Mastering Paper

Collection of tutorials and tricks to help you master drawing and painting with the app Paper by WeTransfer (formerly FiftyThree), for iPad and iPhone.

Written by an avid iPad illustrator.

How to draw straight lines

To draw straight lines on the iPad in apps that don’t have a ruler tool, I use whatever straight edge I have laying around: plastic ruler, book cover, piece of cardboard, notepad, etc.

How to export high resolution Paper sketches

With Paper by WeTransfer you can only export as large as your iPad’s native resolution. If you care about getting more pixels out of your Paper art than the largest iPad Pro1 is the way to go.

How to paint smoothly with the brush tool

A smooth gradient can be achieved layering washes of watercolor on top of each other. Speed and pressure play an important role in how clean of a tone you end up with.

Paper v3.0 features

Paper comes to the iPhone with productivity boosting features like photo import, text notes, grid view, rotate, and more.

Mastering Pencil by FiftyThree

Learn how to create impressive effects with 53’s Pencil stylus and Paper app, using exclusive features like Blend and Surface Pressure.

Mastering Mix by FiftyThree

Download these templates for Paper and discover how to use Mix to Learn, Sketch, Play, Write, Design, and Think.

Paper v2.0.0 bugs

Documented bugs and other strange behaviors found in Paper for iOS version 2.0.0 when using Pencil.

Grid method of drawing

How to use the grid method of drawing to improve your accuracy when drawing with the app Paper on iPad.

Drawing and painting basics

Beginner friendly Paper app tutorials covering basic drawing and painting techniques, inking, and color theory principles.

Contour line drawing on iPad

How to use blind contour line drawing and the iPad app Paper, to improve hand eye coordination and observation skills.

Pogo Connect iPad stylus review

The Pogo Connect is an iPad stylus that brings pressure sensitivity and enhanced functionality to devices and apps that support it.