Mastering Lifelike Drawings on an iPad: A Guide

Mastering Lifelike Drawings on an iPad: A Guide

Absolutely, man! I've always been captivated by painters like John Singer Sargent, Joaquín Sorolla, Frans Hals, and Anders Zorn, specifically their alla prima technique. Ain't nothing like those bold, raw strokes, eh? It's a style I aim to replicate in my own work, using oils, acrylics, and even an iPad.

That's right, an iPad! Yep, figure drawing on an Apple tablet is just as legit as on any of the best drawing tablets out there. For me, digital painting isn't about replacing the studio - it's about extending it. You got artists here who are deeply rooted in traditional methods, and iPad painting's a way to keep creating wherever inspiration hits.

It's a portable paint box, perfect for quick studies in situations where setting up paints would be a hassle. Could be a fleeting sunset, a crowded pub, or a study in a museum - whatever lets you work up close without the mess of materials.

ArtRage has been my go-to app for digital painting for years. Stands out for its ability to mimic the viscosity and texture of real paint, from delicate glazes to thick impasto. The latest version, ArtRage Vitae, is worth checking out, ace pairing with an Apple Pencil.

Today's iPad apps have expanded what's possible. Procreate, Infinite Painter, and Rebel got powerful tools for artists of all styles, but for painters who prefer traditional methods, ArtRage remains uniquely tactile and intuitive. Below, I'll show you how I use it with an example from an iPad figure drawing session.

Mounting the iPadWhenever I can, I prefer mounting my iPad on an easel for hands-free use. Picture's the GigEasy iPad Mount with 360-degree rotation, allowing horizontal or vertical orientation. Exposes the dock connector too, so you can charge or connect the iPad. Most portable easels work well and are less expensive.

Selecting the Surface to Paint OnOnce I've selected 'New Painting' in the gallery page, several options for painting surfaces will appear. Tapping Color brings up the Color menu and lets me select any color I fancy as a base tone for my canvas. Finally, Tapping Grain allows me to pick canvas textures. For this painting, I'm choosing Fine Canvas with a vertical orientation (middle right icon). Now I'm ready to start painting!

Beginning to PaintOn the left side is a list of tool options called a Tool Pod. Being the oil painter that I am, I choose the Oil Brush tool and begin a loose block-in of the figure. This is a rough indication of the size and placement without worrying about details. At this stage, I use a broad-sized brush. Brush sizes can easily be changed with a three-finger slide up and down the screen.

Refining the DrawingWith a smaller brush and a slightly darker color, I make a second pass over the sketch to start refining the shapes. Each tool contains a menu of options. From the Oil Brush tool menu, I choose to keep my paints thinned down at this stage. It's similar to my studio painting process, where I thin down oils using spirits during the early block-in stage.

Finalizing the Pencil SketchI'll now make a third pass over the drawing with an even more refined line using the Pencil tool. I make this sketch on a separate layer, so when I'm ready to apply color, I can do so without losing the drawing. It's a digital advantage I only wish I could do with real oils!

Adding ColorI'll now start adding color to the piece, setting the stage for value relationships by painting in darkest darks and lightest lights first. This allows me to better judge middle tones, which can be tricky without these value comparisons.

Thickening the PaintI gradually reduce the amount of thinner and apply thicker paint. Similar to the 'fat over lean' oil painting advice, this makes wet-in-wet painting easier and adds variety to the paint strokes. I reduce the opacity of the pencil layer so the paint is more dominant. I can bring this back if I need to revisit the drawing.

Color PickingAs more colors are applied to the painting, I find less need to create new ones from the Color Pod and instead pick them off the painting using the Sample Toggle located bottom middle. This lets me know I'm ready to select a color from the canvas for my next stroke.

Zooming In and OutTwo fingers dragged apart bring the head close up for some refinement work. I try to retain the freshness of the alla prima brushwork by avoiding too much detail or smoothing out too many strokes. A single tap of two fingers takes the image back to its original size, allowing me to see how my refinements fit with the whole painting.

Using the Paint Tube and Pallet KnifeI now start tossing in some abstract background color. The Paint Tube tool is a fun way to squirt down thick paint, which can then be blended and smeared with the Pallet Knife. The Pallet Knife contains various menu options, my favorite being Hard Out Smudge and Just Blend Color. The Paint Roller, located just below the Paint Tube, is another pleasing way to apply and spread color.

GlazingI'm now going to apply a thin glaze on areas where I want to lighten or cool certain regions. I do this by creating a new layer where I can adjust the transparency, allowing me more control over the amount of transparency I'm giving to the glaze.

Final TouchesThe Oil Brush thinner is set quite low now as I apply mostly thick paint to finish up. A variety of thick and thin paint, along with hard and soft edges, will add interest to the painting. I can add some atmosphere to the light on her right sleeve by smearing some of its color into the background. The session on the iPad is finished, and I now have a color study that I can use in my studio for oil painting reference.

For more tips, check out our piece on digital plein air painting. And if you're not sure which iPad to use for drawing, see our guide to the best iPad for drawing.

Sharing your tipsGot any tips for figure drawing on an iPad? Share 'em in the comments below!

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1. One can extend their painting studio with digital art tools, such as Photoshop, ArtRage, Procreate, and Infinite Painter, on smartphones and tablets like iPads.
2. These modern gadgets offer a wide range of brushes and tools to imitate the texture of traditional oils, acrylics, or canvases, even digital renderings of 3D objects.
3. Gadgets like these have become a creative liberation for artists, allowing them to draw inspiration from anywhere, whether it's a fleeting sunset, a crowded pub, or a museum.
4. With UX and animation features in these apps, artists can work on innovative layouts, logo designs, and UI/UX prototypes effortlessly.
5. Creative artists can take advantage of the tablet's portability for sketching and conceptualizing designs, just like a portable paint box for quick studies.
6. An iPad like Digital art can be mounted on an easel, such as the GigEasy iPad Mount with 360-degree rotation, for hands-free use and easy charging and connection.
7. Upon opening a painting app, artists can select the painting surface, using options like different colors, textures, and orientations, mimicking traditional canvas choices.
8. Starting a digital painting involves choosing a brush tool and making a rough block-in of the figure, refining the shapes with successive passes, and finalizing the pencil sketch on a separate layer.
9. Color is then added to the piece, layer by layer, using color pickers and tools that replicate mixingreal-world paints.
10. As the painting progresses, artists can use various tools like Paint Tube, Pallet Knife, Paint Roller, and Glazing options for creating textures, blending colors, and adding atmospheric effects.

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