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I Tried a Bunch of Artistic Apps. Here’s What Actually Stuck.

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I’m Kayla, and I draw almost every day. On the couch. In the school pickup line. On a bumpy train. I’ve tested a bunch of art apps on my iPad Pro (11-inch, Apple Pencil 2), my old Surface, and my Android phone. Some apps made me smile. Some made me want a nap. Here’s the real stuff—what worked for me, what didn’t, and where each one shines.

If you’d like to see the longer diary version of how these art apps earned (or lost) their spot in my routine, I documented every win and wobble in I Tried a Bunch of Artistic Apps—Here’s What Actually Stuck.

Procreate: My “Throw It In the Bag” Sketch App

Procreate is my fastest start. I open it, and I’m sketching in two seconds. No fuss.

  • What I use: the 6B Pencil, Soft Brush, and the “Narinder” pencil for rough lines. QuickShape for clean circles. Symmetry for faces.
  • Real moment: I painted a koi fish during a 40-minute train ride. I blocked shapes on one layer, set a layer to Multiply for the shadows, and hit Record for the time-lapse. I posted it later with coffee stains still on my sleeve. Felt honest.
  • The good: fast, clean, and fun. Time-lapse is gold. Color palettes from photos help me match a mood fast.
  • The not-so-good: it’s not vector, so scaling a tiny doodle for a big print can get fuzzy. Also, CMYK can be tricky; my A3 print came out a hair dull. Not a deal-breaker, but I noticed.

If you’re curious about the newer goodies like the animated “FacePaint” demo or Pencil Filter gestures, the official Procreate 5X overview breaks them down neatly.

Still, if I’m tired and just want to draw? I reach for Procreate.

Adobe Fresco: Watercolor That Actually Bleeds

Fresco’s “live” brushes act like real water. Paint bleeds. Colors blend. It feels messy in the best way.

  • What I use: Live Watercolor (Wash Soft and Round Detail), Oil brushes for chunky edges, and Vector brushes when I need clean logos.
  • Real moment: I painted a Mother’s Day bouquet for my sister. I started with live watercolor washes, then added vector text so it scaled well on a card. It looked handmade but printed crisp.
  • The good: pixels and vectors in one file is huge. The mixer brush is soothing. Like stirring soup.
  • The not-so-good: it gets heavy on big canvases. My iPad gets warm. And you need an Adobe account, which is… you know… another login.

When I want real paint vibes without wet paper, this is the app.

Because apparently I can’t resist testing software on every surface in my house, I also tried redesigning my cramped bathroom with an AR tool—full tale here: I Tried a Bathroom Design App on My Real Tiny Bath—Here’s What Happened.

Ibis Paint X: My “Waiting Room” Workhorse

Ibis Paint X lives on my Android phone. It’s perfect for lines and manga-style treats.

  • What I use: Stabilizer for smoother strokes, G-pen for crisp lines, and the screen tone tools when I want that comic feel.
  • Real moment: I drew a set of chibi stickers while waiting for noodles to boil. Exported as transparent PNGs. Stuck them on my group chat. Got instant laughs.
  • The good: tons of tools in a small app. Stabilizer helps when my hand is shaky.
  • The not-so-good: the free version has ads. I paid to remove them—worth it for peace and quiet.

If you draw on your phone a lot, this one punches above its weight.

Phone glued to your face but still curious about immersive tech? My roundup of VR smartphone apps that actually feel good might give you more rabbit holes to dive down.

Clip Studio Paint: Comics, Panels, and Serious Tools

This is where I build stories. It’s deep. It takes time. But wow, the tools.

  • What I use: Perspective rulers (lifesaver), panel tools, speech bubbles, and the 3D figure for tough poses.
  • Real moment: I made an 8-page short comic about a lost umbrella. I laid panels with the frame tool, penciled with a textured brush, and lettered right inside the app. Exported for Webtoon format without tears.
  • The good: brushes feel great; rulers do the heavy lifting; asset store has wild stuff.
  • The not-so-good: the UI can feel crowded, like a desk with too many pens. Also, updates and plans can be confusing. I wish it felt lighter.

If you’re serious about comics, this app walks with you, mile after mile.

For a different flavor of digital help, I spent eight weeks living inside automation tools—my brutally honest verdict is in I Tried AI Apps Empire for 8 Weeks—Here’s My Honest Take.

Affinity Designer for iPad: Poster-Perfect Vectors

When I need clean shapes, punchy text, or a logo, I switch hats and use Affinity Designer.

  • What I use: Pencil Tool with pressure for variable lines, Corner Tool for friendly edges, and Personas to jump between vector and pixel.
  • Real moment: I designed a farmers’ market poster—big peaches, bold type, and a tiny bee in the corner just for me. Printed CMYK, colors held up.
  • The good: sharp output, no fuzz. One-time purchase. Layers make sense after a day or two.
  • The not-so-good: node edits with Apple Pencil can feel fiddly. It’s not “cozy,” but it’s powerful.

Great for crisp art and print work when you want control.

Paper by WeTransfer: Low Pressure, High Joy

Paper is a soft place to land. I use it when I don’t want layers or rules.

  • What I use: the simple pen, the watercolor brush for light washes, and the sticky notes for quick lists.
  • Real moment: I sketched a one-minute storyboard for a reel—6 frames, no text. It kept me from overthinking. The video turned out clean because the plan was simple.
  • The good: fast, friendly, very “just draw.”
  • The not-so-good: limited tools. That’s also the charm. But don’t expect heavy features.

It’s like a pocket notebook that never runs out of pages.

If you enjoy slightly risqué experimentation—strictly for research, of course—you can peek at my cautionary tale: I Tested a Free Nudify App So You Don’t Have To. Still, if digital skin studies leave you craving real-world inspiration for figure drawing, you might browse this directory of local escorts to find verified, consenting adults who could pose as live references and add fresh, authentic anatomy practice to your sketchbook.

One example I found especially helpful for gesture studies was booking a short, clothed portrait session with the expressive model Tryst Jackson, where you can preview her portfolio, check availability, and quickly arrange a sitting that delivers dynamic, pose-rich reference material for your next sketch marathon.

Quick Hits I Keep Around

  • Sketchbook: free, simple, and pretty smooth with the Pencil. Great for noodling.
  • Canva: templates for posters and quick reels. I sketch in Procreate, then drop it here for text and layout. It’s like a shortcut when I’m tired.
  • Batoto mobile app: when I’m done making comics and just want to read other people’s genius panels, here’s my honest experience after a month of use in I Used the Batoto Mobile App for a Month—Here’s My Honest Take.

If you’d rather watch someone walk through these tools instead of figuring them out alone, Woopid hosts concise video tutorials that cover most of the apps I’ve mentioned above.

Little Gear Things That Matter

You’ll laugh, but a matte screen cover changed my life. I use a paper-like film, so the Apple Pencil has grip. Less ice, more paper. It does mute colors a bit, but my hand feels better.

I keep a small brush set I trust. Too many brushes slow me down. One pencil, one soft brush, one texture brush—done.

Also, color shift happens on prints. I keep a warm gray test file and print it at the copy shop every few months. It tells me if my screen is lying.

So… Which App Should You Get?

  • Just want to draw and post? Pro

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