If you are fan of comics and love creating them even more, then you might get a kick out of Comic Draw. Even if you are not into writing comics and are more a fan of the graphics, this app turns your iPad into an art studio packed with all the tools and accessories you need to make magic.
A graphics pen is a must-have, otherwise taking advantage of all the great tools will go to waste. You can use it with your fingers, but the precision you might need will not be attainable without the use of a pen. That said, being an app that works on the iPad, it’s not as robust and feature rich as a dedicated graphics tablet, but if you are looking for something that’s super easy to use and gives great results, Comic Draw has it.
One cool feature is Perspective Guides. These can be added to your artwork and then adjusted by dragging them around until you find the angle you want. This allows you to draw your basic item and then add “perspective” angle automatically – the app does all the adjusting. This means you don’t have to actually draw the item at an angle.
Layering is another nice feature. You can draw something over another item and it covers it up without altering either image. On another topic, premade panels are often a desired feature for graphics artists. Comic Draw does have premade panels and offers over 300 pre-made Panel Layouts along with custom made Panel creation with a Panel slicing interface – which is an option available when starting a new page.
Opacity grading is a built-in feature. After tapping on a brush twice, and under Brush (tab) > you can change the Max Opacity. It does not take long to figure out how to make things work for you, which is essential because there are fewer automatic graphics features in this app when compared to graphics tablets, but keep in mind you are using a generic tablet.
Being a comic creation app, you need to have the ability to develop a script. The app provides support to create professionally formatted scripts and a cheat sheet to guide you along. You can edit the script while editing the drawing, or just the script. Pages can be linked to a project and there is a lot of flexibility in creating and moving things around.
Files can be saved as PSD, JPEG, PNG, ePUB, Comic Draw and PDF formats and can be shared via email or AirDrop.
What is nice about this app is that is allows for a 14-day trial period, so if you are planning on downloading, be sure you have time over the next 14 days to really give it a good test before you make the purchase. The app download requires internet connection, but after that, when you use it, you don’t need connectivity.
What would be nice is the ability to upload to the Cloud – for easier publishing to comic mediums everywhere.
Comic Draw provides novices as well as professionals with a more affordable option for comic creation with an interface that is far easier to navigate and command than the dedicated graphics tools require. Plus, it allows users to create art that is just as creative and impactful – no one will ever know the difference!
Rating: 8.5/ 10
Price: Free 14 day trial, $9.99 to Unlock Full App