Guides / Getting started
Your first painting
Pick up a brush from the stroke wheel, choose a colour, paint, and undo a mark.
- Free
- Everything in this guide works in Free.
This is your page. The stroke wheel in the corner holds everything about the mark you're about to make.
This is your page. On iPhone the stroke wheel rests folded in the corner. Tap it to unfold it.
The rim holds the seven media. Watercolor is in hand, so tapping it unfolds its brushes. Tap another medium to switch.
The rim holds the seven media. Watercolor is in hand, so tapping it unfolds its brushes. Tap another medium to switch.
The rim holds the seven media. Watercolor is in hand, so clicking it unfolds its brushes. Click another medium to switch.
The centre shows your next stroke. Tap it, and colours unfold around the wheel.
The centre shows your next stroke. Tap it, and colours unfold around the wheel.
The centre shows your next stroke. Click it, and colours unfold around the wheel.
Pick a colour, then paint with Apple Pencil and lift. Watercolor stays wet for a while, so strokes that meet will mix.
Pick a colour, and the wheel folds away. Paint with your finger and lift. Watercolor stays wet for a while, so strokes that meet will mix.
Pick a colour, then paint with your mouse, trackpad or tablet, and let go. Watercolor stays wet for a while, so strokes that meet will mix.
Around the centre, the gauges set your next stroke. Size, Strength and Water shape it, and Amount, Speed and Pattern move it. Drag one clockwise, the way its fill grows, for more.
Tap the wheel again to unfold it. The gauges set your next stroke. Size, Strength and Water shape it, and Amount, Speed and Pattern move it. Drag one clockwise, the way its fill grows, for more.
Changed your mind? Tap Undo in the wheel's corner, or tap the page with two fingers.
Changed your mind? Tap Undo in the wheel's corner, or tap the page with two fingers.
Changed your mind? Click Undo in the wheel's corner, or click the page with two fingers.
The stroke wheel
Everything about the mark lives on the wheel 1:
- The rim holds the seven media: Watercolor, Ink, Pen, Marker, Pencil, Pastel and Charcoal. Tap one to pick up its last brush; tap the medium already in hand to unfold its brushes, the ones you painted with last first.
- The gauges fill clockwise and go up when you drag them clockwise: Size, Strength and Water for the stroke, then Amount, Speed and Pattern for how it moves. Tap a motion gauge for Marks and motion, one ring for the stroke's marks and how it moves; tap Size, Strength or Water for the brush's own settings.
- The centre plays your next stroke in the current colour. Tap it for recent colours, the palette and More colors.
- The corner under your thumb holds Undo, Redo and Tools (Hand, Select, Fill and more). The Eraser and the Eyedropper are on the rim, beside the media.
Each control on the rim, the gauges and the corner is named until you've used it three times; after that it shows only its symbol. A chip in a ring names itself beside your finger while you touch it. Settings → Wheel labels can keep the names (Always) or show symbols only (Off).
On iPhone the wheel rests folded to its centre so the page stays clear. Tap it to unfold. Picking a colour, brush, mark or motion folds it again, and so does painting: a stroke drawn over the open wheel paints, and a tap on the page just folds it. Touch and hold a choice to keep the rings open and compare. Undo sits beside the folded wheel, so it's always one tap away.
On the Mac, draw with a mouse, trackpad or drawing tablet. A secondary click brings the stroke wheel to the pointer. ⌘Z undoes and ⇧⌘Z redoes.
Squeeze or double-tap Apple Pencil to bring the wheel beside the pen. No Pencil? Turn on Finger draws in Actions → Settings… → Interface & input; two fingers then move the page.
Tip: Brush controls change your next strokes. To change a mark already on the page, use Tools → Select stroke.
Try it in the app.
Download on the App Store Free for iPad, iPhone and MacSomething not behaving as expected?
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