PaperColor

Review by eFreeware

The idea behind PaperColor is simple enough to state in one line: it is a sketchbook that tries to behave like a real brush. Eyewind has built the app around brush imitations rather than a dense set of professional controls, so the emphasis falls on picking a tool, choosing a color and getting marks onto the screen. That is the most distinctive thing about it, and it shapes everything else in the review.

It suits people who draw casually and want something that opens quickly and does not demand a tutorial. If you already keep a paper sketchbook for idle moments, or you like the idea of doodling on a phone without learning a desktop-grade program, this is the audience the app appears to be built for. It is free to install and does not carry ads, though it does offer in-app purchases.

The numbers suggest plenty of people have taken that route. PaperColor has passed 50 million installs and holds a 4.5 average across more than 219,000 ratings, which is a strong signal for a drawing app that has been on the store since June 2016. The app was last updated in June 2025, so the project is still being worked on rather than left alone.

Brushes, colors and the feel of a real pen

The central promise is a paintbrush you can hold in your hand through a screen. Eyewind provides a set of brush styles to choose from, alongside a color library, so you are not limited to a single pen tip or a fixed palette. The aim, as the developer puts it, is to help you create finished artworks rather than just scribbles.

What appeals to me about that framing is the restraint. There is no suggestion of layer stacks, blend modes or a timeline of adjustments here. You pick a brush, you pick a color, and you draw. For someone who has tried a full drawing suite and bounced off the menus, that narrower scope is the point rather than a shortcoming.

The tool set extends beyond brushes. There is a ruler, an eraser, and the option to mark in a photo or draw on a picture directly. Each of those is a familiar idea, but having them in one place with a brush-led interface is what gives the app its character. The developer describes the whole package as easy enough for learning to paint, which is the claim the app stands or falls on.

Tracing a photo and signing your work

One supporting feature stands out because it changes how you work rather than just what you draw with: the base map. The developer presents this as a straightforward way to learn drawing, and it is easy to see the appeal: the photo supplies the proportions, and you supply the lines.

The second is the handwriting signature. Once a piece is finished, you can sign it with a pen, which gives a drawing the feel of a completed page rather than a file sitting on a device. It is a small addition, but it fits the sketchbook metaphor the app is built around.

Sharing closes the loop. Finished work can be posted online from the app, so the process runs from blank canvas to traced linework to signature to a shared image without leaving PaperColor. For anyone who draws to show other people, that continuity matters more than an extra brush preset would.

What the app asks of you

PaperColor is free to download and shows no ads, so nothing interrupts the drawing itself. It does include in-app purchases, which is worth knowing before you commit time to it.

The other requirement is simply a device. The app is built for phones and tablets, and it suits the settings where a sketchbook is useful: traveling, waiting around, a party, or a long flight. A stylus is not needed, and the base map scaling works under your fingertip.

The June 2025 update is worth mentioning because it addresses the practical side of drawing on a tablet. Eyewind says the canvas performance has been improved for smoother strokes and that the layer limit has been optimized to reduce memory pressure and avoid overflow problems. If you have used drawing apps that stutter once a piece gets busy, those are the right things to be fixing.

Getting something worthwhile out of it

The base map is the feature I would lean on first. Loading a photo and dropping its opacity lets you practice proportions on subjects you actually care about, whether that is a face, a building or a plate of food, instead of copying from a reference on a second screen. Scaling it under your fingers means you can line the image up with the canvas before you start rather than fighting it later.

Because the toolset is small, it rewards a little discipline. Choosing one or two brush styles and a limited set of colors will get you further than cycling through the library on every stroke. The ruler is there when you need a clean edge, and the eraser is there when you do not, which is about as much structure as a casual sketchbook needs.

Signing and sharing are best treated as the last two steps of a session rather than something to do mid-drawing. Finish the piece, add your signature with the pen, then post it. That sequence keeps the canvas clean and gives each drawing a clear end point, which is a useful habit if you tend to leave work half done.

A sketchbook for casual drawing, not studio work

PaperColor knows what it is. It is a free, ad-free drawing app built around brush imitations, a color library, a ruler, an eraser and photo tracing, with signing and sharing to finish the job.

The app's limits are really just the limits of its scope: it is a sketchbook, not a full illustration studio, and it is happiest when you treat it that way.

I would point it at people who want to draw on a phone or tablet without a learning curve, and at anyone who learns better by tracing over a photo than by copying from a reference. If that sounds like your way of working, PaperColor is a reasonable place to start.

What's new in version 2.9.15

Update: Enhanced painting experience! Thank you for your support! This update focuses on improving the performance of the canvas for a smoother creative process! Highlights: 🚀 Optimized layer limit! Reduce memory pressure, making creation easier and avoiding overflow issues. 🎨 Performance optimization for smoother drawing! Enhance painting performance, ensuring every stroke is effortless. Update now and enjoy a delightful creative experience! 🌈✨