iArtbook - Digital Painting for iPhone

Quick summary

iArtbook is a free, full-featured graphic and design app aimed at digital artists of all levels. It supports Apple Pencil and offers a straightforward, approachable interface that works well for sketching, painting, and making animations.

Who can use it

Designed to be accessible, iArtbook fits:

• Experienced artists who need a fast, flexible tool for sketching and concept work
• Beginners moving from traditional media into digital art
• Casual creators who want to experiment without committing to paid software

Core uses and workflow

The app is built to handle multiple creative tasks:

• Animation creation with unlimited frames and gesture-driven controls
• Painting with layered composition and pressure-sensitive brushes
• Drawing and sketching for quick ideation and detailed line work

Brush system and customization

iArtbook provides a large selection of brushes and deep customization options:

• Glossy and textured brushes for effects and highlights
• Dry-style brushes for sketching and rough work
• Wet-media brushes that blend and behave like paint You can import/export brushes, tweak settings such as hardness, rotation, and ovality, and even design entirely new brushes from scratch.

Color tools and workspace layout

The app includes robust color and layout features to speed up your workflow:

• Lesson modes and guided exercises for learning different techniques
• Dual color selectors, customizable palettes, and a mixer to create nuanced shades
• Layout options that adjust for left- or right-handed use and a clean, uncluttered UI for comfortable drawing sessions

Animation and extras

Animation tools are smooth and intuitive:

• Layer support combined with gesture shortcuts for faster playback and editing
• Unlimited frames and an easy timeline make frame-by-frame work manageable

Pricing and limitations

While many powerful tools are available at no cost, some previously free capabilities have been moved to the paid Pro tier, which can frustrate long-time users. Pro does, however, unlock useful features such as:

• Transparent PNG export for compositing and web-ready assets
• Time-lapse recording of your drawing process

This shift in the free/pro split may concern users worried about more features being locked behind paywalls in the future.

Final thoughts

Overall, iArtbook remains a capable and user-friendly app that offers a lot for free. Its extensive brush engine, solid color system, Apple Pencil support, and approachable learning aids make it a strong option for both newcomers and seasoned artists. The change to a more restricted free tier is a downside, but for many creators the Pro upgrade is optional unless you need the advanced exports and recording tools.