Head Study vs Artista
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Head Study
This app provides artists with a 3D reference for understanding human anatomy and facial forms. It features simplified planes, a skull model, and adjustable lighting to aid in portraiture studies. Enhance your knowledge of the human form by exploring what lies beneath the surface.
- Simplified planes of the head model
- Anatomically correct male skull model
- 360-degree 3D model manipulation
- Adjustable lighting
- Switchable anatomical views
- Informational overlay with structural insights
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Artists have always needed a quick and easy reference to help them understand the anatomy & forms of their portrait models. The Head Study App, is that resource. These portrait models were created to make the study of portraiture easier, but also to enhance your knowledge of the human form. The appearance of the face can be understood best by studying what is underneath the surface. The simplified planar head and the skull in this app are made with the same proportion to make this comparison as clear as possible. FEATURES: + Simplified “planes of the head” model + Anatomically correct male skull model + Tumble and zoom the 3D model from 360 degrees + Adjust the position & strength of multiple lighting situations + Switch between simplified planes, skull, and muscular views + Toggle an informational overlay indicating, key structural features, or anatomical insights + Adjustable background value This app was developed to go along with the lessons on my Patreon page. If you have interest in learning to draw and paint portraits better you can find all of my lessons at: patreon.com/StephenBaumanArtwork Any questions? Contact us at: stephenbaumanartwork@gmail.com
Artista
Access thousands of high-quality reference photos for your art. Share your creations, learn from others' interpretations, and track your artistic progress over time. This app also features an art community for inspiration and feedback.
- Thousands of reference photos
- Share your drawings
- View others' interpretations
- Track progress
- Art community
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A photo reference tool and art community! - Thousands of high quality reference photos - Share your drawings with others - See how others drew a reference to help improve your own - See previous sessions and your progress over time
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Artista at Free against Head Study's $7.99. Artista also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On rating, ratings volume, 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
Artista is free to download; Head Study costs $7.99 up front. Head Study sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Artista asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Head Study against 4.8 for Artista. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 17 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Head Study's written reviews are positive against 89% of Artista's.
Head Study ships an update every 3 months, Artista every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Head Study | Artista |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (34 ratings) — better | 4.8 (17 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | 88.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 34 — better | 17 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 342 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Stephen Bauman Artwork | Max Buster |
Customer experience
Head Study
Artista
In-app purchases
Head Study
- Female Planes + Skull$4.99
Artista
No in-app purchases
