What Is Adobe Fresco? A Beginner's Guide to the Drawing App

If you're new to Adobe Fresco and have questions, we're here to help. This beginner's guide will tell you everything you need to know about Fresco.

At the start of 2022, Adobe waved goodbye to Sketch and Illustrator, as the two drawing apps were combined with Adobe Fresco to create one platform for drawing, painting, and creating.

Released in 2019, Adobe Fresco is not a brand-new app, but with the termination of Sketch and Illustrator, Adobe Fresco has become a more important app for artists to bring their ideas to life.

What Is Adobe Fresco, and Who Can Use It?

First, let's look at Fresco and its availability for those unfamiliar with the software.

What Is Adobe Fresco?

Adobe Fresco is a digital drawing, painting, and graphics editor app developed by Adobe Inc. It uses both vector and raster technology, as well as live brushes that mimic real life reactions to pressure, color exchange, and medium.

Who Has Access to Adobe Fresco?

Adobe initially designed the app for the Apple iPad, but Fresco can also now be accessed on iPhone, Microsoft Surface Pro devices, and Creative Cloud Desktop for Windows. Unfortunately, the app is not compatible with Android, and at the time of writing there are no plans for implementation.

Is Adobe Fresco Available for Free?

Adobe Fresco offers various plans for users. The free version gives you access to most of the features, so you can still use the app to the fullest if you can't or don't want to pay for a plan.

However, if you decide you want to upgrade, you will gain access to Adobe's Fresco's premium offering by subscribing to the Adobe Design Mobile Bundle Plan, the Adobe Fresco Single App Plan, the Adobe Photoshop Single App Plan, or the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan.

How Is Adobe Fresco Laid Out?

When you first open the app you will be taken to the Home page, and you'll notice the Start a new document function in the middle of the screen that headers a number of different sized screen options for you to choose from before starting a project. If it's your very first time opening the app, or if you haven't clicked on the function before, you might also notice How Do You Create: a function that allows you to livestream and share your work.

However, the most important features for first-timers will be the sidebar to the left of the screen where you will see Home, Learn, and Discover, as well as three other options under the heading Files. You'll also see Create new, and Import and open at the bottom, and these sidebar features are the ones you want to focus on initially. Since the Home page has been discussed already, let's dive into the other features and what you can expect.

Learn

Learn is the best way to get started with Adobe Fresco because it will help you understand the different components and what the app can do. You can take a quick tour of the app, which will show you the overview of it, such as how to use the Brush tools and how to layer, and it will teach you a few shortcuts you can use for convenience.

However, if you want to learn about something specific and in more detail, there are various sections you can head to instead which will show you the basics of each feature; some examples of what you can expect to find in Learn are: "Introduction to Brushes," "How to Use Capture shapes in Fresco," and "How to Use motion in Fresco".

In Learn, you will also find how-to video tutorials on a number of subjects like "Paint with realistic oils" and "Make a watercolor painting". Learn is an extremely handy tool if you're just getting started, so make sure to utilize the lessons; this way you'll be sure to make the most of Adobe Fresco.

Discover

Discover is a fantastic way for you to see what other artists are doing. You can watch them work live and learn a few tips and tricks from them firsthand in "Watch artists live in Adobe Fresco", or you can just get inspired by scrolling through "The latest projects created in Adobe Fresco", where users share their creations. Clicking on a project you like will allow you to view more info on the project, like the project, or follow the artist who created it.

Files

Files is divided into three sections, namely Your files, where the projects you've created are stored, Shared with you, where can access content that is shared either by another person or yourself, and Deleted, where you will find all your deleted works in case you decide to retry a discarded project.

What Else Can Fresco Do?

Now that you know the basics, what other functionality is Fresco hiding?

Paint or Draw With a Variety of Brushes

Adobe offers a wide range of brushes that can be modified to achieve the exact jitter, size, tapering, and other specific elements you require. These brushes use different technology like vector, raster (also known as pixel), and live. You can modify the settings of the brush, change the color and opacity, add shapes for easier drawing, and so much more. Fresco also allows you to import your own brushes.

Adding Layers, Images, and Text

Layering is effective when you want to separate various elements of your artwork. This feature allows you to work on one component of your artwork without altering the original image or the other layers. You can also add already existing artworks or other images to your project, and if you're using them in one layer as a guideline for your drawing, you can then easily delete the layer when finished. Lastly, the app allows you to add text to your drawing, so you don't need to upload the creation to another app first.

Creative Cloud

Adobe's Creative Cloud is essentially a membership that grants you access to all of Adobe's software and apps, such as Photoshop, In Design, and After Effects, as well as immediate access to their latest upgrades and features; Adobe offers both monthly and annual membership payments.

Creative Cloud also allows you to sync your files and other assets to your other devices, so all synced files can be viewed in Adobe without needing the Creative Cloud app. If you want to know more about the Creative Cloud and what it includes, we have you covered.

Share, Save, and Publish

With Fresco, you can save your artwork in different formats such as PNG, JPG, PDF, and PSD, to accommodate all your needs. You can also publish your creations with global users on Behance if you'd like to showcase your work, or open the work directly in some other third-party app.

Additionally, Fresco offers a unique feature where the app automatically records all of your brush strokes, so if you want to share your creative process you will have access to a timelapse video.

Explore Endless Possibilities With Adobe Fresco

Getting started with Adobe Fresco is truly quite easy, and newcomers can expect to master the basics in no time, but there really is so much that this user-friendly app can do.