This week I’m reviewing This is Sand. This is Sand is an art app developed by Beige Elephant. The app allows the user to make virtual sand art on their computer screen, phone, or tablet. Although the tools are simple, their application is only limited by your imagination. It is approachable to people regardless of their perceived level of artistic skill. The app can be used both for art making and for relaxation.
Intended Use: The app is intended for relaxation and making art.
Target Audience: The app is listed as being appropriate for ages 9 and up. The extremely simple interface makes if appropriate for most children to use independently. Younger children can also learn to use the app. In my graduate training I’ve used this app with children as young as six.
Digital painting made with This is Sand app for iPhone.
Usability: The interface is easy to navigate with a touch screen. The app allows users to draw and paint on a blank canvas or on top of an imported photo. Stickers also add an element of collage.
Cost: Free to download with no ads. There are options for in-app purchases for additional tools including My Colors (save your favorite colors in a palette), Color Shifter (random color picker), Color Picker (select a color with your camera), Photo Sand (create sand art from photos), and HD Sand. The tools are $0.99 for one or $1.99 for all five.
Technical Requirements: Available on the web, iOS, and Android.
Pro’s: The app is easy to use, relaxing, and engaging for ages and levels of ability. The app is available in multiple languages (to describe some of the tools) but literacy is not required to navigate the interface effectively. Users can make beautiful blends of color easily. Images in this app often look like mountainous landscapes but with practice you can make other types of images. There is also the option to listen to the sound of falling sand as you work. This can be turned off if you have sensory aversions, prefer to listen to other audio while working, or are using this in a group setting.
Con’s: The app is not geared towards making highly detailed drawings. The user also cannot undo mistakes. If you are using the web-based version of This is Sand, your drawing will be lost if your connection is disrupted (you also cannot save it and resume working on it at a later time, you have to screenshot whatever you completed). If you are using this app in a therapeutic setting you will have to coach clients about not posting finished pieces to the public gallery in order to keep finished pieces private.
Is it worth it? This app is worth your time if you want a simple tool for art making or relaxation. You might use the images as a jumping off point for works rendered in traditional art media or as layers in digital collages. The tools available for purchase are not necessary for making art, however, they open up possibilities for using the app in other ways. For example, you can use the Color Picker tool to make artwork inspired by the colors of your surroundings. Want a new palette? Go on an adventure to another room, around the block, or someplace farther away. With the Photo Sand tool you can make abstract artwork based on photographs. These could be family or vacation pictures, photographs of your artwork, digital images made in other apps, or screenshots of artwork you have found online. The possibilities are endless.
Those who are not interested in art making could also use the app as a creative meditation tool. Instead of thinking about making an image, the user can simply focus on the sound and visuals of the falling sand. The screen filling is a natural timer for the practice (e.g. when the screen is full, your meditation time is finished). The user could select colors at random or select a color which represents a mood, intention, chakra, etc. to focus their session.