become one of my go-to tools for planning and messing around with creative ideas.

Forge is built on iterative design, and uses the iPad's multitouch gestures to make it feel as natural as can be. Tap to start a canvas, doodle with the pencil tool, swipe from the right edge of the screen to copy your initial design to a new canvas.

Pinch to view your project storyboard. Pinch again to view all your projects. Drag sketches around the storyboard to rearrange and reposition them. Throw a sketch into the top corners to move it between projects. Iterate off anything.

The process feels smooth and intuitive: It reminds me of drawing on post-its or a legal pad, ripping off pages and tacking them to a wall, and starting anew. It feels free and exciting in a way your run-of-the-mill drawing app doesn't.

Of course, Forge's organizational skills are only half the puzzle: An app like this doesn't work if its drawing tools are subpar. Thankfully, Adonit's team has built a drawing app that's anything but subpar: The pencil, ink, brush marker, marker, and airbrush tools are excellently rendered and can easily hold court with apps like Paper. I have a high standard for pencil rendering, and while Forge's pencil tool doesn't quite eclipse Paper's, it's more than acceptable. Forge also lets you adjust each tool's brush size — a feature that's long been on my Paper wishlist.

Moreover, if you want to start a drawing in another app and then bring it into Forge, or work off source material, you can import any image from your camera library. Working on an Apple Car mockup? Pull in images from all the top car competitors or concept cars you'd like to start working from and stick them to your project board. Instantly, you have a reference collage of images at your fingertips.

Like Paper, Forge isn't designed to be a do-everything sketching app. You're limited to four layers per sketch, and at present you can only export canvases as PDFs or PNGs; you can't export a full project wall at all. I don't mind the layer limitation, as idea iteration means I can save old layers for potential later use, but I'd like to see more export options — to Photoshop, perhaps, or exporting an entire wall as a giant PDF for reference.

As a longshot wishlist feature, I'd love to see some sort of third-party collaboration option for project boards: It'd be amazing to start a project, share it with a collaborator via iCloud, then iterate on each other's sketches — each from our own devices. You can sort of do this now by passing exported sketches back and forth, but you don't have access to layers, and it requires a messaging component.

Some might take umbrage with Forge limiting pressure-sensitive stylus support to its Jot Touch, but it makes plenty of business sense to me — Adonit's hardware sales support the company, allow it to release Forge for free, and advertise the Jot Touch to people who may not know about it. Regular capacitative styluses also work just fine in Forge, so you can still take advantage of the majority of the drawing options. Without a pressure-sensitive stylus enabled, Forge varies line width with speed, like many other iPad drawing apps.

If you work in a field that demands iteration — design, costuming, sketching, cartooning, filmmaking — Forge is an incredible tool and one worth playing with. It's free to download; if you want to create more than two project walls, you'll have to pay a $4 in-app purchase fee. Any iPad running iOS 8 or later can launch Forge, though I found it worked best on the iPad Air 2.

The iPad's made great progress in the sketching world, but it's still been hampered by imprecise screen mapping and styluses that can't perfectly replicate pressure. The solution from Astro HQ's Astropad is to map the iPad to a different screen entirely — that of your Mac.

Astropad does for creative pros what Duet Display did for second-screen enthusiasts: Not only does it provide a high-quality, high-framerate mirrored display on your iPad that you can draw on, but Astropad goes a step further and integrates with three of the iPad's top-selling pressure-sensitive styluses to offer you full pressure support in your Mac app of choice.

It may not be a true Wacom Cintiq experience, but it sure comes close to fooling me.

When I first heard about Astropad, I took it with a fair grain of salt: mirroring a display on the iPad is hard enough already; mirroring wirelessly a step above that; and doing so at a framerate that doesn't impede creative professionals almost impossible. After all, before Astropad, I'd tried using Duet Display to sketch, and while it sort of worked, it clearly wasn't designed for creative pros.

Astropad is — and that makes all the difference.

The tech

The companion iPad and Mac apps get such impressive results thanks to Astro engineers Matt Ronge and Giovanni Donelli's Liquid technology, which they claim renders 2x faster than AirPlay and clearer than the highest-quality JPEG. Though I was skeptical reading this on paper, in practice I was blown away. Astropad feels seamless, with no lag or artifacting occurring during the drawing process.

Astropad does this by emphasizing sketching tools over traditional mirrored or second-screen display. There are two different modes: Draw and Move & Zoom; the former allows you to interact with either the screen or your canvas, while the latter is focused entirely on panning and zooming the selection of your screen you've chosen.

When in Move & Zoom mode, the screen intentionally artifacts and drops transparency, assuming that you're readjusting your canvas rather than truly needing to do much else with the screen. (Presumably, that's what your Mac is for.) Moving windows in Draw mode, too, produces temporary artifacting and rendering — but it's done on a per window basis, so you can move parts of your screen freely without worrying about delayed frame rates covering up the screen.

Drawing, though, never has artifacting. It's done smoothly, with no lag or pixel offset, and you can use either your finger, a capacitative stylus, or one of three supported pressure-sensitive options (Wacom's Creative Stylus, Adonit's Jot Touch, and the Jaja Hex3, with support for FiftyThree's Pencil coming soon).

And that's all on a wireless connection. Make the connection wired, and the resulting experience on your iPad is better, faster, clearer. It's an incredible feat — and moreover, one that doesn't destroy either your laptop or iPad's battery.

The experience

The most important part of an app like Astropad is the drawing experience, and I'm happy to say it doesn't disappoint. I did a quick couple of sketches and colorations using Astropad — both using my finger and the Jot Touch stylus — and each time it got a bit easier to control and work with.

Astropad by default has a lovely sidebar designed to work with all major drawing apps (like, for instance, Adobe Photoshop): From there you can toggle quick adjustments like brush size; switching from the brush to eraser tool; undo and redo; zooming in and out on the canvas; as well as access to settings, keyboard modifiers, and switching between Draw and Move & Zoom mode.

You can also use two two-finger gestures to either zoom or pan your canvas, though I found those slightly harder to implement when not using a pressure-sensitive stylus. It's also worth noting that they're primarily designed for in-app canvas manipulation, not panning across your display screen.

Sketching may not be as controlled as using a Wacom tablet, but it's miles beyond any previous mirrored-screen experience, and it feels a lot more precise, to me, than working within an iPad app. That may in part be the zoom levels I'm able to get on Photoshop in contrast with a mobile app, or that I'm more comfortable with the app's tools — but I'll take it. And being able to use pressure-sensitive tools in Photoshop via an iPad? It's an embarrassment of riches.

Wired, Astropad is gorgeous; but it's the wireless aspect that truly makes me love working with it. (The video above is a quick example of wireless sketching and coloring in Photoshop using Astropad.) I was able to do two of my test sketches while sitting on the couch, no power cords needed for either my iPad nor my Mac, and it felt comfortable in a way drawing with a Cintiq never has.

Bottom line

Astropad probably won't replace a Wacom Cintiq at your studio, but it's an incredible tool for working on the go or travel, and may work perfectly if you're more dabbler than pro artist. In short: If you're a digital artist with an iPad, you need to give Astropad a try. Lucky for us, Astro HQ offers a free seven-day trial for the Mac software (the iPad app is free to download); after seven days, you'll hopefully have a better idea of whether the $50 app fits into your workflow. I know I'm incredibly excited to have it in my tool bin.

Astropad works with any iOS device running iOS 8 or later (though I had the best luck with the iPad Air 2), and all Macs running OS X 10.9 or later.

• Astropad - $50 - Buy Now

As much as I love playing games on my iPhone and iPad, I sometimes miss the big-screen experience of a console system. If you own a second-generation Apple TV or later, however, it's a simple trick to send your iOS game to your television.

It's true that bigger screens and bigger sounds can immerse you into a game the way a 4.7-inch or 10-inch screen with headphones can't quite manage — heck, it's one of the reasons I still own an Xbox. But you don't have to settle for playing your iOS games on their original screen if you'd prefer something more exciting.

To do so, you just need to use Apple's AirPlay Mirroring technology (available for the iPhone 4s or later, iPad 2 or later, first-generation iPad mini or later, or the fifth-generation iPod touch). AirPlay Mirroring lets you send the audio and video of whatever's on your iOS device's screen directly to your television — no wires needed.

How to use AirPlay Mirroring to play iOS games on your television

1. Make sure your iOS device and Apple TV are on the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Turn your Apple TV on.
3. Open Control Center on your iOS device by swiping from the bottom of the screen, then tapping the AirPlay button and selecting the Apple TV.
4. Turn on the Mirroring switch.
5. Open the game of your choice.

Voilà! You can now play your game on the big screen, using your iOS device as a controller. Some games — group fun like SketchParty TV, for instance — even build in different views for the TV and for your controller, to make it easier to play.

AutoDesk has released a new SketchBook app for iPhone and iPad/Android, AutoDesk SketchBook Mobile. SketchBook use the entire screen of your device as a canvas and features many customization options for brushes and colors.

SketchBook wants to provide a powerful creation experience. you can customize your own brushes, adjusting everything from radius, rotation, and opacity. There are also ten preset brushes that include pens, pencils, and markers. You can zoom into your creation up to 2,500%. With a $3.99 purchase of the Pro Tools, you'll get a collection of over 100 presets, full layer controls, advanced selection tools, and more.

SketchBook Mobile is available for iPhone and iPad/Android on the App Store/Google Play Store right now.

• Free - Download Now

AutoDesk has released SketchBook Pro 7, the latest version of their desktop drawing software for Mac. Additionally, AutoDesk is following the lead of Adobe and others in creating a subscription model for SketchBook. The app is free to download, but you'll need a paid membership to unlock more features.

There are multip tiers of membership. Starter members can create basic drawings using the app's core tools for free without creating an account. When you create a free account, you upgrade to the Essentials membership, which includes layer management, full color palette, basic brush customization, and more. Purchasing a Pro membership for $2.99 per month or $24.99 per year gives you access to all of SketchBook Pro's tools, including perspective guides, Flipbook, Distort Transform, better layer editing, and much more. You can also buy a non-subscription license for $65.

Mac users can pay using their iTunes account. Additionally, downloading SketchBook Pro through the Mac App Store will allow you to save your SketchBook canvases to iCloud, letting you access them through the SketchBook apps for iPhone and iPad.

You can download AutoDesk SketchBook Pro from the SketchBook site, as well as the Mac App Store, for free. What do you think of AutoDesk's new subscription model for SketchBook? Let us know below in the comments.

• Free - Download Now

Source: SketchBook, SketchBook blog

Escalation. Costner brings a knife, Connery brings a gun. Wayne dresses in a bat suit, a smiling psycho gets green hair and a purple suit. And I write an article about my iPad Home screen, so Peter goes and posts about his Mac dock. Well, two can play the escalation game. So, here's what's on my Retina MacBook Pro dock right now!

• Wallpaper: I'm Captain Default, live with it.
• Mac App Store: It's where I get and re-download most of my Mac apps.
• iTunes: I use iCloud for sync so the only reason I keep iTunes around — aside from the occasional DFU restore — is to convert our podcast files to MP3 and add metadata before I upload. There are other tools that can do both, but iTunes is easy.
• iBooks: I don't really read on my Mac but I like having all of Apple's stores all lumped together.
• Mail: I have both my personal iCloud and work Gmail going into Apple's default mail client. I like unified inboxes.
• Safari: I use Safari for 80% of my web browsing. I do keep Chrome installed for occasional Flash files and Google services, but I vastly prefer the look and experience of Safari, and the ties to iOS Safari as well.
• System Preferences: I could probably remove System Preferences from my Dock but I sort of like the comfort of it being there, omnipresent.
• iPhoto: Thanks to Photo Stream all the screenshots and photos I take from my iPhone and iPad show up in iPhoto for easy dragging to Photoshop, almost instantaneously. - Free with new Macs - Download now
• Aperture: I mostly use Aperture to do a few quick adjustments before right-clicking and "editing in Photoshop". That's why I use it over Lightroom. The lack of updates and features have minimal impact and I don't need the workflow Lightroom provides. - $79,99 - Download now
• Photoshop: I've been using it for decades. It's muscle memory at this point. Almost all imaging I do is done in Photoshop. (And I kinda like the new Creative Cloud subscription model...) - $(variable) - Download now
• Napkin: How we do all the how-to diagrams we do on iMore. There's nothing faster or easier. Most of the staff here use it now. - $39.99 - Download now
• Tweetbot: There are several great Twitter apps for Mac but Tweetbot fits the way my brain works. - $19.99 - Download now
• iMessage: Most of my friends and family have Macs and use iPhones and iPads so we all stay connected via iMessage. Yeah, there are rare glitches, but 95% of the time it works fast and flawlessly, and it has apps on mobile and desktop.
• Skype: The Mobile Nations office phone. When I'm working, I'm on Skype. And angry about it!. - Free - Download now
• TextExpander: Most of what I write online is in Markdown and TextExpander makes entering frequent passages, links, data, and boiler plate so fast, so easy, that I don't know how anyone can work without it. - $34.95 - Download now
• Feeder: I produce 5 or so podcasts a week here at iMore and every one of their RSS feeds is burned using Feeder. - $39.99 - Download now
• BBEdit: If it's plain text, chances are I wrote it in BBEdit. For what I do, it's like bringing a nuke to a fist fight, but I like the idea that I'll likely never out grow what I'm typing it. - $49.99 - Download now
• Coda 2: I don't manually edit web sites as often as I used to — we have far smarter people for that on our tech team! — but whenever I have to tweak a header or CSS file or do anything else on any server, I do it with Panic's Coda 2. - $74.99 - Download now

There are a couple other apps I use all the time but aren't in my menu bar, like Final Cut Pro and Garage Band, because I'd forget to quit them when I was done if I got overly used to seeing them there, and they hit the resources hard enough I don't want to forget to quit them. There's also a bunch of stuff, Like Dropbox, 1Password, and Fantastical, that I use all the time but that sit in the menu bar rather than the Dock. Let me know if you're curious about them and I'll do a follow up about what's in my menu bar. Also, fair's fair — now that I've shown you mine, tell me yours! What's in your Mac Dock right now?

ChemDraw for iPad allows you to not only create molecular structures directly on your iPad, but share them just as easily via email or ChemDraw's own Flick-to-Share™ technology that allows you to send structures to anyone else using the app. From chemistry student to chemist, ChemDraw is a great learning app and productivity tool wrapped into one.

The main menu for ChemDraw gives you access to the tools you'll need to create molecular structures. As you drill down further into the menus, you'll have more options. Options to create collinear bonds, isolated bonds, and more are all there. ChemDraw will also check for errors as you go. For example, if a valence error occurs, you'll see a notification at the bottom telling you so.

Once you're done drawing a molecular structure you can tap the info button in the top to view information such as the exact formula, exact mass, and molecular mass. You'll also get a brief elemental analysis all in one view. You can choose to share your structure via email or with ChemDraw's Flick-to-Share option. The latter allows you to see anyone else who is currently using the app in somewhat of a desktop table view. When opening Flick-to-Share you'll be able to simply "flick" your structure to someone else and they'll receive it on there end. Since it doesn't depend on iCloud or any other third party account, it's a nice way to share items with colleagues or other students without the need for additional setup.

There is also a nice period table view that will show you the chemical compounds of each element. In order to add an item or bond from any menu, simply tap on it and then tap on the screen where you'd like to insert it. ChemDraw supports many different kinds of molecular structures by default such as linear, tetrahedral, and more. For bonding, the usual suspects are also found in their own menu including normal, wedge, hatched, and dashed bonds.

The good

• Unique interface that allows you to quickly and easily insert bonds and structures
• Flick-to-Share makes it easy to share what you create with other ChemDraw users with a simple tap and flick
• ChemDraw has been around for many years, so it's a trust source in Chemistry

The bad

• More ways of sharing would be ideal
• The ability to annotate would be a great additional option that's currently missing
• Fine tune placement can be difficult and would be a great addition
• No functional grouping options

The bottom line

ChemDraw is off to a very nice start and has the technology and knowledge behind it. It's currently a great tool for students and those new to chemistry. For more experienced users, a few missing features such as annotations could become an annoyance but more than likely, they'll still find ChemDraw to be a very convenient and fun to use way to share and create molecular structures on the go.

Admittedly, I'm not a chemistry wizard by any means so if any of you are and have used ChemDraw before, let us know what you think of it in the comments!

• $9.99 - Download Now

Napkin is a brand new take on image annotation crafted for the Mac by Aged & Distilled. Combining intuitive gestures, fluid shape creation, just-type text entry, and a lot of really disciplined, really smart interface choices, it manages to bring the immediacy of iOS to OS X, producing results that are as fast as they are beautiful.

It began with Guy English -- maybe you've heard of him -- who'd worked in gaming, renowned Mac apps, and one of the most successful franchises in iOS history. That was the industry's Gom Jabbar. This was his -- he was going to make an iPhone app on the Mac. It was before the iPad launched, and the challenge of iOS-style speed with OS X-afforded scope was compelling. So was his desire for an app that would let him easily, elegantly share images, and collaborate with clients and co-workers regardless of the distances involved. It was an idea he wanted to put on screen. It was code he wanted to write.

Chris Parrish had built software for Adobe and won Apple design awards, and he was looking to do something different as well. They created Aged & Distilled -- don't ask them which is which -- and brought in designer Thomas Unterberger to paint it up. Together they re-imagined and re-focused English's original idea, transforming it into something that looks like it could have been part of an iWork suite, and works like it's only one step removed from the iPad. Transforming it into a product. Napkin.

• For more on the creation of Napkin, the challenges they faced and choices they made, check out Iterate 38: Aged & Distilled and Napkin with Guy English, Chris Parish, and Thomas Unterberger.

Napkin doesn't do everything a full on PDF suite does. It takes a deliberately less-is-more approach. It's reductionist by design. The only possible exception is the menu bar. While Apple has increasingly taken color out of their Mac interfaces, Napkin still uses it, and uses it well. It never competes with the content on the canvas, but is always there to better snap the eye to the controls. That was purposeful, according to Unterberger, as was the bright orange, diner-inspired icon. It makes Napkin instantly recognizable on docks increasingly swathed in shades of blue.

You start off with a clean canvas. It defaults to a subtle napkin texture, but you can also choose white or transparent. To begin working, add or drag in one or more images. To redact an image, double click on it and blackout all your secrets.

To create a call-out, draw anything even remotely approximating a circle or oval. To pick the focus of the callout, drag the cross-hairs to their intended target on the image. To change the scale, double tap in the center and adjust the slider. Once set, drag the callout anywhere you want, and never worry about it changing until you change it.

To create a shape, hold down command and draw a rectangle/square or oval/circle. If you draw the wrong kind of shape, there's no need to undo, delete, or start over. Just drag the handles and a round becomes a round-rect becomes a rectangle. (Don't ask me how, English said something about them all being the same form in code -- it sounded both truthy and Zen.) The handles even intelligently place themselves along the longest edge, to aid in usability.

To create an arrow, draw a line and then adjust the base and point icon to just exactly where you want it. It'll even "lock" on objects it touches and move with them going forward.

To create text, just start typing. Once the text you want is there, put it where you want it and style it just the way you like.

To select items, hold down shift and drag across them.

To "save" a Napkin, just grab the document icon and drag it to the Desktop, to the Finder, or straight into imaging apps like Photoshop if you like.

To share a Napkin, click on the OS X 10.8 share button and chose iCloud, Export, Email, Message, AirDrop, Twitter, Facebook or Flickr. (Through some form of Elektra-level ninjary, Napkin will even suss out the direct iCloud link and provide it to you to share however you like.)

Once you get get used to it -- something helped enormously by an introduction video and initial text tips -- you can mark up everything from interface concepts to internet memes with almost no overhead. Napkin just figures out what you're most likely trying to do and just does it for you, letting you fine tune or change the results afterwards, if you need or want to. It stays entirely out of your way unless or until you decide otherwise. That's what makes Napkin so speed-force fast.

I'd love to see a few more features in the future, but only a carefully selected few. Things that add to the speed and ease of use, but never get in its way. iWork-style object snapping and dynamic alignment guides, for example.

And yeah, it's begging for an iPad version.

For now, though, English, Parrish, and Unterberger are locked on getting 1.0 shipped for the Mac. They're already using it for their own work, both on Napkin and for their contract jobs, so that they can quickly show, rather than laboriously tell, their thoughts, critiques, iterations, and ideas on the products they're making.

I've been using Napkin for a while in a similar fashion, and I've gotten fast enough with it, and impressed enough with its results, that you'll be seeing it on iMore in our help and how-to pieces going forward. I can't give any better recommendation than that.

Napkin lets you direct attention just exactly where you want it, express an opinion quickly and clearly, share it easily, and do it all in style.

Check it out.

• $39.95 - Download now

Note: Guy English is a friend and my co-host on the Debug podcast. For that reason, I was planning to have someone else write this piece. However, the timing on that didn't work out, and it got kicked back to me. To mitigate any conflicts, however, I'll add links below to other reviews, so you can get more opinions and context.

• Macworld Napkin review
• TidBITS Napkin review

If you own a printer, Foldify will make it fun again. If you don't own a printer, Foldify will make you seriously consider rushing out to get one. The reason for that is Foldify's ability to project itself from the iPad, where the app runs, to the real world, where the app's results live. The idea is remarkable simply -- draw one pre-defined templates, then print them out, fold them up, and enjoy real, touchable, arrangeable models of what you made. The execution is even more remarkable, because the developers managed to keep the app as simple as the idea, and that's no easy feat.

Launch Foldify and you'll see some examples of what can be done with it: Superfolderman, yellow car, tree, forlorn mushroom, bleeding box, house, red bus. Tap the + button and you get the blank versions of all those forms: box on a stand, cube, tall box, mailbox, pyramid, pyramid on a stand, car, D&D die, bus, and house. Tap the shape you want, and you're on your way to art.

The work view is where Foldify is really clever. You see a spin-able 3D render of the model on the left, and the open paper form on the right. As you work on the paper form, the 3D model updates in real time. It takes a moment to figure out which plane on the paper form corresponds to which plane on the model, but once you do figure it out, it provides excellent spatial placement for what you're drawing.

Tools are bread-and-butter. Thin pencil, thick paintbrush, stamps (eyes, noses, mouths, mustaches, hands, arms, eyeglasses, car parts, house parts, fruit, leaves, and patterns -- and more you can buy via in-app-purchase), eraser, color picker, under, redo, and restart (from blank). You apply the tools with one finger, move and rotate the canvas with two fingers. It's no more or less intuitive than any other, similar art app on iOS, though there are some collisions at times when the same two fingers are required to rotate stamps.

Once you're happy with your creation, you can exit the work view, which saves it, you can print it and get to folding, or you can share it to the Camera Roll, Twitter, Facebook, over email, or with the Foldify universe.

If you share it with the Foldify community, you'll be able to see it -- and like it -- in the online gallery, alongside everyone else's shared creations.

As mentioned previously, you can get additional extras via in-app purchase. Currently there's a Christmas Time pack with 26 elements available for "free" (as in you get it if you share the app via Facebook or Twitter, a coupling of which I'm not overly fond). There's also accessories, clothes, horror, and stickers. Each pack is $0.99. I bought them all, and I hope -- and believe there will be -- more over time. (Not everyone is artistic, so letting people use the app, coloring-book and Mr. Potato Head style, regardless of artistic talent, is really smart and greatly increases accessibility.)

Overall, Foldify is a brilliant idea turned into a brilliant app, and the developers seem intent on improving it at a rapid pace. Whether you simply want to make your own, hand-crafted set of Avengers, Justice Leaguers, Star Trek bridge crews, or Star Wars characters to set on a shelf, or you want to enjoy an incredibly fun activity with your children, Foldify is the way to do it.

Grab it now on the App Store and save 50% during their launch-time sale.

• $2.99 - Download now

Squiggles! for iPad is an adorable children's game that instructs the child user to draw squiggles on pictures so that they can come to life. For example, after drawing squiggles behind a few cars and tapping "GO", the squiggles will act as springs that push the cars across the screen -- with sound effects and all.

Squiggles! includes an intro video of a little monkey and bunny explaining what a squiggle is, how they can be large, small, colorful and be used to make spaghetti, clouds, cotton candy, or anything to make pictures come alive.

There are six different pictures included with Squiggles! In the one shown above, you are supposed to draw cotton candy for the kids. (In the screenshot, the cotton candy has already been drawn in). You can do it very simple with just some little squiggles on the sticks, or you can get more detailed and add even more to the scene. There's no limit on the creativity. Tapping go on this picture will make the kids float up in the air with their cotton candy.

The Squiggles! includes 4 different drawing mediums and 10 colors. You can also delete all your squiggles at once with just the tap of a button and save your drawings to your Squiggles! gallery. In addition to drawing, Squiggles! also allows user to add cute stickers to their pictures.

The Parental Zone is where you'll find the Squiggles Gallery, options, and ability to share pictures to Facebook, Twitter, email, or pinter.

As if the really fun pictures that come to life wasn't enough, Squiggle's also includes a book featuring Bobu and Miku from the intro video. It's interactive and incorporates squiggles into the story. You can choose to have the book read to you or to read it yourself. If you choose to have it read to you, you still have to turn the page. This is great for kids who want to interact with the story before turning the page, but I wish there was a way to have the pages automatically turn for the younger kids or to share with Apple TV.

The Good

• Pictures come to life with squiggles
• Six different pictures
• Bold, bright, and colorful
• Parental Zone lets you share pictures with Twitter, Facebook, and more
• Intro video is very cute
• Includes a fun book

The Bad

• "Read to Me" book feature doesn't have an option for automatically turning pages

The bottom line

I'm just going to come right and say that Squiggles! shouldn't be free. I'd easily drop $5 on it for my daughter. It's very fun and exciting for kids to see their drawing come to life. Combined with the video and book, Squiggles! is a must-have iPad app for children.

Free - Download Now

Paper by 53 for iPad is exactly what the name implies, a fresh canvas ready and waiting for your ideas, inspiration, and art. While hand drawing and handwriting note-taking apps are nothing new to the iPad or App Store, Paper feels qualitatively different in kind. It has a focus, a flow, a humanity, and a technology about it that somehow come together to create one of the most natural creative experience I've had on the iPad to date.

When you launch Paper you're greeted with a series of beautifully rendered books. (They look so good they almost overcome the shadows behind them not falling at a precise 90 degree angle. Almost.) There are three pre-populated for you: Sketches, Ideas, and Making Paper. Sketches and Ideas are empty and waiting for you to fill them with wonders of your own devising. Making Paper is pre-filled with samples of what those creations can involve: pretty much anything you could whiteboard, scribble, or sketch.

Tap or pinch open a book and it unfolds in front of you into a browsing and sharing mode. You can quickly leaf through the pages, add or delete pages, or share pages via Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, or Email. There's no save to Camera Roll, unfortunately, but you can take screenshots of the pages to work around that.

To start creating, tap it or pinch on an open book and the page fills the screen and becomes editable. That's it. There's no user interface unless you call it up or leave the page. It's just you and the glowing electronic paper.

To leave a page, pinch it closed. To move between pages, swipe from one side to other in the direction you wish to go. (This has been problematic for me, often resulting in unintentional lines being drawn instead of pages being flipped.) To bring up the tools, swipe up from the bottom up. To close the tools, touch them and swipe back down.

Paper comes with two free tools: Draw (an ink fountain pen) and Erase. Additional tools are available for $1.99 each via in-app purchase and include Sketch (a pencil), Outline (a marker), Write (a pen), and Color (a water-esque brush).

Each tool does pretty much what you'd expect them to do. Which is a remarkable achievement. Almost immediately I was able to break down motion lines and poses and build up structures and forms with the sketch pencil tool, and it felt right in a way no other iPad app has ever felt. Likewise inking with the draw fountain pen tool was great. Pages even simulates stroke width. The accuracy was terrific, better than any other app I've used. The line just went where I expected it to go and looked the way I expected it to look.

Color was a different story. It might simply be my lack of skill with water colors, though I've used them quite a bit in the distant past. I immediately missed controls I've come to depend on in Photoshop -- brush size, opacity, and custom colors. I immediately lost the incredible connection the other tools had given me. Without real world palettes and water to mix and thin and perfect my media before applying it to the page, and no digital controls, it just didn't click. Still, it seems like something that can be figured out.

Also requiring some figuring out is the undo/redo metaphor. You touch two fingers and trace a counter-clockwise circle to "rewind" actions and a clockwise circle to "replay" (though still labeled as "rewind") them. It... takes some getting used to. While the idea is like a dial, there's no real delineation between the steps you're undoing or redoing, and the control doesn't feel particularly fine grained. So, I was constantly undoing or redoing not enough or too much. A jog shuttle isn't truly useful unless it has those little notches to give you precise feedback for each frame or step.

There are some other challenges to be overcome as well. You can't, for example, draw an upward line from the bottom of the screen because that brings up the tool selector (you have to use downward lines). You can't quickly fill in large areas of color with the marker because the tip is unchangeably small. But for every gripe there are a hundred smiles to be had simply because Paper truly nails the look and feel of sketching and inking.

Neither Paper nor the iPad will ever be able to match the texture of a real sketchbook, the smell of graphite or ink or whatever the chemicals are that make erasers smell the way they do. It can't get paint or marker on your hands (or nose), or drip water down your canvas or onto your foot. It's not real. But it's really, really good, and the advantages Paper and the iPad have over traditional media make them a better choice for many tasks.

Note: Paper by 53 looks absolutely stunning on the new iPad Retina display but it works on all generations of iPad.

Paper for the iPad from FiftyThree on Vimeo.

The good

• Excellent free-hand creative tool
• Terrific natural media pens, pencils, brushes, and markers
• Elegant, out-of-your-way, user interface

The bad

• No control over tools, colors
• Undo mechanic can be unwieldy

Conclusion

There are better, more specific drawing and painting apps in the App Store, there are better, more optimized note-taking apps. There are apps that let you annotate PDFs or mind-map ideas in ways Paper simply doesn't. Yet, through thoughtful interface and natural feeling tools, Paper achieves something great.

It was late at night when I downloaded Paper and I had so much fun I ended up staying up far longer than I should have. I used it mainly with my finger. A stylus, however, is even better. I've drawn with pencil and pen and paint since I was a child, so the stylus just seems to fit. It gets your hand out of the way and allows a greater range of stroke and better control of angle. If the next-generation Bluetooth 4.0 styli deliver on the promises of pressure sensitivity, wrist rejection, etc. we could really, finally have a really, really good sketching experience on the iPad.

If you're looking to turn your iPad into a blank slate that you can easily, beautifully fill with anything from a sketch to a flow-chart, a list to an diagram, get Paper and get creating.

Free with in-app purchases - Download now

(Already picked up Paper for iPad? Jump into the iPad app forum and show us your creations!

More: The Verge has an interesting interview up with Paper by 53's developer, Georg Petschnigg.

Draw Something has been a whirlwind success over the last month, culminating in the purchase of its developer, OMGPOP, by Zynga earlier this week. Draw Something's popularity is really pretty astonishing, considering how simple the game is. If you haven't had a chance to try it out, here's the premise: you draw something, and your friend tries to guess what it is.

Whoever is drawing gets to chose between easy, medium, and hard subjects. Once they've picked one, they get to drawing, using a set of different-sized pens and a small selection of colors. Once completed, you send off the image to your partner, and they get to watch your entire creative process - including the times you wipe the whole board and start again from scratch. They have a few different letters and tile slots to work with, which adds a Scrabble-esque word game element to it. Once the receiving end submits their answer, you can watch the result; much like how they got to see the replay of your shoddy drawing technique, you get to watch them struggle with their letter set and try to guess what it is you're drawing. Both sides earn a corresponding number of coins to spend on unlockables, like new paint colours, or bombs which provide a new set of options to draw, or destroy some letter tiles to make your guessing process easier. Those coins can also be bought with real cash through in-app purchases.

Like a lot of the games I've been playing on the iPhone lately, I've found the display is too small for fine detail. It definitely made me wish I was playing with the Samsung Galaxy Note again, since that stylus and big screen sure would come in handy. Still, it's funny seeing what kind of mangled, haphazard pieces of art you're able to cook up, if only to watch your friends struggle with the piece of crap you've given them. (N.B. It is entirely likely that I am just a terrible finger-painter.) As it stands, the gameplay is generally good enough, though I've found some rounds have been hard to match up; either I don't get the notification after a friend has done their drawing, or I do, but no button shows up to see what they've got. For the time being, I'm willing to chalk this up to OMGPOP's servers buckling under the traffic, and with any luck, Zynga's acquisition will bolster their back-end. Considering you're watching a replay of the drawing process, I would like to get some bonus points for correct guesses early, which could be counterbalanced by penalties for wrong guesses.

There are a few features that would be nice to have, like an archive of your previous drawings - after all, you do end up spending a lot of time on some of these, so it's a shame to have them swept under the carpet after your turn is over. Game Center support is an obvious addition they have yet to include, along with running multiple games concurrently with the same person, like you can in Hero Academy. Some kind of chat utility would be really great, that way one could properly express their confusion to their partner when confronted with a particularly bad piece of work. Right now all you can do is draw messages in the art area then clear the page. There's a whole range of artistic tools that could be expanded, including different styles of brushes, and varying levels of opacity. The game uses Facebook Connect to create your account, but it seems like the real money maker will be when Draw Something becomes a proper web game on Facebook. As is, the interoperability with Android devices is great, and if they can keep that up for desktop, Draw Something could quickly gain widespread popularity among soccer moms who don't know Facebook is for anything other than games.

At its core, I feel like Draw Something is ultimately a game where people laugh at one another for being unable to put together simple shapes or form words. While not everybody will enjoy in that level of schadenfreude, jerks like me revel in it. I worry a little bit that the fad will dry up though; you might remember when Facebook first introduced apps, one of the most popular ones was Graffiti, which let you create and share digital drawings with friends. That didn't last too long, and I think even with a game spin to it, Draw Something may fizzle out too. With Zynga now behind Draw Something, I expect the updates to be coming fast and furious, but in the long run, buying out whichever game is momentarily more popular than whatever they're creating doesn't seem like a sustainable strategy. Between the free ad-supported version and the highly-affordable $1.99 version, plus unobtrusive prompts for microtransactions, the barrier for entry is low, and if you've got a bunch of friends already playing, then you've got some impetus to give Draw Something a try.

The Good

• Accessible gameplay
• Popularity means plentiful partners
• Entertaining replays

The Bad

• Potential for embarassingly bad art
• Limited variety of unlockables
• Those with bigger screens are at an advantage

Conclusion

It massive popularity will probably be the biggest reason to try it out, and even with minimal artistic skills, your travesties of finger-painting can still be pretty entertaining. Though the microtransaction options are limited, they're unobtrusive, and with a free ad-supported version, there's little reason not to play.

$1.99 - Download Draw Something

Are you playing Draw Something? Add you username to our forum thread to find other iMore members to play with!

Zynga, the undisputed behemoth in social gaming, has just acquired OMGPOP, the developer of the hugely successful Draw Something game. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, it's basically a mobile version of Pictionary, where you're paired up with a fellow iPhone or iPad owner, and you take turns drawing things and having the other guess what it is with a given set of letters. Both sides get to watch as one gradually finishes drawing and the other attempts to solve the puzzle. There's both an ad-supported free version and a premium version that gets rid of the ads, but Draw Something makes its real money through microtransactions which unlock different colors to draw with.

OGMPOP has a few other titles under their belt, mostly for the web, but Draw Something has been their biggest hit yet. Rumor has it that Zynga shelled out $200 million for the 40-man team, but neither Zynga nor OMGPOP went into specifics of the deal. This is a pretty big acquisition for Zynga, but definitely a sensible one. I worry a little bit that clever iOS development shops are doomed to getting sucked up into these giant companies, but then I look at Rovio and see how well they've managed to do by sticking it out on their own. In Zynga's press release, they did a great job of outlining some great stats from Draw Something.

• In the last week, more than 1 billion drawings have been created.
• Draw Something had three drawings per second the day the game launched.
• Yesterday, Draw Something has over 3,000 drawings per second at its peak.
• Draw Something is the #1 word game in 84 countries according to the Apple App Store — shout out to Sweden and Norway for being the first two countries to recognize Draw Something's greatness. Nordic Love!
• The most popular words in Draw Something are: Starfish, pregnant, hangman, six pack, boom box
• The least popular word in Draw Something is latrine
• The best guessed words in Draw Something are: Rainbow, catfish, sun, fish, house, god, tornado
• The least guessed words in Draw Something are: Oar, Metroid, Warhol, pounce, polaroid, meathead, Autobots

Out of curiosity, how many of y'all are playing Draw Something? Does it change anything for you if Zynga owns them? If you're leaving or switching to something us, let us know what and why. If you're sticking with Draw Something, add your user name to our Gaming Forum list and challenge another member of the iMore nation.

Source: Zynga

There are hundreds of thousands of iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps for just about everything -- so how come the one you need, the one you know just has to be there, is so hard to find? Enter TiPb's weekly feature where staff and readers alike sort through the App Store and help you find just the right App for That. This week, Darryl asks:

I had actually used a desktop app called Skitch to draw the circles, but a dedicated iPhone app would be much more convenient! To see what we found for Darryl (and me!), follow along after the break!

Sketches 2 [$4.99 - App Store link] is an iPhone and iPad app that comes with various shapes and stamps to add to your photos. You can also switch to freehand mode and draw whatever you want. Additionally, you can add text and integrate apps to draw directions.

Once your sketch is complete, you can export it to your photo album, share it via twitter or email, or download your drawings to your computer in PDF (full vector format), JPG or PNG.

LateNiteSoft also has the classic Sketches availalbe on the App Store for a lower price of $1.99 [App Store link]. This version has fewer features and is not universal for iPhone and iPad.

Anyone else have any App for That suggestions for Darryl? Let him -- and all of us -- know.

Having trouble finding what you need in the app store? Head on over to our App and Game Feature Forum and let us know what you're looking for. The TiPb community will do our best to find you just the right App for That!