Welcome to this new weekly feature. Even at this early stage the App Store is changing the way we think about mobile phone applications and in many respects the way we think about all applications. Apple have created a farmers market, a place where even an indivdual developer can make a living from Apple’s pocket computer platform.
With the recent 2.1 upgrade bringing faster and more reliable application installations, I figured it was time to take a closer look at some of the very best iPhone applications available.
Brushes by Steve Sprang is the kind of application that I have hoped for since Steve Jobs first announced support for 3rd party applications. If you have any experience with Corel’s Painter or some of Photoshops more organic brushes you’ll have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Brushes. In short, it’s a limited but slick natural media painting application.
At last count there were at least 7 other painting/drawing applications available through the App Store, what elevates Brushes above the competition?
1. The interface is well thought out, with many of the controls being just 1 or 2 clicks away.
2. The 3 brush types available in this current version of all exhibit a natural appearance not yet seen in any of the other iPhone painting apps.
3. Transparency. The ability to fine tune the transparency level of any colour, including an overall wash of colour, is what makes Brushes such a pleasing experience.
Steve Sprang informs me that there are many exciting additions and refinements coming to Brushes during the next few months, but don’t hold off purchasing until they arrive, Brushes even in its current form is a joy to use.
I used Brushes to paint the picture seen at the top of this feature, for more samples and information about Brushes head over to the website.