# Brushes Redux

> iOS painting app with advanced brush engine, layers, and creative process recording. (iPhone/iPad app by Christoffer Hoel.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brushes-redux/id932089074 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Christoffer Hoel](https://appshunter.io/developer/905811020)
- Category: Entertainment
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.57/5 from 297 App Store ratings · 288 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 8.0 · 15 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2014-10-31
- Data updated: 2026-08-25
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brushes-redux/id932089074/reviews.md

## What is Brushes Redux?

Brushes Redux is a painting app designed exclusively for iOS. Rewritten from the ground up, Brushes Redux is universal — the same version runs on both your iPhone and your iPad. Move paintings between your devices and keep working wherever you go.

An accelerated OpenGL-based painting engine makes painting smooth and responsive — even with huge brush sizes. Brushes also records every step in your painting. Show off your creative process by replaying your paintings directly on your device.

General Features:
– Create paintings with dimensions up to 4096x4096
– Full support for all Retina devices
– Background autosave
– Unlimited undo and redo
– Simple and approachable interface

Painting:
– Full screen painting
– Record and replay paintings
– Ultrafast OpenGL-based painting engine
– Huge brush sizes up to 512x512 pixels
– Simulated pressure
– 64-bit painting on the latest hardware
– 14 parameterized brush shapes
– Adjustable brush settings (spacing, jitter, scatter, etc.)
– Adjustable color opacity
– Invert color and desaturate
– Flip and arbitrarily transform layers
– Adjustable color balance (iPad only)
– Adjustable hue, saturation and brightness (iPad only)

Layers:
– Create up to 10 layers
– Lock and hide layers
– Lock layer transparency
– Adjust layer opacity
– Duplicate, rearrange, and merge layers
– Change blending modes: normal, multiply, screen, exclude

Import and Export:
– Integrated with Dropbox
– Import native Brushes 3 files, JPEG, and PNG files
– Export as native Brushes 3 files, JPEG, PNG, and Photoshop files (with layers)
– Place images from your photo album into paintings
– Copy paintings to the pasteboard

Gestures:
– Zoom with two finger pinch
– Zoom in with two finger double tap
– Zoom to fit with two finger double tap
– Toggle interface visibility with a single tap (this can be changed to a two finger tap in the app settings)
– Tap and hold to access eyedropper tool

Screenshot credit: "Portrait of Ally" by John Bavaro (http://johnbavaro.com)

## Key features

- OpenGL-based painting engine
- Record and replay paintings
- Up to 10 layers
- Import/export JPEG, PNG, PSD
- Simulated pressure
- Unlimited undo/redo

## What do users think of Brushes Redux?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Great for drawing and painting
- 💯 No ads or in-app purchases
- ⭐ Excellent for beginners
- 🎨 Customizable brushes
- 🎨 Ability to import photos

**Cons**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔍 Limited selection of tools (no blending, fill, etc.)
- 🔍 Pixelated output when zoomed in
- 🔍 Inconsistent color output
- 🔍 Difficulty using with Apple Pencil

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Drawings disappearing or unable to open
- Color picker issues causing unintended color changes
- Dropbox integration problems
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Most requested features**

- Add blending tool
- Increase layer limit
- Implement video export
- Add text tool
- Improve Apple Pencil support
- Add color stabilizer

## Recent user reviews (10 of 288)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brushes-redux/id932089074/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Really good

*2026-08-10, version 3.2*

Really good sense I use my old iPad to draw this is the best one I've seen I love it

### 5/5 — Read this please

*2026-07-28, version 3.2*

So it is good it records the video of you drawing and racing and it keeps on the app doesn’t take it off as well as it just is amazing. That appears in but it could maybe be a little bit better by doing a step-by-step but it still is quite good. You can draw anything you want you can choose, you can make your own like textures and draw with you can change the textures. We do anything really textures I mean not Dexters

### 1/5 — Absolutely atrocious

*2026-05-31, version 3.2*

This is SUCH a bad app it glitches all the time and you can’t make a normal neat stroke of paint on it.It’s SO annoying and my friends have way better apps.I would definitely not suggest this to anyone and I bet all the good reviews are fake because there is no way anyone could give this app that much glaze!

### 4/5 — .

*2026-02-25, version 3.2*

A random layer sometimes gets deleted when I leave the painting.

### 2/5 — They need more tools

*2026-01-31, version 3.2*

Also about the tools they need more color saving slot things

### 4/5 — Yeah

*2025-12-07, version 3.2*

Brushes redux is a great app for drawing especially because you can draw over picture, but I wish there were more layers too add if your making a very detailed sketch.

### 5/5 — Love it soooo much

*2025-11-27, version 3.2*

I have used this app for sooo long I got to get it on my new iPad it’s the best drawing app and it’s soooo amazing perfect in every way love this app sm!

### 1/5 — Not fun

*2025-11-06, version 3.2*

Fart

### 2/5 — Ehh

*2025-09-29, version 3.2*

It’s good but like needs improvement like could you add a feature where it teaches you to draw?? And like anatomy stuff?? Orrr like improve the lines bc it’s too pixelated sometimes

### 5/5 — Brushes Reduce

*2025-09-10, version 3.2*

It is easy to follow.. for someone who found photoshop style apps tech difficult with too many options. It is perfect for me as a pro artist to work with my art photo images, and find various options to explore prior to applying actual paint.

## Frequently asked questions about Brushes Redux

### What is Brushes Redux?

Brushes Redux is a painting application designed exclusively for iOS devices like iPhones and iPads. It features a powerful, accelerated OpenGL-based painting engine for smooth and responsive artwork creation, along with advanced layer management and import/export capabilities.

### What are the key features of Brushes Redux?

Key features include a fast painting engine, the ability to record and replay your entire creative process, support for up to 10 layers with various blending modes, and the capacity to create paintings with dimensions up to 4096x4096. It also offers unlimited undo/redo and simulated pressure.

### How much does Brushes Redux cost?

Brushes Redux is a paid application. The description does not mention any in-app purchases or subscription models, indicating a one-time purchase price for the app.

### What devices is Brushes Redux compatible with?

Brushes Redux is designed exclusively for iOS devices, including both iPhones and iPads. It is a universal app, meaning the same version runs on both device types, allowing you to move your work between them seamlessly.

### Can I import and export my artwork?

Yes, Brushes Redux supports importing native Brushes 3 files, JPEG, and PNG files. You can also export your work as native Brushes 3 files, JPEG, PNG, and even Photoshop files with layers intact. Integration with Dropbox is also provided for easy file management.

## Version history (last 3 releases)

### 3.2 — 2016-04-07

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

- The black artifacts are finally gone thanks to Patrice Kouame (SpiraMira)
- iPad Pro support
- Apple Pencil experimental support
- Better export support, which means you can now AirDrop, export to other apps directly from Brushes
- Import of editable Brushes files. Now you can open painting via AirDrop, from e-mails and continue working on the painting
- Enabled iTunes File Sharing to be able to access your paintings from a computer

### 3.1.2 — 2015-01-29

- A temporary fix for the black artifacts when drawing in iPad Air 2 or iPhone 6 (Plus)
- Proper support for iPhone 6 (Plus)
- Fix a bug when uploading to Dropbox

### 3.1.1 — 2014-10-29

No release notes.

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## More apps by Christoffer Hoel

- [Lasse Lakridskonfekt](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lasse-lakridskonfekt/id905811017)

All apps by Christoffer Hoel: https://appshunter.io/developer/905811020

## Related topics

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-25.*