Brushes 4 is the latest iteration of the app that started the iPhone and iPad painting revolution. Redesigned with a clean and modern user interface, Brushes supports iPhone and iPad with optimisation for the iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone Pro and iPad with Apple Pencil.
• Highlights:
- Clean and modern user interface with light and dark modes.
- Files based painting gallery.
- New canvas interface.
- Apple Pencil support with pressure curve.
– Unlimited undo and redo.
- Continuous auto-save.
- Cloud Drive import and export.
• Parameterized Brushes:
- Selection of ready to use brushes with customisable settings.
- Create your own custom brushes from millions of permutations.
- Generate random brushes for inspiration.
- Dynamic adjustment of brush size and opacity.
• Layers:
- Layer your artwork for greater control.
– Lock and hide layers.
– Use alpha lock to only paint where pixels already exist.
– Adjust individual layer opacity.
– Duplicate, rearrange and merge layers.
– Apply layer blending modes: normal, multiply, screen, exclude.
- Color fill any layer.
– Invert layer color and desaturate.
– Flip and arbitrarily transform layers.
– Adjust the color balance per layer.
– Adjust layer hue, saturation and brightness.
• Colors:
- Colour picker with hue ring and saturation square.
- Store and recall your favourite colors in swatches.
- Sample painting colors with the eyedropper tool.
• Apple Pencil:
- Intuitive and powerful pressure curve to match your style.
- Configurable realtime pressure based adjustment of brush size and opacity.
• Creation:
- Preset canvas sizes for paper, photographs, iPhone and iPad screens, film and television displays.
- Custom canvas size.
• Import, export and sharing:
- Import images directly from your camera roll.
- Import PNG and JPEG images from cloud services.
- Export your paintings for sharing or importing into other apps as PNG and JPEG to all cloud storage services or as photos directly to your camera roll.
- Compatible with paintings created by Brushes 3 and Brushes Redux.
• Light and dark appearances:
- Choose between light and dark monochrome appearances, or current system setting.
- Minimal use of user interface color so that tints in the user interface do not distract from or influence your artwork color choices.
Acknowledgements.
Thank you to Angela Ali, Jason M., Jeff Parker, Sandra Perez and Yoshiyuki Uchida for contributing artwork to the App Store screenshots. Please visit our website to see more of their artwork and for links to their portfolios.
History.
Brushes was originally created by Steve Sprang for iPhone in 2009 and for iPad in 2010. His last version, Brushes 3 was released in 2012, but was removed from the App Store in 2015. I took over development to modernise and support an app that has continued to be enjoyed by so many artists.
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Screenshots
User Rating
4.39 out of 5
256 ratings
in United Kingdom
5 star
177
4 star
41
3 star
16
2 star
5
1 star
17
Ratings History
Reviews
Major issues with saving
The app had some small issues that I found a bit inconvenient but they are nothing compared to an issue with autosave. When the app is closed sometimes changes disappear completely. I have had several hours of work vanish completely. To make it clear this happens after closing normally by returning to the gallery and not after the app crashing or shutting down unexpectedly. I have been finding myself having to close the app after every change and reopen to see if it has been saved before continuing with my work. As can be imagined this seriously gets in the way of my work flow. After the current project I think I will stop using this app. It’s a shame really as I like it in many ways and I got used to working effectively with it. I am not able to contact the developers either as the Email Feedback button does not seem to work.
A question…
I love this app!
I have a query though..
I’m doing a set of sketches that I’m recording on ipad screenshot as I draw them,to make short videos that I then add my own piano music to.
However every time I press ‘brush undo’ those words appear in the centre of the screen,spoiling the video in progress.
Is there any way to stop that appearing?
Im trying to get various video effects happening including reverse by manipulating what I record on screenshot and to have ‘brush undo’ in the centre of the screen is preventing this from being possible.
That aside tho..the app is great!.
Cheers,Nick
Very Poor
This is a waste of money. The app is too cumbersome to allow any enjoyment whatsoever. This is the worse Christmas present ever.
Heart of gold
I thought that you liked me
But you only liked me for my money , my money
I thought that you liked me
But you ripped me apart from the start
You have a heart of gold
You took my money
And threw away my love
And now I’m ruined
But now I think it made me stronger
I thought that you cared for me
But you only cared for me for my money, my money
I thought that you cared for me
But you ripped me apart from the start
You have a heart of gold
You took my money
And threw away my love
And now I’m ruined
But now I think it made me stronger
I thought that I could trust you
But I guess you don’t feel the same
I thought that I could trust you
But you ripped me apart from the start
You have a heart of gold
You took my money
and threw away my love
And now I’m ruined
But now I think it made me stronger
Very good
Given that this is free, it’s actually very good. Selecting colours, creating palettes etc. If you are a painter it’s easy to use and can replicate glazing and layering. I’ve used it as a sketching tool in the Ashmolean gallery in Oxford (UK). Allegedly it’s the app David Hockney uses to make his iPad paintings.
Very unhelpful
This app is almost impossible to use how could someone have released this the only thing has a brush no colours what is the point in that .. makes no sense
Very disappointed
This app has become very complicated. I loved the original Brushes - which won’t work on new iPads ! So a few changes may have been necessary to bring it up to date with technology but now the fun has gone for me!
Just kidding 0 stars
Sorry
Brush sizes very poor control
I cannot get fine detail because this version of Brushes gives very poor control of brush size especially in the very fine range. Very frustrating and maddening. Destroys spontaneity.
Instructions
Where can you find help ?....very minimal ’instructions’. Learn the hard way I guess!
