Move aside, Angry Birds — I’m in love with a new iPad app called Paper.
When the iPad was first unveiled, many highfalutin artistic types dismissed the device with this simple conclusion: it’s not a creation device, it’s a consumption device. I got one anyway because consuming an appropriate amount of quality content is part of a balanced and informed life. So there. Anyway, it wasn’t long before app developers brought forth apps that made the iPad a creation device if the user so desired (iA Writer, Adobe Ideas, etc.).
I believe Paper is leading the next wave of creation apps both in terms of its smart user interface and the powerful graphics engine under the hood. Rather than attempt to describe Paper’s greatness to you, I’ll simply recommend you watch this quick video:
Paper starts out as a free app, but the full-blown Paper experience isn’t cheap. You start out with one fre tool — the Draw pen — but downloading all the other tools will cost you a total of $8. Before you freak out and/or do a spit take, in the time I’ve spent with the app, the $8 has been well worth it. Paper is a joy to use, especially in conjunction with my beloved Cosmonaut stylus, and it delivers great results. For instance, here’s a chair in my house that I whipped up in a matter of minutes one Sunday afternoon:
That little doodle won’t change the world, but it’s a heck of a lot better than what I could with $50 worth of supplies from Hobby Lobby. As I’ve used Paper more and more, I think I’ve even progressed a little with the tools. If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite Echo Hub blogger looks like, here’s a self portrait I created in about 10 minutes this morning:
Not bad, right? I mean, I’ve always loved to draw and doodle, but I’m no special talent. With Paper, my drawings have never looked better, and I’ve never had more fun making them. Are you a real visual artist? Just look at what talented illustrator Sam Spratt made with Paper in about an hour! You can see what others are creating with Paper by following this Tumblr and the #madewithpaper hashtag stream on Twitter.
You’ll love Paper when you’re hanging out on the couch and when you’re in a meeting talking through concepts for a video, design, or performance.
Check out Paper, spend the $8, and get to work.
Scott McClellan is the Editor of Echo Hub and the Director of Echo Conference. You can follow him on Twitter: @scottmcclellan.