Artstudio Pro for iPad - First Impressions

I got a lot of feedback on last week's video. There were a lot of people surprised I didn't have Artstudio on my list. This week I'm taking a look at the app.
I mentioned Borodante in this video, you can check out his video here. • Best on iPad Pro: Arts...
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[@LuckyClan]

Hi. I'm owner of Lucky Clan and developer of Artstudio Pro. First of all thank you for a great detailed review. Here are few remarks: Screen recording is disabled by default - to save disk space and prevent for a lag (very small) on older devices. To enable it - turn on “Video Recording” option in Artstudio>Preferences To draw Straight Lines tap “More…” in bottom toolbar, and change Drawing Mode Line (there is also rectangle, ellipse and polygon). Liquify - Artstudio Pro has it! It is available in Filter>Elastify, it works in a similar way to other apps, the advantage is very big max brush size (100% of image size) and very useful “Smooth” mode. Grid - we have both Perspective Grid (with Assist) and normal Grid. There are also Guidelines - dynamic and manual. All these options are available in View submenu. Bucket Fill tool - there is threshold value, but it is named Tolerance - available in bottom toolbar after you activate Bucket Fill tool To improve filling near area edge you can also try Edges: Smart (in bottom toolbar) To start drawing with 2 layers (Background + Empty) tap File>New>New Empty… (or tap + icon in Gallery) and change Background to: White+Transparent Autosaving - it is performed every 5 minutes by default, but you can change that to any other value in Artstudio>Preferences. Put 0 there to disable it. It takes a bit more time than in non-icloud apps because full iCloud integration needs some additional tasks to be done - generating document thumbnail and preview.

[@LuckyClan]

Sorry, we don't have such plans.

[@foljs5858]

Hello, Lucky. Great work! One thing I'd like to see is a dynamic watercolor brush that works like the one in Tayasui sketches does. And/or perhaps their pattern draw/fill tools as well (procreate lacks both as well).

[@SourianteOrange]

@@LuckyClan Hi! What about Windows? For ex, Windows Surface Pro tabs. Thanks.

[@LuckyClan]

Souriante Orange So, there is no windows version, and it is not planned for a near future.

[@SourianteOrange]

@@RadioactiveRoach Hi. I understand your feelings and share them all. There are so many semi or full professional apps for ipad pro and almost none for Android which builds a clear line between art-type tabs and business oriented devices. I am not sure that it is a good thing but definitely it has been a tendency lately.

[@chariots8x230]

Can you update your review of ArtStudio Pro? It's already been a year.

[@gadsdad]

I looked through the comments briefly and didn't see that anyone mentioned that the selection/transform tools here are top notch, also this app has layer effects like Photoshop has. The line tool is under the "More" option at the bottom to the left of the brush options. Thanks for the overview, God bless:-)

[@slimecorn]

The canvas resizing is enough for me to want this~

[@derpykaichu]

Ki M i hate procreate just bcoz it cant resize canvas lol

[@thedigitalnoodle4021]

derpykaichu do you love Procreate now as this has been patched up.

[@dcrbdh]

There are perspective grids, Although I prefer procreates. Also the gestures make Procreate nice. I bounce back and forth between this program and procreate depending on what I am doing (ie ellipse) Also this app gets updated tons, its changed a lot since I bought it.

[@luzianawijayatanjung7916]

Always love your video, good information 👍🏻

[@Abc-qs8ir]

Wow Brad your painting here is unbelievable ☺️

[@hagarelhabashy5819]

In this app the liqify tool is called elastify you can find it in the filters menu Abr import works perfectly it also supports tpl but it don’t know how that works Perspective grids and standard grids are also there It did take me a while to find but in the view menu there’s a show tab and in that a show perspective grid option After that you can edit perspective grid settings from the view tab as well. There’s also a snap feature in the view menu You can edit the preferences from artstudio>preferences. From there you can also remove the annoying auto save loading window. It will still save when you switch between documents and you can save the old fashioned way which is not as perfect as procreate but it’s a very small trade off for getting photoshop like power on the iPad. You can also edit the new document layer thing .on the new canvas menu you can default the documents to make a background layer and another layer. Go to to new document > background> white+transparent. this was also something that annoyed me There also clipping masks

[@jngarrettart]

Nice review! Glad you tried this one. I think my own impressions of this app were pretty similar on the whole. I’ve only recently discovered this Artstudio Pro, and it’s definitely already got a place in my workflow. Procreate is still my personal #1, and I don’t foresee that changing. It’s just SUCH a fantastic drawing and painting experience, and the brushes and tools are hard to beat for its combined simplicity, elegance, and power. That said, Artstudio Pro is now making a very handy #2 for me. The Photoshop brush import is SUPER handy, opening a wide range of brush import possibilities (and while I LOVE the Serif apps, Artstudio Pro’s converter does work better than Affinity’s for keeping brush settings intact. I can now use all of Kyle Webster’s brushes on my iPad! 😁) It also feels similar enough to Procreate to make for a nice painting experience for a few projects where I can’t use my favorite app or when I want to use some of the Artstudio-specific tools. Having said that the brush converter is better than Affinity, I also want to clarify that the Affinity apps are still very high on my own favorites list for their own reasons. Procreate, Artstudio Pro, and Affinity Photo are easily my top three most-used art apps these days, and I’m hoping to learn to work more in Designer as well. Thanks again for the review! I really enjoy your channel.

[@Buzzed4LightYears]

Another great video Brad, and I agree, Borodante has some great informative videos as well. People should check out his channel. Anyway, great stuff, keep it up 👍🏼

[@frederickfranklin6029]

This app is really good. Getting it right now

[@WolfMoonWings]

Everyone loves Procreate but I could not actually use it for my art. The brush engine felt awful to me idk why. So this is an excellent option for artists who are looking for an alternative. I don’t notice any lag at all with the brushes and see no difference in speed between the two. Oh, Artstudio Pro can also make straight lines and ellipses with any brush you just need to go into the brush settings. Anyway I’m just glad more people can hear about it and not feel like they wasted their money on the iPad if Procreate isn’t working for them.

[@smokkoms11]

I agree about the brushes sooooo much. They feel like.....wobbly, unpredictable, simply not quite my style. Artstudio makes them more like in Photoshop and that is what I wanted.

[@eknib]

+1 to this! The brush engine never felt good to me in procreate.. this is much closer to Photoshop

[@SourianteOrange]

Hi, Brad! First of all, thank you for this useful review! Also, I have read some of the comments and there was said clearly that this is a no-going Andorid app which is one more nail in this type of tablets. So, slowly by slowly the Android users have been turning into a business-type people and ipad pro users- semi or full professional creatives. Microsoft is somewhere in the middle between both groups. Maybe I am asking too much from you but could you create a video about the art app options for those 3 types of users? Have a nice day from Belgium!

[@jennya9163]

Its recent update made it even better!

[@CHIUAUAbear2000]

Borodante! I see you are a man of culture

[@phantomapprentice6749]

The only thing I was missing in Procreate are filters and this app seems to have them so I'm going to work with both most likely. +1 for non-subscription software

[@sashaschadefoxrichards8030]

oh shoot! that's pretty awesome!

[@edboymovies]

I feel like this is between pro create and the new supposed full photoshop coming out next year

[@DraNchan]

Any customizable gesture shortcuts? Like for flipping the canvas horizontal?

[@SamOliver4]

Could you potentially use Procreate and Artstudio Pro together, since it seems they can both import and export PSD files? They both have enough features that the other doesn't have that I think they're both worth using, and if it's possible to use them both together, that might be enough to completely knock out desktop Photoshop entirely.

[@naderfilms3860]

Hey Brad I love your content and i am waiting for the video you are going to upload when you get the KZbin play button ♥️ Something I would like is if you do more stuff related to your art maybe more entertainment Idk...

[@ramonguzman3371]

Yes

[@IAcePTI]

Hi Brad! I tried the Medibang and it have the pixel brush and when you zoom you get the pixel grid like photoshop, what makes easy do to pixel art even with the finger, does Artstudio Pro or Procreate have the pixel 1x1 without Anti-aliasing and that zoom grid?

[@VJFranzK]

Fill Bucket - Hooray! This looks quite good, what about VS Affinity Photo?

[@PumperWolf]

Why you don’t try the Mac app? Maybe have advantages having both with iCloud

[@MrMichelPM]

Great first impressions video. Art Studio Pro DOES HAVE a perspective grid and ruler grid, as well (just like in Photoshop ). You missed these on your quick overview. I do not why you don't see the very strong resemblance to Photoshop here than to Procreate. The app is more Photoshop-like than Procreate-like. This app is basically a Photoshop clone a Lot more than Procreate OR the version of Pixelmator which is horrible on iOS, but the UI in Pixelmator for the Mac looks pretty much exactly like Photoshop. Weird that. I have been using Art Studio since it debut in the iOS App Store when the very first 2010 iPad came out! Art Studio has always been a great app and the app devs made Art Studio Pro even better than the original version. I much prefer Art Studio Pro over Procreate because it is a more familiar drawing environment Much less of a learning curve and you can start drawing with this app right off! It’s a shame you never discovered this app earlier Supports all of the major Bluetooth stylii out there including a new contender call the Sonar Pen. This Sonar Pen stylus works similarly to the much older HEX3 JaJa stylus except it uses sound that is isolated by using an iPad’s headphone jack for better sound/signal isolation. The old HEX3 Jaja relied on the iPad’s microphone for detecting the JaJa’ s high pitched signals and if the room was too noisy the iPad’s microphone had trouble detecting the writing signals from the HEX3 Jaja stylus. This new Sonar Pen works with every single iPad made, to date! If interested here is the link to the Sonar Pen here. www.indiegogo.com/projects/sonarpen-world-s-most-affordable-smart-pen#/

[@thanekyrell1710]

This has nothing to do with the app or video, but I'm looking into buying the new 2018 ipad. I wanted to know whether I should get 32 gb or 128 gb version. I would only use it for sketching on the go, and I'm not planning on using it for anything else, other than streaming music. I can afford the 128 gb, but I'd rather save the money if I don't need it. Any recommendations?

[@StefanLightkick]

There is liquify here :) It's just called elastify instead...

[@hatguyfan22]

YAAAAY I've been looking for this! This app looks nice and I want to try it so bad but since I'm giving away my iPad I don't think it'll be worth purchasing. I wish there was a Windows/Surface Pro version ;-; I asked and they said it would take too long. The Surface Pro lacks quality art apps with distraction-free UI. This app would be perfect for Surface Pro! Maybe the developer can be convinced to make a Surface version?

[@marcodimario9918]

It's undoubtedly a great App, really great! But I much prefer Procreate because it has a better UI, a more streamlined workflow and the fastest brush engine and canvas engine. Artstudio Pro has more tools, it's more "Photoshop Like" and it has also a great brush engine, less fast than Procreate but with some very good features, like a great control of flow and transparency. For my Procreate is my favorite and my main tool for digital painting, but Artstudio Pro is a great competitor.

[@arpitas5952]

Marco Di Mario is this app free?

[@marcodimario9918]

No. It's not free. And I don't see why it should be free! It's a professional grade app and the main competitor of Procreate.

[@Pavankumar-cg2wb]

iPad 2018 vs surface go which one is best for art ?

[@tylerroach928]

I wish in Procreate you could move all your tools where ever you want them, I have limited range of motion so it's a pain in the butt to have to reach in every corner of the screen to do what I need to do

[@smokkoms11]

I am glad to see that video. I hope that Artstudio Pro will become more visible. Comparing it to Procreate- Artstudio Pro is simply more professional. Good video though!

[@Fabio-rg9nv]

ProArcher I don‘t think you can say it is „more professional“. The thing is, it looks and behaves more like a desktop application and that probably gives you more of a „professional“ feel. It‘s because we‘re used to the computer platform and the way professional computer applications are. But in my opinion it‘s exactly the UI in Procreate that makes it better because it‘s designed with the iPad in mind from the ground up. And for the iPad experience that is key. It‘s difficult to define the word professional and what an app needs to be professional. Procreate gives you a great iPad experience, nothing is in your way and the workflow is just really great. You can really concentrate on your canvas and actual art. ArtStudio gives you more features and a desktop like interface, but in my opinion that doesn‘t make it more „professional“. At the end it comes down to the needs of the user and what he prefers. And if someone needs those extra features and possibilities, ArtStudio is better. But as long as Procreate gives you everything you need, it is as professional and better when it comes to the experience.

[@demetriussaulsberry3714]

I have a question. I used the transform tool and made something smaller, but it popped back to its original size. What am I doing wrong?

[@kelvinblanket539]

Hey do you know if you can add a video link to a picture?

[@Wez_art2]

I’ve watch about 5 of your vids today and all I hear is procreate 😅 just bought a iPad 6 hen with apple pen, new to digital art, what should I start with ?

[@beanpasteposts]

I’ve used both for many years, and Artstudio had perspective grids before Procreate even had them.

[@ragecandy]

I bought it cause all the hype from borodante and it just made me realize how much I prefer procreate’s brush engine to photoshop’s... At least now I can crop stuff without going to the pc orz

[@JakeTheLateCreates]

I’ve also been frankensteining apps on my iPad to maximize productivity. Like I *only* use SBP for its ellipse and radial symmetry tools( SBP still has the better symmetry tool, imo) and for making text.

[@darrenalbertson-digitaldus6227]

And the great thing is popping back and forth between apps on the iPad is pretty quick and painless when you want to use your favorite feature from different apps.

[@realdeal9981]

I'm not commenting on how one app is better than another or any kind of BS like that. I like the app. I have created many many works with it, all on just an Iphone, and a finger tip. Just was wondering is there a way to flip a layer after it's duplicated.......I love the app, keep up the good work.

[@SamAdamsDesigns]

It looks cool! However I think I’m good with procreate, clip studio, and affinity designer. I don’t think this one adds anything for me 🧐🧐

[@DasiaBlue]

We need an update!

[@switchfan9471]

I see this app & Procreate lack a sub widow like ClipStudio has We need that reference !!!!

[@GameArtNinja]

I used Procreate until I discovered Clip Studio Paint :). Because of "out of the box" mixing brushes I found it is the best painting app on iPad pro. With every app, I had to discover first what are mixing brushes and how it works, but with CSP there are realistic brushes that automatically mix colours and then if you press less same brush will smudge colours like you would get with a real brush.

[@joshmarks1]

how do you rotate text on artstudio ?

[@rukeyser]

What tool do you draw with?

[@rodrigolopes3229]

Maybe I'm missing something but the fact that you only have those pre-defined colors on the right side but no color wheel or something like that is really pissing me off. Is there a way to get the colors like in the tablet mode in the desktop mode? Please say there is!

[@thebradcolbow]

Yes, there is a color square that lets you choose any color you want. Then you can save that color to the side pallet.

[@mysticplaysgacha9548]

I need help to help flipping canvas on art studio non on iPad

[@amanthy]

Does this have a stabilizer tool?

[@JohannesLabusch]

I have a love / hate relationship with Artstudio Pro. My 2 main reasons for trying to make peace with it are: iPad app PLUS Mac desktop app. Great. If ProCreate did this, I'd be gone. Number 2 may sound crazy, but it has to do with your colleague Boro Dante whom you mention: There's a "borodante" brush in ArtStudio Pro that I do 90% of my stuff with these days! I'm not proud of the fact that I suck at designing my own brushes, but I've never been able to figure out anything close to what Boro did with this brush. It must have something to do with ArtStudio's algorithm, 'cause I can't install or imitate it in Photoshop. Finally: they should totally cut you a check, 'cause ALL of their online instruction material SUCKS very, very badly. I guess that's the last thing a small company can invest in, but Jesus.

[@biikcus]

UPDATE VIDEO PLEASE? :D

[@m.w.r.1408]

Is the iPad Pro a good replacement for a desktop drawing tablet or is it only a sketching tool?

[@slimecorn]

You can make some really good work on it if you know what you're doing. If you make a good workflow I think its replaceable depending on what you do.

[@alejomiranda95]

It is waaay better than any other tablet (no latency, 120hz screen, better stylus) and apps like Procreate and Affinity Photo/Designer are fully fledge professional apps that you can use.

[@JakeTheLateCreates]

I’ve been doing concept work for a video game the last few months, and my director has never commented about whether I was using a desktop or not, so for me yes, I absolutely can use it as a professional device.

[@jimez86]

To be perfectly frank, the iPad is probably the best graphics tablet on the market right now when you consider price. The quality it is delivering is WAY above its price point. It's weird to talk about an apple product this way, but it is honestly the best budget graphics tablet you can get. Even better, a lot of the art programs that you use on desktop have(or will have full ports), and are about 1/3 in price. So hardware and software is cheaper. There some minor gripes. The Pencil needs to be recharged pretty much daily. The Pencil lacks hover, so you can't see where you are painting until you touch the screen. The screen sizes aren't as big as desktop competitors (though resolution is better). That's pretty much it for me, those are hardly deal breakers, and size issue can also be a convenience since it's very couchable device.

[@neshiah4747]

I have to I have to agree with all comments. You can work at A2 size in Procreate very comfortably.

[@NoOnesaidthis]

Comic draw looks nice

[@kawaiiartist4945]

Pls review art flow on Android

[@jugapugz]

Hey, have you tried MediBang Paint? it has Windows, OSX, iOS, and Android... EDIT: nvm...found it in your channel

[@Pauluz_The_Web_Gnome]

I'll stick to ProCreate and upcoming Photoshop for iPad! What else do you need! 😂

[@soysaucavenger]

i read this as Astropad Pro

[@phirumyin3825]

Try Paintstorm Studio

[@ibite1135]

He should use IBS paint

[@Artofizanagi]

Procreate still the champ. Specially after their recent update.

[@IamMusicNerd]

It’s very nice, but it’s also worth mentioning that it’s twice the price of Procreate.

[@LuckyClan]

Not exactly. Artstudio Pro: $11.99. Procreate: $9.99.

[@eknib]

Clipping masks!!! Do we finally have an app that doesn’t just cater to hobbyists?

[@JakeTheLateCreates]

What are clipping masks used for?

[@hagarelhabashy5819]

Jake Amo if you paint a color on a layer then add another layer and set it to clipping mask, everything you paint on the mask will appear only within the bounds of the first layer. So if you’re drawing a character and you want to use the alpha lock or lock transparency feature to keep everything you paint within the bounds of the character clipping masks let you do that but using layers that you can manipulate. There also several other uses for them but this is where I see digital artists using them. I think it goes deeper than that though.

[@darrenalbertson-digitaldus6227]

I supect the plethora of professional artists who use Procreate to make a living would take exception to being labeled a "hobbyist" and suggest you may want to search and see what is being done with it on a professional level.

[@eknib]

Darren Albertson A app catering to hobbyists doesn't mean people don't try to use it for professional work :) Many do, but if you ask most concept artists working in the game & movie industry, the lack of clipping masks, resize canvas, gradients, adjustment layers, and a brush engine & pressure sensitivity that feels too unpredictable, it's not ready for production work in those industries. But I don't think that's procreates market either, which is fine..

[@roofoofighter]

You’re like my wife, confusing left and right, LOL P.s. nice drawing and review!

[@thebradcolbow]

haha, I caught that when I was reviewing the final video. I thought, screw it, I'm publishing anyway!

[@jetsonjoe]

don't you worry...text is coming to procreate...soon.

[@Jaxvmn]

Hi hi hi hi hi hi

[@NoOnesaidthis]

Art studio is meh.... with procreate, designer, vectornator