Artists love drawing inspiration from their travels and foreign locations that speak to their souls. However, there’s no denying the fact that drawing while you’re traveling can be a real pain. Most drawing tablets are either a no-go because of how large or power-consuming they are, or if you’re heading towards the wilds, damaging your expensive gear for some quality drawing experience simply doesn’t seem like it’s worth the risk.
Nonetheless, going on your dream trip and not being able to keep a sketched memory of the scene as you see it would be a shame indeed. Thankfully, there are quite a few tools for artists who’re always out and about to create some high-quality art — even when you don’t have your tablet and your favorite stylus at hand. We’ve rounded up some of the best of these so that whether you’re on a camel’s back in the middle of a desert, nothing can stop you from getting your creative juices flowing.
Wacom Mobile Studio Pro
Wacom’s quality isn’t something that we need to discuss extensively here, as the brand name speaks for itself. Rather, let’s talk about what makes this tablet ideal for artists, especially while you’re out traveling. The 13-inch display is neither too small nor too big, making the tablet comfy for both carrying around and drawing on. It comes with a dedicated stylus with 8192 pressure sensitivity levels and a 1440p display, so you can rest assured that your drawing’s going to look incredible.
ibis Paint X
It’s going to be tough to shut up about this amazing drawing app once you’ve started talking about it. If for some reason your phone’s the only thing that you’ve got on you, and you still want to make a nice little sketch while out and about, then this is the only app you need. ibis Paint is completely free to use, and just watching a short ad before you start drawing will give you free access to their entire library of brushes for the next 18 hours.
Even better, it also has professional-grade features such as an awesome collection of symmetry rulers and a super effective stabilizer, taking your artwork to the next level. In addition, ibis Paint has a whole library filled with manuals, tricks, and drawing tutorials, too. With all of these add-ons and features, it’s more than enough to keep you engrossed in a fun drawing session all on its own.
Wacom Bamboo Tip
If you need a stylus that’s compatible with practically any device you own, look no further than the Wacom Bamboo Tip. Compatible with Wacom, Apple, and Android devices, you can simply toss it into your backpack before heading out. When inspiration strikes, you can use it to draw something cool on any screen that you have available. The fine tip doesn’t scratch your screen, and the hardy build makes it the perfect candidate for becoming your travel buddy through thick and thin.
Buffer
While getting away from it all can be a fantastic way to relax and unwind, if you’re going to be going on an extended trip, then forgetting about your marketing plan and community presence is one of the last things you should be doing. Fortunately, if you’ve got an online presence, traveling is arguably the perfect time to capture some dramatic photographs of your subjects and drawings and share them online with your social media followers.
Even if you’re not going to be glued to your social media app while hiking across the mountain ranges of Peru or sipping fruity drinks on the beaches of Thailand, there are apps that can help you. Certain ones, such as Buffer, can help you schedule your social media posts ahead of time. Peace out, as you can freely enjoy your trip — while also breathing easy about the fact that your fans aren’t going to move onto the next big thing by the time you get back from your trip.
Crello
If you’re a professional who always has one large project going on behind another, efficiency is more of a necessity than a skill. Sure, traveling is the time for you to chill and relax, but if you’re always out and about, then your work needs to travel around with you. To make deadlines and projects a lot less stressful while you’re out, use apps like Crello to help automate your drawing process. This web tool allows you to make smooth graphics and animations both quickly and easily.
With its free design templates, stock photos, and 11,000+ design elements, it has all you need to get started. You can elect to use the full version of Crello right away at just $7.99 a month, but over 50,000 Crello templates are available free of cost to help you get started, too! Of course, all of these tools are guaranteed to make your drawing experience away from home blissful. That way, the rough terrain and jet lag won’t stop you from indulging in your wanderlust!