Paintable vs RefCreate
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Paintable
This app provides a structured learning path and community support for aspiring digital artists. It offers step-by-step guidance, monthly workshops, and personalized feedback to help users build confidence and complete their illustrations.
- 5-Level Learning Path
- Monthly Themed Workshops
- Private Feedback Space
- Supportive Artist Community
- Creative Habit Support
- Illustration from Imagination
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Transform into a confident artist by creating original illustrations from imagination, guided by a clear path, helpful feedback, and a community that shares your passion. Digital Painting Academy is a private, supportive space built specifically for self-taught digital artists who want to grow their skills, build a consistent creative practice, and confidently illustrate from imagination. Whether you’re just getting started or returning after years away, you’ll find the structure, feedback, and community you’ve been missing. Join over 9,000 artists already transforming their creative lives with our step-by-step learning path, monthly themed workshops, and expert support—designed to help you finish what you start and feel proud of the art you make. > WHO IS THIS FOR? This app is for digital artists who are: • Returning to art after a long break and ready to reconnect with their creative identity • Aspiring illustrators who want to level up and take their craft seriously • Hobbyists who love making art, but struggle to finish anything • Creative burnout survivors who want to bring joy back to their art practice If you’ve ever felt stuck, scattered, or overwhelmed by all the tutorials and advice out there—you’re not alone. This space is for artists who want real growth, real progress, and real connection. > WHAT WILL YOU GET? Inside the Digital Painting Academy app, you’ll find everything you need to go from dabbler to confident artist: ** A 5-Level Learning Path ** A clear roadmap from beginner foundations to fully polished illustrations—designed to build your skills step by step, so you’re never lost or wondering what to learn next. ** Monthly Workshops ** Every month, dive into new themes like portraits, characters, and storytelling illustration. Learn pro techniques, apply them through mini-projects, and stretch your creative muscles—without getting overwhelmed. ** Private Feedback Space ** Get personalized, constructive feedback from experienced mentors who understand your goals. Whether you’re stuck or just need a nudge, we’re here to help you keep going. ** Supportive Artist Community ** No ego. No distractions. Just a warm, encouraging space to connect, grow, and stay inspired with fellow artists who care about their craft as much as you do. ** Built-In Creative Habit Support ** Life gets busy—but that doesn’t mean your art has to take a backseat. We help you find a rhythm that fits your real life, so you can make consistent progress without burnout. > WHY JOIN? Because you’re putting in the hours—now it’s time to get the results you deserve. If you’ve ever thought: “I’ve been drawing for years, but I still don’t feel like I’m improving.” “I can’t seem to finish my projects.” “I know I could do this… if I just had the right structure.” This is the space you’ve been looking for. Create art you’re proud of. Finish what matters. And finally feel like a “real” artist. No more doing it alone. No more wondering what to work on next. Just a clear, supportive path to becoming the artist you’ve always wanted to be. Join Digital Painting Academy and unlock the skills, confidence, and momentum to bring your imagination to life—one finished piece at a time.
RefCreate
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Master Form. Draw with Confidence. RefCreate is the 3D reference tool designed for artists serious about learning constructional drawing. Stop relying on flat photos that only show one angle. Start understanding how forms actually work in 3D space. THE PROBLEM WITH FLAT REFERENCES You can't master drawing by copying 2D images. Real skill comes from understanding form in three dimensions - how volumes turn in space, how planes catch light, how forms intersect and penetrate each other. RefCreate gives you instant access to the exact teaching models used by the best art schools and instructors - all perfectly lit, endlessly rotatable, always in your hands. WHAT'S INSIDE • ASARO HEAD (Planes of the Head) - The classic faceted head showing how facial planes turn in space. Includes major, secondary, and tertiary plane breakdowns. • LOOMIS HEAD - Study Andrew Loomis's legendary head construction method from every angle. • SKULL ANATOMY - Full skull with normal, planes, and blockout versions. Understand the foundation before drawing portraits. • FACIAL MUSCLES - Split view showing muscle anatomy on one side, bone structure on the other. • FORM INTERSECTIONS - The exercises that separate hobbyists from serious students. Box intersections, cylinder penetrations, complex combinations. Essential for Draw A Box students. • GEOMETRIC PRIMITIVES - Sphere, cylinder, box, cone, pyramid, torus. The building blocks of everything you draw, with perfect proportions and clean geometry. STUDY WORKSHEETS The Canvas is your digital sketchboard - a Procreate-style infinite workspace where 3D reference and curated 2D study material live side by side. Comes loaded with hand-picked worksheet packs: • BARGUE PLATES - Classical drawing exercises from the Charles Bargue Drawing Course. Used in ateliers worldwide to train observation and line quality. • PERSPECTIVE WORKSHEETS - Structured exercises for 1-point, 2-point, and 3-point perspective. Follow along or use as a guide while you work. • ANATOMY PLATES - Écorché and muscle diagrams drawn for artists, not medical students. Pin a 3D model next to your reference. Work through exercises with the exact form in front of you. Everything stays exactly where you put it. STUDY TOOLS THAT ACTUALLY HELP Perspective grids (2D and 3D), vanishing points, horizon lines, rotation markers, bounding boxes - all the guides you need for serious practice. Multiple display modes: solid shading, edge wireframes, sectional views (halfs, thirds, cross-sections). Toggle any guide on or off instantly. BUILT FOR HOW YOU WORK Snap to cardinal views with a swipe - instant front, side, top, bottom views for orthographic practice. Works completely offline - your reference library is always available. Optimized for iPad - use it alongside Procreate for digital studies or keep it next to your sketchbook for Everything in RefCreate is designed to leave with you. EXPORT ANYWHERE • Export your 3D model at any angle as a PNG - drop it straight into Procreate, reference it in Clip Studio, or print it • Export individual canvas images for use in other apps • Export the entire canvas as a single composite image - your full study layout, ready to share or archive Set up your reference in RefCreate. Export exactly what you need. Work anywhere. traditional work. WHO IS REFCREATE FOR? → Portrait artists studying the Asaro head and Loomis method → Atelier students working through the Bargue course → Dynamic Sketching practitioners who need to understand form → Any artist serious about fundamentals over shortcuts No subscriptions. No ads. No clutter. Just the essential tools for understanding form. Stop studying in 2D. Start understanding in 3D.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Paintable at none against RefCreate's 1. Paintable also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). RefCreate's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). 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
Both are free to download. RefCreate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Paintable asks for nothing beyond the download.
Paintable ships an update weekly, RefCreate every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Paintable | RefCreate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (18 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 18 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 124 MB | 326 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Paintable Pte. Ltd. | Lambda Code SL |
In-app purchases
Paintable
No in-app purchases
RefCreate
- Head Construction Pack$5.99









