Ever since I was a teenager, I always wanted to graduate my art style from stick figures to something a bit more refined. Not everyone has an instinct for drawing, but quite a few would love to draw better and many of us desire to sketch like a pro. ShadowDraw, a creative app for the upcoming Apple iOS 11 update, allows the unskilled Picasso-to-be to learn from the greats.
https://youtu.be/KvNyRnZcyV0
By following the sketch-by-sketch processes of renowned artists, you match a series of lines until the finished piece emerges, but you’re not simply tracing or coloring in the lines. Each drawing progresses with the actual stroke the artists use, allowing you to see the process and match it along the way. Once you get the hang of it, the next stroke presents itself to be mimicked. This continues until your work resembles the professional artist’s work rather than something that resembles a wastebucket set on fire. Your drawing can then be recorded as a video, GIF, or image file which you can use to boast vehemently to your unartistic friends about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=9BCgYuMCVwE
The artists who are collaborating with the project are no joke, either. The roster consists of artists from Disney, Dreamworks, Marvel, and DC Comics, just to name a few. While the app itself is free, you do need to pay a monthly subscription in order to unlock tutorials from your preferred artist. Exclusive and limited edition tutorials will also be made available as standalone purchases.
The app is one of many programs envisioned by co-founder Marty McDonough after a childhood accident resulted in the death of his little brother and the paralysis of his mother. He wants to make a wide variety of skills attainable through the easiest and most enjoyable way possible. If ShadowDraw becomes a success, McDonough will be that much closer to accomplishing his goal.
Shadowdraw will be compatible with the iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad 4th Generation, iPad 5th Generation, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3 and iPad Mini 4. Though any stylus will work with the program, it is best used in conjunction with the Apple Pencil.
The project has currently completed 4% of its $29,000 goal on Indiegogo. It’s still to be seen if a user can eventually draw without the aid of the tutorials, but for now, the possibility of creating your own comic book just got a lot more real. To learn more about turning your childhood drawing fantasies into reality, you can head over to the app’s official website.
