Slow down. Pick up a brush.

Sumi is a quiet studio for Japanese ink painting. You do not need to know how to paint. You only need to enjoy the process.

Dip the brush, touch the paper and watch the ink settle. Paint one leaf, one circle, one mountain. Stay for two minutes or for an evening. Nothing is graded and nothing is counted.

BeginningsFirst strokes: an ensō, grass in the wind, the five shades of ink, a single bamboo leaf.
Four GentlemenBamboo, orchid, plum blossom and chrysanthemum, the classical path every painter walks.
Ma, spaceFewer guides and more air. Learn what to leave unpainted.
Mountains and waterLayered landscapes, painted beside a master's reference.

An ensō half painted on washi paper, with a faint guide behind the brush — One breath, one circle

A bamboo stalk with a pale guide showing where the leaves will go — Gentle guides

A sky wash around an empty moon, with the words leave empty — Learn what to leave empty

Made to feel like paper and ink

Four brushes and the five traditional shades of ink, from scorched to clear.
Ink that pools, runs dry and settles into the paper after you lift the brush.
Guides that fade as you grow: ghost strokes, a quiet demonstration, soft hints, then a master's reference.
A journal of everything you paint. Finish a piece by pressing your seal.
Soft brush and ambient sounds and gentle haptics, each easy to switch off.

There are no scores, streaks, timers or reminders. Everything you paint stays on your device, and Sumi works without the internet.

Coming soon to the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

Privacy policyWhat Sumi does, and does not do, with your data. SupportA question, a bug or an idea? Tell us.