ArtHist vs Ctrl+Paint
ArtHist
arthist.coCtrl+Paint
ctrlpaint.comSide by side
| Figure | ArtHist | Ctrl+Paint |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $2.08/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 3 |
| Spec score · Art Learning Apps | 7.9 (#8) | 8.1 (#6) |
| Support | Users can contact the maker at [email protected] or through the App Store support system. | The creator says he reads support emails personally and asks users to check the FAQ and keep messages concise. |
Plans
ArtHist
- 1 Month Subscription$4.99 a month
- 1 Year Subscription$24.99 a year
- Lifetime Access$24.99, paid once
- Lifetime Subscription$49.99, paid once
Ctrl+Paint
- Free video libraryFree
- Premium series$10, paid once
- Digital Painting Starter Kit$55, paid once
In their own words
ArtHist
ArtHist is a free-plan mobile app for learning and exploring art history on iOS and Android. It presents daily artworks, lessons and interactive quizzes, with explanations shown after answers, including incorrect ones. The advertised collection contains more than 2,000 artworks and thousands of high-resolution images. Topics include more than 50 art movements, world museums, artist biographies and information about individual works. Users can save items into personal collections, and progress tracking records learning activity. The maker says an art historian prepares the material from academic sources in accessible language. Premium plans add quizzes and artwork information; the app listing also describes ad-free learning, unlimited lives, exclusive museum quizzes, premium collections and early content access. Listed prices are $4.99 a month, $24.99 a year, $24.99, paid once for Lifetime Access and $49.99, paid once for Lifetime Subscription. Some functions need an active internet connection.
Ctrl+Paint
Ctrl+Paint is a web-based learning resource for digital painting basics, taught through short videos. Its free library contains hundreds of videos described as five minutes long, arranged from introductory topics toward more advanced ones. Lessons cover drawing, composition, reference, Photoshop tools, painting techniques, color, masking, and vector tools. The library page says new free videos are released every Tuesday and Thursday. For practice, the Concept Art Playbook offers visual problem-solving challenges modeled on game-industry work, which learners can follow at their own pace. The free library has no ads or subscription fees. Individual premium series cost $10.00 per once and cover beginner-to-intermediate topics. The Digital Painting Starter Kit costs $55.00 per once and includes six video series, 362 minutes of video, worksheets, line art, and PSD files. Premium purchases are followed by an automated email with download instructions and a link. A stylus is needed because pressure sensitivity is essential to the taught techniques; Wacom tablets are recommended. The creator says the site does not offer personal tutoring or portfolio reviews.