Art programs
Posted: 10 Sep 2006 06:24 pm
This is a non-exhaustive alphabetical list of programs which people use to create artwork on their computer. Where two company names are given, the first is used on earlier versions of the program; newer versions are prefixed by the second company's name.
Macromedia/Adobe Flash- used by Neopets to create their artwork, this is a powerful vector-based program used for creating both still images and movies. It behaves similarly with a tablet and a mouse, and its smoothing tools are especially good for stylised images. It tends to be used for less detailed images than those produced with Illustrator.
Price: expensive.
The GIMP- an open-source program with some support for vectors, digital artwork and creation of graphics. It is regarded as one of the best general free art programs available, although openCanvas has better options for digital painting.
Price: free, available to download under the GNU license.
Adobe Illustrator- a vector-based program which is fairly straightforward to use but very powerful; it is often used by professionals for graphic design. It tends to be used for more complex images than those produced with Flash, but does not have Flash's support for animation.
Price: expensive.
openCanvas- similar to Corel Painter, it simulates real media, with most versions containing pens, pencils and watercolours. It is simpler than Painter to use, but less powerful and earlier versions have some problems with translations.
Price: earlier versions are free to download, and newer versions are still among the cheaper graphics programs.
MS Paint- bundled free with Windows, it is simplistic and has a reputation for only producing messy doodles. However, many people have used it with good results, most notably the pixel art community. It treats tablets as a mouse, with no pressure sensitivity- an advantage in pixel art, but limiting to other users.
Price: free.
Jasc/Corel Paint Shop Pro- a program often regarded as Photoshop's little sister, with better handling of vectors but a simplistic set of tools for digital painting and limited handling of tablets' pressure sensitivity. This improves with the newer versions. It uses Animation Shop to create and handle animations.
Price: middling, with older versions (7 downwards) having been given away for free with computer magazines in the past.
Corel Painter- a program used almost exclusively for digital painting, hence the name. It has a multitude of tools intended to simulate real media: watercolours, pencils, oils, acrylics, gouache and others. Certain tools are more realistic than others. It is intended for use with a tablet.
Price: middling. A cut-down version with limited functionality, Painter Classic, is available in bundles with certain Wacom tablets. Certain tablets may have Corel Art Dabbler, which is a version superseded by Painter Classic and Painter Essentials, although functional as a basic painting application.
Adobe Photoshop- a program used for both graphics and digital painting, with good handling of pressure sensitivity, and numerous filters and tools. It uses ImageReady to create and handle animations.
Price: expensive. There is also the much less expensive Photoshop Elements, however, which is bundled with certain tablets or sold separately. It has certain options removed, so this is a step up from Paint and the GIMP but may not compare well with the full version for some users.
Other vector options: CorelDRAW, Macromedia Freehand.
Other options for graphics: Macromedia Fireworks, Paint.NET.
Other options for artwork: Corel Photo-Paint, oekakis, Pixia.
Macromedia/Adobe Flash- used by Neopets to create their artwork, this is a powerful vector-based program used for creating both still images and movies. It behaves similarly with a tablet and a mouse, and its smoothing tools are especially good for stylised images. It tends to be used for less detailed images than those produced with Illustrator.
Price: expensive.
The GIMP- an open-source program with some support for vectors, digital artwork and creation of graphics. It is regarded as one of the best general free art programs available, although openCanvas has better options for digital painting.
Price: free, available to download under the GNU license.
Adobe Illustrator- a vector-based program which is fairly straightforward to use but very powerful; it is often used by professionals for graphic design. It tends to be used for more complex images than those produced with Flash, but does not have Flash's support for animation.
Price: expensive.
openCanvas- similar to Corel Painter, it simulates real media, with most versions containing pens, pencils and watercolours. It is simpler than Painter to use, but less powerful and earlier versions have some problems with translations.
Price: earlier versions are free to download, and newer versions are still among the cheaper graphics programs.
MS Paint- bundled free with Windows, it is simplistic and has a reputation for only producing messy doodles. However, many people have used it with good results, most notably the pixel art community. It treats tablets as a mouse, with no pressure sensitivity- an advantage in pixel art, but limiting to other users.
Price: free.
Jasc/Corel Paint Shop Pro- a program often regarded as Photoshop's little sister, with better handling of vectors but a simplistic set of tools for digital painting and limited handling of tablets' pressure sensitivity. This improves with the newer versions. It uses Animation Shop to create and handle animations.
Price: middling, with older versions (7 downwards) having been given away for free with computer magazines in the past.
Corel Painter- a program used almost exclusively for digital painting, hence the name. It has a multitude of tools intended to simulate real media: watercolours, pencils, oils, acrylics, gouache and others. Certain tools are more realistic than others. It is intended for use with a tablet.
Price: middling. A cut-down version with limited functionality, Painter Classic, is available in bundles with certain Wacom tablets. Certain tablets may have Corel Art Dabbler, which is a version superseded by Painter Classic and Painter Essentials, although functional as a basic painting application.
Adobe Photoshop- a program used for both graphics and digital painting, with good handling of pressure sensitivity, and numerous filters and tools. It uses ImageReady to create and handle animations.
Price: expensive. There is also the much less expensive Photoshop Elements, however, which is bundled with certain tablets or sold separately. It has certain options removed, so this is a step up from Paint and the GIMP but may not compare well with the full version for some users.
Other vector options: CorelDRAW, Macromedia Freehand.
Other options for graphics: Macromedia Fireworks, Paint.NET.
Other options for artwork: Corel Photo-Paint, oekakis, Pixia.
Guess I won't be reinstalling it, but Painter is a fun program to play around with.
You miiight want to add it to the list for people who like something different.