Congrats to Paper 53 for winning iTunes App of the Year 2012!

If you are an artist, you might have a sketch journal. This is a book filled with blank pages, which you use to make a sketch. The idea is that your doodles become inspiration for other projects.

For instance, the lamps at the Hilton Inn Boise/Eagle (where I am staying) is a nice mimmic to a chinese lantern. I would make a sketch of that to put in my book. In a few weeks, I may be drawing something, and want to put that lamp into my drawing or painting. I can then reference that page in my journal. I can also use those drawings as examples in a portfolio.

Paper FiftyThree is that journal. It’s one of the best drawing iPad apps out there. I have been able to draw on the iPad and give it feeling and character.

You start with 1 pen and one eraser for drawing and deleting. Additional pens are in-app purchases for $1.99, but for $7.99, you can get them all. They include 2 marker styles, pencil, and paint brush (water color style).

You can delete things two ways in Paper Fifty Three – through the eraser pen, and through the rewind option. Hold two fingers on the iPad and make a counter-clockwise motion. I am not too keen on this way to undo a mistake. I would rather just see an undo button.

To get back to the journal, simply pinch the picture. Pinch it again if you have multiple journals to choose from.

There are some other issues with Paper 53, which make it a little more difficult to use. If you can get past the little “need to fix” quirks, this is a very useful app. Check out the drawings I made below.

Paper 53 works a lot better with a stylus pen. Get a Stylus Pen on Amazon

Check out yesterdays iPad app – Twitter apps for iPad