Adding your handwriting or artwork to videos instantly makes them more personalized and authentic. With Final Cut Pro on iPad, it's easier than ever.
Live Drawing on Final Cut Pro for iPad
Apple launched Live Drawing with the Final Cut Pro app for iPad in 2023. The author started testing this app when recreating videos and it was quite useful.
With this feature, you can use Apple Pencil to draw directly on your clips after importing them into a video editing app. These parts appear on the footage as if they were being drawn in real time. It adds a fun effect and, if used skillfully, can even make your video seem more immersive.
How to use Live Drawing
Now, how do you use Live Drawing? You'll need an iPad with an M-series chip (or iPad mini 7th generation) and a subscription to the Final Cut Pro app. It costs $5/month or $49/year – there's a 1-month free trial if you want to see if it's a good fit.
Once setup is complete, open Final Cut Pro, create a new project, and look for the pencil icon near the top edge of the screen. You don't need footage on the timeline, but it's best to have some footage there if you want your Live Drawing to act as an overlay.

In the Live Drawing menu, you can choose from 7 drawing tools: Pen, Highlighter, Pencil, Monoline, Fountain Pen, Watercolor or Crayon Tool. Choose the tool you want and draw.

After recording a Live Drawing, you can customize it Opacity, Blend Mode and time Draw On through the menu Inspect. Opacity and Blend Mode can help you adjust your drawing to suit the background footage, while Draw On lets you adjust how your drawing appears on screen.

Live Drawing has made editing more creative and fun. Glad this feature exists. This is a feature that utilizes the iPad's full potential and proves that the Apple Pencil isn't just for taking notes.