Today, from the great wild yonder of the iTunes App store comes the design tool of the century, or at least the next few days. Whatever you call it, if you have an iPhone and like to sketch, you’ll love it.
AutoDesk has released a mobile version of its SketchBook Pro product upon the masses. It’s appropriately called SketchBook Mobile and it is so ready to be downloaded, used and reviewed. That’s exactly what we’re gonna do, plus give you a comparison of the features with similar apps you may like to know about as well.
Update! Since this review, you may be interested to know that AutoDesk has released version 1.1 of their popular iPhone Sketching App. It has a few more layer features, brush resize preview and export to .PSD format with layers intact!! Good stuff. Check it out.
Who Loves Finger Sketchin’?
This isn’t the first Sketch-type app to hit the iPhone, but it is the first attempt a major product development company has made toward porting one of their design products to the popular mobile device. It takes the idea of conceptual sketch design using a large screen and a Wacom tablet and shoves it down into the tiny, yet addictively convenient interface of the iPhone touchscreen.
You sketch with your finger, erase with your finger, tap-tap and zoom with your finger. Hopefully, you have fingers. If you do, it’s a lot like wiping smears off your screen, with color appearing beneath. But, with the brush tools provided you get the sensation that you are using a device to create the most amazing idea that ever popped in your head.
The Marking Menu. A main set of brushes and access to settings, layers and color.
If you’re familiar with Sketchbook Pro, you’ll recognize the Marking Menus, tools and a similar process. It’s all been simplified to make it work within the confines of the screen. That all means there are fewer options, but for what is available, it’s an easily functional tool on it’s first trip into the city. So, the sketch workflow will be somewhat familiar for those who have used illustration programs and the workflow is exactly what we’ll look at next.
The Workflow
Depending on what you design or find yourself sketching on a bar stool at the pub, there are likely different workflows you’ll use. Although working with Sketchbook Mobile is similar to how other software operates, it’s not as exact a process. Probably the quickest way to become familiar with the options and sketching on your cute little screen, is to import a photo of a sketch from your iPhone photo gallery. The Layer function allows you to import a photo to a single layer. After that, it’s time to pick a brush and go at it.
Below is the process I went through to throw a splash of color on a robot I recently sketched. I had already drawn it, so I snapped a photo and slapped it on a layer. At first you’ll go through a lot of Brush size adjustment, figuring out what color and opacity of brush you want. You’ll use undo a bit (double-tap lower left corner). You’ll want to remember two things. You can not delete a layer, but you can clear it (double-tap upper left corner) and look up every once in a while or you’ll go cross-eyed. Here’s how it went down.
Importing a Photo to a layer and creating another layer to sketch on top
Picking the color you want to use from the Customizable Color Swatches
Customizing the color you want to use
Picking the Brush you want to use from the Brush Palette
Customizing the Brush you've chosen
Using the selected Brush to trace over an imported sketch
Lots of Panning/Zooming in and out to get more detail
After repeating the above many times, the final sketch (Cropped in Photoshop)
The Feature Real
To get a better idea of exactly how it functions, here’s the feature video AutoDesk put together for the launch. There will also be some tutorials available shortly, we’ll be sure to link up when they go live.
Conclusion
If you think sketching on a sheet of paper is difficult, you may not understand why this, or other sketch tools, would be such a popular or useful app. However, Sketchbook Mobile has a utility and fun factor for many designers and engineers that can not be ignored. It lacks a lot of Layer features that are really needed to take an idea to the next level via Photoshop or Illustrator. The ability to export layers via a .PSD file is crucial. Generally, more options for the layers and the ability to save your brush settings would be incredibly helpful.
With the advantage of being the first design tool developed by a product development company for the iPhone, Sketchbook Mobile has strong possibilities of defining a toolset and workflow on handheld device for many future apps. The Marking Menu and double-tap corner commands are evidence of this. It provides quick access to a lot of options. Although a little hard to navigate through the different settings at first, the commands become more familiar, the more you use it. Just like many other iPhone Apps. And like other iPhone Apps, it’s cheap. Only $2.99 at the app store.
The Smack
A lot of cool stuff in this little app, but these are the best.
- 6 Layers
- Responsive controls
- Amazing Brush options
- Customizable Color Palette
- Symmetrical Sketching
- Large Format – 1024 x 682
The Whack
In general, there needs to be a lot more options. These are the top ones needed.
- Layer Option
- Pantone color presets
- Saving Custom Brushes
- Cropping
- PSD export
Quick Comparison
As Drawing Apps for the iPhone go, there are plenty. Brushes is nice. Layers is another with a lot of features attractive to those who sketch. While they’re better than Sketchbook Mobile in some areas, Sketchbook Mobile has a much better set of brush options with more responsive actions than the other two. Here is the quick comparison of all three.
| Brushes (version 2.0) |
Layers (version 1.0) |
Sketchbook Mobile (version 1.0) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Export Size | 320 x 480 | 512 x 512 | 1024 x 682 (3GS) 600 x 400 (Other) |
| Export Format | to Photos | to Photos, Email JPEG, Email PSD |
to Photos, Email PNG |
| Brushes | No presets, Customizable |
10 presets, Customizable |
25 presets, Customizable |
| Layers | 4 | 5 | 6 (3GS) 3 (Other) |
| Layer Reorder |  |
|
|
| Layer Transparency | |
 |
|
| Layer Duplicate | |
|
|
| Layer Rotate | |
|
|
| Layer Hide | |
|
|
| Layer Merge | |
|
|
| Layer Delete | |
|
|
| Layer Import Photo | |
|
|
| Layer Background Fill | |
|
|
| Undo/Redo | |
|
|
| Cropping | |
|
|
| Gallery | |
|
|
| Help/Tips | |
|
|
| Eyedropper (ColorPicker) | |
|
|
| Pan/Zoom | |
|
|
| Sync | |
|
|
| Landscape Mode | |
|
|
| Price | $4.99 | $4.99 | $2.99 |
| Website | Link | Link | Link |
More Resources
The Sketchbook® Mobile iPhone App (iTunes)
The Sketchbook® Mobile Feature Reel
The Sketchbook® Mobile Group on Flickr
The AutoDesk YouTube Channel
Car image: Kevin Richards on Flickr
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{ 26 comments }
When I first saw this I thought it was cool, but now I see that your sketching with your fingers, it is more a fingerpaint app not a sketch app :S
Do you ever see someone sketching on a sketchpad with his fingers?
Geez, watching that video… crazy skills. Don't think I'll ever be that talented…
yes, most things on a touchscreen are like fingerpainting. That's kind of the novelty of the phone and the app, ya know. It's definitely not the most exact process, but it's hella fun.
It took some practice but I've been able to make some useful sketches, very convenient tool!
Kevin
what about Colors! for Iphone?
are you talking about the coloring book app? do you have a link?
Thanks for posting this. I wondered which of the paint apps would have the largest canvas, so Sketchbook Mobile gets my money
yep, if resolution is the question, then Sketchbook Mobil by far. Pretty much the big thing lacking with SB Mobile are layer options. Once those are added, it's hands down the best.
I tried to put it in my old i-phone and it said that it was incompatible. Anyon ecol dadivse me if there is a way of download it in a normal 8G i-phone?
I think you need the iphone 3GS. not for sure, but that's what I'm using. you may want to check that you're on the latest itunes/iphone update.
Thanks, Josh,
Not only for responding, but for reading an ilegible comment! I guest that I was CUI when I did it. CUI: Commenting under the influence…
So if I want to use this program, I have to change my I-phone…
Thanks again.
yep, most likely. the new 1.1 version came out. Looks like they are actively developing this. It's a nice app, but if I had to spend money somewhere it would be on Sketchbook Pro and a Cintiq Tablet!
What about Inspire from KiwiPixel? http://kiwipixel.com/Inspire/index.html
Anyone try this with a iPhone compatible pen (stylus)? BTW…It loaded and works fine on my 1st gen iPhone.
I haven't tried it. To be honest, I had no idea a stylus was available. Beats tearing off a finger to use as a stylus. I must check it out.
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SketchBook Mobile does have layer transparency. If you select layers from the marking menu, once in the layer stack, select a layer and you will see a slider for changing the transparency of the layer. Is this what you were looking for?
Sketchbook also have layer delete. If you select layers from the marking menu, once in the layer stack, if there is more than one layer, the standard iPod delete icon appears for deleting a layer. Also, the last update added a pseudo landscape mode in the prefs – this changes the import of am image to landscape for left-handed users. (? > Prefs> Import Landscape (Left). These were probably added after your article.
Yep Rae, it does in the new version. When I did this reveiw, it did not have it. Really glad they did add it. I link to the 1.1 update review up above. Thanks! Makes you wonder what's next huh.
I am sure those who are making impressive detailed sketches are using a stylus for the iPhone
http://www.google.com/products?rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS...
I am sure that those sketching incredible detailed sketches are using a stylus for iPhone?
http://www.google.com/products?rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS...
Cheers
a stylus or they have very pointy fingers. It's hard to think they're not, but I have it on good word some actually do use their fingers. The zoom helps, but get's really pixely up close. I've zoomed in to get some really fine detail on trees, but there was a bit of undo-ing to get it just right.
I just purchased the Sketchbook Pro 2010 for mac and tablet and I noticed that the brush selection is not the same as it is in the iphone version. How can I add these additional brushes? Thanks
Hi Arta, from what I hear, there may be more iPhone type functions, like the brushes coming to Pro. I'm not sure when they're slated to hit, but I'll try to find out a little more.
Hi Arta, from what I hear, there may be more iPhone type functions, like the brushes coming to Pro. I'm not sure when they're slated to hit, but I'll try to find out a little more.
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