There are plenty of great drawing apps for the iPad that can produce polished and stunning work. Like you, we use and love them.
So why did we make our own drawing app?
Less is more
While other apps can help you create amazing artwork, they’re not great for the simple act of sketching. Extensive controls are useful when you’re trying to fine tune a piece, but they also get in the way when you’re trying to figure out where to start.
Something similar has happened with writing apps over the past few years: folks have realized that powerful word processing apps can get in the way of making great words. When you remove the controls and complexity, you end up with a more productive writing environment.
With Linea, we’ve done the same thing for sketching. You’ll have everything you need to record your visual ideas, and nothing more. Linea auto-generates tints and shades so you don’t have to waste time mixing & matching colors. It also provides the power and flexibility of layers but in a simplified form that’s easy to understand and quick to manipulate. The entire app is designed so you can focus on the work, not on the tools.
Digital sketching
Once you start using Linea, you’ll realize that it has a great advantage over a traditional sketchbook.
Sketches are just a beginning: you’ll discuss them with clients in email, show them to colleagues in Slack, upload them to project folders on Dropbox, or use them with Photoshop as a background layer. With a traditional sketchbook, you have to scan the paper first.
In Linea, you bring up an export sheet that lets you select which part of your drawing you’d like to share. Then you use the standard iOS sharing panel to pick where the images will go: it’s quick and easy, which is essential when you’re iterating on a design.
Another benefit to a digital sketchbook is not being stuck with a predefined grid. Linea lets you choose what’s right for each sketch: it includes standard graph paper, dots, and even isometric guides. Templates for quick storyboarding or app design and development are just a few taps away.
Not just for artists
We originally created this app as a tool for our artists, but our developers love it, too!
Anyone who’s worked at a whiteboard knows that it’s a great place to experiment with ideas. Being able to quickly get rid of mistakes is just as important as capturing a thought. You know your fingers will be dirty at the end of a good session.
Linea’s innovative Touch Eraser works the same way. There’s no switching of tools, just a quick swipe of the finger and then you’re back to drawing with your Apple Pencil. And the best part is your hands stay clean!
This is just one example of how we’ve thought about the process as much as the implementation. Linea’s gestures make it the perfect companion when you need to take notes, diagram, or sketch.
If you’re ready to start sketching simply, the Linea web site has videos of the app in action and samples showing all the ways Linea can help you visualize your thoughts and creations. Have more questions? Be sure to visit the Linea Knowledge Base for answers and then head to the App Store to download Linea for the iPad today.
