Aug 21, 2017 ArtRage 5 is the best I've tried for realistic digital oil painting and the interface is easy to learn. The way the paint seems to react to the canvas texture is the best out of all the software. Digital painting software, free download - Artbook - Digital Painting, Artbook Pro - Digital Painting, MediBang Paint - the best free digital painting app!, and many more programs. The digital painting software available today are not just simple tools for splashing colours in any image, each software is a best in itself and they can do a lot to enhance your working abilities. Regardless of your device's operating systems, these software are tailor crafted to work in sync with that platform.
Why You Should Trust Me
Hi, my name is Thomas Boldt, and I've been working in the digital arts for well over a decade. I first got my hands on a copy of Photoshop 5 in high school and combined it with my interest in 3D modeling and rendering to create a passion for all things graphical. Since then, I developed a passion for design, and graduated from the York University/Sheridan College Joint Program in Design in 2008. I started working in related fields even before graduation, and this experience has led me to work with almost every graphics program under the sun at one point or another.
Disclaimer: None of the companies mentioned in this article have provided me with any compensation for writing this article, and they have had no editorial input or control over the final review. That being said, I am a subscriber to the Adobe Creative Cloud program suite and use it regularly for my personal and professional work.
The Wonderful World of Digital Art
Despite how it might seem at first, a lot of the major graphics programs have grown somewhat interchangeable over the years and have started to overlap each other's jobs. Finding the one that works best for you is the most important part of the process. Just as every artist has developed their own unique creative style, every artist will have to make their own choices about which particular program fits best into their personal workflow.
Also, it's important to remember that no matter how good the software is, you will still need to learn a whole new set of processes. Even if you're an extremely talented artist in the offline world, you will find yourself having to learn a whole new set of skills specific to the digital world. As someone who dedicated a lot of time and effort to refining their ability, it can be a bit discouraging to suddenly find yourself struggling again. This is perfectly natural and understandably frustrating, but try to remember this important piece of wisdom from author, journalist and radio host Ira Glass on the nature of creativity:
'Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it's just not that good. It's trying to be good, it has potential, but it's not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn't have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work.'
It shouldn't take you years to transfer your existing artistic talents to the digital world, but it's important to remember that there is a learning curve even with the very best digital art software. But if you stick with it and keep creating, eventually you'll be able to make things that could never be accomplished with more traditional artistic media.
Always keep creating, and never give up your artistic vision!
How We Chose the Winners
Digital art is a fairly broad category, so it's important to be clear about how we broke down the review process. We're covering a wide range of different artistic styles with their own unique issues so the criteria here a bit more general than usual, but they'll still point you in the right direction. Here are the questions we asked about each program before selecting our winners.
1. How well does it cater to its primary artistic medium?
As with any other task, it's always important to choose the right tool for the job. A multi-tool screwdriver is extremely useful, until you realize that you actually need a belt sander. Since we broke down the digital art category into three subcategories, it's important to take into account just how specialized the software is for a particular artistic style. Some try to be everything to everyone, but still have a central core of tools that make up its primary featureset.
2. Does it work well with drawing tablets?
Whether you're bringing your skills from the physical world to the digital one or just looking for better options, it's always important to have room to grow. If you spend a lot of time learning a new program and then find out that it doesn't support a tablet, you might wind up kicking yourself. Drawing tablets are intuitive and well-balanced tools for beginners and experts alike, but you want more than just a pen-shaped mouse. A good graphics program will be able to configure all the additional layout buttons available on your specific model, as well as respond to pressure sensors. The very best programs will also be able to identify the angle that you're holding the stylus at for truly natural creations – although you'll also need a tablet that supports the feature.
3. Is it user-friendly?
While artists are often willing to go to extreme lengths in order to pursue their creative vision, there's something to be said for making sure that your tools themselves don't get in the way of your creativity. There is a pure simplicity to an easel, brushes and a paintbox, and you should be able to get that same level of instant access to the tools you need in your digital arts software.
Of course, every artist has their own unique way of arranging their studio, and the best graphics programs will also allow you to reconfigure the user interface to meet your exact specifications. You don't need to have a silk-screening kit ready at hand when you're sketching, just the way you don't need to have a full set of typographic options in your way while you're painting (probably).
4. Are there plenty of learning materials?
Whether you've got a lifetime of experience in the art world or you're starting from day one with a digital stylus in your hand, learning graphics programs can be a complex process. The best programs are complete with introductions, tips and other bits of guidance built right into the software. Yet that can only take you so far, so once you're ready to expand your skills, one of the best ways to learn is to follow along with some good tutorials, whether they are from books, videos or other online sources. Typically (though not always), the better a program is, the more learning material you'll be able to find for it.
Even if you're already comfortable with your own creative style, learning how to create it digitally can be quite different than what you're used to. That transition can also present some opportunities to explore new horizons!
5. Does it have an active community of users?
It would probably be very interesting to see what would happen to an artistic community if people didn't teach others basic techniques, but most of us got our start in the arts through someone we admired and learned from. A good digital arts program will have an active community of users, which has multiple benefits. There's always someone to ask if you're stuck on creating a specific effect, and there are people to show your work off too who will appreciate it and be able to give you understanding and honest critiques to help you improve.
The Winner's Circle
The Best Overall Digital Art Software: Adobe Photoshop (Mac/PC)
Adobe Photoshop is the undisputed leader of the graphics arts world, and with very good reason. Yet despite how it started out, Photoshop isn't just for working with photographs. That is certainly one of the tasks that it excels at, but over the years it has added a huge range of additional functionality that allows you to create almost anything you could possibly want. If you like to dabble in a wide range of digital media or if you want to keep your creative horizons open, Photoshop is the best one-stop choice.
After nearly 30 years of active development the tools it offers are unparalleled, and some of the new content-aware editing tools almost defy belief thanks to their automated editing abilities. You can do everything from editing RAW photographs to creating stunning photorealistic composites to painting and airbrushing original artwork, and it has an impressive set of brush customization options for working with drawing tablets. Photoshop can also create and edit vectors, 3D models and videos at a frame-by-frame level, although these tools are not as well developed as you'll find in programs dedicated to those tasks.
With all these tools to work from things can get confusing fast, but Adobe has done a great job of allowing users to customize the interface completely. It's easy to ditch the tools you never use and focus on what works best for your current project, or even hide the entire interface so you can focus on nothing but your image. You can use one of their preset workspaces, or create and save as many of your own custom presets as you like.
My custom workspace geared towards cloning, adjustment layers and text
The flipside to this impressive functionality is that there are so many features, even one Photoshop expert admitted that she would probably never have time to use them all. I can't seem to find the exact quote, but it stuck with me because I have often felt the same way. As much fun as it may be to learn all the 3D and video editing tools that are now included, Photoshop's primary job is working with still, pixel-based images.
But no matter what your project is, there will be plenty of learning materials available to help you develop the skills you need or answer almost any question. Some guides are even built right into the program, and there is a convenient search mode that allows you to look through a database of tutorials and other learning materials. If you can't find exactly what you need, the incredible number of active Photoshop users will be happy to help out in any of the online forums dedicated to it.
There are many competitors for Photoshop, but nothing has been developed yet that can truly challenge it. There are other great image editors (as you can read about in the alternatives section below), but none of managed to combine the power, precision, huge featureset and total customizability that Photoshop has offered for years. For a more in-depth look at Photoshop, you can read the full review here.
The Best Digital Art Software for Drawing & Illustration: CorelDRAW (PC only)
The docker panel on the right is currently displaying the ‘Hints' section, a helpful built-in resource that explains how each tool functions
CorelDRAW is actually one of the few graphics programs available today that is almost as old as Photoshop. Just one year younger, it has gone through many versions to reach today's Graphics Suite 2018, but unfortunately Corel dropped support for MacOS along the way. However, many Mac users eager to try out its tools have discovered that it works quite well under the Parallels virtual machine. This is not officially supported and you may run into some unexpected bugs, so be sure to download the free trial version to test it out for your computer!
CorelDRAW is a program specially designed for working with vector graphics, which makes it an excellent illustration tool. It comes with a full set of the tools you'd expect to find in any vector graphics program – various shape tools and a great set of pen and line tools for creating freehand shapes. As with most vector graphics software, it also functions as a great page layout program, which allows you to quickly incorporate your illustrations into larger designs like posters and pamphlets.
The reason that CorelDRAW managed to edge out Adobe Illustrator in this category is an impressive new tool that was released in the 2017 version known as LiveSketch. As you can see in the video below, LiveSketch offers a whole new way to create vector graphics by transforming your sketching into vectors on the fly. You can modify and refine vector lines by redrawing them the way you would when sketching with pencil and paper, and it even learns your sketching style 'based on the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning'.
The interface has decent customization options, although you'll have to dig a bit deeper through the menus to find them than you would in some other programs. There are an excellent set of pre-configured workspaces, however, including one that is designed specifically for touchscreens, a ‘Lite' workspace for new users, and one designed to appeal to users who have been coaxed away from Adobe Illustrator.
While Corel does a good job of introducing you to the program via helpful built-in tips and guides, you may find yourself wanting a bit of extra help. There isn't much learning material in the form of books (at least not in English), but a few quick searches online should provide you with everything you need to learn the software. Corel has also developed a solid set of tutorials that are available on the Corel Learning Center to help you get up to speed. For a more in-depth look at CorelDRAW, you can read the full review here.
The Best Digital Art Software for Painting: Corel Painter (Mac/PC)
Corel Painter is another long-lived graphics program with 27 years of development under the hood, and it's been refreshed in the 2019 version of Painter. One of the biggest problems with it in the past was that computers of the past weren't always up to the job, and so you'd wind up with brushstroke lag during painting. Those problems are a thing of the past, thanks to new optimizations and speed improvements – not to mention access to computers with 16+ GB of high-speed ram and CPU clock speeds of 4Ghz!
Painter is by far the best recreation of traditional artistic media in the digital world, and as soon as you get your hands on it you'll understand. The sheer number of brushes available should be enough to keep you experimenting happily for days, as though you were suddenly dropped into a fully-equipped studio. Whether you like a simple brush, a palette knife, watercolors, an airbrush or anything in between, Painter 2019 offers over 900 preset tool types which you can customize to your heart's content. Corel has even included the brush libraries from the last six versions of Painter to make sure that you find what you need.
The list of tools available in Painter 2019 is quite impressive.
When setting up each new piece, you can even configure the type and style of your surface, allowing you to create the appearance of anything from a plain stretched canvas to fine watercolor paper. Each different surface interacts differently with your brush and paint selections just the way its real-world equivalent would.
As you would expect from a program this dedicated to accuracy, Painter also works beautifully with drawing tablets. Corel actually embraces this so much they offer special deals on a full range of Wacom touchscreens and tablets that come bundled with the latest version of Painter (bundles available in the U.S. only).
A range of interface layout options are available, with their toolsets configured for various specifics tasks from a simplified interface to photorealistic painting to classical fine art. There are also plenty of options for illustration, although Painter works exclusively in pixels and doesn't handle vector graphics at all.
Like all of Corel's software, there is a solid set of tutorials easily accessible directly from Painter, including an introduction to the very basics so that you can start working as quickly as possible. The Welcome screen shown above is your guide to your new artistic freedom. There isn't very much third-party tutorial content available for Painter 2019 as of the time of this writing, but there's plenty available for previous versions if you need a bit of extra help.
The Paid Competition
Below are a few paid alternatives for you to consider.
Adobe Photoshop Elements
If the idea of learning the full version of Photoshop seems a bit overwhelming to you, you might want to look at its younger cousin, Photoshop Elements. It includes the majority of the most-used editing tools from the full version and offers plenty of step-by-step instructions. It does an excellent job of teaching new users the ropes, and once you get more confident you can move into Expert mode for even more creative freedom.
Unfortunately, this means that you might miss out on a few tools that you want from the full version, but it really depends on what you want to do. While it's tempting to want the most powerful version available, the reality is that most casual home users will find that Elements can handle all their photo editing needs – with a few fun extras thrown in for good measure. You can read the full Photoshop Elements review here.
Affinity Photo
Affinity Photo is relatively new on the graphic arts scene, but it has already been making some serious waves as a Photoshop alternative. It hasn't quite replicated all the tools available in Photoshop, but it's done an excellent job of recreating the core functionality at a much more affordable one-time price. It's got a decent interface, although there is a counterintuitive module system accessed across the top of the layout that separates some of the functionality for reasons that aren't immediately clear.
While it's extremely affordable and there is a growing community of users, it doesn't have a great deal of tutorial information available. Some of the larger teaching sites like Lynda and Udemy have launched courses, and Affinity has done a good job of creating tutorial videos for most of the features and tools, but you'll be hard-pressed to find much more material available online, and the only English book available as of this writing is written by the developers. See here for a full review of Affinity Photo.
Corel PaintShop Pro
PaintShop Pro is another of the older generation of graphics programs, and it is has found itself overlapping a number of different programs in terms of functionality. It's Corel's answer to Photoshop, although it doesn't quite live up to the same standard. It's a solid enough program, with good editing tools and a customizable interface, but it also suffers from a few flaws that can make it frustrating to use for large projects.
The biggest of these problems is some serious delays in brushstroke responsiveness, which grow even worse when you're working with large high-resolution files. There can also be some delay when applying other edits which can slow down a professional editor quite a bit. On the other hand, it's available as a one-time purchase for PC users who want to avoid the subscription model recently adopted by Adobe. Learn more from our full PaintShop Pro review here.
Adobe Illustrator CC
This teddy bear is made entirely out of modified circles
Like Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator has also been the industry standard for quite a while, although Illustrator excels at vector images instead of raster images. It nearly won in the best drawing and illustration category due to its impressive vector illustration tools, except that its native drawing capabilities leave much to be desired. It can be used with a drawing tablet, but it doesn't really offer much in the way of advanced tools beyond the basic paintbrush tool, so you may as well just be using a mouse that you're more comfortable with.
Illustrator has excellent vector tools, including some new additions in the latest CC release to help with drawing freehand curves, but it doesn't yet have anything to match the LiveSketch tool found in CorelDRAW. The user interface follows the standard Adobe model also found in Photoshop, with preset workspaces configured for different tasks and the ability to customize and save as many of your own personalized workspaces as you want. There's more tutorial info out there than you will ever have time to read, and you can download a free 7-day trial to see if it's the right fit for you. You can also see the full Illustrator review here.
Autodesk Sketchbook
Sketchbook has a wonderfully clutter-free interface – it's actually quite soothing.
Touch-enabled devices and sketching really just go hand in hand, and Autodesk gets it right with Sketchbook. It didn't win any category because it's a fairly simple program, but it does simplicity quite well, allowing you to focus on your drawing and not spend too much time worrying about tools and configurations. When you do need to adjust something, Sketchbook uses a unique style of ‘dial' interface optimized for touch devices (see the bottom left corner in the screenshot). If you want to take your sketch to a further stage in your creative process, Sketchbook is also compatible with the Photoshop document format (.PSD), which makes for easy integration with a deeper workflow.
One of the best things about this program is that earlier this year, Autodesk decided to make it free for everyone! If you just recently purchased it you might be a bit grumpy about this, but otherwise it's a great way to explore the world of digital sketching without having to spend a cent on your software. You will definitely need a drawing tablet, touchscreen-enabled computer or mobile device to really make good use of it, and there is a complete guide available on the Autodesk website to help get you up to speed.
Sketchbook is available for Windows, iOS and Android devices, although the mobile version has a different user interface and more simplified capabilities. You should be able to make it work properly on macOS with a virtual machine, but I haven't tested this myself.
Affinity Designer
Just as Affinity Photo is their Photoshop clone, Designer is Affinity's attempt at challenging Illustrator for the vector graphics crown. However, their desire to unseat Illustrator has led them to correct several of its mistakes, as they have spent some time considering touch and drawing tablets as input devices. Working with freehand shapes is also much easier, thanks to the large default anchor points and handles. Less time struggling with your interface means more time illustrating!
Affinity Designer is available for both Mac and PC, using the same one-time purchase model as their other software at just $69.99. It's an affordable way to get into the world of vector illustration, and there is a 10-day free trial available from the Affinity website and the Mac App Store.
Corel Painter Essentials
Painter Essentials is a much-simplified version of the full Painter 2019 experience, which has some pros and some cons. It includes a limited version of the functionality from the full version, including a basic set of brushes, tablet support and a more streamlined interface. If you're just interested in exploring what you can accomplish with digital paint, Essentials might be a good introduction, but any serious professional artist will want to go for the full version of the software.
The interface hasn't been updated in the same way as the latest version of Painter, and you'll note that the Welcome screen still recommends upgrading to Painter 2018 instead of 2019, but these are minor issues that will probably be corrected in the next version. There is some tutorial content available from Corel, but it's limited in comparison to what's available for the full version of Painter.
Free Alternatives
Pixlr
The ads can be a bit distracting (especially when they repeat like you see above) but it's a small price to pay for a free online editor.
It's astonishing what you can accomplish with a web app these days, and nothing shows that better than the free Pixlr online image editor. It is a full-featured image editor with decent editing tools, layer support and an interesting pencil tool that mimics the look of skilled sketching.
It's definitely not going to replace a proper desktop application for any serious graphics work, but it might do the job for you if you've just got a quick screen graphic to make or a simple edit to a photo for social media. It has no support for graphics tablets beyond a simple mouse, but you wouldn't expect to find full support in an online format.
It can be a bit difficult to load because some web browsers now disable Flash by default due to the security risks, but Pixlr tries to make the process simple with on-screen prompts. You can try it for free in your browser at https://pixlr.com/editor/.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) (PC/Mac/Linux)
Many people swear by GIMP, although I have never met a professional working in the graphics arts who used it for their work. There probably are some, because GIMP has a few advantages: it's quite powerful for pixel-based image work, it's easy to create plugins and extensions for it, and it's all available for the low low price of free.
The problem with GIMP is that it has one of the most frustrating and needlessly complicated interfaces I've ever run into. It seems to be a common problem with open source software – software developers tend to be more focused on functionality than user experience – although recent versions include ‘Single Window' mode which makes the interface a great deal more rational. If you're on a tight budget and you need something with the power of Photoshop for free, GIMP will do the job.
Gravit Designer (PC/Mac/Linux/ChromeOS)
Gravit has a clean, clear and uncluttered interface that is quite easy to use.
Gravit Designer is an excellent free vector graphics program, although it's not open source. It has an excellent set of vector drawing tools, and has good support for some of the more common vector graphics file formats. Unfortunately it can't edit the proprietary formats from Adobe, but that's a small consideration if you're just looking to explore vector graphics. It's available for the widest range of operating systems, and can even run in your web browser.
It has an excellent user interface, especially for a free program. Even more surprisingly, it has a solid set of tutorials available online from a wide range of sources. This makes it the perfect introduction to the world of vector graphics, although eventually you'll want to move on to a more professional program if you're serious about vector illustration.
A Final Word
The digital revolution is a gift that keeps on giving, and now that computer hardware capabilities have caught up to our artistic dreams, the world of digital art is more accessible than ever before. It's possible to create some truly stunning work using modern programs, although that power can make them difficult to learn. Explore the options, find the right program for you, and learn the ins and outs of the new digital art forefront. It takes some time to make the transition from the offline world to the digital one, but it's worth it!
And remember: always keep creating!
Top free softwares for creating digital art: – In the recent years, digital art has become a huge rage among the newer generations, kids and teenagers alike, seem to have mastered this art to create their own designs for personal preference. Digital art is also referred to as digital painting and is a great hobby for your brain when you are young. It is just like another medium for you to express your creative self, which is very important.
Initially, when the digital painting was introduced to the public, softwares that helped in making your vision a reality, would cost a fortune. And only a handful of them did the original work, they were supposed to do.You might be familiar with photoshop and other drawing softwares that have made a huge name for themselves and charge the public accordingly for their use.
See also: –
Here, i will now introduce you to some of the digital art softwares that are completely free and do not require any kind of monetary investment.You can use them for completely free, with some of them charging a small amount of fee for using all the features, while others will show you ads, in order to be able to generate their revenue.
Still, if you are familiar with free softwares and the number of loopholes they hold, you might relate to these freeware programs as they try to generate their revenue through similar means.I have also listed 3 online sketching and digital art softwares, these services are available for you online, without having to download any third party software , which might be preferred by some of you.
1- Inkscape Illustrator
Inkscape is another famous program used by many illustrators and digital sketch artists. Marketed as a professional vector graphics editor, Inkscape is free as well as open-sourced for ultimate compatibility and versatility. It has all the usual drawing and texture tools required by any illustrator. Apart from that it also supports almost all file formats, bezier and spiro curves and advanced text editing. Which make it a great tool for editors as well. It supports object creation, object manipulation, fill and stroke, Operations on paths, Text support, and rendering too.
Thus Inkscape becomes a highly sought after tool for web designing as well.
The only drawback is that first-time users might find the program a little complicated. You can refer to different free tutorials online, to help you get a hold over the new Inkscape Illustrator.
Support- Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows XP, Mac Os X
Download link– http://www.inkscape.org/en/
2- Krita
Krita is a great freeware program for designers and sketch artists alike. Though versatile, it was made mainly for Concept arts, texture painting, matte painting, illustrations in photos and comics and manga. It's a KDE program for sketching and painting.
Krita offers three products, you can choose the one that suits your needs and device.
Krita sketch- for touch devices (mobiles and tablets)
Krita Desktop- for desktops
Krita Gemini- available through steam ( paid version)
The software is very versatile and can be used for sketching, creating objects, editing photos, touching up etc.
The program is known to have a steep learning curve, which you can overcome by referring to online tutorials whenever necessary and needed by you.
Krita is another great free digital illustrator used by thousands around the globe.
Support- Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Linux, Mac Os X 10.9
Download Link– https://krita.org/
3- Serif DrawPlus Starter Edition
This is another illustrator that is completely free without any hidden loopholes. You can use it to draw, sketch, design and even create objects from scratch. It has vector drawing tools which will aid you very well while designing and enhancing images, as well as come in handy when creating objects and other designs.
The started edition includes filters, color schemes, and even 3D effects to help you get a professional looking design. It also has a photo studio which will help you make your designs into photo quality prints, which is a great feature if you need designs instantly at some point in time.
The precise tools and realistic painting algorithms make this tool a great product for free of cost.
Support- Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista , Windows XP (32- bit)
Download Link:https://www.serif.com/int/en/freedownlods/free-graphic-design-software/
4- The Gimp
It is one of the best free softwares available for creating digital art as well as editing your photos. It is a versatile program, compatible with Linux and mac as well. Gimp is more than a sketching tool and can be used for scientific purposes as well. It comes feature packed from the start, and you can get started right after installation.
If you are already used to illustrators, and you have your own third party plugins, you shouldn't worry. Gimp is compatible with many third party softwares and plugins .
If you are a programmer, then you might be happy to know that Gimp is compatible with multiple programming languages like C, C++, Perl, Python, Scheme etc.
The Gimp is very versatile and can be used by newcomers as well as advanced users.
Support- Windows 7. Windows 8/10, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac Os X
Download Link– http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net
5- MyPaint
MyPaint is one of those developed out of the need for better brushes, Which is totally understandable as most of the good brushes for sketching out there can be found only with the paid version of Adobe Photoshop. MyPaint was created because of the simple need for better brushes and a better algorithm that records strokes and the pressure of it at a faster pace than usual, making it a great sketching tool. MyPaint has great illustration options and can help you create intricate and original designs right out of the box. The only drawback being that it is rather difficult to get used to because of its various features. Though you should rest assured as once you are used to it, you will be able to create masterpieces like other artists that have switched to MyPaint.
Support: Windows 8/10, Windows 7, Windows vista and Mac Os X
Download Link : http://mypaint.org/
6- PictBear
PictBear is an open source software for digital illustration. It is a great software and does the work it is designed to do, efficiently.
The interface of the software is great and intuitive, it does not have a steep learning curve and would prove to be simple for beginners and new users. The layered effect of the software offers ultimate illustration possibilities for you as an artist.
PictBear has its own set of unique brushes which can help you create the best of best illustrations right from the start.
Because it is such a versatile and user friendly software, you can start using it right out of the box.
The only drawback is that as the project was open source and is distributed as a freeware, you will not receive any support from the developers, as they clearly state on their site, online.
Support: Windowsill 98, Windows Me, Windows Xp, Windows Vista, Windows 7.
Download Link: http://www.fenrir-inc.com/us/pictbear/
7- Chasys Draw IES
This is a custom freeware illustrator suite with different components that help you create the ultimate masterpiece. It has number of different image editing applications. These applications and tools help you create a project from the scratch, or edit an existing image or project, depending on the application that will do the work. It has various features that include
– Layer based image editor with animation
You can use this to edit animations, images and add additional animations to them as well.
– Icon editor
This will help you create exceptional, high quality icons, that you can later put to use.
– Chasys Draw IES artist
You can use this tool for image stacking which will result in a super resolution being created, which you can use for your project.
– Chasys draw IES convertor
You can use this for multi threaded image conversion.
– Chasys draw IES viewer
A very fast and efficient image viewer
– Chasys draw IES raw-Photo
This is the raw camera file processor to process the raw image file from a camera.
All in all these different components make Chasys Draw IES a great suite for all your illustration needs.
Support: Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows vista, Mac Os X.
Supports touchscreen and pen input devices.
Download Link:http://www.jpchacha.com/chasysdraw/index.php
8- RealWorld Paint
This is another feature packed digital arts illustrator available online for free download. You can simply download RealWorld Paint from the official site and start creating your masterpieces using the inbuilt tools.
RealWorld paint has vector design illustration which will help you create masterstrokes and unreal designs. It also has the ability to create animations. This feature can be used to enhance an already existing illustration or create a new one from scratch. It also has an inbuilt image editor that can aid you very well in enhancing and touching up your photos. All in all RealWorld paint is a feature packed software that can be used by any digital artist.
A word for beginners
RealWorld paint is a great feature rich free package for digital illustrations but has its own drawbacks. The software isn't that user friendly and requires you to look for tools and other filters in its layout. Which can prove very difficult for beginners, the software also has very little tutorials online, which in turn implies that you might be required to find your own way through the dark.
Support: Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 2000
Download Link: http://www.rw-designer.com/image-editor
9- ArtRage 4
This is another great digital illustrator tool, that offers a demo version for free use that you can download for your basic digital arts illustration needs. It is very easy to use and you can use its various features to create very enchanting artworks and illustrations. Its fairly easy to use and is recommended for beginners as well. The layout of all the tools and effects is pretty simple and everything is very easy to find. You can also use different references from other images to create your own unique image or trace the image if you want to enhance the existing photo. You can use the layering effect to apply different layers of texture and colors and improve the overall look of your digital art. ArtRage also has unique utilities that help you enhance and touch up your project easily. These utilities also help you edit different aspects of your project during and after the completion as well.
All in all ArtRage is a good digital art software offering a demo version for free uses, and might just be worth buying for some of you.
Support: Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows vista and Mac Os X 10.6 or later
Note: only Intel powered macs
Download Link:https://www.artrage.com/product/artrage-4/
10- SketchUp Make
This is a google powered 3D sketch creator, made by google for all your drawing needs. Voted as one of the best and hassle free digital illustrators out there, Google SketchUp make, does a pretty good job of creating great 3D designs at the hands of the most inexperienced users as well. The software is free for download by anyone and is highly recommended for beginners. Google has created an intuitive easy to learn layout and rendering engine, which help create great images right from the start. The software is also available in a Pro version with more features for the advanced digital Artist. All in all Google SketchUp make is a great free digital arts illustrator by Google.
Support: Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7
Best Free Software For Mac
Mac Os X 10.11+(El capitan), 10.10+(Yosemite) and 10.9+ (Mavericks)
download link : – https://www.sketchup.com/products/sketchup-make
After the onset of image editors, many companies launched online image editors, in order to make it easy to edit images online without any third party applications, on the go. Similarly, you never know when you might require a digital illustrator on the go, and hence i have listed below the top online digital illustrators you can use on the go. These are free softwares.
Canva
Canva is a simple, drag-and-drop, design software that's completely online and free to use. It's been a very exciting adventure: we've been around for just over 27 months and already have over 10.1 million users 🙂
Psyko Paint
This is a great online service. Psyko Paint is hugely versatile and will cater to almost all your digital art illustration needs. You will need to register for free if you plan on saving and exporting your work, which is highly recommended. The vast number of brushes and colors ensure you are able to translate your creative vision into reality with ease. The layer effect can help you create masterpieces right from scratch as well.
All these features make Psyko Paint the go to illustrator if you are looking for an online digital art illustrator.
Queeky Paint
This is an all in all free service for the intermediate digital artist. There is no registration or subscription required and can be used without any restrictions.
The layout of Queeky paint is very similar to the normal paint software you find in the Windows Operating systems, the only difference being that Queeky is packed with a lot more features as compared to the paint. Queeky has the basic drawing tools for your sketching needs as well as different filters and coloring tools to help enhance your project. You can adjust various parameters too which gives huge control over the overall project you are creating.
The only drawback being that this software has little or no tutorials hence making this a software for the intermediate illustrator. You will Have to find your tools and get used to it using your own learning methods.
Sketch Paint
This is a simple digital illustrator that can help you create a basic idea of your vision. Or it can help you enhance an existing project/image. Sketch Paint is simple and free and only made for touch ups and enhancements mainly. The unique selling point of the software being its variety of brushes which can help you sketch the best of the best illustrations online. Sketch paint also has a vast number of color shades and hues to choose from. It has other basic drawing tools too, which can help you get out of a tight situation as well.
Just like Queeky Paint, Sketch paint has little or no tutorials but is recommended for beginners as well.
The layout is fairly easy and will only take some to get used to it.
DeviantArt Muro
This is as good as it gets. This is a great digital arts illustrator created by the online community of DeviantArt. It is the online community for all digital artists and illustrators to share and look for inspirations. DeviantArt Muro is an online digital arts illustrator created from the feedback of digital artists all over the world. Muro has standard as well as other complicated brushes for all your sketching needs, not mention layering that can help you create masterpieces of digital art. It has a basic version and a pro version with different capabilities and features. The plus point being that both basic and pro versions are free to use depending on your skill level. This is a great feature which makes muro one of the most sought after online digital illustrators out there.
Saurav is associated with IT industry and computers for more than a decade and is writing on The Geek Page on topics revolving on windows 10 and softwares.
Free Software For Mac
