There are several apps artists can use to put their creative ideas onto a digital canvas. The popular among iOS and iPadOS users is Procreate. It has tons of functionality, offering anything a creator could need. But the most significant limitation is that it’s only available for Apple products. So, if you have an Android phone or tablet, you must look elsewhere. Luckily, there are a few excellent Procreate alternatives.
Good to know: Here are all the Apple Pencil essentials you need to know, including how to set it up, use it, and troubleshoot.
1. Sketchbook
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Just like Procreate, Sketchbook is a raster graphics software app. It has many of the same capabilities as Procreate, making it an excellent alternative if you want to start expressive drawing and some animation.
It has a variety of drawing tools, such as pencils, markers, and brushes and is compatible with pressure-sensitive pens and drawing tablets. On the website, there are free objects for download, including additional skin tones, color palettes, and etch effects. Sketchbook Pro is available for desktop computers, while the original Sketchbook is available for Android and iOS devices.
Tip: Learn how you can run Android apps in Windows.
2. Infinite Painter
Price: Free with in-app purchases
With over 10 million downloads, Infinite Painter is another highly popular choice for Android creators. It has a minimalist user interface, which is important for distraction-free drawing, and features a set of powerful tools to create almost anything.
In addition to converting brush strokes into editable shapes, you can also share timelapse footage of your drawing process. The app includes hundreds of brush and customizable stroke settings, and is compatible with most pencils for full pressure and tilt support. Infinite Painter is available for free, with in-app purchases.
Tip: Check out some of the best note-taking apps for Android.
3. ArtFlow
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Featuring over 80 brushes and various creative functions, ArtFlow is a GPU-accelerated paint engine that supports canvases up to 6144 pixels by 6144 pixels with as many as 50 layers.
You can create intricate designs as it supports pressure-sensitive brush strokes and 10-layer filters and export your creations to all popular formats. If you draw with your palm on the display, you don’t need to worry about accidental zooming for moving, as ArtFlow has palm-rejection technology to prevent that. ArtFlow is a free download for the basic functions, but it requires a pro license for additional advanced features.
4. Tayasui Sketches
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Where most raster graphics software apps focus on creating content in different mediums and styles, Tayasui Sketches focuses primarily on drafting sketches.
It claims to have “the most realistic tools” and provides you with a variety of pencils, dry and wet watercolor brushes, acrylic brushes and several pen styles. Adapting to your stylus’s pressure, angle, and width to your movements, the app aims to replicate what a brush on paper would look like. Tayasui Sketches is a free download, but there is a one-time in-app payment for pro features like tool variants and additional layers.
Do you know: If you prefer to do sketching work on Windows instead, here are some of the best sketching apps for Windows.
5. ArtRage: Draw, Paint, Create
Price: $2.99
If you enjoy working with blending tools such as paint thinners and pencil softness, then ArtRage is the perfect drawing app for you. It includes many tool presets to get going quickly, but you can also customize each one to suit your style better.
In addition to oil brushes, inking pens and pencil tools, it also includes layers with different blend modes, a fill tool to easily cover large sections of the canvas and the ability to add tracing images for accurate copying. Art created in the mobile app can be edited on the desktop application or exported as PNG and JPG images for sharing.
6. Krita
Price: Free with in-app purchases
With an interface that’s similar to Adobe’s Photoshop, Krita is a full-featured and free drawing app from the Netherlands. It’s best suited for comics, animations and concept art, and includes a variety of tools you’d expect.
In addition to a powerful brush stroke engine, Krita has stabilizers for freehand inking, assistants for constructing complex scenes, and when you need to focus on what matters at the moment, there is a distraction-free canvas-only mode. This removes the on-screen elements for a clean surface. While not a primary focus, it also supports the creation of animations through onion skinning and scripting in Python. It is only available for Android tablets, with support for mobile phones currently in development.
Krita is also available for Linux, Windows and macOS.
7. PaperColor
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Developed by Colorfit, PaperColor is another Android drawing app with over 10 million downloads. It features an extensive library of drawing tools, color palettes and paintbrush styles.
To help you on your creative journey, you can import photos or other images into a separate layer and set the transparency so you can trace and copy art. For an added personal touch, there is a signature function so you can sign your pieces and share them with friends and family.
8. MediBang Paint
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Regarded as one of the best drawing apps and, by extension, an excellent alternative to Procreate, MediBang Paint features over 180 brushes and 1,000 screen tones, fonts from Fontworks and filters.
A great starting point for beginners, you can easily trace objects from imported images and photos to create your own stickers and icons. It has a simple user interface that minimizes on-screen clutter, making it easier for you to find the correct tools. If you want to learn more about drawing, there are several professional illustration exercises and explanations.
Do note that while starting off is easy, but more advanced functions can be complex for beginners, and you need to pay for additional features
Tip: Looking for a new drawing tablet? Check out our review of the XPPen Artist 10 Tablet Display (2nd Gen).
Image credit: Unsplash
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