Type Drawing

I'm not an overtly creative person when it comes to drawing and I think I'm a little vanilla in the way I see the world, but regardless, I enjoy apps on my Mac and iPod Touch that give me creative ability. Type Drawing is one of these apps that just looks like so much fun you won't be able to help pick it up.

How it works
Type Drawing is a simple app to use. You choose a font style, size, background, enter some text, and go to work. There are varying levels of functionality within these options, but that's it. You work with a gray scale of colors and can control transparency. There are only two screens for all of your settings and this makes the app that much easier to use. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on settings because there are a couple of screenshots below that explain everything.

What it does
You can see my examples in the screenshots included, but they're really nothing exceptional. The really neat stuff is on the Type Drawing Flickr page. If you're really into this thing, then you have to see the Type Drawing website. This is the same developer's work and he wrote a version for the

Drawing with the iPhone app is really easy. After choosing a background and your type settings you just slide your finger around the screen. I managed to trace an image from my photo library, then change the background to paper so that it gives it the appearance of an original drawing. Others who are more creative will be able to bang out some really cool stuff.

As I drew with the app I enjoyed watching the way the text changes with the direction and speed of my finger's movement. It's a little detail, but moving your finger right to left writes backwards and upside down. If you make a turn the letters will flip over and around. This little detail in and of itself makes the app interesting to use even for the simplest doodles. I would say it's as much fun to watch someone draw as it is to make your own work.

Likes
The two things that I enjoy about this app so much are: 1. it's a powerful combination of text and drawing which gives a 1,000 word image greater depth. 2. the finished work looks edgy and not quite finished. There's a rawness to the work which makes it more appealing to me.

Dislikes
I would really enjoy the ability to zoom and pan while I work on something. The iPhone screen is a small workspace and the extra control this option would give would be nice to see.

Conclusion
This is a great app. It's so well designed and so simple there's hard to find anything wrong with it. In fact, I think the developer should add a buck or two to its price because of its quality and history. It's well designed, easy to use, makes some interesting art, and there's even a bit of a community aspect with the website and Flickr groups. I'm pretty sure the kids would dig it too.

For .99 you owe it to yourself as an artist (aspiring or otherwise) to get this app. It will change your life. People will respect you. Your dog will play with you more. And your stolen iPod will mysteriously return. Seriously.

*the robot and dog drawing is from Explodingdog. This is one of my favorite artists and you can find Sam Brown's work here.

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