There is a strong body of evidence to suggest that drawing is not just fun, but promotes emotional expression and regulation, memory and cognition across a range of age groups.

With Simply Draw, aspiring artists can reap these benefits while honing their sketching skills through follow-along tutorials. Rather than drawing onscreen, the app teaches everyone to use pencil and paper to create art. Here are just a few of the features to enjoy.

Amateur artists can choose to learn what they love in Simply Draw. When starting a course, you can opt to draw characters, animals or nature – progressing through lesson stages as your skills improve. With each lesson you will produce your own, real-life drawing.

At any time, swap between the learning pathways and try out another genre. In the Playground, there is the option to pick-and-mix, selecting standalone lessons across the core categories as well as Cute, Fantasy and Anime collections.

Whatever your age, artistic flair will be nurtured with lessons that suit. In Simply Draw, when you tell the app how old you are, the learning pathway options will be adapted to fit, so you never feel out of your depth. The Cute Objects pathway, for example, is geared towards younger learners, with shorter and simplified lessons.

You’ll be amazed by the drawings you’ll be encouraged and supported to create – from fun cloud characters and bears to surprisingly complex cheetahs.

Prolific artists often run out of wall space to display their creations. Rather than consign them to the recycling bin, you can keep them in Simply Draw. Take a photo of an artwork at the end of each tutorial and save it to the in-app Journal, where you can add notes and stickers to your work.

Here artworks are kept safe, displayed in a custom, virtual gallery and can be shared with friends and relatives. For those on the family subscription, fellow family members can offer encouraging comments on the drawings directly in the app.

Whenever you fancy a break from set lessons and want to experiment with your own ideas, there’s room for that too. In the iPad–only feature My Studio, you can customise an artist’s workspace of your own, where you can be inspired.

Choose the music, select a view, add your own creations to the wall and explore the Drawing Adventure Book, where you can learn to draw an animal and then be guided through alterations and embellishments for it.

For example, you can begin with a basic cat, and then enhance it by adding a fierce expression, new fur textures, patterns and backgrounds of your choice. The lesson will adapt accordingly.