The iPad 2 has proven to be a very capable tablet. In it’s factory form, it does the very basic of functions, but with the addition of apps, the iPad becomes almost anything you want it to be. It can be a gaming machine, an internet tablet, a device to boost productivity, and more. The iPad can be pretty much anything you want it to be, you just have to find the right apps. Lately I’ve been using my iPad as an art tool. In combination with a stylus and numerousness sketching and painting apps, I’ve been slowing getting back into drawing and just overall being more creative. One of the apps I’ve recently had a chance to try out is Zen Brush from Japanese developer, PSOFT MOBILE. Zen Brush is a drawing app which mimics the use of an ink brush on paper. This is very similar to what you would see with Japanese and Chinese calligraphy and art.

Zen Brush isn’t like many of the other drawing apps that try to be a one app does all kind of thing. Instead, Zen Brush has only one art tool and that is the ink brush. Because of this, the developer is able to concentrate on making Zen Brush the best app possible for the given ink brush tool and I must say that after using this for a couple of days, I am very impressed with it. Not only is this one of the most realistic depictions of the ink brush I’ve seen on the iPad, it’s also the most accurate and fluid.

PSOFT MOBILE went to great lengths to make each brush stroke look as realistic as possible and you can really see that with each stroke you take. Unlike other apps where the width of each stroke remains the same based on what you have it set as, Zen Brush utilizes speed to vary thickness of your strokes. Sure you can set the width of your brush, but it’s the speed of your strokes that determines how much ink is put down on paper and how thick or thin the lines are. What I also like about it is that each stroke is textured like a brush. Slow stokes yield thick lines of ink while fast strokes thin out the amount of ink used and you can see the brush streaks. It’s a very realistic touch and one that works very well.

Other features in Zen Brush include different styles of background, ink opacity, and the ability to export to your camera roll or twitter. Zen Brush in itself is a fairly basic app, but sometimes less is more and in this case, less features means a more accurate experience.

Zen Brush is one of the best natural brush apps I’ve used so far. It is limited in that it only uses black and grays for colors, but I think that’s part of the charm. Zen Brush feels just as natural with your fingers as it does with a stylus and I really love the fact that even though the iPad is not pressure sensitive, Zen Brush gives the illusion that it is and your brush strokes vary in thickness based on the speed of your brush. It’s a fantastic workaround for a feature that doesn’t exist on the iPad. Brush strokes are fluid and and they really do look like actual brush strokes. The developer did a wonderful job making the ink brush as realistic as possible. The only areas I’d like to see improvement on in this app is the ability to undo more than one level. I’d also maybe like to see the addition of layers which would allow for more complicated designs. Other than that, Zen Brush is a near perfect ink brush app and anyone who is a fan of this style or who likes to dabble in it should definitely pick this up.

Zen Brush is available now in the App Store for $2.99. It is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later.

Description

Zen Brush is an app that allows you to easily enjoy the feeling of using an ink brush to write or to paint. It allows anyone to easily perform fluent strokes while not compromising on the fascinating texture of a real ink brush. Create works that radiate the right atmosphere by choosing the best background template from our large collection.

You can post your works easily on twitter. *Hashtag #ZenBrush

FEATURES
– Background style templates (29 kinds).
– Brush size adjustment slider.
– 3 ink shades available.
– Eraser tool.
– Undo function (1 time).
– Export to Camera Roll.
– Twitter post function (through TwitPic).

[via App Store]