The best iPad apps to unleash and explore your creativity

There are a number of iPad apps that can help you explore and express your creativity. Although the iPad started out as a simple device that could be used to stream content or browse the web on the go, Apple has transformed its iPads into powerful devices that can be used to do things like create digital artwork and edit videos.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the best iPad apps for creativity available in the App Store.

Before we get into the list, it’s worth noting that while Adobe’s creative apps are often the best options for creativity on the iPad, this list won’t include them because they’re already well-known. The list will instead focus on somewhat less popular apps.

Procreation

Procreation He is one of The most popular drawing applications For the iPad, and for good reason. The app lets you create digital paintings, sketches, and illustrations using dozens of different types of brushes. Procreate is easy to use and features built-in gesture controls, as well as a simple interface.

The app allows high-resolution artboards of up to 16K x 8K on compatible iPad Pros. It also lets you create storyboards, GIFs, animations, and simple animations. Additionally, you can import image files such as JPG, PNG, and TIFF. Procreate includes many features designed to help you during the creative process on iPad, such as QuickShape, StreamLine, Drawing Assist, and ColorDrop.

Once you’ve finished creating your piece, you can relive your creative journey by using the app’s time-lapse “replay” feature and sharing a 30-second time-lapse video on social media.

You can access Procreate with a one-time payment of $12.99.

LumaFusion

LumaFusion It’s a great video editing app if you’re ready to graduate from iMovie. The app has many easy-to-use features that make it ideal for aspiring videographers or independent filmmakers on a limited budget.

With LumaFusion, you can create layered edits using 4K ProRes and HDR media. You can add different effects, choose from dozens of transitions, and record voiceovers. The application allows you to create multi-layer titles and import fonts and graphics. Additionally, you can adjust the sound with Graphic EQ, Parametric EQ, sound isolation, and more.

The app lets you create projects in a variety of aspect ratios, including 16:9 landscape, 16:9 portrait, square movies, widescreen movies, anamorphic movies, and more.

LumaFusion is available for a one-time payment of $29.99. You can also purchase additional features, such as multi-camera editing and the ability to send your project to Final Cut Pro for Mac.

Canvas

Canvas Offers Easy to use platform It allows anyone to create visual content, even without graphic design experience. You can use it to create presentations, infographics, videos, websites, social media posts, and more with over 250,000 templates.

Canva features tools to edit images, customize content with logos and images, add audio, crop and speed up video.

The platform also has a series of AI features designed to make the creation process easier. For example, you can expand an image with Magic Switch or turn ideas into images with Magic Media.

Canva is free but offers a $12.99 monthly subscription if you want unlimited access to AI features, premium templates, and more.

Affinity Designer 2

Affinity Designer 2 It is a graphic design application that combines vector design, pixel-based textures, and retouching in one platform. It’s great for professional illustrators, web designers, game developers, and other creative people.

The app lets you create illustrations, branding, logos, icons, UI/UX designs, typography, posters, flyers, stickers, conceptual art, digital art, and more. It supports Apple Pencil precision, pressure sensitivity, and tilt function.

Affinity Designer 2 features gesture controls to speed up your workflow, and lets you customize keyboard shortcuts. You can also do things like create your own custom font and zoom in to over 1,000,000% for absolute precision.

You can access the app with a one-time payment of $18.49.

Concepts

Concepts It is a great app to explore your ideas and experiment with designs. You can use the app to draw plans, take notes, mind maps, and draw storyboards and designs.

The app features Nudge, Slice, and Select tools that allow you to easily change any element of your drawing without redrawing it. The app features realistic pens, pencils and brushes that flow with tap and tilt.

Concepts gives you access to measuring and measurement tools that calculate real-world dimensions, and also features a tool wheel or ribbon that you can customize to your liking.

The basic features of the app are free. Concepts offers a $4.99 monthly subscription if you want access to additional features, like the ability to create your own brushes and premium editing tools.

Taisui sketches

Taisui sketches It is a good drawing and drawing app that is easy to use. It has many different features such as realistic watercolor brushes, digital acrylic brushes, the ability to mix two colors to get the perfect shade, gradation and depth tools, and more.

The app lets you multitask by opening another app and dragging lawyers and documents between the two. There’s also a ‘Zen Mode’ that lets you create without distraction.

You can also upload your own photos to incorporate into your creations. Tayasui Sketches allows you to store your creations in custom folders.

The basic features of Tayasui Sketches are free. The app offers a $2.99 ​​monthly subscription that unlocks unlimited layers, new brushes and markers, an expanded brush editor, the ability to back up your drawings, and more.

Doodle drawing

Doodle drawing It’s a little different from the other apps on this list: it’s designed to unleash your creativity by giving you a new shape every day that serves as a starting point to draw over.

These everyday shapes vary from basic geometric shapes to more complex and abstract designs. Additionally, you can explore your creativity further by choosing to view the shape from all angles using the app’s “Flip” and “Rotate” features.

You can also get your friends creative with some fun competition by comparing your different creations every day. Dudel Draw offers a great way to hone your artistic skills, challenge yourself to create something new every day, and simply express yourself.

Dudel Draw is available for free.

This story was originally published in December 2024 and is updated regularly with new information.