--- { "title": "Pencilbloom – AR Drawing App: Trace & Learn to Draw on Paper", "description": "Pencilbloom is an AR drawing app: your phone shows a picture on the paper so you can trace it, then step-by-step lessons teach you to draw it yourself.", "url": "https://pencilbloom.com/", "lang": "en", "kind": "pages", "dateModified": "2026-10-27T19:48:20.805Z", "publisher": "iHux" } --- # Trace any picture onto paper. Learn to draw for *real.* The AR drawing app Pencilbloom shows the picture through your phone’s camera, right on top of your paper. Follow the lines with a real pencil, one part at a time, then color it in. free to start - 176 pictures - Step-by-step lessons - iPhone, iPad & Android Updated October 27, 2026 ![The app showing a picture over the camera to trace it onto paper](https://pencilbloom.com/_astro/trace.DW-MuRsb_Z1ktQ3d.webp) your phone sits on a cup How it works ## Three steps, *no talent required.* How AR drawing works: the camera keeps the picture lined up with your paper, so you can follow it with a pencil. 1. ### Pick a picture Choose a drawing from the app, turn your own photo into clean lines, or imagine something new. 2. ### Prop up your phone Rest it on a cup, a stack of books or a stand, about a hand’s width above the paper. 3. ### Trace, then color Follow the lines with a real pencil, one part at a time. Your drawing is saved as a time-lapse. Tracing modes ## Two ways *to trace.* Use it like a tracing projector with your phone on a stand, or hold it in your hand and let AR keep the picture pinned to the page. - Most popular ### On a stand Steadiest lines. Best for longer drawings, portraits and anything with fine detail. - AR mode ### Hold your phone No stand needed. AR pins the picture to your paper even when your hand moves. Pictures ## Trace anything *you like.* Start from the library, or turn any photo into a clean line drawing in a few seconds. - **176 drawings** Flowers, animals, faces, places, anime and more, sorted by difficulty. - **Your photos, as lines** Pets, people, places: we turn the photo into clean outlines you can trace. - **Imagine** Describe a picture and we draw the lines for you. ![A photo turned into a line drawing in the app](https://pencilbloom.com/_astro/photo.14xcms49_Z1IO5GR.webp) Learn to draw ## One part *at a time.* Step-by-step lessons build each drawing in order: big shapes first, then the details. Short courses take you from your first flower to faces. [See free lessons](https://pencilbloom.com/learn) ![A step-by-step drawing lesson in the app](https://pencilbloom.com/_astro/lesson.CnxVEJhy_Z2s8LtV.webp) Color ## Then color it *in.* Fill your drawing with a tap on screen, or follow the color guide and paint the real one on paper. - **On screen** Tap to fill, brush for soft edges, colors never cross the lines. - **On paper** The camera shows which color goes where, one area at a time. ![Coloring a page in the app](https://pencilbloom.com/_astro/coloring.COWoXhZC_2p7M7x.webp) Keep ## Every drawing *saves itself.* Your phone records a time-lapse while you draw. Watch it back, share it, and see how far you’ve come. “I didn’t know I could draw a face.” ![Saved drawings in the app](https://pencilbloom.com/_astro/saved.CC3xczDX_BjJjT.webp) Is tracing cheating? ## Artists have traced for centuries, with grids, projectors and the camera obscura. Tracing trains your hand and your eye. Pencilbloom’s lessons slowly hand the work back to you: more guide at first, less every time, until you draw it on your own. [Read: Is tracing cheating?](https://pencilbloom.com/guides/is-tracing-cheating) Free lessons ## How to draw, *step by step.* Free lessons with pictures for every step, and a one-tap link to trace each one in the app. [All lessons](https://pencilbloom.com/learn) - ![Line drawing of a starfish next to a scallop seashell](https://pencilbloom.com/media/lesson/l0d369198d90ce6a55bd0cacacccf503d/4ea6655d7a547c48/art.svg) Easy 5 min · 5 steps ### [How to draw a starfish, step by step](https://pencilbloom.com/learn/how-to-draw-a-starfish) - ![Line drawing of a ringed planet with two small moons and stars](https://pencilbloom.com/media/lesson/lfdf2df59d1f748f670c29fb39ec05d25/26a1940335b9a22d/art.svg) Easy 8 min · 6 steps ### [How to draw a planet, step by step](https://pencilbloom.com/learn/how-to-draw-a-planet) - ![Line drawing of a smiling crescent moon with a ringed planet and stars](https://pencilbloom.com/media/lesson/lee4fde69a767b84e62ecfadea22dc2ad/1ee84a51714ef19c/art.svg) Easy 9 min · 6 steps ### [How to draw a moon, step by step](https://pencilbloom.com/learn/how-to-draw-a-moon) - ![Line drawing of a rose with a long stem and two leaves](https://pencilbloom.com/media/lesson/l77758a57d6ea1d671c1d41e91bcf0247/4bce46a663a9ec7c/art.svg) Easy 8 min · 7 steps ### [How to draw a rose, step by step](https://pencilbloom.com/learn/how-to-draw-a-rose) Free coloring pages ## Print it, or color it *in the app.* New coloring pages every week: mandalas, animals, flowers and seasons. Download the PDF or open it in Pencilbloom. [Browse coloring pages](https://pencilbloom.com/coloring-pages) [![Coloring page of a simple sun mandala with a smiling face](https://pencilbloom.com/media/coloring/p0mvpfs7fnf66ea1cd/21c426be3e677f5c/preview-600.webp)](https://pencilbloom.com/coloring-pages/sun-mandala-coloring-page) [![Coloring page of a fairy sitting on a mushroom among flowers](https://pencilbloom.com/media/coloring/p0mvp39p1oeca004cc/24018a7889539a13/preview-600.webp)](https://pencilbloom.com/coloring-pages/fairy-coloring-page) [![Coloring page of a unicorn standing in a flower meadow](https://pencilbloom.com/media/coloring/p0mvp39p1qf09235af/bbe14a35469ce577/preview-600.webp)](https://pencilbloom.com/coloring-pages/unicorn-coloring-page) FAQ ## Questions, *answered.* Still stuck? Write to us from Profile › Help in the app. **What is Pencilbloom?** Pencilbloom is an AR drawing app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Your phone shows a picture over your paper so you can trace it with a real pencil, and free step-by-step lessons teach you to draw it yourself. You can also turn photos into line drawings. It's free to start. **How does tracing work: with the camera or on the screen?** Put your phone on a stand and the camera shows the picture over your paper: the steadiest lines. Or hold your phone and let AR pin the picture to the page. Or use Trace on screen: lay thin paper on the screen and trace what shows through, like a light box. **Which phones and tablets does Pencilbloom work on?** Pencilbloom is free on iPhone, iPad and Android. Tracing with the camera works on phones and tablets; Trace on screen is easiest on a tablet, because the bigger screen gives your hand more room. **Is Pencilbloom free?** Yes, Pencilbloom is free to start, with no sign-up and no card. The free app includes pictures to trace, free step-by-step lessons, the first steps of every Pro lesson, coloring on screen and a few photo-to-line conversions a day. Our coloring pages are free to download and print. ## Your first drawing takes *about ten minutes.* Free on iPhone, iPad and Android. scan to download Made by [iHux](https://ihux.co).