The best drawing apps for iPad empower you to use your creativity wherever you are. Utilising the iPad's touchscreen and Apple Pencil support makes the Apple tablet a brilliant option for drawing digitally, and the incredible Apple Pencil 2 makes it even better.
There are plenty of dedicated drawing tablets on the market, but experience on the iPad is now so good that many artists use this as their digital art tool of choice. And for anyone looking for an all-round device, it has the benefit of serving for general browsing, media and much more besides drawing.
All of the last few iPad generations support Apple Pencil, but the standard iPad, including the new iPad 2022, only support Apple Pencil 1. However, the latest Pro, Air and mini all support Apple Pencil 2 (see our Apple Pencil vs Apple Pencil 2 to understand the differences.
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There's are loads of great drawing apps for iPad to help you get the most out of the device, but we've picked out our own selection of the best drawing apps for iPad available based on our hands-on experience testing the apps for several days. We've looked for apps that offer versatility, features and and a smooth overall experience using them with either Apple Pencil 1 or 2. We've also taken on board recommendations from artists (see how we test software).
We've aimed to include the best drawing apps for iPad for people different levels, from beginners to pros, so you should find an option whatever your level. If you're just starting out, see our guide on how to draw to make the most of your tablet. And if you'd prefer to create digital art on a desktop, see our pick of the best digital art software.
Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
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If you're looking for more apps, not only for drawing, also see our guide to the best iPad Pro apps for Apple Pencil.
The likelihood is that you've already heard about Procreate. The app has taken the digital art world by storm with its many different functions, versatile interface and 3D painting abilities (it's actually compatible with Zbrush, Blendr and others). However, if you're wanting to know more about this brilliant app then have a read through our Procreate 5.2 review.
Our testing asserted that Procreate's biggest selling point is its flexible and customisable interface. From the colour picker to the brush size, there are so many options to help improve your workflow. Plus, Procreate's colour library is like no other with its ability to create your own palettes, colour options and even colour recommendations. We love the new 3D painting features, which mean you can now create pretty much anything you like on the app. The downside is it's only available for iPad.
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The app as a whole package is sleek and smooth sailing, plus it's only a one-time purchase of £8.99/$9.99 in the Apple App Store meaning that it's kind on the bank account, too.
Just like Procreate, Adobe Illustrator is incredibly popular in the digital art community. While the app is free, it does require some in-app purchases, but with features like radial, grid and mirror repeat, its worth the money. The app takes the best features from the desktop app and pops it into this handy portable version of the app. And if you're still not convinced, then why not read more about it over on our Illustrator for iPad review?
We've found that when you combine the Illustrator app with the new iPad Pro (M1, 2021) and the Apple Pencil 2, then you get a sleek, controlled and enhanced digital art experience (make sure you check out the iPad Pro deals and the Apple Pencil deals if you haven't got the devices already). Unfortunately, the app is only available on a subscription model and it's not compatible below iOS 14. But you can seamlessly transfer your work to and from your desktop app to your iPad app, which is a big positive.
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If you like drawing in Photoshop, you can now have the same (well, almost) experience on iPad (Image credit: Matt Smith) (opens in new tab)
We'd be pretty surprised if you hadn't heard of Photoshop by now (Creative Bloq is packed to the brim with Photoshop content). And now you can equip your iPad with a slimmed-down version of the desktop software. When we tested it, we found there are some important missing tools, but the functionality is being improved all the time and it's becoming a useful add-on that allows you to seamlessly transfer files between the app and the desktop – and it can take a heavy load.
For more info, have a look at our Photoshop for iPad review. Note: Adobe has added some extra tools to its iPad app since that review, including Curves and the Subject Select tools. Or scroll down to check out some of the latest Adobe Creative Cloud deals.
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One of the best drawing apps for iPad, Inspire Pro offers a fluid and natural drawing experience (Image credit: Inspire Pro) (opens in new tab)
Inspire Pro has one of the speediest and most realistic rendering engines on the App store (yep, high praise indeed). This means that creatives get an incredibly fluid and natural drawing experience right there on their iPad.
From oil to spray paint, the app boasts a large library of brushes and high-quality tools that are customisable to suit your exact needs. If you have an Apple Pencil and an iPad Pro, then you'll find that Inspire Pro's ability to react to pressure, tilt and orientation is an incredibly useful tool when working on a project and gives you loads of creative control.
Best Drawing Apps For Ipad In 2023
A leader among drawing apps for iPad, the new Adobe Fresco offers a buttery smooth user experience (Image credit: Phil Galloway) (opens in new tab)
Fresco is another iPad app from Adobe's roster. Fresco supposedly is the digital equivalent of the traditional analogue drawing materials. When we tested it (see our Adobe Fresco review), we felt it's like Adobe's answer to Procreate (see above), but it's part of the Adobe Creative Cloud (opens in new tab) subscription.
With the likes of the highly-anticipated Live Brushes that adapt to a variety of drawing styles (though we did feel they were a touch limited), Fresco gives users a sleek and smooth drawing experience. Fresco may not have text or animation options, and we missed the option to use paper or canvas textures, but it is still one of the best digital art apps available. We especially liked its fantastic selection of pixel brushes, its smooth running and ability to blend brushes.
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Built from the same back end as its award-winning desktop version, Affinity Designer for iPad is a vector drawing program that's fully optimised for iOS, including Touch controls and Apple Pencil support. Our testing appreciated the fact it can support huge multi-artboard canvases with as many layers as you could possibly want, and you can zoom to over one million per cent. We also loved the UI – find out more in our Affinity Designer for iPad review.
Affinity Designer supports both CMYK and RGB, and has a full Pantone library in the colour swatch panel, meaning it's ideal for creating both digital and printed art. You can export to a range of formats, including JPG, PNG, PDF and SVG, and there are over 100 brushes available, in styles including paints, pencils, inks, pastels and gouaches.In short, this is one of the few drawing apps for iPad that's squarely targeted at the professional market.
ArtRage Vitae is the newest edition of one of iPad first and longest-running digital painting apps. This app replicates the feel, flow and texture of real oils and watercolours. You can load your brush with paint and spread it about with joy, you can mix colours on the canvas and overall ArtRage Vitae does a great job of simulating lifelike paints.
The Best Drawing Apps For Ipad In 2023
A variety of canvas styles add texture beneath your paintings, with options to adjust paper settings and customise brushes easily using a set of sliders. There's a variety of canvas presets and paper options, plus a wide array of brushes, pencils, crayons, rollers, and pastels.
In our Artrage Vitae review we loved the easy to navigate UI that hides many of the deeper functions behind easy sliders and selections, the unique layout ensures the screen is never cluttered and the canvas remains visible. Our tester was disappointed that the paint simulation is better in Rebelle 5, and he also felt that the UI wasn't for everyone. But this is an excellent app for those wanting to get a realistic painting experience.
No digital application and tablet screen will give you the real feel of working with pastels and charcoal, but drawing apps for iPad are not looking to replace feel – they are designed to mimic the effect, and that is what iPastels does so well. Plus, you don't get messy fingers.
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