Hello! IN article, I did an overview of the possibilities of iOS for writing music, and today's topic is drawing.
I will tell you about Apple Pencil and other applications for bitmap ΠΈ vector graphics, pixel art and other types of drawing.
We are talking about applications for iPad, but some of them are also available for iPhone.
The iPad became interesting for artists as a professional tool after the appearance of the Apple Pencil, so I will start my review with it.
Apple Pencil
Source:
The Apple Pencil is a stylus pen for the iPad Pro and some other iPad models released by Apple. I can describe my subjective feelings from using it as βhe is very cool"! But the best thing, of course, is to try it yourself (there are Apple resellers that provide such an opportunity).
In some applications Dutch when drawing, it is so low that it seems as if you are drawing with a pencil on paper. And the sensitivity to pressure and tilt angles is comparable to professional tablets.
For sketching and bitmap illustration, the iPad has replaced my computer: I only go back to my Wacom Intuos for complex vector graphics, and then reluctantly.
For many artists, the iPad has become part of process creating illustrations. For example, at FunCorp, some of the illustrations are made entirely on it using an Apple Pencil.
Source:
The method of charging the stylus raised questions, but this was fixed in the second version of the Apple Pencil. And in the first version, in fact, it turned out to be not scary: 10 seconds Charging is enough for half an hour of work, so its inconvenience does not interfere much.
For serious work, you need not only a stylus, but also Action to work with different types of graphics. There are quite a few for iOS.
Raster graphics
Raster graphics - when the application stores and can change the color information of each pixel separately. This makes it possible to draw very natural images, but when they are enlarged, pixels will be visible.
One of the most popular raster graphics applications is Procreate. It has all the most necessary features for drawing: strata, blend modes, transparency, brushes, shapes, color correction and more.
You can also check out these apps: Tayasui Sketches, Adobe Photoshop Sketch, Paper by WeTransfer.
Vector graphics
Vector graphics - when the application works with curves and geometric shapes. Such images usually have less detail, but they can be enlarged without loss of quality.
There are a lot of vector editors for iOS, but I will note, perhaps, two of them. The first one is Affinity Designer.
This vector editor contains a lot of features and almost completely repeats the functionality of its desktop versions. In it, you can both make illustrations and create an interface for a mobile application.
An interesting feature is the mode of operation with bitmap graphics. Allows you to draw raster layers that can be combined with vector geometry. This can be very handy for giving textures illustrations.
Affinity Designer can: layers, different curves, masks, raster overlays, blending modes, art export mode for publication and much more. Opportunities are selected to Adobe Illustrator.
Second - Adobe Illustrator Draw. This is a very simple application for drawing with vector brushes. Does not simplify the geometry of the drawn lines and responds well to pressing force. He does little, but what he does, he does well. Our illustrator at FunCorp uses it all the time for work.
Pixel art
Pixel art is a visual style in which pixels in images are clearly visible, in a manner old games and computers with low screen resolution.
You can draw pixel art in a regular raster editor on a large zoom. But there can be difficulties with brushes, snaps and other things. Therefore, there are several separate applications for pixel art.
I use pixaki. It supports palette creation, pixel brushes, custom grid, animations, pixel-perfect lines, and more.
Voxel art
Voxel art is like pixel art, only in it they draw with voluminous cubes. Something similar people do in the game Minecraft. An example made on a computer:
Source:
I'm not sure if it's possible to repeat this on the iPad, but you can try it in the application Goxel. I myself did not use it, but suddenly one of you has such an experience - write about it in the comments.
3D graphics
You can also try out full-fledged 3D graphics on the iPad. For engineers and industrial designers there is a Shapr3D application.
Source:
There are also several sculpting apps. sculpting - it's kind of like clay sculpting, but instead of hands, you use a virtual brush to build up or subtract volumes and get the desired shape. Examples of such applications: Sculptura, Putty 3D.
Source:
Animations
You can create animations on the iPad. So far, I have not come across anything that would reach the capabilities of Adobe Animate, but it is possible to play with simple animations. Here are some apps to help you with this: DigiCell FlipPad, Animation & Drawing by Do Ink, FlipaClip.
PC connection
There are also several ways to connect your iPad to your computer and use it as second monitor for drawing. For this you can use the application Astropad. It has gesture control, optimizations to reduce delay when drawing, and all sorts of little things. Of the minuses: it duplicates the image from the screen on the iPad, but does not allow you to use the tablet as a second screen. To connect an iPad as a second monitor, you will need a device from the same developers - Luna Display.
Source:
Apple has announced that it will be possible to use the iPad as a second screen in macOs Catalina and iPadOs, and this feature will be called Sidecar. It seems like the need for Astropad and similar applications will disappear, but we'll see how this confrontation ends. If someone has already tried Sidecar, share your impression in the comments.
Instead of a conclusion
iPad has become a professional tool for artists and illustrators. On YouTube, you can find many videos of creating high-quality illustrations exclusively on the iPad.
The Apple Pencil is very nicely make sketches, sketches and illustrations.
The tablet can be taken with you to a cafe or on the road and draw not only at home. And unlike a paper notebook, you can color your sketch using layers and other tools.
Of the minuses - of course, price. The cost of the iPad plus Apple Pencil is comparable to professional solutions from Wacom and, perhaps, for a sketchbook for use on the road is a bit expensive.
In the article, I did not talk about all the applications and capabilities of the iPad, since there are a lot of them. I will be glad if comments you'll talk about how you use iPad to draw and your favorite apps.
Thank you for your attention, and good luck in your creative endeavors!
Source: habr.com