There are thousands of drawing apps out there, with most costing money to download. However, if you want to draw freestyle online, many of the most popular drawing apps are free to use.
Drawing Apps are programs that help you to create simple images called vector graphics. These applications have numerous brushes that help you to make drawings. Much such software can be used to make realistic sketches with ease.
Here, I’ll review some free online drawing apps that I use for doodling and creating my own drawings.
The Benefits Of Digital Drawing
According to a 2015 study of more than 4,000 designers conducted by Subtraction.com and Adobe’s Khoi Vinh, 64 percent of designers still prefer pencil and paper to begin the creative brainstorming process.
That’s not surprising: Paper is virtually always accessible and offers simplicity. Plus, pen on paper has been the traditional medium budding artists are taught from the beginning, making it easy to generate ideas freely and naturally.
Despite this, most companies continue to invest in digital drawing. Apple, Wacom, FiftyThree, and others continue to design innovative hardware and apps, such as the iPad Pro and Bamboo Paper, to enhance performance and increase speed while on the go. Are the efforts to bring digital deeper into the creative workflow all in vain?
The answer, as you might suspect, is no. Digital will never be a paper killer, but hardware and apps leveraging the latest technology advances are closing the gap with undeniable benefits in accessibility, efficiency and artistry.
Access an unlimited toolkit anywhere
Inspiration doesn’t only happen in front of a computer or canvas. In fact, a 2012 Harvard study found that distraction is actually a key variable for creativity — meaning, it’s more probable that your genius idea will occur when you’re not in your studio.
However, we almost always have our phones with us. No matter where we are, we now have an unlimited toolkit of apps and services to turn raw inspiration into usable assets, such as color themes, shapes, brushes and patterns.
For example, apps can enable designers to turn any real-world object into a brush, texture, vector shape or color that they can use in mobile apps or desktop software. It allows designers to capture creative inspiration wherever they are and design with it immediately.
Stop duplicating work
While most people doodle out of boredom, designers sketch as the first step in their creative process. Sketching on paper is free-flowing and easy, but the challenge for designers is then having to quickly turn it into usable work — transferring ideas from paper to digital either by scanning and tracing, or recreating a digital version of what they sketched.
The benefit of drawing with mobile apps is you can sketch your mock-up digitally and have that sketch turned into a usable Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign file. Adobe Comp emulates the iterative process of paper, and saves time by eliminating the need to recreate work from scratch on the desktop.
Enabling a new medium
Interest in drawing on mobile devices is growing. There were more than 99,000 tweets about Apple Pencil within 24 hours of it being announced, and even CNN covered the excitement among the design community, calling it the tool to “replace paper sketchbooks.” That excitement is not misplaced.
With the rapid development of innovative pens and digital apps and improved hardware, artists are empowered to create a new medium of digital art where natural media can be realistically simulated, including watercolor, pastels and the aesthetic of oils on canvas — all on a single mobile device:
Procreate
At first glance, this application can be a bit daunting for someone who has never used a design app before. While it can be helpful to experiment with all the different tools and buttons, to really build skill in this application and get the most functionality, check out the Procreate Community page. There are many skilled artists and tutorials available to support digital artists of any skill level. Be sure to check out the animation feature—it really helps your work come to life.
What it does:
- Creates digital drawings using a multi-layered layout
- Illustration
- Animation
- Exports easily to other devices for continued work
Pros:
- One time purchase
- A good amount of helpful tutorials
- Lots of preset brushes already installed
- Easy animation tools and exporting feature
Cons:
- Can’t “finalize” a drawing for professional use without bringing it into Illustrator to clean up lines or vectorize it
- Brushes simulate the painting of strokes, but doesn’t bleed like a vectorized brush
- Not vectorized (it doesn’t scale well so you have to pay attention to how big your canvas size is or everything will be pixelated)
Pricing: $9.99—one time purchase
Experience level: Beginner
Tools needed: iOS device
Adobe Photoshop Sketch
Like its Illustrator brother, Adobe Photoshop Sketch is one of those drawing apps for free that just keeps on giving. Feature-rich and backed by years of Adobe expertise, Photoshop Sketch will allow you to create some truly stunning pieces of art. From layering to masking and everything in between, this has to be among the best Ipad and Android drawing apps for free.
Pros:
- Easily connects to Illustrator or Photoshop since it’s in the Adobe family
- Made by a seasoned company (Adobe) which provides more resources and support compared to other design applications
- Seamlessly integrates with Adobe Stock
Cons:
- A bigger learning curve for those who have never used a design software before
- No other features (like animation) available; must use another app
- Limited storage but can pay additional monthly cost for more storage
Pricing: Free for iPad or android device users with Adobe ID
Experience level: Intermediate to expert level
Tools needed: iOS and Android
MediBang Paint
Available, essentially, on every device, MediBang Paint is among the best free online drawing apps available. It’s lightweight and handles comic art and manga as beautifully as it does painting, sketching, and digital design. The interface is straightforward and makes the entire package a joy to experiment with. It also sports numerous features that provide control over your brushes and layers.
Overall, a solid draw app free to use that can give you professional results on a nonexistent budget. With multiple export options, you can save your file as a jpeg, png, SVG, or pdf.
GIMP
If you aren’t able to procure a license for Adobe Cloud but absolutely require something with Photoshop-esque features, GIMP is exactly the online drawing app you need. It’s been around a long time, too, so it has a wealth of features that are constantly being updated and improved.
Some might argue that it is one of the best free drawing apps available due to the advanced feature set. This online art app is easy to use and you can save your files in jpeg, png, svg, or pdf. Why not take it for a spin for your next poster design?
Sketch I.O
Sketch Pad, by Sketch I.O., is a wonderful desktop app for both PC and Mac that can make your own drawing come to life. Sketch Pad features 18 brushes, over 5,000 clipart, 14 shapes, and over 800 Fonts. We feel it’s safe to say, you wont be running out of ideas with this desktop app at your fingertips. At just $4.99, this is probably the best drawing app for the price.
iPastels
This free art app for the iPad replicates the look of pastels.It’s easy to use, and if you’ve never worked with pastels before, it could be just what you need. It’s one of the simplest Apple Pencil apps available, and it’s a great way to get a feel for the device while creating unique sketches and paintings. Save your files in jpeg, png, svg, or pdf formats so you can share them with clients or other devices.
Zen Brush 2
Zen Brush is designed to produce art a la traditional East Asian calligraphy and art. Make stunning pieces in minutes for only a few dollars. This is a niche art program with features you won’t find in more generalized digital drawing apps, such as exporting to jpeg, png, svg, or pdf formats for sharing on any device.
Pixelmator Pro
This powerful Mac art app has everything you need to create stunning artwork. You can do photo retouching, graphic design, painting, vector art, or just quick sketches here. Many users consider this to be the best drawing app for iPad Pro, and the wealth of features will have you producing professional-quality work in no time. You can save your files in jpeg, png, svg, or pdf formats.
Assembly
This high-quality iPad Pro sketching and drawing app is a must-have. It allows you to create eye-catching graphic designs capable of revitalizing your brand and appealing to clients all over the world. Whether you need to save it as a jpeg, png, svg, or even a pdf file, Assembly can easily save it in the format you need.
Graphic
Available on the app store, Graphic is a lightweight, powerful iPhone illustration app that produces vector-based art. It is designed to be easy to use so that anyone can create pleasing artwork. It works on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, so you can work from anywhere. You can even save your work easily as png, jpeg, svg, pdf or more. W While it costs $40, the quality of work this app can produce will help you improve your illustration portfolio !
Art Set
This great little digital drawing app is only $2.79 and comes with a great set of art tools for sketching on the go. It’s lightweight and user-friendly, with a simple layout and responsive features that make it feel professional. It keeps things simple and doesn’t bog the user down with unnecessary bells and whistles.
Inkist
Inkist is a powerful drawing app that can meet all of your needs. It has many brush features, layers, blend modes, a simple UI, and fully customizable brushes and tools found in more advanced programs. Inkist also uses color blending instead of layers, allowing artists to build up colors as if on canvas.
ArtStudio
Capable of handling just about any type of drawing and sketching you can throw at it, ArtStudio for the iPad offers 450 brushes, multiple-layer support, and dozens of filters. Available on every mobile iOS device, this is a great option among the various painting apps found on the App store.
Brushes Redux
Offering some of the most responsive brushes available, thanks to a powerful open-GL engine, it works seamlessly across your various iOS devices. It offers layers, gesture controls, and a variety of painting-specific features and is a great option for those looking for a sketchpad app without too many extras to bog them down in minutiae.
Pixaki
Pixaki is definitely one of the coolest drawing apps on the list and is made specifically to create pixel art. It has numerous useful features, including a multi-touch interface, layers, animation support, color selection, and custom-palette options. Bonus? It’s quite affordable.
Infinite Painter
Probably the best art app for Android, Infinite Painter will have you pumping out amazing pieces in no time at all. Every brush stroke feels great, and produces the various lines you want. Few other offerings exist on the Android platform that can rival this fantastic product, thanks to its ability to produce quality, professional-looking art in a fresh way. If you are looking for the best sketch app on the Google Play Store, look no further than Infinite Painter.
ArtFlow Studio
Artflow is a feature-rich, ambitiously designed Android art app. This digital art app boasts an infinite number of brush strokes. It also has Adobe-like features like layers and layer blending. It’s also one of the drawing apps that supports Nvidia DirectStylus for ultimate precision. Artflow also has a free trial and is free to use if you have Google Play Pass.
Paper Color
Paper Color (previously known as Paper Draw) is one of those good drawing apps for Android that does the basics well. It’s reasonably priced and is free to download with a limited set of features. Paper Color’s claim to fame is that it is one of the only digital drawing apps that is able to make your screen canvas look as if it is real paper. While it’s certainly a strong contender among good art apps, its minimalist style has left us with mixed feelings.
InspirARTion
InspirARTion is one of our favorite drawing apps for free on Android. While perhaps not quite as strong in features as some of its paid counterparts, this drawing app is immensely fun and intuitive to use. You can even upload a photo of physical artwork and use it as a template. This is a great option for those looking to learn how to how to draw on apps for free.
Dotpict
Dotpict is among the most enjoyable art apps for free on the Google Play store. It offers enthusiasts and art novices a great entry point into the world of digital art, with features such as ‘redo’ and ‘undo’, which are essential for working on technique. If you are on the lookout for art drawing apps free to download that can help you build your skills as an artist, Docpict is a great option to go with.
ArtRage
Touted as “natural painting” software, ArtRage is a sketch art app renowned for its amazing quality and realistic painting tools. It’s available on Windows, Android, and iOS, and comes in a Lite version with limited features for those desiring a more basic approach, as well. This is a powerful app for any artist and, without a doubt, one of the best sketch art apps available anywhere.
Autodesk SketchBook Pro
After using it, few would argue that it is the best sketchpad app in the world. There are also free versions with limited features that set it apart from the competition.
You can easily share your work with the world thanks to built-in support for social platforms. With the sketches app for iPhone, you can move your work from device to device (and almost every available platform!). SketchBook is a steal.
Adobe Fresco
This application is a bit different with live brushes that bleed across the screen, gorgeous vector graphics and blending effects that look 3D. Adobe Fresco easily translates to Photoshop for further work with more robust tools, however if simplicity is the end goal, Fresco’s streamlined approach allows designers and illustrators to get their ideas without being bogged down by other tools.
What it does:
This is a simple and streamlined digital drawing and painting app that’s great for beginners.
Pros:
- Brushes that blend and bleed like the real thing
- Can be used in combination with Adobe Photoshop on the iPad
- Part of the Adobe family
Cons:
- Can’t add text
- No canvas option
- Free version only lasts up to 2 GB of storage
Pricing: Free for mobile device use
Experience level: Beginner
Tools needed: Adobe ID—download on App store and for Windows
Astropad Studio
The Astropad Studio is a different sort of art app that can be a great help to folks looking to create digital drawings. For Mac and iPad users, Studio allows you to connect your iPad wirelessly to your desktop and use it as if it were a drawing tablet. The interface is pretty smooth, but make sure you have a clean system with plenty of free memory to avoid lag. You’ll also want a great stylus like the Apple Pencil.
Affinity Designer
The Affinity set of art apps is poised to take a significant bite out of Adobe’s market share. These programs are full-featured to the point of having things you have to buy aftermarket in Adobe. Designer is Affinity’s answer to Illustrator. It is a desktop vector art program with every feature you could ever want and one of the best drawing apps for Apple computers. Designer is available for Mac desktop or iPad.
Affinity Photo for iPad
Affinity is also ready to answer your raster art needs. Photo by Affinity is analogous to Photoshop. Its user interface is a bit smoother, however, with cleaver skin changes based on the type of task you’re looking to complete.
Both Affinity apps are inexpensive when compared to Photoshop and Illustrator. If you’re looking for a great digital art application for editing or raster drawing, look no further than Photo and Photo for iPad.
Inspire Pro
For all the painters out there, Inspire Pro turns your iPad into the ultimate painting canvas. This is one of those simple raster drawing apps that can produce some really fantastic artwork thanks to super realistic brushes and massive canvas sizes. You can download Inspire Pro from the Apple App Store.
MediBang Paint
A few key features make Medibang’s apps the best drawing app for some artists. The app is available on any platform you can think of, from Windows and Mac desktops to Apple and Android tablets. They all have a cloud feature, which allows you to easily store, share, and open your work from any device. This is one of the best free drawing apps you really should check out if you are looking at an affordable and easy way to start drawing.
Inspire Pro
Inspire Pro is a great introduction into digital drawing. The simple layout is easy to navigate, but still offers up a lot of great tools for creation. Fast rendering times makes this application a contender for one of the best drawing apps out there on the App Store.
What it does:
The focus is on drawing and painting—this is a tool for hitting the basics of digital drawing. The app is not as robust in comparison to the other drawing apps.
Pros:
- Lots of blending options with high quality brushes pre-loaded that also have high render brush strokes
- Easy to learn
Cons:
- Still pretty new—expect a few bugs
- Everything is on one layer
- The current version is missing a few tools to help in creation. It will likely take a few more iterations for it to become more user friendly
Pricing: $9.99 one time purchase
Experience level: Beginner
Tools needed: iOS devices
Conclusion
We all started drawing when we were kids. A few lines on paper, crayons…and voilà, you were already creating your own artworks. Then when you became older, “professional”, with too much responsibilities, drawing went to the back burner for some time.