Draw Mode
Draw Mode is the main creative element in the Drawn to Life series, consisting of many different tools and features. Draw Mode automatically activates every time the player goes to edit a creation, draw an object, create a Hero, or draw on the main start screen.
In both games, the player may create up to three heroes, each with a custom name and appearance. Character creation also features fifteen pre-made character templates which can be traced or have their body parts swapped in by pressing the 
button on the back of the DS.
Draw Mode utilizes the touch-screen capabilities of the Nintendo DS allowing for a more natural drawing experience, however, one may draw using the D-pad and A buttons if they desire.
In Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter, creations made using Draw Mode may be traded with other players using the Multi-Card Play format.
In Drawn to Life, the player can use 8 different tools and 25 colors for their creations. The player may use, in order, 3 brush sizes, a standard flood-fill bucket, an eraser (which is also affected by the size of the pen), a color-locking tool, stamps, a one-action undo button, and a clear button. Despite not being placed within the toolbox and on the canvas itself, the player may also zoom into their drawings and activate the grid by tapping the magnifying glass or by pressing the 
button.
Despite being limited to 25 colors, the player may unlock up to 11 more color palettes by finding Secrets in levels. Stamps and color palettes may be purchased in the shop after the corresponding secret has been found.
Help Messages:
Draw
Drag the stylus here to draw your creation!
Zoom
Tap this to zoom in and add more detail to your creation.
Guides
Press and then Left and Right for more. Press 
to commit your guide.
Colors
Tap on a color to set your paint brush color.
Palette
Change your palette or select a pattern to draw here. Buy more in the shop!
Brush
Select your brush size here. You can pick Big, Medium or Small.
Flood
Flood Fill lets you tap on a spot in your creation to fill an area with a color.
Eraser
Tap here to select the eraser. It is the same size as your brush.
Lock
Pick a color and then tap here to lock it. You cab draw other colors and they won't draw over your locked color! Tap here again to unlock.
Stamps
Press 
to apply a stamp.
Undo
Tap this to undo the last change you made.
Clear
Tap this to clear out your drawing.
Done
When you're done drawing, click here to finish.
Draw Mode in Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter received a significant overhaul from its predecessor. Now featuring 12 tools total, 63 colors, guides for most creation objects, an advanced limb editor, multiple color-locking, and a color-picker. The overall interface changed substantially too, now being more consistent throughout all creation objects and doing away with the level-specific backdrops. However, the Draw Mode easels now changes depending on its location, which is a new feature not in the original game.
Help Messages:
Palette
Touch a color in the palette to select it.
Marker
Use the marker for basic drawing and hard edges.
Paintbrush
Use the paintbrush for soft edges and color blending.
Eraser
Use the eraser to erase parts of the drawing.
Flood Fill
Use Flood Fill to fill an area with a color.
Limbs
Touch here to open the limb tools. Here you can add or remove arms and legs.
Brush Size
Touch here to choose brush size. Select Large, Medium, or Small.
Lock Color
Touch here to lock the selected color. This prevents you from drawing over that color.
Resize
Touch here to reveal resize points. Drag the points to make the body parts smaller or larger.
Color Select
Touch a color in your drawing to select that palette color.
Undo
Touch here to undo the last change you made.
Clear
Touch here to wipe the canvas clean and start over.
Canvas
This is the drawing canvas where creations are Drawn to Life.
Zoom
Touch here to zoom. This is useful for adding more detail to your drawing.
Guides
Touch here to display pre-drawn guide. Use the control pad to cycle through different guides. Press the to place the guide.
Trivia
- Unlike other villages in Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter, Wilfre's Wasteland doesn't have its own easel.
- This is because no new level creations are made in the location.
- Despite the North American version having a Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection sticker on the box, Drawn to Life Collection still restricts sharing creations to Multi-Card Play.
- The Australian website for Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter contains a flash-based demo of the Draw Mode, designed for a contest.
- Upon saving a template in said demo, the player is transported to a brief platforming minigame based on the Wii counterpart, which would then direct them to the contest application page.
