Sketchbook Express for Windows 8 really shows off what the Surface Pro can do

Earlier this week we brought you lot a hands-on await at Autodesk'south FBX Review app for Windows viii, which we shot at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco. While there I besides took in a demonstration of Sketchbook Express, a much more consumer-oriented Windows 8 app. Similar FBX Review, it'south completely free.

Renée Busse, Autodesk's Sketchbook Community Managing director, used Sketchbook Limited and a Surface Pro to whip upwardly a lovely little drawing in no time at all. Head past the break to run across the full video and learn more near what Sketchbook Express and its big brother Sketchbook Pro can practice on Windows viii!

Drawing in style

Sketchbook Express is a free drawing app for Windows 8 and RT. Information technology's optimized for pressure sensitive touch screens like the one found in the Surface Pro, simply you can besides enjoy it with a mouse or the standard touch screen like the Surface RT sports.

The app's main menu allows users to browse a brief tutorial via the Quick Tour, import a local epitome to edit, view or edit existing sketches, or create a new sketch. The Quick Bout is a overnice idea, but information technology doesn't relay all the information you'd need to use Sketchbook Express. The Tour's pedagogy for adjusting castor width doesn't make whatever sense, nor does it mention the app's all-of import correct-click menu.

Bringing your imagination to life

Keep practicing, Paul!

Minor UI issues aside, Sketchbook Limited should accept no time at all for experienced digital artists to acquire.

Autodesk has minimized screen clutter as much every bit possible, making it like shooting fish in a barrel to focus on the sketch itself without the distraction of copious menus. The ii palette colors the user is currently working with can be repositioned anywhere on screen with ease.

The residue of the tools are found within the lagoon. It sits unobtrusively in the lower corner of the screen and tin be moved to the contrary side (for left-handed artists). The lagoon'due south tool button lets users switch between viii cartoon tools, including pen, marking, paintbrush, and more. The color push button rapidly toggles to gray scale colors, a colour dropper, and other colorific functions.

The app besides tucks a few important items away in a right-click carte. The nigh enjoyable of which are the symmetry tools. Enable them to create a perfectly mirrored image across the 10- or Y-axis. Correct-clicking as well lets ditch the current image for a new 1 or return to the main menu.

Time to become Pro?

Renée's drawing

Sketchbook Express is a lot of fun, but it's really meant to function every bit a sample for the paid Sketchbook Pro application. Some of the features y'all'd expect in an prototype editing and creation app are missing from Express – nearly notably, layers. As you probably know, layers allow artists to edit one virtual layer of a piece without affecting the layers higher up or below information technology.

Sketchbook Pro is a reasonably priced desktop application, and you'll probably want it if yous take your drawing seriously. It works perfectly on Windows 8 devices like the Surface Pro, but Autodesk hasn't released Sketchbook Pro on the Windows viii Store merely yet. Let's also hope they release Sketchbook Mobile (a paid iOS app) on Windows Phone in the time to come!

• Sketchbook Express – Windows 8 and RT – 9 MB – Costless – Store Link
• Sketchbook Pro – Windows 7 – 43 MB – $59.99 SRP – Production page

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/sketchbook-express-windows-8-surface

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