When it comes to iPad drawing apps, two names often pop up in creative circles: Doodle Pad and Tayasui Sketches. Both promise to bring the feel of pen-and-paper sketching to the digital world, but which one actually feels more natural? We tested both apps, exploring everything from brush response to workflow, and here’s what we found.
🖊️ First Impressions: Minimalism vs Playfulness
- Tayasui Sketches immediately feels sleek and minimal. Its interface is stripped down, putting your tools just a tap away. For beginners, it feels welcoming and distraction-free.
- Doodle Pad, on the other hand, leans into creativity from the very first screen. It feels less like a sterile studio and more like a colorful sketchbook you want to doodle in. For kids, hobbyists, or anyone who wants to explore ideas quickly, the playful vibe makes it approachable.
✏️ Drawing Experience
This is where the real test happens — how close does each app come to replicating the sensation of drawing on paper?
- Tayasui Sketches has impressively smooth pencil and watercolor brushes. The blending feels natural, and pressure sensitivity (with Apple Pencil) shines. It’s clearly aiming at artists who want digital sketching to feel like traditional media.
- Doodle Pad keeps things lightweight but surprisingly responsive. Its pen tools are snappy, colors are vibrant, and it’s perfect for quick sketches, doodles, and brainstorming sessions. While it may not mimic watercolor in painstaking detail, it excels at speed and fun — the kind of natural flow you need when inspiration strikes.
🎨 Features and Tools
- Tayasui Sketches:
- Wide range of brushes (pencils, pens, watercolor, acrylics).
- Layers for advanced composition.
- Color blending modes.
- More targeted at professional illustrators and serious hobbyists.
- Doodle Pad:
- Clean, intuitive interface — zero learning curve.
- Quick color picker and easy undo/redo.
- Great for sketching ideas, practicing drawing, or playful art sessions.
- Aimed at making drawing accessible and fun instead of overwhelming.
🧑🎨 Who Each App Is For
- Tayasui Sketches → Best for artists who want a traditional studio feel on their iPad, with brushes that simulate real-world textures.
- Doodle Pad → Perfect for anyone who wants to capture creativity instantly. Kids, casual doodlers, students, and even professionals who just need a fast sketchpad will appreciate how frictionless it feels.
⚖️ Verdict: Natural, But in Different Ways
Here’s the surprising truth: both apps feel “natural,” but in different senses of the word.
- Tayasui Sketches feels natural if you define “natural” as realistic brush strokes and textures.
- Doodle Pad feels natural if you define it as ease of use, speed, and the freedom to just start drawing without overthinking.
If you’re an illustrator chasing realism, go Tayasui. If you’re chasing pure creativity, Doodle Pad might just feel more natural because it lets you draw the way you did as a kid — instantly, joyfully, and without limits.
✨ Final Thought
The beauty of iPad apps is that they’re not one-size-fits-all. For some, Tayasui Sketches is the “serious” tool. For others, Doodle Pad is the spark that keeps creativity flowing. And maybe, the most “natural” drawing experience is the one that makes you forget the tech and just start creating.
👉 Try Doodle Pad today and see how natural drawing on an iPad can really feel.
