Adobe Fresco vs. Procreate

This post was originally created for Might Could Studiomates and published on February 4, 2020. Content has not been edited since original review; please check newest versions of the apps mentioned for the most accurate comparison of features.

You asked for it, and the battle royale has begun!

There has been a lot of talk about these two drawing apps for iPad, and this week, I decided to compare them side by side while drawing #mightcoulddrawtoday's weekly prompt. My comparison overview is below, but you can also view and listen to my entire process, from drawing in my sketchbook to working digitally in both apps, by clicking on the image above or choosing a timestamp below.

Timestamps

Part 1: Intro and Brainstorming the Prompt with a traditional sketchbook and brush pen (13 min)

Part 2: Drawing the Prompt in Adobe Fresco with Commentary (50 min)

Part 3: Drawing the Prompt in Procreate with Commentary and Conclusion (48 min)

(Edited down from raw footage to a total of 1 hour, 50 min)

Adobe Fresco

Cost to Use: Adobe Creative Cloud Membership or $10 a month (as of 2020)

Available on iPad and PC.

This app can be used to create gorgeous pieces of digital art that rival traditional media, especially with the live brushes.

Pros:

🌟 Live Brushes and Vector Brushes are Spot On

🌟 UI is similar to other Adobe products

🌟 Options for expansion are available (Brushes)

🌟 Layers don't get cut off by the edges of the canvas when moving them around

🌟 Most touch shortcuts are the same as Procreate (Undo, Redo, etc.)

🌟 Cloud backups are automatic if you have Creative Cloud and art can be worked on seamlessly between apps

Cons:

❌ No animation options

❌ No auto shape/line generation shortcut

❌ It can be confusing to find what options you're looking to tweak on a layer, especially hue/saturation toggle

❌ Layers are only represented as thumbnails, so it can be easy to confuse layers if you're working with minuscule details (I ended up painting on a layer that had something on it and erasing an effect I liked)

Procreate 5

Cost to Use: One-time payment of $10 (as of 2020)

Available only on iPad.

Procreate is the app of choice for many digital artists due to the ease of use and competitive price in comparison to Adobe Creative Cloud. It was recently updated to include more brushes, improved UI, and basic animation tools. I've been using it since May 2019.

Pros:

🌟 Layers are easy to distinguish between with thumbnails and titles

🌟 UI is adjustable and can be changed depending on hand use

🌟 Options for expansion are available (Brushes)

🌟 Extra tools such as animation have been expanded on and improved

🌟 Export options are great and art can be exported to Photoshop PSDs as well

Cons:

❌ UI may have a learning curve for those who haven't used it before

❌ Does not sync with Creative Cloud software or have automatic cloud backups

❌ Brushes are not as smooth as Adobe's live brushes, but are being improved

❌ Animation still relies on layers, which means you have to flatten your layers when animating (but I still have a lot to learn and experiment within this area)

❌ Layers get cut off by the canvas edge when moving or resizing them

So here's my final verdict:

🏆 Best App for the Budget Conscious who own an iPad: Procreate

🏆 Best App for Creative Cloud Users who are familiar with Photoshop: Fresco

🏆 Best App for People who Like Automatic Cloud Saving: Fresco

🏆 Best App for People who don't have an iPad but have a Digital Drawing Tablet and a PC*: Fresco

🏆 Best App for Included Variety of Brushes and Presets: Procreate

🏆 Best App for People Who Love Watercolor Painting: Fresco

🏆 Best All-Around App: Procreate

*Update: Fresco is currently only supported on Windows Surface tablets.

🙋 Got an answer, recommendation, or question about Adobe Fresco or Procreate?

Have you ever used Adobe Fresco or Procreate? If you have, what's your take on it? If not, would you like to try it? What did you think of my comparison?

Photoshop for iPad: Creating an Illustration

This was originally posted on Might Could Studiomates on July 2, 2020 for Tool Talk Thursday. In this article, I will walk you through my first experience with drawing in Adobe Photoshop for iPad.

Materials/App: Photoshop for iPad (requires an Adobe subscription plan)

Note: Final animation and touchup completed in Procreate. See previous TTBTS post on my animation workflow to learn more!

This week, we are drawing Drink Labels in #mightcoulddrawtoday, so I thought I'd draw my favorite drink right now; the Boss Coffee Latte!

General Outline of My Process

1. Pick a canvas and begin drawing as usual (for those who are experienced in using drawing apps, nothing is different here!)

2. Choose a brush (various defaults are available, expandable with custom brushes)

3. Start drawing your main shapes on a first layer.

4. Draw details on a new layer (I separate out my layers excessively to make it easy to switch things in and out and experiment at the end)

5. Combine layers as you finish up.

6. Add final details.

7. Export to PSD or any standard filetype (It will automatically save to the Cloud if you're logged in)

Things I Liked

🏆 The program's user interface (UI) was easy to navigate and didn't get in the way of art-making

🏆 Many similar functionalities/UI elements carry over into the mobile version

🏆 Cloud saves!

🏆 Easy to make new layers and switch between tools

🏆 Similar to Fresco and other Adobe mobile apps

🏆 Exporting to other programs was easy as pie

My #Struggles

❌ App crashed when I used multi-touch functions (double tap for undo)

❌ Sometimes it was difficult to figure out how to do certain things that I find easy/used to doing on the PC version or on Procreate

❌ Seemed a bit lacking in comparison to the PC version, perhaps oversimplified?

❌ I don't know how I got an alpha mask on my layer, but I didn't press the button intentionally, so that was strange...

❌ More crashes randomly occurred, which means they need to do more work on this app for stability (but it is getting updated frequently so hopefully that will improve)

Conclusion

Overall, I think it's awesome that we can finally have Photoshop to go! However, I still think the app needs more work from the developers on stability, and maybe some better tutorials as well to help users become more aware of the differences between the PC and Mobile versions.

For my last step, I exported the PSD into Procreate, where I did some last minute fixes and added some fun animated elements. 🌱🌼

Final Animation (also available in my portfolio)

Thanks for reading! 💞

Art Should Be Fun, Even During a Long Period of Uncertainty

Patience is a virtue, even when facing the imminent unknown - a thought from my Sketchbook

Over at Might Could Studiomates, we’ve been having discussions on this topic as the US begins to return to normal. Here in Japan, as we are still behind on vaccinations, this topic weighs heavy on my mind. The effect of the pandemic on my art has allowed me space to experiment and rediscover interests that I had let slide while I worked as a full-time teacher, and I’m still in the process of building up my businesses and art practice. What has been your experience? My alma mater, Western Washington University, held a webinar last month on this topic and I found it to be a really interesting listen. Some points that I related with:

• Determining Your Own Value: At around 57 minutes, Debbi Kenote talked about the idea of the changing definition of art and its worth, and how people are defining their own value.

• Making Slow Art and Re-Defining Your Path: Around the 50 minute mark, Shannon DeLurio talked about how the pandemic affected her perspective on what she was making. She mentioned that she thinks slow art will become more common as people emerge from this period, as artists re-assess what they are creating and why they are making it. She also continues on this point at 1:25:00 in her conclusion.

• Busying Your Hands as a Maker: I thought that Nicole Sletta's story about her hand-crocheted "Cryptid" was super interesting and relatable. She has so much courage wearing that around the neighborhood! It reminded me of some of the people I encountered when I was on campus, including a team of people pushing around a cart made of pantyhose and a man who always wore a full metal set of armor. I think I would have enjoyed my university experience exponentially if I had joined the art department.

• Artists Supporting Artists on Social Media: Sheldon Sabbatini talked about how he is able to support artists on Instagram by buying their prints, books, and goods. Since he is doing well as an artist, he wants to give back to the community in this way, and he also appreciates analog goods. Makes me think more about what I can offer as goods that take the pressure off of me on the shipping end while providing the analog experience.

• Be Open to Opportunities: (1:24:00) Sheldon talked about not confining yourself to one thing and being open to pivot to new opportunities, filling new open spaces leftover from the pandemic.

• Learn to Let Go and Evolve: Quinton Maldonado covers this point in the conclusion (1:27:00). Focus on your life in the moment and make connections to your experience in order to overcome the anxiety of feeling out of control, and use your art practice to help you explore this.

"Art is supposed to be fun!" - Nicole Sletta

Watch the recording here.