Values at Play vs Artist Tools
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Values at Play
This app helps users practice identifying and analyzing values in art. It offers tools to create value studies, inspect specific color values, and find areas matching a chosen value. Users can import their own images for practice.
- Create value studies from images
- Import custom images
- Inspect Denman Ross and RGB values
- Find points matching selected values
- Colorized value studies
- Full-screen value study viewing
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Use "Values at Play" to practice seeing values in art. Practice with one of the images included in the app or import your own image. Values at Play includes: VALUE STUDY Create a Value Study for any image. Choose the number of values to include in the study, and the value study will be created within seconds! View the value study full-screen, and easily toggle between it and the original image. Create "colorized" value studies. IMAGE INSPECTOR Use Image Inspector to find the Denman Ross Value and RGB value of any point on an image. VALUE FINDER Find all the points on an image with the value you've selected. VALUES-TAC-TOE Drag the cross hair to a precise location on the image you've selected. Do you know the value at that point? If so, you're on your way to a "Values-Tac-Toe." If not, keep practicing.
Artist Tools
This app provides objective tools to analyze reference images for drawing. It helps artists improve tonal accuracy, check proportions, and understand value structures using traditional art school techniques. Features include value studies, color simplification, and various drawing guides.
- Value study analysis
- Color simplification
- Black mirror tool
- Invert and flip reference
- Line and plumb line guides
- Grid overlay (rule of thirds, golden ratio)
- Offline functionality
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Artist Tools is the missing piece that will take your drawing to the next level. Import any reference image and instantly see its true value structure, check your proportions, and train your eye using the same techniques taught in traditional art schools. Run a value study on any reference and instantly see where your darks, midtones, and lights actually are — not where you think they are. Your tonal accuracy improves the moment you start using it. Your eyes lie to you. Artist Tools gives you objective tools to catch what your perception misses — the same methods classically trained artists rely on every day. VALUE TOOLS • Value Study Analyze the tonal values in your reference. See exactly which areas are light, mid-tone, and dark. Tap individual values to highlight where they appear in the image. • Simplify Reduce your reference to fewer colors. Strip away detail to see the essential value structure — just like squinting at your subject. • Black Mirror Compress the value range to see subtle value relationships more clearly. A digital version of the traditional artist's black mirror. • Invert Flip values to check your work from a fresh perspective. • Flip Mirror your reference horizontally to spot mistakes and asymmetry. DRAWING TOOLS • Line Tool Draw straight lines at any angle. Perfect for measuring proportions and finding alignments in your reference. • Plumb Line Vertical and horizontal guides that help you check alignment. Essential for accurate figure drawing and portraiture. • Box Tool Create rectangles to frame compositions, measure proportions, or isolate areas of your reference. • Envelope Tool Draw multi-point shapes around complex forms. Trace the outer contour of any subject to understand its basic shape. • Grid Tool Overlay rule-of-thirds, golden ratio, or custom grids for composition and proportion checking. BUILT FOR ARTISTS • Works completely offline — no internet required • Built-in tutorial to learn each tool • Organize guides in layers — toggle visibility, delete, rearrange • Auto-saves your work as you go • Export finished studies to your gallery • Dark interface that won't strain your eyes in the studio • Clean, minimal design that stays out of your way WHO IS THIS FOR? • Figure drawing students learning proportion and anatomy • Portrait artists checking alignments and value structures • Plein air painters simplifying complex scenes • Students practicing classical drawing techniques • Anyone serious about improving their observational drawing skills These are the same tools hanging on the wall of every traditional art school — the plumb line, the measuring stick, the black mirror, and the squinted eye. Now they fit in your pocket. Study any reference with precision. See values clearly. Draw with confidence. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Artist Tools at every 11 days against Values at Play's every 5 months. Values at Play's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. Values at Play sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Artist Tools sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Values at Play holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Values at Play ships an update every 5 months, Artist Tools every 11 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Values at Play | Artist Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better | 4.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Neil Daly | Hessam Emami |
Customer experience
Values at Play
Artist Tools
In-app purchases
Values at Play
- Values at Play Unlimited$4.99
Artist Tools
- Premium Subscription$1.991 Month
- Monthly Premium - Promo$2.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription - Promo7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Unlock Full App$8.99
Questions
Is Values at Play free?
Is Artist Tools free?
Which has better reviews, Values at Play or Artist Tools?
Do Values at Play or Artist Tools have ads?
Which is updated more often, Values at Play or Artist Tools?
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