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HOPING TO SKETCH... AND I DID!

As I was preparing to travel for a few days out of town (Happy 2026 y'all!), I suddenly had this idea to use my handy Android tablet (that has no 'native' pen features, btw) once again, this time, to try drawing using the fill brush instead of my default vector/path and/or lasso tool. And among the apps that has this feature, I chose to focus mainly on the app which (in my opinion) has the perfect balance of having a clean UI and useful features: Infinite Painter.

To be fair, this isn't my first time using this app, but I've always used it on free tier - never unlocking the free seven-day trial nor purchasing it despite the great price (more on that below). For this venture, I decided that instead of purchasing the app outright, I'll use the trial first. 

LOST? OVERWHELMED? IT'S GOTCHU! 

Since I want to use this app as a main driver, I tried looking up the app website to see if there are some features I missed but will be happy to know about. Indeed, I'm happy to find out that a manual (which can also be downloaded) is available and that actually made me more excited to use the premium tier app features. I checked out this guide to familiarize myself with the toolset and features that I have yet to use at that time. Having able to do that made my workflow less frustrating and made me more confident in using the app because if I don't know how to, for instance, add gradients in a layer, or group layers (which I learned just a while ago at the time of writing!) I always have the opportunity to check it on the manual. (Though of course, oftentimes googling comes naturally to us at this point. It's okay, but you might miss out on getting the quick answers and maybe some!)

USER EXPERIENCE

As I mentioned earlier, I really like the app user interface. Most things are easy to understand and navigate. However, some gestures might not be intuitive, and so you might want to review the getting started guide available in the app and if the situation requires, the manual. You can also change some gesture functions in the settings. When I got the hang of things and modified some stuff for my setup, I can say that it has been an even smoother drawing experience. Unfortunately for me though, due to technical limitations (ie. I can only use a capacitive pen for my tablet so no pressure sensitivity, the screen size, etc) I wasn't able to make the most out of the app's capabilities, in particular, the ability to modify pressure curves in the brush settings. 

Despite the limitations of my current setup, I am still willing to use the app to draw. It's so good that in the future when given the opportunity, I'll even use the app in a tablet that has a pen support out of the box. In fact, I even considered that potential in my decision to eventually purchase the app days later. The premium tier is a one-time purchase, and what's more - your one-time payment allows you to use the paid version in your other devices! (As long as they are connected to the account you used to buy the app and they have the same operating system; meaning the devices should either be all Android devices or all iOS devices. If you bought premium in an Android device and you want to use the premium tier of Infinite Painter in your iOS device, you have to purchase it again for the latter via the App Store.)

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

I mainly draw on my PC and especially so for commissioned work and using it for a few days (and again, my current setup) isn't enough to thoroughly explore the features it offers. But I can say that Infinite Painter is worth the purchase especially if you plan to keep on drawing on your tablet. It's a great on-the-go handy drawing app, but I also think it has the potential be used in more serious work, especially if you have the hardware necessary to be able to make the most out of it. 

Bought from: Google Play Store

Price: Free, but a lot of features are unlockable by a Php 149 one-time purchase. (As of this writing.)

This review is dedicated to nanay Vangie. We miss you nanay!

INTRO

When getting a tablet for general use, sometimes we don't often think we need a pen. It's just for watching videos; for YouTube, games, or maybe some reading, we tell ourselves. Then at some point some of us would realize that with the large screen and the expanded space in our gadget repertoire, we want to do more.

In my case, my grandma de facto handed down a relatively new Samsung Tab A9 a month ago. (Someone gifted her a larger tablet). And while it's such a nice tablet to watch videos with, I can't help but imagine what it's like to draw with a tablet again. 

That brings us to my review of the Goojodoq Universal Pencil Gen 3.

UNBOXING

In the box, it includes the pen, an extra tip, a USB C to USB A cable, a sleeve, and a small manual. They've also included a drawing glove with its own separate pack. Really appreciated.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 

The pen design seems heavily inspired by the design of the Apple Pencil based on the images I've seen online. Upon closer observation, you'd realize that the pen turns on by touching the upper end (an LED lights up when the pen is on), the pen tip is attached to the pen with a screw/twist type system, and that it needs to be charged once in a while. Fortunately, the pen includes a charge out of the box, so you can test it out as soon as you receive it. Being made of hard plastic, I think adding some sort of foam or rubber grip can make it more comfortable. Overall the pen feels comfortably thin and heavy enough for a few hours of use. As for portability, just always make sure to remember where you placed it or get a tablet case with a pen slot as it only has some sort of weak magnetism. (and it does not attach to the edges of my tablet either)

USE EXPERIENCE

As a digital artist who draws mainly in the PC using a non-display tablet (reviews soon!), with paper occasionally, with rubber tip styluses at some points, and with an 

S Pen way too long ago, this would be my first time to seriously use an Apple Pencil-inspired pen. With this in mind, perhaps it won't be a surprise to some that although 

I find the pen gliding on the glass screen somehow satisfying, the tapping sound and sensation is quite the opposite - I think it is something anyone will really need to get used to.

Maybe some of us would try to solve the tactile/sensory issues with a matte screen protector of some sort. However I'm personally against using one as it will damage the pen tip and shave off tiny bits of plastic in the process and may also affect how your device detects the marks you make. (see below)

FUNCTIONALITY

Now let's address the elephant in the room - the tablet I (and likely many others) use this are intended to be used as is and do not have pen support; and the pen itself is a capacitive active stylus. As a result, the functionality would be very limited compared to tablets with actual pen support. (iPads with Apple Pencils, Samsung Galaxy with 

S Pens, etc.) This means the pen does not have palm rejection, pressure sensitivity, tilt support, and pen menus. Additionally, the pen loses the proper alignment with the brushes when you use it at an angle.

I also tried using phones (a Samsung and a Redmi one), and while it works, it may not be good for drawing as it gives horizontal lines with very noticeable squiggles.

WRITING

With that huge caveat out of the way, I'd say the pen works well - the pen can be used to write in Samsung Notes and even the handwriting keyboard interface. However, don't expect your writing to be really clean as the pen sometimes leaves trails on the ends of your letters when you lift up the pen after you write. Another limitation it has is that it can't detect very very small movements, so avoid writing very small letters as it won't properly register. 

DRAWING

Depending on your art style, the pen performance can vary from good to horrible. More painterly and expressionistic art styles will work fine using this pen. However, you may want to use another way to blend edges (maybe use a blending brush?) due to the lack of pressure sensitivity. And due to the lack of sensitivity to smaller movements, you will most likely need to zoom in to paint more detailed areas of your work.

Likewise, for line art heavy art styles, the lack of pressure sensitivity will most likely affect the final look of your work; and you also need to zoom in for more detailed areas. 

I used the pen mainly to paint loosely, sketch some ideas, and doodle. I did try using it for a more serious artwork, but the lack of pressure sensitivity and the sensation adds to the difficulty of getting used to a new app, new set of brushes, and workflow. So, I still much prefer drawing serious works on my PC.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

All in all, I think the Goojodoq Pencil Gen 3 is a really great capacitive active stylus for those who want something more than to just use their fingers or cheaper capacitive styluses to use for pressing buttons. It's also a good pen for more casual creative pursuits like writing short notes, loose sketching/painting, doodling, and coloring; most likely younger kids would benefit from these use cases as well. However, if you have the budget and the need for more serious note taking and refined artworks, it's much preferred to get a tablet with built-in pen capabilities. 

Bought from: Goojodoq Shopee PH Store

Price: Php 449 (As of my date of purchase)