Any creative person knows that when picking up a new hobby, the hardest part is not developing skill, not devoting time, and it is not even finding inspiration. No, the hardest part when picking up a new interest in all actuality is finding the right apps. Artists can get so hung up on finding the right app to use that it takes more time to settle on an app that it takes to learn how to use the tools. So, what are the best apps to use as a beginner/amateur in a new media of art like animation, music, digital art, or editing?
Animation
Animation is one of the most difficult and time-consuming medias of art, but it is difficult to find a program that’s beginner friendly that still has all the facilities you are looking for; multiple layers that you can control the opacity of a sound application that also allows you to layer audios, with multiple brushes you can use. By far the most popular program for beginners in animation has been FlipaClip. This simple yet charming and straightforward app has been the humble beginning for many talented animators out there. It teaches you about its tools, and it comes with many great facilities, including an audio application that can be layered, image layers that you can alter the opacity to, as well as a Frames Per Second (FPS) that you can dial up and down to your liking. One downfall of this app though is that unfortunately, it does have a couple of in-app purchases, but they go for low prices and can usually be used after watching a short ad on FlipaClip. Overall, it is a great app for beginners who are just looking to start in animation.
8.5/10
Digital Art
Contrary to animation, there are about a million and a half apps for digital art; there’s Autodesk, there’s ibis, photoshop, and its thousand equivalents that do not immediately come to mind. But the most popular by far names Procreate as its champion of choice. Participate in any Instagram artist Q&A, walk into an art class, disrupt a quiet art kid’s little bubble of peace, and ask them what they use for digital art. 9 out of every 10 will tell you, Procreate, Procreate, Procreate, with the occasional deviation of some rat bastard on Ibis paint, and even then, it is only a matter of time before they convert. No one is safe from the propaganda of Procreate. Something that makes this app really stand out is its self-straightening lines, importable brushes, and many facilities. It even has an animation option that you can use to make basic animation. So accessible and a great program, it is easy to see why it is such a popular app. However, it does come at a price of 9.99 dollars up front to use all its features.
Overall, 8/10
Photo Editing
This one is a vague one. In terms of photo editing, that is not to mean filters on snapchat or playing with the contrast and saturation before posting on Instagram. PicsArt allows you to create digital collages, edit photos as well as draw on them which is great for creating posts or advertising. Creating a brand? Wanna make something look pretty? Wanna just get creative with your pictures? You can do all these things and more with PicsArt. PicsArt is like photoshop or any other graphic design program, except it is completely free and much easier to use; including tools that allow you to create stickers, layer photos, it also allows you to play with lighting and value of the photo to create pictures that look like professional works by a real photographer. It is great for creating reels of memories and even better for your Pinterest! One of the simplest yet cheap and professional apps out there.
9/10
Video Editing
Video Editing is a real art form, especially with the changing Instagram algorithm now that it is shifting from pictures to reels and videos. But there are a few good programs that are very user friendly, one of which being iMovie. With a quite simple tool bar that does not overwhelm people who are new to editing, it is nice and basic, quite easy to get a handle on. Plus, unlike a lot of the previous apps, iMovie is completely free. Completely, as in completely. It comes with Apple devices and can be used on the computer and mobile devices! Another important thing about this app is its quality, it does not bug like other programs, as well as brilliant facilities. Along with the usual video editing that strings clips together, it is also super easy to work with audio in this program. You get all the effects, manipulation and fading you want, and it is also super easy to import sound files in iMovie. This app is great for making montages one need for a video or a vlog, creating edits or even creating trailers!
8/10!
Jaeda Solon // Staff Writer
