Procreate vs Inspire Pro: Which iPad Oil Painting App Wins?

Inspire Pro is a powerful iPad painting app that excels at simulating traditional media, including remarkably realistic oil paints. You enter by choosing a brush and color, then paint directly on the canvas; you get back a natural, blendable oil painting experience with realistic texture and drying behavior. This article compares Inspire Pro with other leading iPad painting apps, focusing on oil painting capabilities, and helps you decide which is the best fit for your artistic needs.

Formula

The calculator above computes your average pace and speed from a finish time and distance. The formulas are:

• Pace (min/km) = Finish time (min) ÷ Distance (km)
• Speed (km/h) = Distance (km) ÷ (Finish time (min) ÷ 60)

Where:

• Finish time (t) – the total time taken, in minutes.
• Distance (d) – the total distance covered, in kilometers.

Worked Example

Using the default values (finish time = 50 minutes, distance = 10 km):

1. Pace = 50 ÷ 10 = 5.00 min/km
2. Speed = 10 ÷ (50 ÷ 60) = 10 ÷ 0.8333 = 12.00 km/h

So the calculator returns a pace of 5:00 per kilometer and a speed of 12 km/h.

Inspire Pro Overview

Inspire Pro is a full-featured painting app developed by Spencer Baggs, available exclusively for iPad and iPhone. It has been on the App Store since 2012 and is known for its “LiquidSim” engine, which simulates the behavior of wet media like oil and acrylic paint. The app offers a huge library of brushes, including oils, watercolors, inks, pastels, and pencils, all customizable. It supports layers, blending modes, masks, and a powerful color picker. For oil painters, the key features are the realistic paint mixing, the way colors blend on the canvas, and the ability to create thick, textured strokes that respond to pressure and tilt.

How Oil Painting Works in Inspire Pro

Oil painting in Inspire Pro relies on the LiquidSim engine, which calculates how wet paint interacts with the canvas and with other paint. When you apply a stroke, the app simulates the paint’s thickness, how it picks up underlying color, and how it spreads. You can adjust the “Paint” amount, “Thinner” (solvent), and “Bristle” properties for each brush. The result is that colors mix optically and physically, much like real oils. You can also use the “Wet” brush to blend existing strokes, creating smooth gradients. The app does not simulate drying time, but you can use layers to separate wet areas.

Comparing Inspire Pro to Other iPad Oil Painting Apps

The most common comparison is between Inspire Pro and Procreate, the de facto standard for iPad art. Procreate uses a different paint engine (Metal-based) that also produces excellent oil-like results, but it does not simulate wet paint mixing to the same degree. Procreate’s oil brushes are more like “stamped” textures, while Inspire Pro’s are truly fluid. However, Procreate offers a more extensive set of features overall, including animation, text, and a larger community. Other notable apps include:

• ArtRage – Known for its realistic oil and watercolor simulators, but the iPad version is less maintained.
• Painter (by Corel) – A desktop powerhouse, but the iPad version is limited.
• Infinite Painter – A strong all-rounder with good oil brushes, but less fluid than Inspire Pro.

How to Choose the Right App for You

Choosing between Inspire Pro and other apps depends on your priorities:

• If you want the most realistic oil painting simulation – Inspire Pro wins because of its LiquidSim engine.
• If you need a comprehensive art suite – Procreate offers more tools, including animation and text.
• If you are a beginner – Procreate’s interface is more intuitive, but Inspire Pro is also quite accessible.
• If you work with layers and masks heavily – Both apps support these, but Procreate’s implementation is more refined.

Common Problems and Solutions

Users often encounter a few issues with Inspire Pro:

• Brush lag – If you experience lag, reduce the canvas size or the brush’s “Detail” setting.
• Colors look different on screen – Calibrate your iPad’s display or use the color profile settings in the app.
• Can’t find a specific brush – Use the search bar in the brush library, or download additional brush packs from the app’s community.
• App crashes – Make sure your iPad is updated, and close other apps to free up memory.

Cost and Value

Inspire Pro is a paid app (currently around $9.99 USD) with no in-app purchases. Procreate is also a one-time purchase (around $12.99 USD). Both are significantly cheaper than desktop painting software like Corel Painter or Adobe Photoshop. For the price, Inspire Pro offers a specialized oil painting experience that is hard to match elsewhere on the iPad. If you are a professional oil painter looking for a digital sketchbook, the cost is justified. If you want a general-purpose art app, Procreate might be a better value.

Safety and Accuracy in Digital Painting

When using any painting app, there are no physical safety hazards, but there are digital ones:

• Back up your work – Use iCloud or export your files regularly to avoid losing art due to crashes.
• Be aware of color accuracy – Your iPad screen may not match printed colors; use a calibrated monitor if you plan to print.
• Don’t rely solely on the app – Keep a physical reference or sketchbook for inspiration and backup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Inspire Pro better than Procreate for oil painting?

For pure oil painting simulation, yes, Inspire Pro’s LiquidSim engine gives a more realistic wet-on-wet blend and paint thickness. However, Procreate offers a broader range of features and a larger community, so it may be better for overall digital art.

Can I use Inspire Pro on iPhone?

Yes, Inspire Pro is available for both iPad and iPhone, but the experience is optimized for the larger iPad canvas. On iPhone, the UI is scaled down, and the brush controls are less precise.

Does Inspire Pro support Apple Pencil?

Yes, Inspire Pro fully supports Apple Pencil, including pressure sensitivity, tilt, and palm rejection. It works with all generations of Apple Pencil.

Can I export my paintings from Inspire Pro as high-resolution images?

Yes, you can export in various formats including PNG, JPEG, and PSD, with adjustable resolution. You can also export at the canvas’s native resolution, which can be set up to 4096×4096 pixels.

Are there any free alternatives to Inspire Pro for oil painting on iPad?

Yes, some free apps like Sketchbook (by Autodesk) offer decent oil brushes, but they lack the realistic simulation of Inspire Pro. You can also try the free version of ArtRage, but it has limited features.

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in t | Finish time | min | 50 | 0
in d | Distance | km | 10 | 0
out pace | Average pace | min/km | t / d | 2
out speed | Average speed | km/h | d / (t / 60) | 2