
Ask HN: Where to start coding up a drawing app? - DoreenMichele
See my comment below for details.
======
DoreenMichele
I'm trying to figure out where to start with coding up a drawing app because I
can't find one that does what I want. I can kind of brute force it in
Autodesk's SketchBook. I'd like a thing that does what I want more
conveniently and better. It appears to not exist. I've spent some time
looking.

I've found one video for creating a drawing app in JavaScript:
[https://youtu.be/0MkcQpXXlFM](https://youtu.be/0MkcQpXXlFM)

I've repeatedly had Python recommended to me over the years as the first
programming language I should learn. I'm happy to pursue JavaScript instead or
another language if that would serve this goal better.

I've discovered MIT App Inventor and they do have drawing app tutorials. I
completed the first Doodle app tutorial and synced it to my phone and tried
the working demo on my phone.

If my app idea does what I want and does it well, I think I could sell it. In
theory, MIT app inventor allows for that. In practice, it seems unlikely to me
that this is really viable.

If you know how to take something from MIT app inventor and sell it via Google
Play, I'm all ears. But I'm also doubtful I can even get the functionality I
want via this Lego-for-apps system and I already know some HTML and CSS and I
do a little website work for pay in the small town I live in. So I'm thinking
it would make more sense to code it myself, both to get the functionality I
desire and to own the code so I can potentially monetize it.

I'm looking for any ideas where to start. I'm fine with hearing "It's time for
you to just start that free course that guy recommended to you back in March."
(See below) But I'm a little leery of starting it only to discover it is yet
another dead end and I've wasted a bunch of time that could have been better
spent coding the app in a different language.

Back in March, someone from HN talked with me via Discord about learning to
code and recommended a free Python course. Notes and link to course are here:

[https://doreenlearnstocode.blogspot.com/2019/03/summary-
of-d...](https://doreenlearnstocode.blogspot.com/2019/03/summary-of-discord-
discussion.html)

In March, I also learned my computer didn't have enough RAM. That has since
been remedied.

In the process of applying for a thing around the same time, I also
theoretically acquired free access to some initial coursework via a boot camp,
assuming I can remember my login credentials.

(I'm medically handicapped and, as a consequence, I'm also dirt poor. So some
things take me ages to arrange. If you recognize me, you don't need an
explanation. If you don't, please let's just skip the irrelevant, invasive
questions about why is everything taking me so ridiculously long and why the
hell should anyone take me seriously. If you think replying to my question is
a waste of your time, then I suggest you go all in on that opinion and skip
replying entirely.)

This was added as a comment because it substantially exceeds the character
limit for a text post.

~~~
itronitron
I am not familiar with SketchBook, but since it is pixel based you may want to
also look at a vector-based drawing application such as Inkscape (which is
free.) Inkscape is also able to save files as SVG which may be of interest to
you since you are also familiar with HTML and CSS.

The best approach really depends on _how_ you want to draw, whether you prefer
to hand-draw with tablet and stylus, or process/tweak/collage photos, or write
code to generate graphics.

Regardless of the drawing approach, I recommend getting your preferred drawing
pipeline worked out with existing tools, noting the shortcomings (or steps
that take too long) and then coding up your own solution if you see value in
that.

~~~
DoreenMichele
SketchBook seems to be the most serious drawing app available on Android. It's
quite good, but that also means there's a somewhat steep learning curve and
you basically need serious art skills.

I have modest skill as an artist and I would like a tool that helps me more
readily capture ideas as illustrations without needing to be a serious artist
type.

I'm currently envisioning something that would kind of combine photo editing
and hand drawing to accomplish that goal.

