iPad2 ASKetch App

 To continue reviewing the art applications for the iPad I chose ASKetch for its drawing capabilities. ASKetch is only black and white and my reaction to it, with the first stroke, was it appears to emulate charcoal . This first sketch I drew as I was drinking from the cup and it was a very quick drawing.

The next night I found a quick sketch of a rose in one of my sketch books and tried to copy it on the screen. There are only five little tools on this application, at the bottom, so it is quite simple to use. One pencil, one eraser, one arrow back, one gallery and one trash can. All you use while drawing are the drawing tool and the eraser.  The drawing tool has no size or opacity adjustment. 

To save a drawing you click it into the gallery. When it is there you hold a finger on it till a "Save in Photo Album" pops up  and then tap 'yes'. From Photos on the iPad you can then E-mail it.

 This bird was taken from a photograph. The reason I think, and others may have had a different experience, that you can only use this App for quick sketching is that you lose the fine line after a short time. I haven't timed it but after a half hour or so I can no longer find the fine line........only the gray shading.

 Last night I lost the fine line and finally gave up. This morning I tried again and the fine line was back. Maybe it is how I am using the App or my finger or stylus gets tired but it is an odd phenomenon that happens when I am drawing. 

I drew this very quick sketch while standing at my 6th floor hotel room window in New York (Chelsea). I was looking at the roof of the apartment across the street.

 These three cups were taken from a drawing I had in a sketch book. The darks are harder for me to control. Maybe it is the mood I am in but you can see the differences with the drawing above. Sometimes they stay very light and then if I go over the line again it turns black. I am sure it is all a matter of practice. However I am continually surprised the way some drawings have stark black and others stay pale grays.....again, is it practice?

 This is another quick sketch taken from a colored pencil drawing. I worked on it for a short time over two days The first day I could not get any of the fine lines, just the blurred and soft grays and the second day the fine lines appeared. As I said, this is a simple application and you toggle back and forth between the eraser which is quite large but works lightly so you can partially erase areas for a softer color. I discovered that late in my trials.

 

 To bring up the tools it just takes a two finger swipe or tap. It is quicker if you are using a finger and not a stylus. This is another drawing where I waited till the second day to finish with fine lines. The two lower shells  were drawn quickly with fine lines. When I decided to add another view of this shell (above) all I could use was a soft wide line. The next day I found the fine line again.

This hand, again from a colored pencil drawing in a sketch book, was rendered over two days.....probably a half hour or less each day. 

I found only rave reviews about this application before I bought it. I also watched a couple of You Tube demonstrations that were very fast and decided to buy. I am sure that more experienced artists will find better ways to use this App and perhaps after I use it a few more times I will be able to control it better. Right now, for me at least, it is easy for quick sketching but not for very detailed drawing