Guides / Sound

Stylus sound and music

Hear the tip on the paper as you paint, and let your painting steer music while you work, in a style and mood you choose.

FreeiPad · iPhone · Mac

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Narrated walkthrough, recorded in the iPad Simulator.
Narrated walkthrough, recorded in the iPhone Simulator.

  1. On iPhone, Sound is in the Actions menu. Tap Actions.

  2. Sound is beside Play in the top bar. Tap it.

    Tap Sound.

    Sound is beside Play in the top bar. Click it.

  3. Both sounds start off, the tip on the paper and music while painting. The same controls are in Settings, under Sound.

    Both sounds start off, the tip on the paper and music while painting. The same controls are in Settings, under Sound.

  4. Slide Stylus sound up to hear the tip on the paper. Each kind of tool sounds its own way, from a pencil's scrape to a brush's soft drag.

    Slide Stylus sound up to hear the tip on the paper. Each kind of tool sounds its own way, from a pencil's scrape to a brush's soft drag.

  5. Turn on Music while painting. Your strokes steer the music as you work. Then tap Style.

    Turn on Music while painting. Your strokes steer the music as you work. Then tap Style.

    Turn on Music while painting. Your strokes steer the music as you work. Then click Style.

  6. Choose a style, here Little Workshop, with its wooden marimba. Then tap Mood.

    Choose a style, here Little Workshop, with its wooden marimba. Then tap Mood.

    Choose a style, here Little Workshop, with its wooden marimba. Then click Mood.

  7. Choose Playful. The line under each choice says what it does to the music.

    Choose Playful. The line under each choice says what it does to the music.

  8. Ask before playing is on to start with. Once a day, when you open the app or come back to it after half an hour, the music waits under a card until you tap Play, in case you're somewhere music isn't welcome. Not now keeps it quiet; Always play stops the asking.

    Ask before playing is on to start with. Once a day, when you open the app or come back to it after half an hour, the music waits under a card until you tap Play, in case you're somewhere music isn't welcome. Not now keeps it quiet; Always play stops the asking.

    Ask before playing is on to start with. Once a day, when you open the app or come back to it after half an hour, the music waits under a card until you click Play, in case you're somewhere music isn't welcome. Not now keeps it quiet; Always play stops the asking.

  9. More sound settings opens Settings at Sound. How painting shapes music explains what your painting steers. Speed, pressure, height, colour and coverage all play a part.

    More sound settings opens Settings at Sound. How painting shapes music explains what your painting steers. Speed, pressure, height, colour and coverage all play a part.

Stylus sound

The Sound button beside Play in the top bar opens the sound controls (on iPhone and other narrow screens, Actions → Sound…); they are also in Actions → Settings… → Sound. Its symbol shows what's on: a note while music plays, a speaker for stylus sound alone, a crossed-out speaker when both are off. More sound settings… opens Settings, with How painting shapes music and Advanced sound.

Stylus sound 1 is the sound of the tip on the paper, for every brush. It's a level rather than a switch, since speakers and headphones differ: far left is off.

Each tool has its own sound: a pencil scrapes the paper's tooth, charcoal and pastel crumble, a ballpoint rolls, an ink nib's tines snag the fibres, a marker squeaks, and a brush drags soft hairs, silky when wet and scratchy when dry. Blending and lifting tools make a soft rub. Pressure, speed and changes of direction all shape the sound.

It plays for Apple Pencil, for a finger when Finger draws is on, and for a mouse, trackpad or tablet on the Mac.

Music while painting

Music while painting 2 plays music that your painting steers as you work, in this painting's style and mood. It's off until you turn it on, here, in Settings, or on the tour's music page.

Ask before playing is on to start with. Once a day, when you open the app with music on or come back to it after half an hour away, the painting opens silent and a card asks Music is on. Play it now? You can paint while it's there. Your answer holds for the rest of the day.

Answer What it does
Play Starts the music.
Not now Keeps it quiet until you choose Play music now in the Sound sheet. Music while painting stays on, and tomorrow it asks again.
Always play without asking Turns off Ask before playing: music starts as soon as a painting opens.

A coloring book with music of its own offers it the first time it opens while music is off. Play music turns on Music while painting; Not now means that book won't ask again. You'll see at most one music card a day.

Control What it does
Style The instruments and arrangement. The line under it describes the style.
Mood The feeling to lean into. The line under it describes the mood.
How painting shapes music A page on what the painting changes in the music.
Advanced sound Per-tool sound editors and music mapping. See Advanced sound.

Styles: Sketchbook, Meadow Walk, Little Workshop, Pixel Garden, Storybook, Quiet Geometry, Evening Letters, Turning Mobile, Open Water, Signal Bloom, Star Map, Moss Lantern, Wash, Music Box, Night Piano, Paper Rain, Glasshouse, Drone Field, Tape Choir, Jazz Corner and Pulse: all 21 are Free.

Moods:

Mood What it does
From the painting Lets the painting's colours guide the harmony, with the style's usual pace and feel.
Calm Slower, quieter and more spacious, with fewer notes and a softer tone.
Hopeful A little quicker and brighter, with lifted melodies and a stronger touch.
Wistful Slower, darker and lower, with gently held notes.
Dreamy Slow and floating, with high melodies, lingering notes and more echo.
Playful Quicker and busier, with bright, short notes and a lively touch.
Mysterious Quieter and more spacious, with darker harmony and more echo.
Adventurous Quicker and more energetic, with a brighter tone and a stronger touch.

Tip: While you draw together, sound stays on your own device: your stylus sound and music follow your own strokes, and nothing you hear is sent to the other person.

How painting shapes music

  • While you paint: faster movement makes busier phrases; pressure sets how strongly notes are played; painting higher or lower nudges the melody's range; softer brushes favour a gentler tone and longer notes. The painting's colours set the starting harmony, new colours shade the instruments' tone, and covering more of the page brings in a fuller arrangement. The key stays steady, and the music thins out when you pause.
  • Style and mood are saved with each painting. The painting's soundtrack and its time-lapse use the same choice. They don't record the music you heard while painting: a finished painting's soundtrack is composed from its colours, light, coverage and marks, and a time-lapse score follows the order of the strokes.

Both sounds follow the silent switch and mix with your own music: with the device on silent the app makes no sound, even after you tap Play.

Plus: Stylus sound, music while painting in all 21 styles, Advanced sound and music under time-lapse videos are Free.

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