Zen Brush App Reviews

Writing this review to let prospective buyers know the app is worth the cost purely on the brilliant work the dev has done on creating a great simulation in terms of using an ink brush on a digital medium on iOS. This will stand out against many similar art apps and therefore makes the app a joy to use and play with. Well worth the price! It also includes several backgrounds and a bare bones set up to allow you to concentrate on sketching vs troubling over too many options. However although there is a purposeful intent here to keep it simple and elegant? I do think some basic additions are in need here: 1) please allow zooming in of canvas to sketch in finer detail 2) if you will let users save the artwork as a photo, it would only make sense and be great if users could upload a photo to sketch on. I think this would be a favorite feature for many if added. 3)needless to say, limited color options and only one step in undo/redo is quite limited but if you must keep it so simple please consider allowing taskbar to auto-hide to maximize workspace, especially on the iPhone. Still, a great app and really great price for it while on promotion!

This app looks and feels good at first glance, but it crashes constantly. Ive been trying to finish a drawing but I couldnt. The app suddenly closes and you loose all your artwork. I am using an Intuos Creative 2 Stylus pen that is supposedly compatible and supported by the app, but it doesnt work smoothly. I do not recommend this app.

I have several drawing and painting apps.. This one however is quite unique in the way the ink flows based on the acceleration of the stroke even after youve lifted your hand. I had this for years on various iPads; glad to see it on iPhone now! (iP6 plus) I always end up coming up with something unique and interesting every time... Love it!!

I love the brush flow, how natural it feels. I can commend that no other brush feels good as this one. It would be great to have a feature to take a photo, may be put some effects, and use it as background.

This app is very limited... 1- No ZOOM Please add a pinch to zoom feature 2- Added some more undos 1 is so cheap 3- Add some color a color wheel. Very limited app cant recommend this app sorry no buy.

Learning to work within its basic premise is quite enjoyable. A minimalist app. More undo would be nice, but can erase/redraw instead.

I like this app bc I can save progressive drawings to my Photos so that each image builds on the previous... I have an entire forest growing! The only thing I would recommend from this experience is the capability to make a flip-book or slideshow. As a meditative art form this is obviously different than an actual brush- but how many times do I I have a brush when out of the house?

Update: I have been using this app for over four years and still love it. Simple and elegant. I use this app for sketching and final art but what continues to plague this app is that THERE IS ONLY 1 undo! STILL after all these years! I can only assume that either the developers are too lazy to change it, or stick to their principles of getting it right the first time. My suggestion is that at any point you can save your sketch in Photos, and then continue working on it. I also sometime import the Zen Brush sketch into another program (BlurFx) that will allow me to blur portions and create a watercolor soft edge. Zen Brush is an awesome app!! The brush is very responsive to pressure. I used it on my iPhone 4S, had it on my iPod Touch, and now on the iPhone 6. It is a treat on my iPad. My only gripes: the limitation of the screen resolution (you cant zoom in or out on a larger canvas) and there is no opacity but the advanced multi-pass erase is a good compromise. But otherwise an awesome app. Tools are much more responsive than Autodesk Sketchbook Mobile which dont change width with pressure. SUGGESTIONS TO APP CREATORS: multiple UNDOs would be great.

i want a zoom in and out as well more than just one undo

I love art and art apps. This one has by far the Most realistic sensation of using an actual Sumi brush. Definitely TOP SHELF!

One of the best drawing apps. User friendly interface for shifting between the three values and pen size. Erasure gives you the fourth value of white. Two abilities are missing. You can only undo the last action. And you cannot zoom in for more detailed work. That said, it is truly a Zen app...simple and pure.

I would pay top dollar for a note taking app with the writing smoothness of Zen Brush. It is the best stylus sensitive app Ive used. No sharp or irregular lines. Just smooth strokes that makes each letter look very natural.

This app really lives up to its name. You learn more than drawing skills with this app. You learn how to make your strokes matter. You have only very limited options in stroke thickness, color and undo levels. To create something every stroke must be planned and intentional. To complete an image with no undos is truly Zen. I havent done it... yet.

I love this app and I recommend it to anyone who wants to do abstract or real life based drawings. I can even make a cool picture with a few brush strokes. (It also makes for cool stickmen)

The App crashes instantaneously as I select Wacom as my pen. I dumped my previous installation and re-downloaded the App. That did not help at all. The App will run as long as I dont attempt to assign the pen.

I had this app for years on my iPhone 4S, playing with it now and then. I dont know if theres been an update but once I started playing with it on the iPhone 6S plus, it just seemed to open up for me. The subtleties of brush strokes are wonderful. By layering and changing speed and width, and using the erasers as brushes, the possibilities are brilliant. I dislike the more gimmicky paper choices but would like to see more serious ones. I have mixed feelings about the single step undo. I dont mind the lack of color choice. Just as is, this app allows and encourages exceptional creativity. I would like to see the option to save and reopen drawings.