best free engineering drawing app for ipad

Get used to the palm rejection feature, and remember that you really can treat your iPad screen just like a piece of paper. This is something you’ll commonly see new or inexperienced iPad artists doing, as they’re just finding it hard to latch onto the idea that they can touch the iPad screen without affecting what’s on it. This feature allows you to rest your hand on the screen while drawing, meaning you don’t need to do the awkward hover of the hand above the screen when you’re drawing. One thing that can take a little getting used to when you’re drawing on a tablet is the clever palm rejection technology. Drawing on the iPad: understand palm rejection What are the thickest and thinnest lines you can draw – and how precise can you get in between? You want this to become an intuitive process, so you have a distinct sense of the quality of lines that different pressure levels will produce. Load up your drawing app of choice, or just the basic Notes app, and spend some time experimenting with different pressure levels. The only way you’ll be able to get used to how the pressure sensitivity feels and functions is through practice.

One of the headline features of the Apple Pencil is its pressure sensitivity, but it can take time to get used to. You can use pressure sensitivity on an iPad to naturally draw thin and thick lines (Image credit: Onfokus / Getty) How to draw on the iPad using pressure sensitivity We’ve collated a few of our favourites in our guide to the best drawing apps for iPad, so head there for more options. There are lots and lots of terrific iPad drawing apps out there, both paid-for and free.

Autodesk Sketchbook – an approachable and easy app for artists.

Affinity Designer - almost limitless tools for design, branding and art.

Linea Sketch - A freemium sketching app for iPad.

Adobe Illustrator - the industry standard vector-design tool.

Procreate - a 2D and 3D painting app that offers professional results.

As a place to get used to how the Apple Pencil feels and works, these are just fine, but they offer nowhere near the level of depth and functionality you get with dedicated drawing apps like Procreate, ArtRage or Affinity Designer. You can doodle with ease on preinstalled iOS apps like Notes or Pages, which have a few pens and colours to play with. If you simply want to start drawing, you already have everything you need.

Simple sketches are easy to do in the Notes app, making it the ideal place to get used to the basics (Image credit: Apple)

Best free engineering drawing app for ipad