It seems like there’s an app out there for just about every want or need, whether we’re looking for entertainment via a portfolio of app store games or streaming services, food, tools to assist us with our work and hobbies, and even artistic tools to enhance our creativity.
These ten must-have apps will inspire, educate, and allow you to explore your creative abilities, regardless of whether you’re a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, or painter. Some can even help you turn your artistic passion into an income by helping you showcase, market, and sell your work.
1. DailyArt
DailyArt is both an inspiring and educational art app that highlights new artworks, galleries, museums, buildings, and artists each day, broadening your art knowledge and keeping you inspired by art of all styles. You can set the app up to notify you at a dedicated time daily with a new art tidbit to best suit your schedule.
The app allows you to access many of its features for free, but if you’d like the full experience, you can upgrade to the premium model for $12.99 monthly. Upgrading gives you unlimited searches of DailyArt’s database and an ad-free experience.
2. Google Arts & Culture
Another inspiring and educational app that artists and art lovers will love is the Google Arts & Culture app. The app shares information from art galleries and museums around the globe to make art and culture accessible to everyone. Like DailyArt, it has an artwork of the day feature, and it also creates interactive experiences by allowing users to virtually tour art galleries and play art-themed games, such as finding an AI-created piece among artist-created works.
3. Sketchbook
Unleash your creativity with Autodesk’s Sketchbook, an app that allows you to draw, paint, and create illustrations on your devices, both mobile and desktop. The app includes a wide selection of free tools like different brush options, pencil styles, stamps, and color palettes that will allow you to create professional-level artwork. Sketchbook is free on mobile devices, while the desktop version is available starting at $19.99 per month.
4. Adobe Fresco
Adobe Fresco is Adobe’s simplified digital painting and drawing app, which is available through its Creative Cloud. The app is free to download, making it easy for artists to keep up with their creative projects across all their devices so that they have the tools they need at their fingertips when inspiration strikes.
Its brush and drawing tools emulate real media, leaving your watercolor tools looking just as delicate as they would if you used a real paintbrush on a canvas. The capabilities of Fresco pair well with Photoshop, allowing you to bring your artistic vision to life with the varied capabilities of each program.
5. Adobe Illustrator
If you’re more interested in crafting graphics than painting or drawing, Adobe Illustrator is one of the best options available. A program that hobbyists and professionals alike enjoy, it’s available starting at $29.99 monthly and can be bundled with other Adobe Creative Cloud programs. Illustrator is useful for building patterns, logos, icons, typography, and graphic design projects. It’s currently only available as a desktop app, but you can always capture ideas with a mobile-friendly app like Adobe Fresco anywhere if needed.
6. Adobe Photoshop
Another useful desktop app is Adobe Photoshop, which pairs well with Adobe Illustrator and Fresco for finalizing your artwork. It’s also a handy program for photographers who want to enhance or edit their photos to deliver pristine images, whether for their clients or as a passion project. Adobe Photoshop starts at $16.99 per month, but if you’re looking for a mobile-friendly option, Adobe Photoshop Express is a great addition to your artistic app collection.
7. Procreate
Procreate is a versatile art app that allows you to create digital drawings, paintings, and graphics. If you update to Procreate Dreams, you can also create animations. Access to Procreate starts at $7.99 and is only a one-time payment. While it’s a multi-use app, the mobile versions are only available for Apple devices. The app provides access to resources and tools to teach new users how to make the most of its features.
8. Pixelmator Pro
Pixelmator Pro is a photo editing app with a wide range of capabilities comparable to Adobe Photoshop, which is generally considered the best photo editing software on the market. In addition to editing photos, the program can also create graphic designs, drawings, and paintings with its wide range of tools. It is available as a Mac desktop or iPad app, delivering the same quality work regardless of how you decide to create with it, and is available via a very reasonable one-time $49.99 payment.
9. Artrooms
If you plan to sell your art, Artrooms allows you to easily create mockups of your art on display in different settings, like a living room or home office. The app allows you to create a more enticing way to market your work to potential customers. It is free to use, but if you’d like unlimited access to all of its features, you can upgrade for $7.99 per month.
10. Canva
Canva is a dynamic tool you can use to create marketing materials for your artwork. Canva is a convenient design tool that allows you to create images, social media posts, ads, cards, brochures, videos, and more. It can be used across all your devices, from your phone to your desktop, making it convenient to use when and where you need it. Canva is free, with an option to upgrade to Canva Pro for $150 annually.
Conclusion
Whether you’re seeking inspiration, new tools, or ways to sell and share your art, these ten apps are must-haves. They’ll help you enhance your artistic abilities and elevate your work.