For as long as I know, painting and art have been one of, if not the principal way of spending my time. There’s hardly anything more relaxing or fulfilling than putting onto paper our surroundings or imagination, with colored paints and pencils. But like everything else, the way we paint has also evolved with time.
In this digital age, art still holds as much value but instead of the old paper and paint, we now use apps on our digital devices as our medium. Armed with numerous tools and tricks, they’re much more convenient and versatile.
If you’re a budding artist, and you’re looking for some great digital art apps that you can use on your Android devices, keep reading!
What is Digital art and what are its advantages?
Digital art refers to the process of creating or presenting art through digital means. It’s also known as multimedia or computer art, and over the years, it’s become a term that describes all types of media artworks.
The advantages of digital media are numerous. It includes, and isn’t limited, to the following:
- Less time taking – One of the best things about digital art is how easy and fast it is. You can start a drawing and finish it in less than half the time you would take if you used the usual mediums.
- Cheaper – Everyone will agree that digital art is so much cheaper. You don’t have to worry about purchasing expensive supplies. It’s only a one time expense, even if you do have to pay.
- Easier to use – It’s also easy to use, and less stressful since you can remove mistakes with a simple “undo”. That’s why it’s a great option for beginners as well.
How useful are Android apps in learning digital art?
Now you may be asking yourself, can practising or switching over to digital art help me as an artist? And the answer is – absolutely!
With the help of digital art apps, you can explore your creativity without limits! When using normal mediums, you have to worry about supplies and wastage but through apps, you can try out various techniques and try out other methods of drawings and painting. Once you get the hang of it over time, you can also uncover numerous shortcuts and easter eggs that are available.
For beginners, it’s a great way to practice by yourself and develop your skills. You can attempt to use all the tools, whether it’s the brush tool or the pen, till you find the one you’re most comfortable with and the one that gives you the best results.
All your paintings and drawings also remain saved for as long as you want, which will help you track your process.
Best Drawing and Painting Apps For Android in 2021
1. LayerPaint [Paid]
As the name suggests, this app, priced at $2.99 on Play Store, supports files with several layers. While the user interface is simple, the multi-featured app tends to slow down the mobile device a little and causes lags. However, it comes with a wide variety of brushes and other tools that make it a dream to use.
Working copies of unfinished projects can be saved in PSD (Photoshop Document) formats with multiple layers. The app can handle HD resolutions without any glitches whatsoever. Users also swear by the magic selection tool that brings the app at par with several desktop editing and designing counterparts.
Key Features of LayerPaint App:
- Lots of brushes, pens, and painting tools
- Shape tools
- Different layering options such as merge, duplicate, move, and delete
- Pen pressure support on Android tablets
- Save your work as PSD (Photoshop Document)
2. PaperColor [Free Drawing App]
With in excess of 10 million downloads and a high 4.1 rating given by users, this is among the Editor’s Choice apps on Play Store. Easy to navigate and use, it helps you create perfect artworks every time, thanks to the multitude of brushes, colors, and in-built design tools. It uses a paintbrush-like effect to draw, doodle, or even make graffiti.
It also helps beginners learn to draw by providing translucent base designs to trace over. Once finished, the user can just remove the base layer to reveal an original creation. The app also allows users to personalize artworks by adding their signatures to finished paintings.
Key Features of PaperColor App:
- Various brush engines
- Ruler and Eraser tools
- Can be used as a calligraphy app
- Draw on your images
- Amazing paint tools
3. RoughAnimator [Paid]
Currently priced at $4.99 on Google Play Store, this is a user-friendly animation app that will have you creating your cartoons in no time! Though the developers tout it as a great app for experts and beginners alike, there are no built-in usage instructions.
This makes things tricky for first-time users who have to figure out a lot of the various functionalities for themselves. However, with several brush sizes, speed controls, a preview feature, and the option to import music to accompany the creations, this app is worth every cent despite its shortcoming, especially for those already into animation.
Key Features of RoughAnimator App:
- Use unlimited layers
- Great for 2D animation and onion skinning
- Custom brushes are supported
- Easy to control resolution and framerate
- Good to use on Android tablets
4. SketchBook by Autodesk [Free]
An impressive and popular creative app with professional drawing tools, this Autodesk offering proves free things can be great too. It gives users access to a full Copic Color Library, nearly 140 brush styles including synthetic smudge brushes, more layers and blending modes, advanced tools including a magic wand, and gradient filters.
Capable of handling a 100MP canvas, it offers superior precision and speed. It also allows the use of device cameras as scanners to capture ideas while on the go and makes sure that the artist never misses out on a sudden stroke of creativity.
Key Features of SketchBook by Autodesk App:
- Impressive user-interface
- Lots of paint and brushing tools
- Clipping tools is available
- Free for everyone
5. Ibis Paint [Free]
A popular design app with features worth killing for, Ibis Paint is a tool meant for anime and manga enthusiasts. The in-app sharing feature lets users view others’ works for references and upload their own for feedback. Experts call it the Photoshop Lite for mobile phones given its extensive brush options, full RGB and HSB palettes, and other advanced editing tools.
The user interface might seem a little cluttered due to the multitude of options the app offers and the limited screen space phones have. So it’s best to use the app with a stylus for greater detailing and accuracy.
Key Features of Ibis Paint App:
- Clipping Mask Feature
- Supported by OpenGL technology
- Record while you draw
- Smooth drawing backed by numerous painting tools
6. Medibang Paint [Free]
Medibang app is one of the excellent Japanese drawing apps for lightweight digital painting and comic creation for some artists. However, if you are looking for a reliable mobile art app, then Medibang has everything that can make your creation center of attraction. Moreover, the best part of this app is available on various devices like mobile, Mac, and Windows.
Well, if you talk about its UI, then it is very similar to Adobe suit. This Medibang app is absolutely free and packed with features while offering various online resources by which you can start.
Key Features of Medibang Paint App:
- Start creating impressive comics
- Customizable brushes and other painting tools
- Various tones, textures, and backgrounds to choose from
- Pen Correction feature for precise painting
- Use photo to draw a picture
7. Artflow [Free]
This is another free app which is offering almost everything to all types of artists. Like multiple brushes, color picker, six-step undo, and most essential support for two layers. Moreover, if you take a free version, you can save your work as a JPEG or PNG format. On the other hand, if you want more features to make your art impressive, they also have a pro-version that allows PSD format exports.
However, the best part of this app is it is user-friendly and best for professional designers who want to showcase something unique. Furthermore, Artflow adds a free app.
Key Features of Artflow App:
- GPU accelerated drawing engine
- Pressure sensitivity supported with Android tablets
- Layer Clipping mask
- Customizable Brushes and painting tools
- Export your artwork in PSD, JPG, and PNG formats
8. Infinite painter [Free]
Infinite painter app has an immense fan following as it is easy to navigate and use. However, the individual can download it from Google Play for Android tablets. Well, some of its features like powerful tools in the form of 3D rendering with a pack of 80 plus brushes make this app unique from the crowd.
Apart from that, it also offers Photoshop-compatible layers with blend modes. The Infinite Painter app can help the artist to create 3D images in five perspective views with plenty of tools. The best part is it is free and delivers impressive and outstanding work.
Key Features of Infinite Painter App:
- More than 160 customizable and natural brushes
- Layering and bleding modes
- Convert your photos into paintings
- Excellent Transformation tools including Flip, distort, skew, and Move
- Liquify tool
9. PicsArt Color [Free]
This drawing app, called PicsArt Color is serving artists for a long time. It is one of the excellent drawing apps that comes with decent features. The best part is, it comes with a pack of useful tools that will make your images extraordinary.
Moreover, it is a free app, but when it was launched, the app was priced. It delivers more than 50 different types of brushes. Apart from that, you will also get six blending modes, zoom 2500%, along with pressure sensitivity. So, overall it is not false to say that this app is really fantastic that is now free.
Key Features of PicsArt Color App:
- Textured brushes
- Multiple layering and bleding modes
- Text tools for amazing typography
- Color mixer and wheels
10. Dotpict [Free]
This is another unique drawing app, which is partly a game. However, if you like pixel art, then this app will perfectly suit you and offers a grid and zoom. Another best thing about this app is it is a simple but noteworthy 8-bit app.
This means to select a color while aiming the cursor and push to convert your imagination into reality. Moreover, it also has the feature of auto-saving, undo, redo, and you can also export your work when it is over. But there is one thing I want to tell you that it’s not heavy with various features.
Key Features of Dotpict App:
- Autosave feature to save your artwork automatically
- Great for pixel art
- Easy to share your work with others
Conclusion
And so with this, we come to the end of our catalog of the best Android apps which you can use to make digital art. Tools like these have revolutionized the art-making process, and have made it accessible to many people, all over the world.
This has allowed individuals to present and even make a living out of their craft. We hope our article has answered your questions and you’ve found the app that is best suited to your needs.