Tech tools and tips to help your drawing and painting process:

“Procreate”: iPad app ($9.99 from the App Store) - sketching and painting app. Autodesk Sketchbook is Android alternative. See my website for details.

I use it to:

  • Check the accuracy of my freehand drawing (that I’ve drawn on watercolor paper). See “Using Procreate….” on my website.

  • Try out different background ideas for a painting I’m working on.

  • Trace a reference photo to get a quick printout to paint on.

  • Add various photographic elements together to try out different compositions. (similar to what you’d do in Photoshop)

“Copy it” ($9.99 from the App Store) Similar apps available for Android devices 

Use either of these to:

  • Overlay a grid of specific dimensions onto my reference photo. 

  • “Copy it” has many bells and whistles, but “Grid#” works fine for a basic grid. 

  • You still have to draw gridlines onto your paper, but you can look at your mobile device instead of printing things out.

“Camera Lucida” ($6.99 from the App Store) Similar App available for Android devices)

Use this app to:

  • Create an accurate portrait drawing quickly with just your mobile device, some sort of a stand (you can just use a pile of books, a locker organizer, a vase…etc.), and your drawing tools.


”Mobile Monet” ($1.99 from the App Store) Many apps will posterize for Android devices

Use this app to:

  • Create special effects (using filters) on your reference photo  and use the altered photos as reference for posterized or other types of  painting styles.

Online (free) photo editors that posterize: