Comparison

Value Study vs Book An Artist

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

Head to head
About

Value Study

This app helps artists improve their skills by analyzing light and shadow in reference images. It allows users to break down tones step-by-step, from simple black and white to more complex value ranges, aiding in the understanding of depth and form. It's a tool to enhance traditional art studies.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step tone breakdown
  • Highlighting areas of same value
  • Focus on light, shadow, and form
  • Greyscale value studies
  • Works with reference images
Features
Read full description

In art, value (or tone) refers to how light or dark a colour is. If you're learning to paint or draw, doing value studies is one of the best ways to improve. These small, loose sketches in greyscale help you understand where shadows fall and highlights appear—essential for capturing depth and form. Value Study is a simple, focused tool designed to help you see values more clearly in your reference images. Instead of just converting a photo to black and white, this app lets you break down tones step by step. Start with just black and white to map out the biggest shapes, then gradually add more values to refine your understanding. You can also highlight all areas of an image that share the same value, making it easier to see subtle shifts in tone. This is especially useful in complex references, like portraits, where different parts of the image might have the same level of shadow but look completely different in colour. Value Study isn’t here to replace traditional studies—it’s here to enhance them. Whether you're sketching, painting, or working digitally, this tool makes it easier to focus on the fundamentals of light, shadow, and form. Try it for free with all features enabled on sample images from Unsplash before deciding to unlock the full app with a low-cost yearly or lifetime purchase. All Value Study Pro upgrades count as lifetime purchase. Either option will unlock Value Study across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Annual: Auto-renews yearly. Lifetime: One-time payment, no fees. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Book An Artist

Connect with local artists to commission custom artwork and murals. Artists can create profiles, showcase their work, and manage project inquiries. Discover and book emerging talent for your creative projects.

Highlights
  • Create artist profiles
  • Upload artwork examples
  • Review project leads
  • Communicate with clients
  • Apply for job opportunities
  • Discover local talent
Features
Read full description

Founded in 2018, Book An Artist continues to grow as a platform and a brand. With over 12,000+ successful projects completed worldwide, our mission is to educate and promote the importance and benefit of original, custom-designed artwork and murals. Book An Artist supports hundreds of local artists allowing people to connect with emerging talent easily. CREATE A PROFILE. Create your personalised profile and upload examples of your artwork. Fill out your contact details, your art capabilities, where you’re located and where you would be willing to travel. REVIEW LEADS. Review your leads and get more information on the projects that you’re interested in. Once you receive your first enquiry you can respond via the app. BOOK COMMISSIONS. Communicate directly with clients via the app. Not only can you respond to messages, but you can also apply for open job opportunities.

Screenshots

Value Study4 screens
Book An Artist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Value Study at 92% against Book An Artist's 20%. Value Study also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.4) and ratings volume (3.3K vs 22). Book An Artist's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 16.6). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Value Study sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Book An Artist asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Value Study holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Value Study has 3.3K ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Value Study's written reviews are positive against 20% of Book An Artist's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Value Study ships an update fortnightly, Book An Artist every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Value Study versus Book An Artist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterValue StudyBook An Artist
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3.3K ratings) — better2.4 (22 ratings)
Positive reviews92.0% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3.3K — better22
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.613.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB80 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDiem LimitedBook An Artist

Customer experience

Value Study

All ratings3,333 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews200 reviews
Positive92.0%
Neutral1.5%
Negative6.5%

Book An Artist

All ratings22 ratings
Positive27.3%
Neutral9.1%
Negative63.6%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%

Bugs and requests

Value Study

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes or fails to launch on some devices
  • Occasional issues with image processing

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to adjust value midpoint
  • Include color study/color adjustment options
  • Provide side-by-side comparison of original and simplified images
  • Add customizable grid overlay

Book An Artist

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Value Study

Subscriptions2
  • Value Study Pro$3.991 Year
  • Value Study Pro (yearly)$6.991 Year
One-time5
  • Appreciation$2.99
  • Value Study Pro (Lifetime)$9.99
  • Generous boost$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Value Study$17.99
  • Amazing supporter$24.99
None

Book An Artist

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Value Study free?
Value Study is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Book An Artist free?
Book An Artist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Value Study or Book An Artist?
Value Study is rated higher. Value Study averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while Book An Artist averages 2.4 from 22 ratings.
Do Value Study or Book An Artist have ads?
Neither Value Study nor Book An Artist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Value Study or Book An Artist?
Value Study ships an update fortnightly, and Book An Artist every 5 weeks. Most recently, Value Study was updated on October 17, 2026 and Book An Artist on October 15, 2026.

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