The Procreate Pocket – A Review of This High-End Apple iPad Artist’s Art App
Procreate Pocket is the latest version of the popular Procreate drawing application for iPhone. It now provides hundreds of innovative, double-sided brushes, an innovative layered system, an array of innovative artistic tools, the revolutionary new Valkyrie graphics engine and you can even connect your iPod to use super easy shortcuts to a vast collection of high quality tools. All of this packed into a very small package, yet it’s packed with so much more. The Procreate PDA is a great example of how an application can be as powerful as the toolbox it is in.
Another innovative feature of Procreate Pocket for the iPhone is the time-lapse export function. It allows you to send your work to an all-new gallery that allows you to place it on Facebook, MySpace, twitter or any other social media service of your choice. Time-lapse export lets you bring your works to life by allowing you to change the background, add a cover picture and display any other fun embellishments you want to add. This is a must have feature for anyone who enjoys making artwork on the go.
The Procreate PDA lacks support for applications that rely on touch-scales. This means that professional artists who like to stay in touch will have to look for other means of expressing their creativity. The iPhone’s lack of pressure-sensitive painting tools also means that procreate pocket users will have to settle for drawing with a stylus. Although this may not be as convenient as tapping a canvas with a pencil and sketching in a huge amount of detail, it’s a far cry from the alternatives. It’s more likely that artists will choose to draw and paint with their stylus. This is especially the case with artists who like to carry their work around with them wherever they go.
Convenience is an important element when choosing a drawing app and the Procreate PDA doesn’t come anywhere near the top when it comes to this. Users who are used to carrying an iPad or iPhone can quickly become frustrated by the limited choices that traditional mobile device offers. You can download plenty of apps on your iPhone, but if you don’t have a stylus with you, then painting becomes problematic. It can be a frustrating experience trying to create art with limited options. The procreate pocket feels like an effective solution to this problem, as it only needs a very small tap to get started and features a stylus along with plenty of brushes.
A few things about the Procreate PDA are a little disappointing. Although it does include an “app store,” it does not include many of the top-rated apps such as Adobe Photoshop. There are only two layers, which means that it will not save time importing pictures from other sources. It’s not very practical, either, since you have to exit out of the app to edit a previously imported picture. Other options for importing to the PDA include the built-in Bluetooth Low Energy mode, but even then, the imported pictures tend to look a bit sluggish. It could be more convenient to just use an SD card instead.
If you’re looking for an artistically-pleasing drawing or painting app, then the Procreate PDA might be the perfect choice. It’s attractive, simple to use, and efficient, thanks to the numerous tools incorporated into its design. For artists on the go, it’s also extremely convenient, as you won’t have to carry around an expensive ipad or iPhone. If you enjoy professional photography or illustrations, then the PDA is just right for you!
