Drawing on photos is a fantastic way to personalize images, add annotations, or even create artistic edits directly on your iPad or other devices. If you’re wondering how to draw on a photo, you’re in the right place. Let’s explore the methods and tools available to achieve this.
One of the most straightforward approaches is using the built-in Markup feature available on iPads and iPhones. This tool is handy for quick annotations and sketches directly on your photos.
Utilizing Built-in Markup Tools
Markup is a native feature in iPadOS and iOS that allows you to draw on screenshots, photos, and documents. To draw on a photo using Markup:
- Open your Photos app and select the image you want to draw on.
- Tap “Edit” in the top right corner.
- Tap the Markup button (it looks like a pen tip in a circle) usually located at the top right or bottom of the screen depending on your iPadOS/iOS version.
- You’ll see a toolbar at the bottom with various drawing tools like pens, pencils, markers, and an eraser. Select your desired tool and color.
- Start drawing directly on your photo with your finger or an Apple Pencil if you have one.
Markup is perfect for simple drawings or highlighting specific areas on a photo. You can adjust the pen thickness and color to suit your needs. However, it’s important to note the limitations when using Markup for more complex edits.
Exploring Third-Party Apps for Advanced Drawing
While Markup is convenient for basic drawing, it lacks the advanced features needed for more intricate artwork or if you intend to remove the original photo after drawing, leaving only your artwork. For these purposes, third-party applications are essential.
For users looking to draw on photos and have more control, especially the ability to separate the drawing from the photo layer, dedicated drawing and photo editing apps are the way to go. These apps often work with “layers,” a crucial feature that allows you to draw on a transparent layer over your photo. This means you can edit your drawing independently and even remove the photo layer entirely, leaving only your drawing.
Apps like Affinity Photo, Procreate, and Adobe Photoshop Sketch (now Adobe Fresco) are popular choices among creatives. These applications offer a wider range of brushes, layering capabilities, and editing options.
For example, in Affinity Photo, you would:
- Open your photo in the app.
- Create a new layer above your photo layer.
- Select a brush and color, and draw on this new layer.
This layered approach ensures your drawing is separate from the original image, giving you flexibility in editing and exporting your work. You can then save your artwork with or without the original photo in various formats.
Conclusion
Whether you need to quickly annotate a photo or create detailed digital art on top of an image, there are tools available to meet your needs. For simple tasks, iPad’s built-in Markup is a great starting point. For more advanced drawing and editing, exploring third-party apps like Affinity Photo will unlock a wider range of creative possibilities, especially when you need the flexibility of layers to separate your drawings from the underlying image. Experiment with these methods to find the best way to draw on your photos and bring your creative ideas to life.
