Comparison

Drawing References Pro vs Artist Tools

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Drawing References Pro

Access a vast library of portrait and pose references for artistic practice. Enhance your workflow with tools like photo import, mirroring, grids, and timed gesture drawing. Compare your work directly to references with a unique transparent overlay feature.

Highlights
  • Portrait and pose reference library
  • Import photos from phone/Google Drive
  • Reference manipulation tools
  • Timed gesture drawing mode
  • Transparent overlay comparison
Features
Read full description

Do you like portraits or figure drawing? Then welcome! Here is what you will find in our app: * Huge collection of portrait and pose references for your practice. * Import your own photos from phone or Google Drive. * Flip, mirror, always on screen, customizable overlay grid, convert to greyscale, blur, ... everything you need to turn your reference photo into a stunning drawing. * Timed mode for gesture drawing practice. AND: Take a photo of your drawing and compare it with the reference using our unique transparent overlay ... that's hard to explain ... you just need to try it for yourself :-) Very helpful, you'll see! Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.drawingreferencesapp.com/privacy-policy/

About

Artist Tools

This app provides objective tools to analyze reference images for drawing. It helps artists improve tonal accuracy, check proportions, and understand value structures using traditional art school techniques. Features include value studies, color simplification, and various drawing guides.

Highlights
  • Value study analysis
  • Color simplification
  • Black mirror tool
  • Invert and flip reference
  • Line and plumb line guides
  • Grid overlay (rule of thirds, golden ratio)
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Artist Tools is the missing piece that will take your drawing to the next level. Import any reference image and instantly see its true value structure, check your proportions, and train your eye using the same techniques taught in traditional art schools. Run a value study on any reference and instantly see where your darks, midtones, and lights actually are — not where you think they are. Your tonal accuracy improves the moment you start using it. Your eyes lie to you. Artist Tools gives you objective tools to catch what your perception misses — the same methods classically trained artists rely on every day. VALUE TOOLS • Value Study Analyze the tonal values in your reference. See exactly which areas are light, mid-tone, and dark. Tap individual values to highlight where they appear in the image. • Simplify Reduce your reference to fewer colors. Strip away detail to see the essential value structure — just like squinting at your subject. • Black Mirror Compress the value range to see subtle value relationships more clearly. A digital version of the traditional artist's black mirror. • Invert Flip values to check your work from a fresh perspective. • Flip Mirror your reference horizontally to spot mistakes and asymmetry. DRAWING TOOLS • Line Tool Draw straight lines at any angle. Perfect for measuring proportions and finding alignments in your reference. • Plumb Line Vertical and horizontal guides that help you check alignment. Essential for accurate figure drawing and portraiture. • Box Tool Create rectangles to frame compositions, measure proportions, or isolate areas of your reference. • Envelope Tool Draw multi-point shapes around complex forms. Trace the outer contour of any subject to understand its basic shape. • Grid Tool Overlay rule-of-thirds, golden ratio, or custom grids for composition and proportion checking. BUILT FOR ARTISTS • Works completely offline — no internet required • Built-in tutorial to learn each tool • Organize guides in layers — toggle visibility, delete, rearrange • Auto-saves your work as you go • Export finished studies to your gallery • Dark interface that won't strain your eyes in the studio • Clean, minimal design that stays out of your way WHO IS THIS FOR? • Figure drawing students learning proportion and anatomy • Portrait artists checking alignments and value structures • Plein air painters simplifying complex scenes • Students practicing classical drawing techniques • Anyone serious about improving their observational drawing skills These are the same tools hanging on the wall of every traditional art school — the plumb line, the measuring stick, the black mirror, and the squinted eye. Now they fit in your pocket. Study any reference with precision. See values clearly. Draw with confidence. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Drawing References Pro4 screens
Artist Tools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Artist Tools at Free against Drawing References Pro's $4.99. Artist Tools also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). Drawing References Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Artist Tools is free to download; Drawing References Pro costs $4.99 up front. Artist Tools sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Drawing References Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Drawing References Pro holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drawing References Pro ships an update every 2 months, Artist Tools every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Drawing References Pro versus Artist Tools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrawing References ProArtist Tools
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank#147 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size110 MB34 MB
Age rating12+4+
Developerfnx.ioHessam Emami

Customer experience

Drawing References Pro

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Artist Tools

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Drawing References Pro

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Artist Tools

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Subscription$1.991 Month
  • Monthly Premium - Promo$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription - Promo7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlock Full App$8.99

Questions

Is Drawing References Pro free?
Drawing References Pro costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Artist Tools free?
Artist Tools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Drawing References Pro or Artist Tools?
Drawing References Pro is rated higher. Drawing References Pro averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Artist Tools averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Drawing References Pro or Artist Tools have ads?
Neither Drawing References Pro nor Artist Tools shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drawing References Pro or Artist Tools?
Drawing References Pro ships an update every 2 months, and Artist Tools every 11 days. Most recently, Drawing References Pro was updated on October 29, 2026 and Artist Tools on October 24, 2026.

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