Professional artists all over the world have been carrying out their trade with pens, pencils and paints for centuries. However, the usefulness of their resulting canvas is dwindling in this day and age. Expensive image editing software is highly recommended for artists who want careers in advertising, game design, and more. In addition, drawing with a mouse or even a pen tablet can become frustrating. How, then, can an aspiring artist enter the digital field without a giant hassle? Enter Brushes, a mobile application that allows the user to create incredible works of art with an iPhone or iPod Touch. The controls and capabilities are astounding, and the resulting artwork can be used by computers directly. These features make Brushes a useful tool to any budding artist interested in a digital career.



For a mobile application, Brushes has an incredible amount of functionality. The brushes included range from practical to fanciful, and their opacity, size, and color can be adjusted through intuitive sliders and a color wheel. Each brush is composed of a single “stamped” pattern that is repeated over and over. The spacing between each pattern is adjustable, allowing for a rougher or smoother look to the brush. Generous undo and redo ability allows artists to change a seemingly infinite number of strokes, and the zooming levels range from 70% to 1600%. Unbelievable detail can be achieved at the level of single pixels. An eyedropper tool allows the duplication of any color already on the screen, which makes editing an older masterpiece much easier. These functions make Brushes perfect for almost any project.


Brushes also has helped me immensely with my digital art. A largely physical artist, I am unused to employing computers with a mouse or tablet to draw. Brushes appears to solve my problems entirely. Using a finger to draw directly works so much better than computer hardware, and all of my masterpieces are pocket-sized! I have used Brushes to great effect on several projects. I am even using it to draw illustrations for a home movie! Brushes has proven invaluable to me for building the bridge between paper and digital.


When compared with other digital art software, Brushes shows several advantages. Some of these include a pocket-sized canvas, incredible functionality, a low cost of $5, and easy image sharing through wireless internet. However, it lacks the impressive feature set of a Photoshop package and, fortunately, the price. All of the “paintings” are locked in the shape of an iPhone screen, but this works for any landscapes or portraits. Computer software may require a pen or mouse to achieve its full potential, but users may find these unwieldy. A core difference is the capability; Brushes could create incredible artwork, but a larger software package could easily create more business-related projects as well. Nonetheless, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages when considered by a budding artist.


Comprehensive knowledge of digital media is necessary for an artistic career. When pens and pencils will not succeed, Brushes is a worthwhile investment for an iPhone user. The application functions as both an artistic outlet and a starting point for digital art careers. It is the “missing link” between canvas and computer; it combines key aspects of both media, such as realistic brush strokes and digital formats. With such an impressive array of tools and capabilities at your fingertip, entering the field of digital artwork could not be easier. The incredible functionality of Brushes makes it the perfect tool for the artist in need.