As of writing this at the beginning of March 2022, I purchased an iPad Pro for $799.99 USD, an Apple Pencil 2 for $129 USD, and a copy of Procreate for $10 USD. Here’s my review of the first 30 days of using the iPad and the App!
The last time I used any Apple product is when I had an iPod Touch. I dropped them for an Android phone when it became a pain in the butt to transfer my music files from ripped CDs that I had.
The hardware
I have a 3rd Generation 11-inch iPad Pro with 128 GB of storage and Wi-Fi. Along with it, I have an Apple Pencil 2 and an Apple Magic Keyboard for $299 USD. I purchased them all from my local Best Buy. It wasn’t too much trouble to buy and startup.
First Impressions
I spend the first hours downloading apps that my Android phone has, such as Google Docs, Dropbox, and Toggl Track. Also, some casual apps like the Shōnen Jump apps and Audible for relaxing.
I looked up some recommendation lists for iPad Artists. I found apps such as Manikin, Coolors, and VizRef. I like VizRef specifically because it’s an app version of PureRef, another desktop reference application I use all the time. Finally, I purchased the app that I bought the damn machine for: Procreate.
The Magic Keyboard feels good to type on as a portable keyboard. I was hoping it can flip backwards for easy drawing, but that’s not the case. It takes getting used to the Mac command keys, but it’s a small speed bump. The keyboard has both “CMD” and “CTRL” keys. So apps flip-flop between which one is for common shortcuts like “CTRL+TAB” and “CTRL+Z”
The iPad is smaller and lighter than my old gaming laptop, but it won’t be a substitute for my Laptop or Desktop. I often forget my laptop charger and the iPad only needs a USB-C cable for charging.(As Europe had to twist their arm)
Casual sketching
I wanted to see what it’s like to make a simple sketch. I work with the default brushes. Adjusting the settings to figure out what can do to emulate drawing with mechanical pencil on paper. I need to any palm rejection settings because I keep marking my canvas on accident.
I spend too much time fighting the slippery screen, despite having a Cintiq for years. To me, Digital Art doesn’t feel as precise as traditional art, and the iPad is no different.
My brain feels slower to sketch digital compared to my traditional art. I still need to think about the stupid tech issues instead of drawing.
By the end of the month, I’m used to the Apple Pencil. Despite its various foibles, I’ve built a brush that is good enough for my insane sketching needs.
Coloring
Procreate’s color system is typical, and I’m glad they have the Big Square color UI since I use it in Clip Studio too. I don’t know if it’s the settings, but Procreate’s fill tool is weird to me, and it doesn’t fill flat. If this is the case, I could never use this for comic flatting.
One thing that’s different from my regular workflow is that I’m drawing more “cooldown” art. Often, I have trouble turning my computer on again after a long day. But I can get the iPad from the side of my bed and make smalls doodles, or color old art I never feel I have time to color. I impressed myself by coloring a scanned ink drawing I made. With some brush setting adjustments, I knocked out a basic flat color and cel-shade in an hour!
After a week or so, I’m more and more used to sketching on the iPad more than my Cintiq. I don’t have to get to my computer desk, wake up my PC, Open Clip Studio, deal with random driver problems or slow loads. I can roll out of bed, open the tablet and get drawing with not much thought.
Inking
The stabilization features make a difference with inking. It still feels like glass compared to having a nib on paper. But I made do to adjust the settings to suit my needs. I dig the default Studio Pen and Calligraphy brush. They seem to have the right amount of stabilization for me to be precise. The tool doesn’t overcorrect my lines enough to annoy me.
I need stabilization on more of my brushes to do precise inking lines on an iPad. For some reason, the Brush Preview in the Brush Settings is the opposite of the brush settings on your actual canvas!
I had moments of frustration when I was being too anal about staying clean with my colors and lines. I figured out how to set up my brush accuracy to not need the lasso tool! Even in Clip Studio Paint, I depended on the Lasso to keep my art clean. I know other artists are fine with the messiness, but I personally have trouble letting go of that control.
Pixel Art
I learned to make a pixel art brush in Procreate from a tutorial by NoisyBlue on YouTube.
The Color Drop Tool’s settings aren’t reliable to fill colors without over spilling on my lines. It’s bothersome to re-adjust pixels to clean up. Yet, the Selection Tool lets me color fill inside selections to surprising accuracy.
In the end, Procreate is inadequate for pixel art for me. I can only make a 1-pixel brush without dithering tools, as I can in Aseprite.
I’m tracking down other brushes where I can, but I’m not encouraged to do pixel art on my iPad. It’s fine for fast drawing, but right now I’m sticking to Aseprite for my primary pixel stuff. I’m told of apps like Pixaki, so I’ll try that out in the future.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, I’m keeping my iPad as a portable digital sketchbook. With both the iPad and the Keyboard, I have a decent laptop setup that I can start stuff and then finish on my beefier desktop.
The issues I mentioned over this write-up I’ve either found a fix, an alternate setting, some more apps, or got used to the quirks of an Apple product. I’m considering getting the Paperlike Screen Cover or PenTips for my iPad to push it more into feeling like paper. I’m even looking at comparison videos by Ian Barnard.
This Owlbear piece is my first painting created completely in Procreate. The sketch stuff is okay, but I got lost in the weeds fighting with my default brushes. I’m sure I’ll improve the more I use the iPad, and I’ll write more about my experience with Procreate in future blog posts.