Camera Lucida™ vs Transparent Drawing
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Camera Lucida™
This app uses your device's camera to superimpose a reference image onto your drawing surface, guiding your hand to create detailed art. It offers advanced features and tools to enhance your sketching and painting skills, making art creation easy and fun.
- AR image superposition for drawing
- Advanced image filters
- Zoom lock for detail
- Session save and restore
- Time-lapsed recording
- External USB camera support
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Draw Like a Pro with Camera Lucida™: AR Drawing One-Time Purchase: No subscriptions! Buy it once and use on your devices. Enhance Your Art Skills: Whether you're sketching with a pencil or painting with a brush, Camera Lucida™ helps you become a better artist. Unmatched Functionality: With 12+ years of development, Camera Lucida™ offers features that no competitor can match. Create stunning physical art using your iPhone or iPad's camera. Simply point your device at your drawing surface, and watch the screen to see your reference image superimposed over your work. It's more versatile than a light table, better than a projector, and easier to use than a traditional Camera Lucida™. How It Works: Place your iPhone or iPad between your eyes and your drawing surface. The app shows a virtual image on your screen, guiding your hand as you draw. This clever method makes it easy and fun to create detailed art. Top Features: • Buy it once for lifetime use. • Advanced Image Filters: See with an artist's eye. • Zoom in Lock: For ultra detailed drawing. • Session Save & Restore: Automatically realign your camera, sketch, and reference image. • Full Color Palette Control: Use your own paints, markers, and more. • Camera Adjustments: Use your device camera and adjust for different setups manually or with an in-app purchase to auto-adjust. • Time-Lapsed Recordings: Share your drawing process on social media. • Advanced Tools: Vertical split screen sliders, timed image fading, and more. • Video Tutorials: Watch tutorials within the app or on YouTube. • Comprehensive User Manual: Accessible from within the app. • Reliable Customer Support: Plus, an active user community for inspiration. • External USB Camera Support: For USB-C equipped iPads running iOS 17. Easy Setup: Secure your iPhone or iPad above your drawing surface using common household items like a stack of books or a vase. Tutorials are included to help you get started. Contact: For any questions or support, email cameralucida@bigidesign.com.
Transparent Drawing
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Transparent drawing is the ultimate tool for tracing and redrawing reference images onto physical paper using your iPad's camera – no expensive projector needed! Prop your iPad above your drawing surface (with a stand or books), pick any image from your photos, and watch it appear as a semi-transparent overlay on the live view of your paper. Adjust opacity for the perfect visibility, pinch to zoom, and drag to align exactly where you want. Key Features: Live rear camera feed with real-time overlay Import any image from your photo library Adjustable transparency (0-100%) Pinch-to-zoom (up to 8x) and drag to position perfectly Reset view with one tap Works offline – no internet required Optimized for iPad (portrait & landscape) Ideal for: Learning proportions and anatomy Transferring digital sketches to paper Creating accurate portraits, illustrations, or tattoos Art classes, hobbies, or professional work Free Version: Try up to 10 image selections Watch a quick rewarded video for +5 extra selections Subtle banner ad at the bottom Go Pro (One-time purchase): Unlimited selections No ads forever Support ongoing development Start creating masterpiece tracings today – point, trace, draw!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Transparent Drawing at $3.99 against Camera Lucida™'s $14.99. Transparent Drawing also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). Camera Lucida™'s advantage is chart position (#6 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.1). On 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
Camera Lucida™ costs $14.99 and Transparent Drawing $3.99 up front. Camera Lucida™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Transparent Drawing asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Camera Lucida™ | Transparent Drawing |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | $3.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (2K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 89.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | #6 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 26.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Camera Lucida | Kateryna Levytska |
Bugs and requests
Camera Lucida™
Reported bugs
2 issues- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Occasional crashes or freezes
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to draw larger images
- More camera settings and controls
- Integration with other art apps
Transparent Drawing
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Camera Lucida™
- Auto-Correct For Perspective$4.99
Transparent Drawing
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Camera Lucida™ free?
Is Transparent Drawing free?
Do Camera Lucida™ or Transparent Drawing have ads?
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