HEAVYPAINT Classic vs Head Model Studio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HEAVYPAINT Classic
A streamlined painting application focused on pure colors and shapes. It offers essential tools for artists, including improved smudge and blur, layers, masking, and erasing. Ideal for quick sketches, studies, and plein air work.
- Improved Smudge tool
- Improved Blur tool
- Layers
- Masking
- Clipping
- Erase tool
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HEAVYPAINT ClassicA simple yet secretly powerful painting app! Focus on pure colors and shapes with a streamlined interface. Ideal for plein air painting, color notes, sketches and studies. + Improved Smudge + Improved Blur + Layers + Masking + Erase + Clipping 30 day trial with full functionality.
Head Model Studio
This app provides 3D reference models for artists to study and draw faces. It offers detailed control over lighting and rendering to help users understand facial planes and tones, aiding in portrait drawing practice.
- 25 detailed 3D head models
- Full 3D model control (zoom, tilt, rotate)
- Realistic environmental and studio lighting
- Customizable rendering with edge outlines
- Pre-made practice scenes
- Study facial planes and geometry
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Draw better portraits with Head Model Studio. Study faces in detail from simple planes to complex geometry. It is the best iOS / iPadOS application to learn and study faces in detail. Take your sketches to the next level. INSPIRED BY FAMOUS TECHNIQUES Inspired by master methodologies, Head Model Studio comes with 25 different models, including 2 free. From simple to more detailed models, progress easily by understanding the planes of the face. Expand your practice with 5 classical models. COMPLETE CONTROL You have complete control over the 3D models. Zoom, tilt, and rotate to study each part of the model at will. ENVIRONMENTAL & STUDIO LIGHTING Realistic environmental lighting based on HDR photos, recreate a sunrise, midday, or sunset illumination. Switch to Studio Lighting to create amazing lighting composition with multiple spotlights and different colors. Change the lighting to be at any angle or intensity. Perfect to study the planes of the head and understand tones. CUSTOMISABLE RENDERING The edge outline highlights the planes for easier practice. Turn it off once comfortable and practice in a more realistic setting. Modify the shininess for a different material rendering. PRE-MADE PRACTICE Want to learn to draw but unsure where or how to start? We’ve created a bunch of scenes to get you started. PRICING Head Model Studio offers a couple of free models. A premium access is required to access the rest of the models. Lifetime and Yearly (non-recurring) options are available. WE LOVE FEEDBACK I love coding and drawing, feel free to reach out, and tell me what feature you'd love to see in the app. Terms & Conditions: https://headmodelstudio.com/terms-conditions/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Head Model Studio at 4.6 against HEAVYPAINT Classic's 4.1. Head Model Studio also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 54%) and ratings volume (2.5K vs 179). HEAVYPAINT Classic's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. HEAVYPAINT Classic sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Head Model Studio sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Head Model Studio holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Head Model Studio has 2.5K ratings behind it against 179, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of HEAVYPAINT Classic's written reviews are positive against 76% of Head Model Studio's.
HEAVYPAINT Classic ships an update every 5 days, Head Model Studio monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HEAVYPAINT Classic | Head Model Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (179 ratings) | 4.6 (2.5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | 76.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 179 | 2.5K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 2.2 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HEAVYPOLY, Inc. | Wes Castain |
Customer experience
HEAVYPAINT Classic
Head Model Studio
User reviews
HEAVYPAINT Classic
From 179 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎨 Unique, innovative painting tools and brushes
- 💡 Forces deliberate, decisive artistic decisions
- 🎯 Minimalist interface encourages focus on fundamentals
- 🔄 Playback feature to review artwork creation
- 🎪 Fun, experimental approach to digital art
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and data loss
- 😤 Confusing, unintuitive UI/UX
- 🔄 Inconsistent UI changes between updates
- 💰 Switched from one-time purchase to subscription model
- 🚫 Poor documentation and lack of tutorials
Head Model Studio
From 2.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎨 Excellent reference tool for artists
- 🔍 Helpful for understanding head anatomy and planes
- 🔧 Customizable lighting and model features
- 💰 Reasonable subscription pricing
Room to improve
- 💰 Premium features locked behind paywall
- 🔒 Lack of free trial to test premium content
- 🔧 Limited customization options for free users
- 🐛 Occasional technical issues with lighting and model adjustments
Bugs and requests
HEAVYPAINT Classic
Reported bugs
18 issues- App crashes frequently, causing work loss
- Auto-save feature unreliable despite crashes
- Canvas flips upside down randomly
- Transform tool deletes paintings
- Undo button requires multiple taps
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- Zoom functionality buggy and destabilizes canvas
- Canvas resize not working
- Image corruption with layer duplication
- Eye dropper functionality haphazard
- Fill tool doesn't work with selected colors
- Pressure setting eliminates mark-making
- Brush size settings change across all tools
- Some brush textures cannot be changed
- Random blobs appear on export
- App crashes when switching between drawings
- Trial period not clearing for paid users
- Incompatibility with SE2 and older devices
- Speaker popping on undo action
Requested features
15 requests- Gesture controls (2-finger undo, 3-finger redo)
- Pressure sensitivity for brush size
- Lasso tool for moving selections
- Redo button functionality
- Canvas zoom capability
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- Resizable/collapsible UI elements
- Ability to move canvas with single finger
- Line work capabilities
- Better brush texture preset selection
- Canvas size input field
- Eraser tool
- Moveable UI panels
- Tutorial or onboarding guide
- Better save/export documentation
- Pressure control for size on all tools
Head Model Studio
Reported bugs
2 issues- Sudden loss of model functionality after updates
- Overheating issues on some devices
Requested features
4 requests- Add female Loomis head models
- Expand customization options for paid users
- Implement full-body reference models
- Provide option for one-time lifetime purchase
In-app purchases
HEAVYPAINT Classic
- Seurat Texture Brushes$4.99
- HEAVYPAINT Pro$9.99
Head Model Studio
- 1 Month Access$9.001 Month
- 1 Year Access$16.001 Year
- 1 Year Access$23.00
- Lifetime Access$50.00
Questions
Is HEAVYPAINT Classic free?
Is Head Model Studio free?
Which has better reviews, HEAVYPAINT Classic or Head Model Studio?
Do HEAVYPAINT Classic or Head Model Studio have ads?
Which is updated more often, HEAVYPAINT Classic or Head Model Studio?
Other comparisons
