Is the Apple Pencil Pro Really Worth the Hype (and the Price)?

Victoria Pavlov

3 Jan, 2025

The Apple Pencil Pro is a game-changer for anyone who values precision and creativity in their digital workflow. Whether you’re an artist, designer, student, or professional, this tool delivers an unparalleled experience.

I’ve been working with my iPad Pro as part of my creative workflow since it was first introduced, and the same goes for the Apple Pencil. In professional digital art, photography, and design workflows, the Apple Pencil plays a huge role. Its design and behavior feel just like the pencils we used in school, but with the added power of technology. The best part? There’s no steep learning curve—it’s familiar, intuitive, and ready to go right out of the box. The Apple Pencil Pro brings some highly anticipated new features, including Squeeze, Barrel Roll, Haptic Feedback, and Apple Pencil Hover. These additions elevate the user experience and make this tool even more indispensable.
As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of the Apple Pencil. I love creating with it, and I frequently share my work on social media. Many of you have asked me about my thoughts on the pencil, and today, I’m excited to share them with you!

The Apple Pencil Pro is only compatible with Apple’s latest generation iPads:

Pros:

1. Exceptional Precision
The responsiveness is incredible—there’s virtually no lag. It feels so natural, like you’re using a traditional pen or pencil. Honestly, it’s hard to believe it’s digital.

2. Pressure Sensitivity
It picks up even the tiniest changes in pressure, which makes drawing or writing feel totally organic. It’s as close to real-life tools as you can get.

3. Tilt Detection
Shading and creating angle-specific strokes couldn’t be easier. It’s so intuitive, you don’t even have to think about it.

4. Comfortable Design
The lightweight, ergonomic design makes it super comfortable to use, even during long creative sessions. Trust me, your hand won’t hate you after hours of work.

5. Magnetic Charging
This is one of my favorite features! The magnetic attachment to the iPad isn’t just convenient—it’s genius. It keeps the pencil charged and always ready to go. Plus, the battery life is impressive, so I never have to worry about it dying mid-project.

6. Integration
It works seamlessly with iPadOS features like Scribble and apps like Adobe Fresco and Adobe Lightroom. Whether you’re sketching, editing photos, or taking notes, the Apple Pencil Pro just gets it done.

Cons:

1. Price
Yes, it’s pricey—there’s no sugarcoating that. But for professionals and serious creatives, the investment is 100% worth it. The experience is just that good.

2. Customization
Apple does offer free engraving options (emojis, initials, names—you name it!), which is fun. But let’s be real, as artists and designers, we’d love even more ways to personalize it. Custom sleeves would be a great addition, letting us show off a little flair while keeping it functional.

3. Extra Tips
Here’s an underrated feature: the option to switch out tips for different tasks.

• Writing: Firmer tips are perfect for crisp, clean handwriting.

• Sketching or Painting: Textured or softer tips give that “traditional” feel we all love for detailed work.

• Gaming or Navigation: Rounded tips make everyday use and gaming so much smoother.

Including these extra tips in the box or making them more accessible would take this pencil to the next level.

4. Case
If you’re like me and take your Apple Pencil everywhere with your iPad Pro, you know how tricky it can be to keep it safe. A travel case specifically designed for the Pencil is a must-have. Not only does it protect your tool, but it’s also great for storing tips and adapters.

Final Thoughts:
The Apple Pencil Pro is honestly a must-have if you want to level up your creativity or productivity on an iPad. The precision, responsiveness, and seamless app integration make it totally worth it—especially for pros and serious hobbyists. If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem, you’ll wonder how you ever worked without it.

Why Adobe’s Photography Plan is Still Worth It: My Honest Thoughts and Tips to Save Money

Victoria Pavlov

17 Dec, 2024

Megaphone on yellow background. 3d illustration.

Hello everyone! How are you doing?

By now, many of us in the Creative Community have heard about Adobe’s recent updates to the Photography Plan pricing. In this post, I want to share my thoughts about it.

First: I encourage you to read Adobe’s official blog post for all the details.

Second: I want to highlight something important—you can AVOID paying more by staying on or switching to the Yearly subscription paid up front plan.

Now, here’s what I think: Adobe’s Photography Plan is an incredible package for both professionals and enthusiasts.

How I Use the Adobe Photography Plan Daily
This is not a sales pitch (I don’t work for Adobe). If you know me, you know I always share what I truly think and feel.
Let’s break this down by the tools included in the plan:

1. Adobe Lightroom

Includes: Lightroom (desktop & mobile) and Lightroom Classic.

It doesn’t matter where you are—Lightroom gives you access on both desktop and mobile. Whether you’re doing global edits or making slight adjustments, Lightroom makes everything possible.

As a photographer, this accessibility has made my workflow so much easier. The AI tools, manual tools, and everything in between allow me to edit faster and more accurately. The best part? Everything syncs across the Lightroom ecosystem, and I can control what gets synced and what doesn’t.

2. Adobe Photoshop

Includes: Photoshop on desktop, Photoshop mobile, and Photoshop Express.

Photoshop is the app we all know and love. I’ve been using Photoshop since version 1, and it’s incredible to see how much has changed. What used to feel impossible just a few years ago is now easily achievable.

With the constant updates and new features, I can now work faster and deliver even higher-quality results. As a professional, this means I can showcase my work at its very best, attract more clients, and still have time to enjoy life outside of work.

3. Adobe Firefly

Includes: Text-to-image, Generative Fill, Generate a Template, Generate a Vector.

AI is now a huge part of any creative workflow, and Adobe Firefly has taken things to a whole new level. Whether I’m starting from scratch or using Firefly-powered tools in Photoshop and Lightroom, AI has unlocked a new level of creativity for me—and I couldn’t be happier about it.

4. Extras

Includes: Cloud Storage, Adobe Portfolio, Thousands of Adobe Fonts, Behance, Creative Cloud Libraries, and step-by-step tutorials.

I build all my websites for my business using Adobe Portfolio—it’s incredibly easy to use and manage, which keeps me happy.

I’ve also been on Behance since day one, and it has been amazing. I’ve made so many friends, collaborated on projects, and even landed paid opportunities through Behance.

As for Creative Cloud Libraries, I use them every single day to streamline my work.

Is $119.88/year Too Much?
Here’s my honest take: No, it isn’t. Adobe hasn’t raised the price of the Photography Plan for over 10 years! Meanwhile, many non-Adobe apps (which aren’t even professional tools) have increased their prices multiple times over the past few years.

Let’s face it—everything is more expensive now, from groceries to books. That’s just the reality we live in.

Conclusion
For me, paying a bit more for the Photography Plan is worth it. Adobe consistently delivers new tools and innovations without charging extra for updates, which is rare—most of my non-Adobe apps require additional payment for every update. Plus, don’t forget—you can still avoid paying more by staying on or switching to the Yearly subscription plan.

Create Stunning Custom Holiday Cards with Adobe Express

Victoria Pavlov

12 Dec, 2024

It’s a festive holiday season, and I want to share with you the easiest way to spread the joy of the season—by creating custom cards in Adobe Express! The best part? It’s easy, fast, and a lot of fun! So, let’s get started.

First, choose the size for your card. In this blog post, we’ll create a digital card. If you’re looking to make a printed card, I’ve recorded a video tutorial on how you can do that.

For this post, let’s create a seasonal greeting for an Instagram post. To do this, I’ll select the “Instagram Square Post” size.

After selecting the size, Adobe Express redirected me to the workspace, where everything is set up and ready for me to start creating. On the left side of the screen, Express displays a variety of templates I can choose from. I can also use the search bar to type specific keywords and narrow down the template options to fit my needs.

You also have an additional option: Generate Template. As you can see, Adobe Express provides plenty of choices to get started, making it easy to create something uniquely yours.

But today, I’ll start with a blank canvas. First, click on “Elements” on the left side of the screen. Then, navigate to the “Backgrounds” tab and type “winter” in the search bar.

Adobe Express will display all the backgrounds based on your search. Feel free to choose the one you like best. I selected a background with cool colors that isn’t too busy.

Next, click on the “Design Assets” tab and type “winter” in the search bar. Choose any asset that catches your eye. I decided on a simple Winter tree. This asset is standalone (without a background) and complements my cool-toned background perfectly.

Now, type “snowflake” in the same “Design Assets” search area and select any snowflake that you like.I selected an asset featuring a group of snowflakes. Using the Rotate tool, I rotated it 180 degrees, resized it, and positioned it at the top of the document.

Click on the “Text” icon, then select “Add your text.” Type any message you like. I chose: “Warm wishes for a joyful winter season!”

Now, change the color of the text and the outline color, if needed. Don’t forget that you can adjust the “Outline Thickness” to your preference. You can also change the font, if desired. To save time, you can use the fonts under the “Recommended” section provided by Adobe Express.

Note: I left part of the left side of the document empty in case you want to add some custom text or assets to it.

With the text selected, click on “Animation” and then choose “Animate All.” Pick any animation you like, and Adobe Express will animate all the text and objects in the document.

And just like that, your custom greeting card is ready! Remember, you can add as many or as few details to the card as you like—it’s your vision, your art.

I hope you enjoyed this short tutorial! If so, please share your card with me on my social media platforms—I’d love to see your creations.

I’ve saved the card we created as a template in Adobe Express. Click the link below to be redirected to Express, where you can use this card as-is or customize it however you wish.

Happy Holidays!!!

Create a Festive Holiday Greeting Card Featuring Your Pet in Photoshop

Victoria Pavlov

10 Dec, 2024

Hello everyone,

Some of you, my readers, have asked me to show how to create a Holiday Greeting card featuring your pet in Photoshop, especially if your pet doesn’t like posing or wearing anything. In this blog post, I’ll show you how easy it is to do using Photoshop’s Generative Fill. So, let’s get started!

I took a photo of our Lisa in our backyard, and today I’ll use this image in our workflow.
Start by creating a new document in any size you like. Feel free to choose any document orientation as well. For this tutorial, I’ll be using a landscape orientation.

Gradient Tool > Use any gradient you like. I selected a gradient from the “Reds” folder under the “Gradients” category, specifically the Red_05 gradient. Set the gradient type to Linear. Apply gradient to the background layer. I applied the gradient from right to left.

I want to customize the gradient. To do this, I will click on each color stop in the gradient and change it to the colors I want.

Next, copy a photo of your pet and bring it into the document. Resize the pet’s layer if needed, and feel free to reposition it anywhere in the document.

Click on “Remove Background” in the Contextual Task Bar to remove the background.

Select the top of the pet’s head (the selection should be larger than the object you want to add to the image). In the Contextual Task Bar, type “Santa’s Hat” in the prompt area and click Generate. Generative Fill will create variations based on the image, selection, and prompt. Choose one of the three variations (and don’t forget to delete the two you won’t be using).

Now select the pet’s neck area and type “Festive Winter Scarf” in the Contextual Task Bar to generate the festive scarf.

Select the top of the document and type “Festive Holiday String of Lights” in the Contextual Task Bar to generate a string of festive lights

Now, add any text you like using your preferred font.

Voilà! Your greeting card is ready. This is a simple example of how you can use a photo of your pet and add festive details to it. You can choose to add more or fewer details to the card—it’s entirely up to you!

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Winter Magic: Free Instagram Story Templates and Custom Photoshop Adjustments

Victoria Pavlov

4 Dec, 2024

Hello everyone,

Thank you for taking the time to read my latest blog post—I truly appreciate it! Today, I have something special for you.

I’ve created a collection of Instagram Story templates for you to use this winter. These templates are perfect for sharing your photos or artwork during the season. The best part? They’re fully customizable! Simply click on a template to open it in Adobe Express, where you can swap out the pictures for your own and personalize every detail to your liking.

In addition, I’ve also made custom Photoshop winter adjustment files. Download them directly into Photoshop and start using them right away! Each adjustment is fully customizable, with folders containing adjustment layers. Just click on any layer to tweak it exactly how you want.

Photoshop Adjustments
Download Winter Adjustments Presets

Adobe Express Instagram Story Templates
Click on the template to open it in Adobe Express.

Enjoy these resources, and let me know how you use them—I’d love to see your creations!

The Heart of Thanksgiving: Gratitude, Kindness, and the Magic of Art

Victoria Pavlov

26 Nov, 2024

Hello, my friends,

As we step into the warm embrace of Thanksgiving, I find myself reflecting on the countless blessings in my life. At the very top of that list is you—yes, you, my amazing readers. Thank you for being here, for taking the time to engage with my words and my art. You inspire me every day to keep creating, sharing, and connecting.

Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday; it’s a gentle nudge to pause and appreciate the good in our lives. In a world that can often feel chaotic, kindness becomes a powerful force. I truly believe that even the smallest act of kindness—a smile, a helping hand, or a thoughtful word—can create ripples of positivity. We all have the power to lift each other up, to make someone’s day a little brighter. And isn’t that the essence of Thanksgiving?

For me, art has always been a bridge—a way to connect not only with others but also with myself. It’s a source of calm in the storm, a space to relax, reflect, and rebuild. Whether it’s painting, drawing, or just doodling, art has this incredible ability to bring people together. It speaks a language we all understand, one of emotions, colors, and creativity.

This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to pick up a paintbrush, a pencil, or even just a piece of paper. Create something, no matter how simple or imperfect. Let your mind wander and your heart guide you. Share it with someone you love, or keep it as a quiet reminder of the joy of creating.

As I sit here writing this, I’m filled with gratitude—not just for the big things but also for the little moments that make life beautiful. For the laughter shared with friends, the warmth of a cozy fire, the joy of creating, and the simple yet profound gift of connection.

Thank you for being a part of my journey. Whether you’ve been here for years or just stumbled upon my blog today, know that you matter. Your presence means the world to me, and I hope my words and art have brought even a little light into your life.

Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with love, kindness, and all the things that make your heart happy. Let’s continue to create, connect, and spread joy together.

With gratitude,

Victoria

Mastering Custom Brushes in Adobe Fresco: Create Your Unique Tool Today!

Victoria Pavlov

19 Nov, 2024

Adobe Fresco comes with an incredible collection of brushes right out of the box. Plus, you can expand your toolkit by downloading brushes from Adobe’s website or even importing your favorite Photoshop brushes into Fresco.

But let’s be honest—sometimes, as artists, we’re looking for that one perfect brush to bring our vision to life (I know the struggle—I’m one of those artists!). So, can you create a custom brush in Adobe Fresco? Absolutely, and I’m here to show you how.

Here is the image I painted in Adobe Fresco just a few days ago.

For my custom brush, I’ll merge all layers except for the shadow layers beneath the fruit. I’ll bring the size of the fruit down.

From the Basic library (Pixel Brushes), select the Hard Round brush

Increase the size of the brush and select the Eyedropper tool. Tap on the Multicolor icon to enable it. Hover the Eyedropper tool over the fruit, and just like that, you’ve created a new brush!

Now, let’s customize the brush! Open the Brush Settings and adjust the options to suit your preferences. Below, you can see how I’ve customized the brush settings for my specific needs.

Time to save your new brush! To do this, tap on the three dots next to the brush name and select Save a New Brush.

Give your new brush a meaningful name that reflects its purpose or style.

Specify whether you want the brush to include the color or not. Finally, choose the library where you want your new brush to be saved.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully created a new brush in Adobe Fresco!

Art Community

Victoria Pavlov

18 Nov, 2024

Hello, everyone!

This blog post is a bit different from my usual ones. As this year comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on the many conversations I’ve had with so many of you. With that in mind, I’ve decided to make a few changes to how I approach social media.

While I truly enjoy social media, I value meaningful interactions over fleeting engagements. My goal is to connect with people who genuinely want to engage in conversations—not just because my posts happen to pop up in their feeds during a quick scroll.

I want to build a community rooted in our shared passions for art, photography, design, and the exciting possibilities of AI. After thinking long and hard about where to focus, I’ve chosen Instagram as the platform to bring us together.

If you’re not already following me on Instagram, now’s the perfect time! Follow me, send me a message there, and as a thank-you, I’ll share a free download of holiday-themed Adobe Fresco sketches and some of my custom adjustments for Photoshop.But that’s not all—each month, I’ll be offering exclusive free downloads for my Instagram followers. Together, we can create a unique and inspiring art community where creativity thrives.

Let’s connect, collaborate, and build something extraordinary on Instagram!

Unlocking Creativity: How Technology Helps Everyone Bring Their Artistic Vision to Life

Victoria Pavlov

28 Oct, 2024

Digital imaging is my profession, and I use every available tool in my workflows, including AI. I love working with AI tools and can’t imagine my professional life without them. But I’ve always been curious to hear from people who don’t work with digital imaging or visual tools daily—people who can’t paint or have tried many times and, feeling dissatisfied with the results, put their dream of expressing themselves through visual art on hold.

So, I sat down with a professional musician and introduced her to Adobe Firefly. She experimented with different prompts, styles, and more to bring her vision to life. After over an hour with Firefly, I asked her a few questions. Below, you can read the questions I posed and her responses.

Q: What drew you to explore AI for creating visual art, especially as someone who’s always focused on music?
A: I have always wanted to paint.

Q: Can you share a bit about your previous experiences trying to create visual art? What challenges did you face that made it difficult?
A: I struggle with painting using traditional tools like paints and pencils.

Q: How has using AI changed your ability to express yourself visually? Has it opened up new ways to tell your story?
A: AI helps me bring my dreams to life.

Q: What do you feel when you see your AI-generated artwork? Does it evoke similar emotions to what you experience with music?
A: It inspires me, especially when combined with music.

Q: In what ways has AI allowed you to overcome some of the struggles you faced with traditional visual art?
A: It doesn’t require the professional skills that traditional artists have.

Q: Do you feel that AI “understands” you in a creative way, or does it feel more like a tool that you guide?
A: AI understands me, but I can also control it and adjust many things.

Q: How has creating visual art through AI helped you cope with the difficulties you’re facing now?
A: It creates a creative atmosphere for me and amplifies my positive emotions.

Q: What role does AI play in your life now that you can create visual art? Has it impacted your relationship with music?
A: AI helped me create artwork for interior spaces. I want to hold an exhibition of my paintings where I can play piano music surrounded by my artwork.

Q: What are your thoughts on the intersection of AI and creativity? Do you think AI can truly be creative?
A: Maybe, but live art is priceless.

Q: If you could share one piece of advice with other musicians or artists interested in using AI to create art, what would it be?
A: Try everything new; it will certainly expand your potential as a person, artist, and experimenter.

The responses were exactly as I’d hoped, highlighting how AI tools can bring the joy of making the world more vibrant and colorful to everyone. I was thrilled to hear that she dreams of holding an exhibition, playing music while surrounded by the artworks she created with Adobe Firefly.

Conclusion: We’re living in an extraordinary time, with countless tools at our fingertips to bring our emotions and visions to life. While not all of us work in visual imaging professionally, we all have a desire to express ourselves and our emotions through art. Now, with tools like AI, that possibility is open to everyone. So make your voice heard, tell your story, and paint the world with beautiful splashes of color—using any tools you have, including AI.

Celebrating Adobe Fresco Birthday

Victoria Pavlov

24 Oct, 2024

We’re celebrating five incredible years of Adobe Fresco, the ultimate drawing app! I’ve been using Fresco since day one, and from that moment on, it has become an essential part of my daily creative workflow. Fresco allows me to bring my imagination to life, tell my story, and make my artistic voice heard. With its combination of powerful tools, a beautifully designed interface, a vast collection of brushes, and animation features, creating art has never been easier.

Whether you’re a hobbyist, professional artist, or just starting your journey in digital painting, you’ll find your favorite tools in Fresco and be impressed by how effortlessly it brings your ideas to life—from simple sketches to complex projects. Did you know Fresco offers vector brushes, live brushes, and yes—vector brushes! It’s true! Fresco is designed for everyone.

One of my personal joys is watching the perfect blending of watercolor in Fresco. It’s like magic! And yes, you can create vector art using freehand drawing. Oil painting? You can do that too! If you have your own custom brushes, you can even import them into Fresco seamlessly.

As both an artist and educator, I use Fresco daily in my professional and personal projects. I’ve had the privilege of teaching Fresco since its release to audiences of all ages and skill levels—professionals, beginners, art teachers, and more. Every time I hear a “WOW” from the audience, it reminds me of how extraordinary this tool is. That “WOW” never gets old because, as an artist and educator, my mission is to bring art into every household—and Fresco is the perfect platform to do just that.

One of the best features? You can create from anywhere. You no longer have to wait until you’re back at your desk. With Fresco, your creativity is mobile, allowing you to turn your imagination into reality anytime, anywhere.

And now, here’s the exciting news: starting yesterday, Adobe Fresco is completely FREE for everyone, including premium features! So whether you’re a seasoned artist or just beginning your creative journey, download Fresco now and bring splashes of color to life wherever you are!

You can see a few pieces of my art created in Fresco on my website