Digital Drawing

Watery Orb – Notes App Drawing

| Patricia

“We forget that water and life cycles are one.” Jacques Cousteau. Oceanographer

Daily drawing created in the Apple Notes App using just the basic drawing tools offered within the text-based app. The basic art was then imported into Procreate 5 on a 12.9” iPad Pro and enhanced. I find this method fabulous for brainstorming and coming up with concepts for future analogue or digital works. Many make it into the manuscripts of stories that I write. Some of the imagery inspires a written piece—a story, a poem or a concept.

Watery Orb Notes Drawing July 20, 2024 Copyright©️Patricia White
Watery Orb Notes Drawing July 20, 2024 Copyright©️Patricia White


In this art I see breaking waves with white splashy foam rising up with the surf. As I continued to look at this piece, a sense of magnetospheric catastrophe emerged, perhaps with a geomagnetic shifting of the north and south poles, essentially wiping out much of earth’s living organisms, including humans. It‘s interesting how art can elicit a wide range of thoughts, reactions and conjectures, which are, after all, fodder for creative artists and writers.


All artwork and creative writing is Copyright ©️ of Patricia White. No use of this content or concept may be used without the express permission of the artist/author.

Drawing in the Apple Notes App

| Patricia

“A drawing is simply a line going for a walk.” ~ Paul Klee

The chronic arthritis in my arms and hands can complicate the making of art. On days when it is particularly problematic, I often draw on my iPad Pro in apps such as Procreate, Adobe Fresco and other dedicated painting apps. Lately, however, I have been enjoying the simplicity of the Apple Notes app drawing tools as a vehicle for creativity. I generally use the Apple Pencil for navigating around the tablet to cause less stress on my hands. If the sleeping iPad screen is awakened with an Apple Pencil, it will open Apple Notes with a drawing page open with the tools available (I also open a Quick Note by using a gesture from the bottom right into the centre. See more info here). In this drawing I primarily used the watercolour and ink pen brushes. Give it a try and post a link to your drawing in the comments.

All artwork and creative writing is copyright ©️ of Patricia White. No use of this content or concept may be used without the express permission of the artist/author.

concept development with MOLESKIN’S Flow App

| Patricia

In addition to my fine art work, I also do graphic illustration. So, I’m always looking for ways to quickly sketch out a concept or idea on my iPad Pro before it flits out of my head. These concepts are often used to provide direction for analogue works or digital brand development. Digital drawing apps, such as the native Apple Notes, or the newer Freeform apps also have sufficient drawing tools to scribble down a thought or image idea.

Ran across this concept from last year when I tried out the FLOW: SKETCH, DRAW, TAKE NOTES APP, which is part of the Moleskin Studio trio of applications, and found the tools to be quite good for marker rendering, pencil sketching, etc. The shape snapping feature was particularly useful for this quick concept. March 21, 2022

Check it out: Moleskin Studio

Scribble Character sketch

| Patricia

Drew this Scribble Character Sketch in the Apple Notes app on my iPad Pro and enhanced the drawing in Procreate.

I have chronic arthritic pain in my hands and right should so find it helpful to use my Apple Pencil to navigate around on my tablet. Sometimes I forget and tap the screen to wake the tablet and it immediately opens a Notes document with the drawing tools panel open. I could change this in settings but think this is a good way to remind myself to do a little random doodle or concept on the fly.

this guy, I dubbed Mal Evalent, took shape by building on a pencil sketch frame, adding ink scribbles to form the structure and features. Finally finishing with a transparent marker layer of subtle colour.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2023.

Paint Like CÉZANNE

| Patricia

“Painting from nature is not copying the object; it is realizing one’s sensations.”
– Paul Cezanne

Over the past months I have been reacquainting myself with many of the master artists of the past. Most of them came from traditional roots and many were ridiculed when they broke with tradition to explore other ways of looking at and depicting a subject. They are also the artists we revere the most all these generations later.

This is my quick study, working title ‘Paint Like Cézanne’

All artwork and creative writing is Copyright ©️ of Patricia White. No use of this content or concept may be used without the express permission of the artist/author.

All artwork and creative writing is Copyright ©️ of Patricia White. No use of this content or concept may be used without the express permission of the artist/author.