SketchglassSketchdex cards explained: stars, rarities and how to get a Legendary
Every drawing you finish in Sketchglass becomes a card. Here is exactly how the stars are scored, what each frame colour means and how to fill your binder with Legendaries.
In this guide
In Sketchglass, every drawing you finish becomes a Sketchdex card with 1 to 3 stars. The stars come from how closely your pencil lines match the sketch when you snap your paper. One star gives a Common card, two stars a Rare and three stars an Epic. Three stars on a 60-second challenge, a Pro sketch or Day 7 of the course gives a Legendary.
Collecting cards is half the fun of Sketchglass. You trace a sketch on real paper, snap a photo of it, and a little card flips over with your own drawing inside. The frame colour tells you how well it went.
Unlike card games where a pack decides what you get, nothing here is random. Your card depends only on your lines. That makes it a nice way to see yourself improve, and it means you always know what to do to get a better one.
This guide explains how the stars are scored, what each rarity means, how to earn a Legendary and how to look after your binder.
How your stars are scored
When you tap finish, Sketchglass looks at the camera picture of your paper and compares the pencil marks it sees with the lines of the sketch. The result screen tells you how much of the sketch you matched, and then the stars pop in one by one.
Two things count:
- Did you cover the sketch? Every part of the sketch line should have pencil on or very close to it. Small wobbles next to the line still count.
- Did you stay on the sketch? Extra marks far away from the lines, like scribbles, doodles or heavy shading, lower your match.
A close match on both gives three stars, a fair match gives two, and a rough start gives one. If the app cannot see any pencil at all, you still get one star and a friendly reminder to snap your paper drawing so it can be scored. Everything happens on your phone; the photo is never uploaded.
Each star level also comes with a cheerful title. Three stars might say "Masterpiece!" or "Pro Artist!", two stars "Great Lines!" and one star "Nice Start!" or "Keep Going!".
The four rarities, from Common to Legendary
The frame around your card shows its rarity. Here is the full ladder of Sketchdex card rarities:
- Common: a soft grey frame, for 1 star.
- Rare: a bright blue frame, for 2 stars.
- Epic: a pink to purple frame, for 3 stars.
- Legendary: a gold, orange and pink frame with a shiny holo effect, for 3 stars on a special drawing.
Every card also shows its number in the corner (#001, #002 and so on), the sketch name and its stars. The top of the Sketchdex keeps score for you: how many cards you have, how many are Epic or better ("Epic+"), and your current drawing streak.
How to get a Legendary card
A Legendary is a three-star drawing on one of three special kinds of sketch:
- The 60-second challenge. Start it from the home screen and finish before the clock runs out. Three stars here earn a Legendary speed card, and two or more stars earn the title "Speed Star!".
- A Pro sketch. Sketches with a crown badge are Pro sketches. You can open one by watching a short video, by unlocking its pack or with Pro, and some days the daily sketch is a Pro sketch that is free for that day.
- Day 7 of the drawing course. The last lesson of the 7-day course is the big finish, and three stars on it gives a Legendary.
Any other drawing tops out at Epic, even with a perfect trace. So if you have an Epic you are proud of, the next goal is to try the same skill on a challenge or a Pro sketch.
Tips for more three-star cards
Most missing stars come from the setup, not your drawing hand. These habits help:
- Lock the sketch before you start. If the overlay slides halfway through, your lines and the sketch no longer match. Our guide to AR drawing shows the full setup.
- Keep the phone still. Prop it on a glass or a stack of books about a hand above the paper, and do not lift it until you have snapped.
- Use a dark, sharp pencil. Faint grey lines are harder for the camera to see. Go over the final lines once more with a little more pressure.
- Trace every line, even the small ones. Eyes, spikes and little dashes are part of the sketch. Skipping them lowers your match.
- Leave out extras for scoring. Add shading, colour or a background after you have your card, not before.
- Keep the whole drawing in view. Make sure the drawing sits well inside the camera picture and that shadows or the paper edge do not cover it.
- Snap in good light. A bright, even room light works best. The flashlight button can help in a dim room.
If you are just starting, try one of the simpler sketches first. Our baby T-Rex walkthrough is a friendly first three-star attempt, and the 7-day practice plan builds up to Day 7 one small step at a time.
Golden frames, sharing and your binder
Tap any card in the Sketchdex to open it. From there you can:
- Bring it to life. Your drawing is cut out and dances, bounces, wiggles or walks across your desk, and you can record a 6-second clip.
- Share card. This makes a picture of your card to send or post, with its rarity and number on it.
- Golden frame. Watch a short video to give any card a shiny golden frame. This changes the look of the card, not its stars.
- Remove card. Delete a card you do not want to keep.
The binder keeps your 18 most recent cards, with the newest first. Older cards drop off the end when a new one arrives, so if a card is special, share it or save the share picture before you draw a lot more.
Why the cards help you draw better
The stars are honest feedback. A one-star card usually means a missed part of the sketch or a moved phone, and a two-star card means you are close. Drawing the same sketch again and watching a Common turn into a Rare and then an Epic is a clear, simple way to see progress without anyone grading you.
It also gives each drawing session a small goal. Instead of "practise drawing", the plan becomes "get three stars on the sleepy cat" or "win a speed card today". Small goals like that make it easier to come back tomorrow and keep your streak going.
FAQ
What do the stars on a Sketchdex card mean?
The stars show how closely your pencil lines matched the sketch. One star is a start, two stars is a good match and three stars is a close match on both covering the lines and staying on them.
How do I get a Legendary card in Sketchglass?
Earn three stars on the 60-second challenge, on a Pro sketch with a crown badge, or on Day 7 of the 7-day course. Three stars on any other sketch gives an Epic card.
Is card rarity random?
No. There are no packs or random drops. Your rarity comes only from your stars and the kind of sketch you drew, so a better trace always gives a better card.
Does a golden frame make a card rarer?
No. The golden frame is a look you can add to any card by watching a short video. The card keeps the same stars, and the frame does not change how it was scored.
Why did I get one star when I drew the whole thing?
Usually the camera could not see your lines clearly, the sketch moved before you finished, or extra marks were added. Lock the sketch, use a darker pencil, snap in good light and try again.
How many cards can the Sketchdex hold?
The binder keeps your 18 most recent cards, newest first. Share a card you love before older ones drop off the end.
