In this guide you will learn how to draw on the iPad Apple , starting with the most basics, from pairing your pen, to choosing the right apps.
Learning to draw on the iPad can open up many possibilities for artists and designers. Combined with an Apple Pencil, the iPad becomes a powerful art tool that has the advantage of being useful for more tasks as well. We'll look at the basics to get started, from how to connect your Apple Pencil to choosing which apps to use and how to use your pencil effectively, and finally knowing which one to choose, now that Apple has three Apple Pencil models available.
How to draw on iPad: set up your Apple Pencil
First of all, you will need an Apple Pencil, and yes, I put Apple Pencil and not an electronic pencil because I think that in the end the best option is one of the pencils that Apple offers us, If you really want to take advantage of the iPad and have the most rewarding experience possible, as they were made specifically for this purpose and have features that many others do not have.
Just keep in mind that Apple Pencils are not compatible with all iPad models, so I recommend taking a look at this article I wrote a while ago, where we see that Apple Pencil is compatible with every iPad model.
Before you can start drawing on your iPad, you'll need to pair your Apple Pencil with it. Fortunately, this is pretty quick and easy, no matter what version of the Apple Pencil you have.
Remember that Apple recently launched its third version of the Apple Pencil, the Apple Pencil with USB-CIf you want to know more about this accessory, take a look at this article.
Draw on the iPad: what apps to use
If you just want to start drawing, you already have everything you need. You can easily doodle in pre-installed iOS apps like Notes or Pages, which have some pens and colors to play with. To get used to how the Apple Pencil feels and works, these are fine, but they don't offer anywhere near the level of depth and functionality you get with drawing apps dedicated ones such as Procreate, ArtRage or Affinity Designer.
Five of the best drawing apps for iPad:
- Procreate: A 2D and 3D painting application that offers professional results.
- Adobe Illustrator: The industry standard vector design tool.
- Sketch Line: A freemium sketching app for iPad.
- Affinity Designer: Almost unlimited tools for design, branding and art.
- Autodesk Sketchbook: An accessible and easy application for artists.
If you want to know about other drawing applications for the iPad, you can take a look at this article that we wrote a long time ago on the blog, where we talked about What applications to choose to draw on the iPad?
There are tons and tons of great iPad drawing apps out there, both paid and free. But I think this is a good selection to start, or you can take a look at this other article, where we select other drawing apps for the iPad.
How to draw on iPad using pressure sensitivity
One of the main characteristics of Apple Pencil is its pressure sensitivity, but it may take some getting used to. The only way you will be able to get used to how pressure sensitivity feels and works is through practice.
Open the drawing app you like best, and spend some time experimenting with different levels of pressure. What are the thickest and thinnest lines you can draw, and how precise can you be between them? Practice to make it an intuitive process.
Drawing on iPad: Understanding Palm Rejection
One thing to which you can get a little used to when drawing on a tablet is the clever palm rejection technology. This feature allows you to rest your hand on the screen while drawing, meaning you don't need to do the awkward hand-swinging on the screen when you're drawing. This is something you'll commonly see new or inexperienced iPad artists do, as they find it difficult to cling to the idea that they can touch the iPad screen without affecting what's on it.
Get used to the palm rejection feature and remember that you can really treat your iPad screen like a piece of paper. It makes the whole experience much easier and intuitive, not to mention less tiring.
Drawing on iPad: Practice Tilt Sensitivity
The Apple Pencil has sophisticated tilt sensitivity, giving us another tool in our kit for customizing the thickness and character of our lines. iPad can detect the angle at which you hold the pencil and which part of the tip you are using.
This means you can hold the pencil upright to create an extremely fine line, or hold it sideways to create much thicker strokes. A good way to get used to this is to load up a drawing app and try some shading - experiment with different tools and brushes to get an idea of the types of effects you can create.
Exercises with the Apple Pencil to learn to draw on the iPad
Every artist is different, and the best way to improve your drawing is going to be different for everyone. That said, here are some quick Apple Pencil exercises that should help you learn how to draw on the iPad more effectively.
Draw lines
Try to get into the habit of practicing your strokes every day. Start with a blank canvas in Notes or the drawing app of your choice, and try to draw a series of horizontal lines, as close together as you can without them touching. Do the same with the vertical lines, then the curved lines, and for an added challenge, once you're done, try going back and adding an additional set of lines in between the ones you've already made. For variety, you can also try broken lines, keeping the length of your dashes as consistent as possible.
Track and copy
One thing that's great about the Apple Pencil is that it's precise enough that you can use it to trace across a piece of paper on your iPad screen. While this won't work with a very thick piece of paper or card, any standard paper or something thinner should be fine: simply place it over your iPad's screen and trace the lines with the stylus.
Plus, if you're using an iPad with a large enough screen, you can also easily dedicate some of its storage space display to an image to copy. Download an image of your choice, upload it to Photos and place it on the left or right of the screen, and open a drawing app to try to copy it. By copying we also learn, we do it since we were little.
Calligraphy
Calligraphy can be a great way to practice control and consistency of your Apple Pencil drawing, and it's a good quick exercise that you can do every day. Why not try loading one of your favorite fonts and see how well you can replicate it with the Apple Pencil?
How to use Apple Pencil double tap (2) to draw on iPad
If you're using the more advanced second-generation Apple Pencil, don't forget the secret weapon at your disposal: double tap. While the original Pencil has no physical controls, the Apple Pencil XNUMX lets you double-tap the flat edge to quickly toggle between settings. Once you get used to remembering that you have this option, it can be very useful.
These are the settings available for double tap:
- Switch between current tool and eraser (this is what will be set by default).
- Switch between the current and previous tool.
- Shows the color palette.
- Do nothing (disable double tap).
Conclusion
As you can see, it's very easy to start drawing with the iPad. You don't need any fancy apps or technical knowledge, just your iPad, your Apple Pencil, and the willingness to try things.
Using an iPad to draw is intuitive and natural. It means you can use common drawing theory. You can also try using these traditional drawing methods with some of the applications that I have recommended here, and use the technology within the iPad to create your great work of art.
As always, I hope that this article on how to learn to draw on the iPad has helped you, if you know of other learning techniques, or know of an application that is very useful and helps us for those first steps in drawing with the iPad and the Apple Pencil, let us know in the comments.