# Handy Art Reference Tool vs Colored Pencil Picker

The clearest difference is price: Colored Pencil Picker at Free against Handy Art Reference Tool's $1.99. Colored Pencil Picker also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). Handy Art Reference Tool's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (85% vs 72%). On rating, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Colored Pencil Picker is free to download; Handy Art Reference Tool costs $1.99 up front. Handy Art Reference Tool sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Colored Pencil Picker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Handy Art Reference Tool holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 688 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Handy Art Reference Tool's written reviews are positive against 72% of Colored Pencil Picker's.

Handy Art Reference Tool ships an update every 5 months, Colored Pencil Picker fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Handy Art Reference Tool | Colored Pencil Picker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handy-art-reference-tool/id478643661/reviews)** | [4.7 (688 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colored-pencil-picker/id1413249328/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 688 |
| Positive reviews | **85.0% of reviews** | 72.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#35** | — |
| Size | 361 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Belief Engine](https://appshunter.io/developer/478643664) | [Kristian Olidana](https://appshunter.io/developer/1413249327) |

## What reviewers say

### Handy Art Reference Tool

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handy-art-reference-tool/id478643661)

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

This app provides artists with rotatable 3D models of hands, heads, and feet for drawing reference. Customize poses and lighting to achieve realistic results for your artwork. Additional packs for animal skulls and foot rigs are available for purchase.

**Highlights:** Rotatable 3D limb models, Customizable poses, Adjustable 3-point lighting, 3D head busts, Animal skull reference pack, Material editing

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Feet Models | $1.99 | one-time |
| Animal Skull Pack | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for drawing reference
- 🔍 Useful for lighting and shading
- 🎨 Great for hands and heads
- 💡 Customizable lighting and poses
- 🎨 Diverse skin tone options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes or freezes on some devices
- 💰 In-app purchases for additional content
- 🤔 Limited model variety (no full bodies)
- 🤔 Difficulty with precise positioning
- 🤔 Lighting controls could be improved

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch for some users
- Purchased content not unlocking
- Positioning and movement issues

**Requested features**

- Add full body models and poses
- Include more facial expressions and emotions
- Allow for custom hand and finger posing
- Implement ability to save custom poses
- Add more diverse skin tones and ethnicities


### Colored Pencil Picker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colored-pencil-picker/id1413249328)

This app assists colored pencil artists in creating realistic drawings by helping them select the best color palettes. It offers extensive brand presets, color blending, and image analysis tools to streamline the artistic process.

**Highlights:** Colored pencil brand presets, Import reference photos, Blend and mix up to 3 colors, Pencil locator feature, Image grid analysis, Adjustable color depth

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Colored Pencil Picker Pro | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Absolutely amazing!
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Wonderful tool
- 👍 Fantastic tool
- 👍 Brilliant little app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Hue is completely off
- 🐛 Not accurate at all
- 🐛 Colors way off
- 🐛 Not accurate color
- 🐛 Skin colors turned out muddy

**Reported bugs**

- Update needed
- Grid issues
- Monthly download picture never changes
- Can't reveal all colors until you agree to see ads

**Requested features**

- Add Caran d'Ache Luminance set of 100
- Add more pencil brand options
- Add Derwent Lightfast pencils
- Add Derwent Drawing and Coloursoft pencils
- Add Arteza pencil sets


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Handy Art Reference Tool free?

Handy Art Reference Tool costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Colored Pencil Picker free?

Colored Pencil Picker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Handy Art Reference Tool or Colored Pencil Picker?

Handy Art Reference Tool is rated higher. Handy Art Reference Tool averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Colored Pencil Picker averages 4.7 from 688 ratings.

### Do Handy Art Reference Tool or Colored Pencil Picker have ads?

Colored Pencil Picker shows ads; Handy Art Reference Tool does not.

### Which is updated more often, Handy Art Reference Tool or Colored Pencil Picker?

Handy Art Reference Tool ships an update every 5 months, and Colored Pencil Picker fortnightly. Most recently, Handy Art Reference Tool was updated on November 6, 2026 and Colored Pencil Picker on November 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*