Drawing References Pro vs Painter's Tools
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Portrait and pose reference library
- Import photos from phone/Google Drive
- Reference manipulation tools
- Timed gesture drawing mode
- Transparent overlay comparison
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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/
Painter's Tools
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Paint what you see, not what you think you see. Painter's Tools turns any reference photo into a value study, a mixing recipe and a measured drawing guide, built for oil, acrylic, watercolor and gouache painters. Tap any color in your reference and get a recipe from the paints on your own palette. Squint at the big shapes. Check your drawing against the photo. All in one calm, focused studio. VALUES • Switch to a pure value view to judge light and dark without color in the way • Push the contrast to separate close values SHAPES • Simplify any scene into 2 to 8 flat value groups for a quick notan or value study • See the big masses to block in first COLOR MIXING • Tap any spot for a mixing recipe made only from the paints you own • Compare the target color with the predicted mix and see how close it is • Hold to magnify and sample exactly the spot you want • Build your palette from 12 classic pigments, including titanium white, cadmium red, ultramarine blue and burnt sienna COMPARE • Photograph your painting and overlay it on the reference • Blend between them, or hold to flash back and forth, and drawing errors jump out MEASURE AND GRID • Set your canvas size and measure any distance in inches or centimeters • Lay a transfer grid by count or spacing that matches the one on your canvas CROP TO YOUR CANVAS • Crop your reference to standard canvas sizes from 8×10 to 24×36, portrait or landscape, or any custom size BUILT FOR THE STUDIO • A dark, neutral interface that won't skew how you judge color • Designed for iPhone and iPad • No account, no ads. Your photos never leave your device. Whether you paint plein air or in the studio, Painter's Tools helps you get values, color and proportions right before the paint goes on.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Drawing References Pro at every 2 months against Painter's Tools's every 4 months. Drawing References Pro also leads on chart position (#150 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Drawing References Pro costs $4.99 and Painter's Tools $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Drawing References Pro ships an update every 2 months, Painter's Tools every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Drawing References Pro | Painter's Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | #150 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 110 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | fnx.io | Robert Rolin |
In-app purchases
Drawing References Pro
No in-app purchases
Painter's Tools
No in-app purchases





