Drawing Study App: The Best Way To Train Your Art Brain, Learn Faster, And Actually Remember What You Practice – Most Artists Don’t Use This Study Trick (But They Should)

Why A “Drawing Study App” Shouldn’t Just Be For Drawing

So, you’re looking for a drawing study app that actually helps you improve and not just give you another canvas to doodle on. Here’s the thing: the best “drawing study app” isn’t a drawing app at all—it’s Flashrecall, a flashcard app that trains your memory so your art knowledge actually sticks. Instead of only practicing lines and shading, you turn anatomy, perspective, color theory, and art references into flashcards you can review in minutes. Flashrecall uses spaced repetition and active recall so you remember poses, proportions, and techniques way faster than just scrolling Pinterest. You can grab it here on iPhone and iPad:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Wait… Why Use A Flashcard App For Drawing?

I know, it sounds weird at first.

Most people think “drawing study app” and picture a sketching app with brushes and layers. Those are great for doing art, but they’re not great for remembering what you learn.

Drawing has two sides:

1. Motor skills – your hand control, line confidence, brushwork

2. Knowledge – anatomy landmarks, perspective rules, lighting logic, color relationships, composition tricks

You usually practice the first one in Procreate, Clip Studio, or paper.

But the second one? That’s where most people just “hope it sticks”.

That’s exactly where Flashrecall comes in.

You use your normal drawing app to draw.

You use Flashrecall to lock in the knowledge behind those drawings so you stop relearning the same things over and over.

How Flashrecall Helps You Study Drawing Smarter (Not Just Longer)

1. Turn Any Art Resource Into Study Cards In Seconds

You know when you’re watching a YouTube tutorial or scrolling an art book and you think:

“Wow, that’s a good tip, I should remember that”… and then you never do?

With Flashrecall, you can:

• Make flashcards from images

Screenshot a pose, anatomy breakdown, or lighting diagram → drop it into Flashrecall → boom, instant card.

Front: “What’s wrong with this pose?”

Back: “Center of gravity off, shoulder not aligned with hips, foot not grounded, etc.”

• Use PDFs and books

Got a PDF art book or class notes? Import pages and turn key diagrams into cards.

• Use YouTube links

Watching a drawing tutorial? Paste the YouTube link and pull key ideas out into cards so you don’t forget the best tips.

• Type or paste text

Copy notes like “3-point perspective rules” or “basic head proportions” and turn them into Q&A cards in seconds.

Flashrecall does the boring part fast so you can get back to drawing.

2. Active Recall For Art: Train Your Brain Like A Muscle

Drawing isn’t just “seeing” references, it’s recalling them when the page is blank.

Flashrecall is built around active recall, which basically means:

> Instead of re-reading notes, you force your brain to pull the info out.

Examples for drawing:

• Front: “Name 3 ways to fix stiff poses”

Back: “Use line of action, exaggerate gesture, avoid mirrored limbs”

• Front: Image of a head turned 3/4

Back: “Mark the center line, eye level, jaw angle, ear placement”

• Front: “What are the warm and cool versions of primary colors?”

Back: Your color theory breakdown.

By quizzing yourself like this for 5–10 minutes a day, you start seeing these concepts automatically when you draw.

3. Spaced Repetition: So You Don’t Forget Anatomy Every Two Weeks

You know that feeling when you study anatomy for a week, stop for a bit, and suddenly everything looks wrong again?

Flashrecall fixes that with spaced repetition:

• It automatically schedules reviews of your flashcards.
• It reminds you right before you’re about to forget.
• You don’t have to track anything manually.

So if you’re studying:

• Landmarks of the ribcage
• Planes of the head
• Hand bones
• Perspective rules

Flashrecall will keep them in your rotation, gently, over days and weeks.

Result: you remember more with less cramming.

And yes, it has study reminders too, so your phone will nudge you to do a quick art-brain workout.

4. Perfect For Visual Learners (Which… Is Basically Every Artist)

Flashrecall isn’t just text cards; it’s super visual-friendly:

• Add photos, sketches, diagrams, screenshots to your cards
• Use before/after images (“What changed in the improved composition?”)
• Save gesture drawings or pose breakdowns as visual questions

Example card ideas:

• Front: Rough pose with bad balance

Back: Same pose corrected + bullet points explaining why

• Front: A photo of a face

Back: Overlay showing planes, center line, eye placement, etc.

This way, your “drawing study app” becomes a mini visual library you can quiz yourself on anywhere—bus, couch, break at work.

5. You Can Even Chat With Your Flashcards

One cool thing about Flashrecall: if you’re stuck, you can chat with the flashcard.

Say you made a card about “3-point perspective” but forgot why something matters. You can open that card and ask for clarification, examples, or a simpler explanation.

It’s like having a tiny tutor living inside your study deck.

How To Use Flashrecall As Your Drawing Study App (Step-By-Step)

Here’s a simple way to set it up for art:

Step 1: Download Flashrecall

Grab it here (free to start, works on iPhone and iPad):

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Open it up, make a deck called something like:

• “Figure Drawing”
• “Anatomy – Upper Body”
• “Perspective”
• “Color & Light”
• “Composition & Design”

Step 2: Turn Your Current Study Material Into Cards

Next time you’re studying:

• Watching a YouTube tutorial?
• Pause when something clicks.
• Screenshot the frame or copy the tip.
• Drop it into Flashrecall as a Q&A card.
• Reading an art book?
• Take a photo of key diagrams.
• Turn them into “What’s happening here?” type questions.
• Doing a course or class?
• Copy the summary points.
• Turn each into a question:
• “What is gesture drawing actually for?”
• “List 3 ways to suggest depth in a composition.”

You don’t need perfect cards—just enough to trigger your memory.

Step 3: Keep Cards Short And Practical

Make cards that are actually useful when drawing:

• “Where does the deltoid attach?”
• “What are the 5 main values in a simple lighting setup?”
• “3 ways to make a pose more dynamic?”
• “What’s the difference between ambient and direct light?”

Keep each card focused on one idea. Your future self will thank you.

Step 4: Do Quick Daily Reviews

Instead of doom-scrolling, do:

• 5–10 minutes of Flashrecall reviews
• Then jump into your drawing app and apply what you just reviewed

Flashrecall handles the spaced repetition and reminders, so all you do is show up and tap through cards.

Why This Beats A “Normal” Drawing Study App

Most drawing study apps or courses:

• Show you content
• Maybe give you assignments
• Then… you’re on your own to remember it

Flashrecall:

• Helps you capture the best bits from any source (YouTube, books, classes, screenshots)
• Uses active recall so you test your brain, not just rewatch
• Uses spaced repetition so you don’t lose everything after a break
• Works offline, so you can study on the go
• Is fast, modern, and easy to use, not clunky or ugly

And because it’s not tied to one course or platform, you can mix:

• Anatomy from one teacher
• Color theory from another
• Composition tips from a third

All in one place.

Example Deck Ideas For Artists

Here are some concrete ideas you can steal:

1. Anatomy Deck

• Front: Photo of a shoulder from reference

Back: “Deltoid heads, acromion, clavicle, scapula landmarks”

• Front: “What’s the main function of the obliques in a pose?”

Back: “Twisting the torso, bending side to side, stabilizing core”

2. Gesture & Posing Deck

• Front: Screenshot of a stiff pose

Back: “Line of action, asymmetry, twist torso, tilt hips/shoulders”

• Front: “3 tricks for better silhouettes?”

Back: “Clear negative shapes, avoid tangents, readable action”

3. Perspective Deck

• Front: “How do you find the horizon line in a photo?”

Back: “Trace parallel lines, see where they converge, that’s eye level”

• Front: Simple 3D box photo

Back: “Mark vanishing points, identify 1/2/3 point perspective”

4. Color & Light Deck

• Front: “What is local color?”

Back: “The base color of an object without lighting or reflections”

• Front: Photo of a scene

Back: “Where’s the key light? Fill light? Cast shadows?”

Flashrecall vs Other Study Options

If you’ve tried:

• Taking notes in a sketchbook
• Saving random screenshots in your camera roll
• Bookmarking 200 tutorials “for later”
• Re-watching the same anatomy video 5 times

You already know: that doesn’t scale.

Flashrecall is better because:

• Your notes are organized into decks, not scattered everywhere
• You actually review them, instead of forgetting they exist
• The app reminds you when to come back, so you don’t rely on motivation
• It’s free to start and works on both iPhone and iPad

Grab it here and set up your first art deck in a few minutes:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Final Thoughts: Your Hand Learns From Practice, Your Brain Learns From Recall

If you want to seriously level up your art, you need both:

• Time with pen/brush in hand
• Time training your memory of what you’ve studied

Use your normal drawing apps to draw.

Use Flashrecall as your “drawing study app” to remember all the anatomy, perspective, and art theory that makes those drawings actually look good.

5–10 minutes of Flashrecall a day can save you hours of relearning the same stuff.

Download it, make one simple deck (like “Head Proportions”), and try it for a week.

You’ll feel the difference the next time you sit down to draw.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the fastest way to create flashcards?

Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.

Is there a free flashcard app?

Yes. Flashrecall is free and lets you create flashcards from images, text, prompts, audio, PDFs, and YouTube videos.

How do I start spaced repetition?

You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.

What is active recall and how does it work?

Active recall is the process of actively retrieving information from memory rather than passively reviewing it. Flashrecall forces proper active recall by making you think before revealing answers, then uses spaced repetition to optimize your review schedule.

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