Apple iPad: How to sketch on notes using an iPad

We’ve known for a while that Notes isn’t just for typing any more, but with iOS 11 there have been some updates here and there you might not know about!

On iPhone and iPad, you can add sketches — separate squares that you draw into with your finger, stylus or, on iPad Pro, with an Apple Pencil. It’s a great way to add multi-color, multi-pen diagrams, illustrations, and art to your notes.

How to find the sketch pad in Notes for iPhone and iPad

Let’s look how to find the sketching options in Notes. We’ll start from scratch with a new note:

1. Launch Notes from your Home screen.

2. Tap the New Note button in the bottom right corner.

3. Tap on the white space to bring up the keyboard.

4. Tap the pen in the circle to bring up your sketch-pad drawing options.

You can now select from a pencil, pen, highlighter, eraser and more to sketch whatever you want!

How to use the sketch pad for Notes on iPhone and iPad

On the top row, from left to right, you’ve got undo and redo buttons, rotate counter-clockwise, and the share button.

But it’s the bottom row where the real fun begins, with the pen, marker/highlighter, pencil, ruler, eraser and color picker tools.

Pen, Marker and pencil tools

1. Select the drawing tool you want to draw with.

2. Use your finger or stylus to draw on the sketchpad.

With the 3D Touch, you can control the stroke with the pressure of your touch. If you’re using an older iPhone, the stroke will only be affected by your drawing speed, with a quick swipe with the pen tool will create a thin line, while a quick swipe with the pencil will create a thinner, lighter stroke.

The marker tool doesn’t appear to be affected by drawing speed, but you can layer your marker strokes to achieve a richer, fuller color.