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What Is Sketchbook?

Sketchbook is a drawing software for digital artists and illustrators available on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. The software provides a range of professional tools like customizable brushes, layers, blend modes, guides, and rulers to enable both freedom and precision when creating sketches, illustrations, paintings, and other artwork.

Who Uses Sketchbook?

Artists, designers, illustrators, students, and hobbyists interested in digital drawing and painting.

Sketchbook Software - Custom brushes
Sketchbook Software - Symmetry tools
Sketchbook Software - Color fill tools

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Reviews of Sketchbook

Average score

Overall
4.6
Ease of Use
4.7
Customer Service
4.3
Features
4.4
Value for Money
4.6

Reviews by company size (employees)

  • <50
  • 51-200
  • 201-1,000
  • >1,001

Find reviews by score

5
63%
4
30%
3
8%
Brittney
Brittney
Graphic Designer in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Graphic Design, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Great and easy digital drawing tool

5.0 3 months ago

Comments: It’s a great design tool and isn’t too overwhelming with options. You can do a lot, I just wish you could save vector files.

Pros:

It’s really easy to use and has so many brush styles and drawing tools.

Cons:

I wish you could save vector files and pick a canvas size from the start of your new document.

Rene
Lead Designer in US
Arts & Crafts, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Sketchbook review

4.0 3 weeks ago New

Comments: It is a very good program for graphic designers and digital artists

Pros:

UI is very easy to navigate and understand.

Cons:

Doesn't have a pen tool for vector drawimg

Marko
Photographer in US
Photography, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Sketchbook Review

3.0 3 months ago

Comments: My overall experience with Sketchbook is mediocre and I’ll stick to other digital illustration programs.

Pros:

What I like most about Sketchbook is it’s ease of use.

Cons:

What I like least about Sketchbook is its lack of features

Mohammad
Mohammad
Senior Marketing Advisor in Jordan
Verified LinkedIn User
Telecommunications, 5,001–10,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Good Software - Messy UI

4.0 last year

Pros:

A good library of brushes, basic but useful editing tools, amazing copic colors library.

Cons:

very messy UI, doesn't support a lot of formats, doesn't work with vectors.

Hafiz Usman
Hafiz Usman
Engineer in US
Verified LinkedIn User
E-Learning, Self Employed
Used the Software for: Free Trial
Reviewer Source

Sketchbook for Drawing Needs

5.0 4 months ago

Pros:

Sketchbook is awesome because it's easy to use, has tons of brushes, and the drawing tools are super intuitive. You can create detailed art easily, and the workspace is customizable, making it perfect for any digital artist.

Cons:

Limited features in the free version on the app.

zouhir
manager in Morocco
Internet, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Provides a wide range of advanced tools for drawing and design

5.0 last year

Comments: A good program, but it lacks some extras

Pros:

Supports touch input allowing you to draw and design using your fingers or stylus

Cons:

The options available for modifying text are limited, which hinders working on designs that require complex text formatting

Christopher
Student in Nigeria
Verified LinkedIn User
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Why I enjoy using sketchbook

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: It was a wonderful experience, it's still one of my favourite drawing and painting software on Mobile phone.

Pros:

Sketchbook is a software that allows users to easily draw/sketch, paint and create illustrations. It is a software I would advise a lot of illustrators to get. The brushes present in the software are very helpful when drawing or painting, also it supports the use of stylus for mobile phones

Cons:

The only problem I have with sketchbook is that when I use it on my mobile phone along with a digital graphics tablet, I find it difficult to draw lines at a go compared to when I use Autodesk on my laptop with the same graphic tablet

Ananthakrishna
Ananthakrishna
Researcher in India
Verified LinkedIn User
Research, 5,001–10,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

The best alternative for procreate

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: Wonderful digital art software for windows or android users

Pros:

>The software is completely free of cost>>The user interface is clean with no clutters and confusing icons> Custom brushes level up the usage experience of an artist>It's one of the most dynamic and highly fluid software for any artist.

Cons:

>User has to have some knowledge about the vast options.>The interface looks old but can be improvised.>Mobile app has lesser options.

Luis Humberto
Luis Humberto
Student in Mexico
Verified LinkedIn User
Animation, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Great tool to make art

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Sketchbook can be a excellent program if you're trying to find a good drawing program, i use sketchbook to draw the characters of my story and works perfectly

Pros:

Easy to use, has a lot of useful tools and you can add more tools, you can even download more textures from the official sketchbook site, has a lot of brushes and pens, works excellent on digital tablets, and has a mobile version.

Cons:

At the moment I didn't experience any bad things with the program.

Wahaj
Wahaj
Architect in India
Verified LinkedIn User
Architecture & Planning, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Sketchbook

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Sketchbook installed in any graphic tablet is like a sword in any artist's hand. It has enhanced the quality of creativity and improved my sketching and graphical representation a lot.

Pros:

The software is open to all and is free to use.

Cons:

In my opinion, the software has not any demerits for initial users.

Llana Melissa
Online Instructor in Philippines
E-Learning, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

A Hobby in my Pocket

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: When I first tried using Sketchbook I thought it would be so hard but I ended having fun. Sketching during my free time is just relaxing and fun. I love that I can use the app in my phone too!

Pros:

What I like most about this software is it brings out my creativity without limiting what I can do because of the brush types and editing features available.

Cons:

It would be so cool if there were more funky fonts or calligraphy style fonts available. Right now there are plenty fonts to choose from but I’m hoping there would be more.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Design, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Sketchbook Your Smart Drawing.

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Rated one of the best modern drawing programs, has many dazzling tools, has great drawing tools library months and was in my office in the middle of brushes and pens and colours, I can put Layer If I want to try something and don't want to spoil your painting, Easy to use, you don't need a course to become a professional using, suitable for all ages and different fields.

Pros:

I like its tools, it has many colours many brushes and a pen . I like to use my pen tablet to draw Paintings or any view. it has a contemporary style for the tools bar. I like using Sketchbook, like the board to teach my class. Easy to use, you don't need a course to become a professional using, suitable for all ages and different fields.

Cons:

sometimes, on my mac, I can't see the tools bar

Simon
Director in UK
Arts & Crafts, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source
Source: SoftwareAdvice

An amazing software but.....

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: I'm old enough to remember using the old glass bottle Magic Markers but since going digital, with the help of Sketchbook, Photoshop and CSP, I find I am more productive in terms of speed and quality of work.
Drawing in Sketchbook is incredibly intuitive and satisfying, I only wish I could open more than one file at a time.

Pros:

I think the drawing brushes and pencils for linework are some, if not the best I have found in a drawing app. I especially like the snap to curve, elipse and perspective rulers.

Cons:

I am a storyboard artist which means I am usually drawing and colouring a number of frames at once, sometimes as many as 30-40 frames. I would love to be able to open up a number of frames so I can achieve uniformaty of line and colour across the frames. I also dearly miss the Copic colours you used to have.

hussein
graphic designer in Lebanon
Marketing & Advertising, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

review

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: so powerful software to draw

Pros:

the best software for drawing anything you need

Cons:

in reality, the software provides everything you need to draw so I don't see any disadvantage in it till now

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Banking, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Amazing app for digital art creation

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: I absolutely love this app for digital art, to create fun and festive backgrounds for photos and as a relaxing and an enjoyable hobby.

Pros:

Quality of saved images, ability to save in various formats, options of brushes, layers and colors, intuitive functions, fun usage and ability to get better as you get more and more experience with the ap

Cons:

Mobile app is not as good as the desktop version, everything is limited and I don't find it intuitive. I use the desktop app frequently and find that I can not use the mobile app practically at all.

Aditya
Designer in India
Automotive, 5,001–10,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Sketch good with sketchbook.

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Its a great tool to sketch when it comes to freehand drawings. Airbrush feature along with copic colors makes it perfect for art.

Pros:

User friendly tool for sketching digitally, has great options from pencils, pen to airbrushes. Copic colors are available.

Cons:

The user interface is a bit outdated. The lasso and selection tools can get better.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Education Management, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Want to have a drawing hobby? Try this software!

5.0 3 years ago

Pros:

This is a fun way to draw, paint or stretch anything you want on your mobile device.

Cons:

Sometimes it doesn't save my work and I hope it can be fixed.

Erwin
Designer in US
Architecture & Planning, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

great creative tool

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: An awesome tool for my presentation work. It is intuitive, very easy to use and allows you to explore
more of your creative side that you cannot do with a regular sketchpad and pen.

Pros:

Apart from it's wide selection of brushes and pens, Sketchbook allows the user to create architectural perspective views from it's built perspective grids and customizable vanishing points.

Cons:

it would be nice if it allows scaling of objects and grids.

Krista
Owner in Canada
Animation, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Free and easy to learn

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: I love using sketchbook for drawings and I especially like that you can import any photo or picture you have saved on your phone, change the transparency, so you can trace over it and make it your own with brushes.

Pros:

I love that it's an app for your phone that's free and has lots of features included, everything you need to draw and lots of brushes- pencils, pens, spray paint, watercolors, acrylic, inks and crayons

Cons:

I haven't found any cons, the app always opens up easily and it's quick to export your drawing. Maybe some other apps have additional features but I've only try sketchbook as it was the one that had the best reviews compared to others when I searched.

Miriam
Head of Digital Solutions in Ireland
Events Services, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Free Solution to your editing issues

4.0 2 years ago

Pros:

Sketchbook is very easy to use. It doesn't over complicate things with to many tools that you dont know how to use anyway

Cons:

The mobile app is a not as user friendly as the desktop based version

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Arts & Crafts, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Reliable and fun to use

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: This program is efficient and intuitive.

Pros:

This program has a great price and tons of features. It always runs smoothly and my team and I enjoy working with it to collaborate. Works exceptionally well on all platforms and operating systems.

Cons:

This program is not an art industry standard in my creative networks.

Piyush
Associate trainee in India
Information Technology & Services, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Book in a Hand with lots of custom pens

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: I loved this software because of its feel, that I'm drawing in a book. Tools are very useful and easy to start new project and we can nailed it at once.1

Pros:

I liked this software because I wanted to create some portraits and some designs that I can draw by my self this software have many tools that I used in my project.

Cons:

Some features were not that much useful. Sometime the custom brush don't work properly. Some tools are hard to find and not easy. there should be a tutorial for it.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Animation, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Good for what it is

3.0 3 years ago

Pros:

It is a free software and it can be great to start digital art. Can be downloaded into your phone or tablet.

Cons:

Limited amount of layers and can be quite tedious because some tools are scattered in other tabs.

Gal
Industrial Designer in Argentina
Design, 5,001–10,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Benefits and struggles of Sketchbook

3.0 3 years ago

Pros:

Sketchbook has a great variety of brushes, allowing you to recreate your favorite traditional media or adopting a new technique and style. Sketchbook is ideal for those random drawing ideas you get while out of the house (remember the software doesnt reach its full potential unless it's paired with a pressure sensitive stylus)

Cons:

While you can get anythin you may need for sketching and drawing, there are some functions that are limited in sketchbook that you can get in other drawing softwares regarding editing, heavy rendering and vectors

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer Software, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Sketchbook Experience

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: The overall experience was nice . I have used the mobile app and created some drawings.

Pros:

1. So many pencils , brushes , texture and shapes. 2. Easy to use 3. Color picker is so nice. 4. I can also import image or draw styles

Cons:

1. The onboarding experience can be improved 2. Provide some guide to use the app

Software found in