Sketchbook Pro Review for the iPad

This is a review for Sketchbook Pro from Autodesk for the iPad. Earlier this morning I finally got around to reviewing Sketchbook MobileX and Sketchbook Mobile for the iPhone and Andriod mobile devices. Much of the app's layout in Sketchbook Pro is the same layout used in the mobile devices with the addition of a few upgrades for the price of $4.99. Lets start with the similarities between the two mobile apps and the Sketchbook Pro shall we?!

Similarities (Sketchbook Mobile and Sketchbook Pro)

1. First off both the mobile apps have the same basic interface when it comes to tools (see the pictures below) with brush properties to adjust the radius and the opacity by pinching and dragging your finger within the center circle. 
2. When you click on the brush at the top of the application you can access brushes, radius, opacity and color settings for adjusting hue, saturation and gradation levels.
3. Mirroring, paint bucket, eraser tool and the line/geometric shape tools work exactly the same in all three apps with not no significant changes.
4. The layer portion of the app allows the user to create multiple layers and allows you turn the layer on and off as well as make it transparent.
5. Both the Pro and the Mobile version of Sketchbook allows you to undo and redo a number of your last steps much like Photoshop's history feature.

Differences between Sketchbook Mobile and Sketchbook Pro

1. Brush properties has a similar look in both the Mobile and the Pro versions on Sketchbook with a few key differences. Pro allows you to re-arrange your brushes around the brush properties' circle for quicker access, a bar with different brushes on the left and color samples on the right allowing you to select colors quickly while working on a sketch.
2. Galleries in Sketchbook Pro allows you sync your images with the iCloud so in case something happens to your iPad you will not lose your work.
3. Pro allows you add text, edit it, move it around, change the font and color very easily where in other applications you would have to add text using another applications or export it to Adobe Photoshop.
4. The "Time-laps Record" option in Sketchbook Pro allows you to record your mark making so you can upload it to You Tube and share your work in new and interesting ways.

Pros for the "Pro"

1. The "Time-laps Record" option is a great way to demonstrate speed painting as well as uploading step-by-step drawing instructions for students who might have missed out on a drawing assignment in class.
2. A lot of additional brushes with the ability to make some subtle changes to your marks allowing for a greater variety of tools.
3. The ability to auto-upload your work from Sketchbook Pro to the iCloud so you back it up online.
4. The text option allows easy manipulation of words not only in your drawing but also in your "Time-laps Record."

Cons for the Pro

1. The program should be running very quickly on the iPad 3 or iPad 4 with its increase memory and processing power, but it lags a lot like a piece of software that was installed on a computer that is to old to run it properly.
2. You are only able to create 6 layers maximum in the program which is very limiting if you want to use a wide range of color. You also can not name each of the layers just in case you want to keep them clearly separate.
3. The brush properties is also a little difficult to use and it seems to have trouble understanding if you want to increase or degree the radius of the brush or the brushes opacity. I prefer a bar on the side of the program that allows for quicker adjustment.
4. Images in all three versions of Sketchbook are limited to a PNG file which means the lose of all of your layers.

Over all the only two things that Sketchbook Pro has that separates itself from similar illustration apps on the iPad is the text tool and the "Time-laps Record" and both of those things are not enough to put it ahead of apps like Procreate. In a head to head battle I would choose Procreate every time. If you have either of the two mobile apps and you want to have an easy transition to the iPad or the newer Android apps then yes I would go with the Sketchbook Pro, but otherwise stick with Procreate instead.

I give Sketchbook Pro...

4 out of 5 Stars