For as long as the Apple Pencil has been around, third-party app developers have been crafting unique experiences revolving around the peripheral. There are plenty of go-to applications that make strong use of Apple’s digital iPad stylus, including well-known solutions like Procreate, Adobe Fresco, Concepts, Notability, and Goodnotes.
There are also a ton of hidden Apple Pencil gems dispersed amongst the heavy hitters, too. Here are five of my all-time favorite lesser-known iPad applications that make superb use of the Apple Pencil, with prowesses ranging from note-taking, to doodling, and everything in between.
Fineliner
A charming portal for doodling and note-taking
I absolutely love Fineliner. The application is designed around the concept of having you draw the app’s interface yourself, leading to a very minimalistic canvas that doesn’t feel cluttered in the slightest. Uniquely, there’s an option to create your own handwriting font, which adds a layer of personalization into the mix. All the essentials are here for vector-based drawing, with layers, automatic shape recognition, a search function, Apple Pencil support, and the ability to lock individual notebooks behind biometric authentication. Fineliner is free to start with and has no advertisements, with an optional single-time purchase unlocking additional colors, pen widths, and templates.
Lake
Relaxation is just a drawing away
Lake is all about relaxation and self-expression. A digital coloring book for adults, the application features over 1,500 hand-drawn illustrations by over 100 independent artists, which you can fill in using a variety of brushes and coloring tools. There’s a mood palette you can opt for based on your current vibe, there’s an option to jot down thoughts into a dedicated coloring journal space, and there’s a curated Book of the Week challenge that you can task yourself with weekly. Apple Pencil support is full-fledged, which makes for a more immersive overall experience. Lake offers a free trial, after which a recurring subscription is required to access its contents.
Tayasui Sketches
A digital canvas for all your sketching needs
Tayasui Sketches is a brilliant sketchpad application with broad support for the Apple Pencil and its pressure sensitivity. The app features a variety of drawing tools to choose from, including realistic watercolor wet brushes. The canvas itself is clean and unobtrusive, and there are plenty of niceties like layer support, folders for organizing drawings, cloud synchronization, a brush editor, and a color eyedropper. Tayasui Sketches is free to start with, though it offers an optional paid subscription tier that unlocks access to advanced tools and other premium app features.
KaleidoPaint
A hypnotic experience
KaleidoPaint is a mesmerizing app experience that creates a kaleidoscope-esque visual effect as you draw on your screen. Complete with Apple Pencil support, the application features 17 distinct symmetry patterns that mirror your brushstrokes and that come together to create an infinitely repeating spectacle. There’s a dedicated Edit Mode that lets you reshape and recolor any dot, line, or region of the image, there’s built-in curve smoothing, and you can export designs with ease. The app’s interface is clean and intuitive, and it’s easy to get lost in the hypnotic experience provided as you glide your stylus across your screen. KaleidoPaint is completely free to download and install from the Apple App Store.
Blek
A mobile title with a compelling gameplay loop
Blek is a mobile game that has been around for a number of years, but it’s one of those titles that just works best with the Apple Pencil. The goal here is to draw a shape on the screen for traversal, whereby you’ll want to hit certain circles while avoiding others. The gameplay loop is easy-to-understand yet hard-to-master, with multiple solutions to each puzzle. There’s a surprising amount of depth to be found in the app’s various levels, and it’s incredibly satisfying to clear a stage. Blek is available to download and install for a one-time fee of $5, with no advertisements or upsells to speak of.
