Editor’s note: The following review is part of Macworld’s Summer of Mac Gems series. Each business day until the middle of August 2008, the Macworld staff will use the Mac Gems blog to briefly cover a favorite free or low-cost program. Visit the Mac Gems homepage for a list of past Mac Gems.

Sometimes you just need to doodle, to be creative and make a little art without the complications of Illustrator or the mess of Crayolas. Atebites’ Scribbles 1.2.1 allows both kids and adults to do just that, with a fresh approach to drawing that combines a simple interface with clever design.

The tools are limited—you choose from 12 resizable paintbrushes and the entire color spectrum—but satisfying to wield. The 3-D interface allows you to flit between layers, and the canvas is as big as your imagination lets it be.

Image quality is always high with Scribbles, where you can zoom and adjust your image as much as you like without your image getting pixelated.

Macworld art gallery

Below are some works created by our own staff. The illustrations below were created using Scribbles. Enjoy!