It’s all about impermanence
- Serenity Sketch is inspired by Zen water painting practices
- No saving or undo, brushstrokes fade naturally over time
- Guided sessions and reflection prompts shape a structured experience
Copper Coin is a one-person studio based in the Netherlands, and Serenity Sketch is about as far from a typical mobile release as you can get. The concept comes from an ancient Zen practice of painting with water on stone.
You trace brushstrokes across natural surfaces and watch them slowly evaporate, completely and without a trace. No undo button, no save file, no going back and fixing anything. And no, that’s not a limitation. It’s the whole idea.
A narrator guides you through each session at your own pace, offering painting prompts, gentle observations, and reflection questions at the close of each Practice. The structure is called the Journey of Letting Go, moving through themed Paths.
The Path of Initiation comes first, then Imperfection, Resonance, Child’s Play, Lineage, and Cycles, among others. It’s a proper arc with a sense of progression, which keeps it from feeling like the same activity on repeat.
Eight natural settings are available to paint in. Each one comes with its own ambient soundscape and ASMR brushstroke audio. I’m not usually one for ASMR, but for something built around being present in the moment, it makes sense here.
Serenity Sketch is designed specifically for iPad, built for Apple Pencil and finger touch. That’s a calculated decision from Copper Coin, and the right one. Something this tactile needs hardware that can support it properly, and iPad is where that experience will hold up.
Each Practice closes with reflection questions, quiet and introspective, moments that surface what the painting may have stirred up. People who’ve tried it say that ends up being the part they remember most. I think that’s pretty accurate. I’ve tried Zen, albeit on paper, and it’s a wonderfully contemplative activity.
Serenity Sketch arrives on iPad this summer. In the meantime, our list of the best relaxing games on iOS should keep you going.
Tanish is a freelance writer who’s an absolute Marvel nerd. If he’s not writing, he’s probably rewatching anything related to Marvel so that he can spam his friends with theories. And if not that, he can be found gaming on his trusty PS4. While gaming is a passion for him, he also loves science and hopes to become a neuroscientist one day.
