I cannot believe how much fun it is, and how Freeing, to make art on an iPad. I have started a weekly class and can't stop picking up the iPad and playing with some newly discovered aspect of the art app.
There's something very freeing about not having to buy Paint and pencils, canvasses and watercolour paper in order to be able to mimic the effects of it all on the screen. I have always been a little intimidated to buy all of the paraphernalia; one needs enough to make things work well, but not so much as will be hard to give away if it's not the right thing...
I also love the "undo" and "trash" buttons. I can choose to struggle with a "fix" or just delete. Entirely freeing!
ArtRage is the app I am using, and it is quite wonderful with its range of tools and range of settings for each Tool. Each new work is a sizeable file because of the way the app mimics wetness of paint and drying times, etc. There are layers to play with, colour samplers, importing of photos for tracing, and a palette knife (my personal favourite, so far).
One thing I haven't figured out yet is the "auto-namer" for paintings.
For example, one of our assignments was to do a series of self-portraits. Following is one of me with a bad cold:
ArtRage named this "Boy with a Red Waistcoat"!
Another piece I did especially to see what name it would receive:
ArtRage name: "Ballet at the Paris Opera."
Auto-fillers are the subject of much recent humour and for good reason. But I've yet to see anything so serendipitous and Delightful as the ArtRage one.
I admit that I am hooked and look forward to seeing how some of my work will look when printed - and just what odd delightful name it will have.
