# iPastels

> Paint.Create art.Draw a sketch

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/id489302558](https://chrome-stats.com/d/id489302558)

## Overview

- **ID:** `id489302558`
- **Platform:** Apple
- **Type:** Apple app
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** Norbyte
- **Category:** Graphics & Design
- **Rating:** 4.70 / 5 (2,161 ratings)
- **Version:** 5.6.3
- **Last updated:** 2023-12-21
- **First published:** 2011-12-17
- **Size:** 24 MB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-23
- **Store listing:** [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ipastels/id489302558)
- **Website:** [http://www.ipastels.com](http://www.ipastels.com/)
- **Privacy policy:** [http://www.ipastels.com/privacy.html](http://www.ipastels.com/privacy.html)

## Description

iPastels is a painting app for artists of all levels, built for quick sketches or full paintings on the go. It delivers lifelike pastel simulation with live-calculated brushes and a selection of tools including soft pastels, oil pastels, pastel pencils, and a smudge tool.

Real-time paper/canvas textures interact with strokes, while precise color blending lets you smudge or blend right on the page. Features like finger-based stroke sizing, left-handed toolbar, live parameter changes, and a universal Pro upgrade (iPad/iPhone/Mac) make iPastels a flexible, portable studio. The app runs on Metal with Swift, supports Apple Pencil, and offers multiple layers and pattern editing for rich artwork.

## Rankings

- #38,935 — Overall

## Review summary

iPastels is praised for its rich color palette, pastel appearance, ease of use, and cross‑device availability, making it ideal for on‑the‑go sketching. Reviewers enjoy the fun, satisfying drawing experience and the strong free feature set, with a paid pro tier offering more layers and brushes. Major consistent drawbacks involve free-tier layer limits and missing common tools (fill, tracing, calligraphy). Palette management can also be tricky for some users. Overall, it’s a strong, beginner-friendly pastel app with some monetization and feature gaps.

### Pros

- Huge color palette with smooth blending, giving authentic pastel textures.
- Beginner-friendly and easy to learn, great for quick sketches.
- Cross-platform usability (works on PC and iPhone), convenient for travel.
- Fun and satisfying to use, with a surprisingly robust feature set for a mobile/desktop app.
- Free version offers substantial functionality with a pro option for more layers and brushes.

### Cons

- Layer limitation in the free version (only a couple of layers; more layers require payment).
- Missing standard drawing tools (e.g., fill tool, calligraphy brush) and tracing features.

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/id489302558)