($7.99) for my iPad. Though it doesn’t turn my pathetic attempts at drawing and painting into museum-worthy artwork, it does make it an absolute joy to experiment.
Considering that the desktop version of Sketchbook Pro runs around $100, the $7.99 price tag is a bargain. And you get a lot for your money.
Sketchbook Pro offers a wide variety of tools that can be customized for width and opacity, as well as a palette that allows the user to choose the exact color they’d like to add to their piece, and a layering tool to add depth.
Tools can be accessed by tapping a tiny button near the bottom of the screen or with a three-finger tap, which pops up a toolbar at the top and a “brush properties” disk to use if you’d like to quickly make changes to the brush you’re using.
A basic help section gives instructions for using the program, but if you’re looking for a “how to be an artist” manual, you’d best look elsewhere.
It’s been said that the iPad is a device meant for the consumption, rather than the creation, of media. The Sketchbook Pro iPad app seriously challenges that notion.