Brushes 3 Review

Brushes 3 might not be the most technically advanced of painting apps but with its iPhone 5 support and some neat features I haven't seen elsewhere, it's well worth checking out for simple doodles and edits.

That aforementioned iPhone 5 support is immediately obvious, not just because of the lack of borders around the app screen but because of the canvas sizes available. Users can choose a range of canvas sizes depending on what device they want to view the image on later. Choices include the regular iPhone size, the iPhone 5's higher resolution, iPad and iPad retina screens, as well as the ability to set a custom size if required.

Once a canvas has been selected, it's quite easy to dive right into drawing. Veering towards simplicity rather than adding a number of different options, Brushes 3 allows for a choice from 14 different brush types, different sizes and colors. It's possible to adjust pretty much everything imaginable concerning the brush type, also. Delicate movements might take some practice, especially for those with slightly shaky hands, but it is achievable with a finger sweep.

For an additional $2.99, it's possible to unlock the ability to use up to 10 layers within an image which extends functionality significantly. Layers mean it's easy to fill, clear, invert or even desaturate part of an image and they supplement the basic structure behind Brushes 3 well.

One other feature that links into layers appropriately is the ability to place photos from the camera roll within an image. Peculiarly, it's not possible to directly take a photo from within the app but this import feature adds to the choices available to the budding artist.

Once a creation has been finalised, dropbox support, Facebook and Twitter sharing, plus the ability to send to the camera roll keeps the image safe. Rather originally, it's also possible to view a video of the image being created which is quite entertaining to watch.

Brushes 3 isn't advanced enough to lure in professional types but as a functional tool for amateur artists who wish to dabble in drawing things themselves, it ticks all the right boxes. The iPhone 5 and universal support is just the icing on the cake.