One beta tester we spoke with, technical illustrator Andrew Meehan, admitted that there was a definite learning curve, but added that within a month he found himself using the app preferentially over napkins and paper sketchbooks. Plus it's tough to get past the sense that this isn't sketching, but finger painting. On such a small, smooth drawing surface, a lot of standard sketching technique goes out the window: try locking your wrist and drawing with your elbow here. Again, kind of weird, but not so far removed from typical Wacom + Photoshop procedure. Much use is made of multi-touch zoom in the app too, leading to a workflow with lots of close-in detail work punctuated by frequent zoom-outs to check the big picture. The tactile feedback that makes paper such an enduring medium is unchallenged here, though they've given it a good shot: there's some very good brush rendering technology that makes pencil strokes look like pencil strokes, and 'synthetic touch sensitivity' to simulate the effects of increased pressure, despite the lack of true pressure-sensitivity in the iPhone screen.

No software can make an iPhone screen bigger, or change the fact that it's designed for finger interface. Image: Sidney CheangThe main drawbacks all have to do with the reality of the platform.

Autodesk sketchbook mobile