The Best Drawing Apps for Every Kind of iPad Artist

The iPad Pro and Apple Pencil 2 are my favorite art tools, hands down. (Learn all about iPads here.) They’ve replaced all of my traditional art supplies. I curl up on the couch with my iPad to chill and watch Netflix almost every day. I use it more than I use my phone by far, and that’s because of the Apple Pencil.

There’s just something uniquely intuitive about the pairing of the Pencil and Pro that makes me want to draw, sketch, paint, and take handwritten notes. And I’m not alone. The app ecosystem that sprung up around the Apple Pencil and iPad Pro is growing fast as more and more professional graphic artists ditch Wacom and Windows for Apple and iPadOS. If you’re an aspiring digital artist, or a seasoned pro looking to make the leap, here are the apps you should try.

Updated September 2021: We added more information on Adobe Fresco and Paperlike.