When Apple first unveiled the iPad to the world, it was categorized as nothing more than a glorified media consumption device.

Yet in the months that followed, app developers and creative users proved that the Apple tablet could also be a powerful and versatile creation tool.

A little more than a year later, artists are using their iPads as portable art studios for everything from sketching ideas to painting digital masterpieces. But if you are new to finger painting—or digital art in general—it may be difficult to figure out how to proceed. So in the spirit of getting started, let’s simplify the process of creating artwork on the iPad with a rundown of some of the best iPad artwork apps available today.