ArtRage on the iPad: natural media painting is here
AmbientDesign has just released Artrage for the iPad, and if you already know the desktop version, then you might have high expectations. I had. And I didn’t get disappointed at all when I was lucky to join the beta test phase just in time to take it with me to the beautiful tuscany.
The Tools
Artrage for the iPad comes loaded with a set of tools, including oils, watercolors, pencils, pastels and inking pens.
The interface is similar, though not exactly same as the desktop version.
All tools got their own settings, and the app comes also with some generic presets but let’s you save your own, too.
The canvas
ArtRage is the first app on the iPad to support canvas textures. You get to choose from different presets:
The textures have a ‘real’ effect when painting, you can also choose the roughness of the texture chosen.
Layers and blending modes
The app gives you an unlimited amount of layers and virtually every blending mode you can think of. Even one called watercolor, which goes well with another unique tool, the watercolor brush, which comes pretty close to the real thing, as you can see in this example:
Painting aids
ArtRage for the iPad also helps you to get started. You can import any picture from the library and paint over it in a color-copy mode, meaning the tool will pick the color from the super-imposed picture. If you don’t like copying, you can also clip other artwork to the canvas:
Conclusion
This app is one serious step towards realistic painting, though you can tell it’s really pushing the hardware to its limit. When using complex brushes in bigger sizes, like the watercolor brush, the app does lag a bit. But I found that’s something I can live with very well given the sheer amount of unique features, ArtRage gives me. I touched only some of them, for a full set, visit the ArtRage page. ArtRage is 6.99$/5.49€ in the App-Store.
September 28th, 2010 at 15:27
Wonderful review Benjamin I also give the app ^Up^ . It’s easy and fun too.
September 28th, 2010 at 22:25
well written, I have spent some time today and really like the options and canvas textures so far. i cant wait to get home from work and spend more time on an illustration
September 28th, 2010 at 22:34
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Glendon Mellow, fingerpainted.it and Benjamin Rabe, masha. masha said: iPad just got itself a killer app. Artrage is out! http://bit.ly/avRzff #ambientdesign [...]
September 29th, 2010 at 12:52
great app, great presentation
October 4th, 2010 at 15:45
Nice article- I am looking forward to improvements in ArtRage, but it is already a great app.
I would like to find some explanation of all those brush settings, like for example, in the pencil, there is a “precise” checkbox (as you show above). I wonder if there is a list describing what all those options really mean?
October 14th, 2010 at 15:17
There is a very concise Manuel being written for those new to the app. Many have used the desktop version and know SketchBook Pro on Modbook of the stuff already…. The precise setting smoothes out the stroke, making your line look, to me, more mechanical.
July 25th, 2011 at 15:47
[...] er Comic-Con fällt das empfehlenswerte iPad-Malprogramm ArtRage von 5.49 Euro auf günstige 79 App-Store-Cent Link) – bis zum 28. [...]