In June, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their Best Apps for Teaching and Learning 2018. The apps encourage qualities such as creativity and collaboration and encourage discovery and curiosity.

The app Procreate is a powerful tool for the iPad that allows users to make really impressive digital artwork.

Procreate is an intuitive drawing, painting, and illustration application specifically designed for the iPad. It has hundreds of brushes, layering capabilities, multi-touch gestures, Apple Pencil support, and a time-lapse video export feature. Procreate, especially in combination with a stylus, allows you to create digital artwork that looks like it was created on paper or a canvas. This art can then be exported in multiple file types, including PSD (Adobe Photoshop) retaining all layer functionality. 

Visit the Procreate website for extras like FAQs and a downloadable Artist’s Handbook.

Platform: iOS
Cost: $9.99
Grades: High School – Adult

Common Sense Education has this review of the app and it includes feedback from teachers as well as suggestions for incorporating the app into simple classroom projects. Procreate is included in this article from Digital Debris of the top 3 apps for sketch notes and is described by the author as “the most powerful creative app I have ever used on a mobile device.” And the site Educator’s Technology gives some quick examples of the capabilities of Procreate in this article.

Check out this video to see what you can make with Procreate!