BEST OF 2018

App of the Year: Procreate Pocket

Procreate Pocket

Sketch and Paint on iPhone.

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Procreate Pocket is iPhone App of the Year because: It allows artists of all levels to paint, draw, and sketch without compromise, wherever inspiration strikes.

It’s not often we see an app with the depth and power of Procreate Pocket. This best-in-class digital-art app unlocks the power of iPhone as a tool for professionals and hobbyists alike, combining a portable canvas with precision features previously only available on iPad and Mac.

Zoom in to super-high-resolution canvases and make even the finest details pixel-perfect.

Developed by Savage Interactive in the wilds of Tasmania, Procreate Pocket lets you zoom in to super-high-resolution canvases and make even the finest details pixel-perfect. It offers more than 135 preset textured brushes in myriad painting styles, including acrylic and watercolor, as well as charcoal sticks and calligraphy pens. There’s even Gaussian Blur, a favorite among graphic artists for softening lines.

Responsive touch controls make painting and drawing with Procreate Pocket feel surprisingly natural. Press harder and the line gets thicker, thanks to 3D Touch. Mix a full spectrum of colors on the app’s digital palette. Switching among canvas layers, tools, and effects is as seamless as an unbroken line.

There’s no limit to what you can create with Procreate Pocket’s brushes in hand.

The app makes it easy to quickly adjust your brushstroke as you work. On the left of your canvas, you’ll spy two unobtrusive semicircles; drag these up or down to quickly adjust brush size and opacity. For more granular adjustments, like jitter and taper, tap the name of the tool in the brushes menu.

Even curious hobbyists will be drawn (pun intended) to the simple user interface. As you’re creating, you can readily go back and remove the rogue line you just drew by tapping with two fingers. (Didn’t mean to undo the stroke? Tap with three and it’ll reappear.)

When you’re done, view a time-lapse replay of your creation process from beginning to end in 4K resolution. Post that video on social media to wow your friends and followers. And when a client (or your mom) requests a copy of your masterpiece, send it in one of six file types. Art, after all, is meant to be shared with the world.

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