Hardware and software setup

Programs for drawing arts. Collection of the best computer programs for drawing art

Today, paintings or art created using a computer are of no less interest than ordinary canvases painted on paper. Controlling the mouse cursor is no easier than guiding a canvas with a pencil or brush. Some artists who are professional electronic painters use special devices like graphics tablets to eliminate the mouse, but in this case special software is needed.

Consider best programs to create art on a personal computer for both amateur and professional environments. Let's designate the key features of the software, ease of use and availability of products for different users. We will not mention the venerable "Photoshop", because literally all PC artists already know about its existence and widespread dominance in our computers, but we will analyze the less well-known and sensible drawing utilities.

Paint.NET

This is a basic art creation program that is included in almost every copy of the Windows platform. She has at her disposal all the tools necessary for initial drawing: a brush, a pencil, an eraser and a fill. Moreover, each instrument has a dozen varieties: thickness, saturation, handicap, etc.

For connoisseurs of virtual art in the style of abstractionism and cubism, the art creation program provides shapes of a triangle, a rectangle, an expanding ellipse, polyhedrons and a comic book conversation cloud. With support for graphic formats, there are also no problems. On the official Microsoft resource and on amateur sites, you can find some additional plug-ins and add-ons that greatly expand the capabilities of the program for creating art, turning it into a real monster of art.

You can recommend the utility to any novice artist, as they say, to test the pen. You can’t count on creating some serious canvases with the help of this program, but it’s quite possible to fill your hand.

The GIMP

It's pretty powerful program for creating pixel art, and in terms of its functionality, it is as close as possible to the legendary Photoshop. The capabilities of the utility allow you not only to draw a picture from scratch, but also to apply many effects to ready-made images. In addition, the functionality of the program easily copes with the initial layout of sites or some other design layouts.

The program for GIMP supports multi-layered work with images, detailed setting tools, the most accurate color calibration, and so on. The utility also supports professional graphics tablets, so it can be recommended to both experienced artists and beginners.

inkscape

Another well-designed program for creating pop art and complex drawing. The utility allows you to perform any operations with contours, edit the gradient, change the style and type of nodes. In general, the software provides almost everything to draw professional masterpieces of art.

In addition, in the settings you can find a large number of preset shapes that you can change as you like. The program supports convenient "hot keys" and export not only to all popular graphic formats, but also to specific ones, such as XML. Professional draftsmen have a place to turn around in the fields of Inkscape, but it will be difficult for amateurs to deal with all the nuances and specifics of the utility, so they better choose something simpler or study the manual thoroughly.

SmoothDraw

This is a great program for creating art from photos. The utility has been adopted by tens of thousands of users, including both professional artists and beginner amateurs. There is no need, as in previous programs, to thoroughly study the menu and the available tools - just open new file and let your imagination run wild with intuitive and well-rendered functionality.

At your disposal - layering of objects, rotation of the canvas in all axes, blending modes and sub-pixel anti-aliasing levels. In addition to the standard set of tools for painting on finished photos or from scratch, the utility includes rare ready-made brushes like graffiti, stars, grass or water drops. Also, the program fully supports graphics tablets, which is a clear plus for such software.

PixBuilder Studio

Another program for editing and creating pixel art, that is, raster graphics. The capabilities of the software also allow you to calmly work out the design of websites, so the utility is enviably popular with webmasters, competing with the eminent Photoshop.

Apart from the usual basic set tools, there is work with layers, multi-stage undo operations, adjustment of curve lines and levels, as well as adjustment of the popular effects "Bloom" (blur) and sharpness. Also, the user has the opportunity to customize the interface at his discretion: fix tools, display important options as individual elements etc. Working with the program is quite comfortable for both professionals and amateur beginners.

Manga Studio

This is a special program for creating anime art. The user has access to a chic set of tools for drawing manga and comics. Those who have thoroughly studied the manual and are well versed with the menu branches as well as with hot keys, consider the utility to be the most convenient for sculpting anime.

All tools, and customizable ones, are always at your fingertips: screenton, coloring, black outline, brightener, etc. If you are unfamiliar with software of this kind, but you really want to draw anime, then an extended version of the program with step by step instructions to choose from - illustrations or video, where in the most detailed way all the nuances of this event are explained - from the basics to the creation of professional manga canvases.

livebrush

This utility can be called a vivid example of how a high-quality drawing game for children should look like. Despite its specificity, the program enjoys enviable popularity among established artists.

One of the distinguishing features of this software is vector patterns, where the user can apply a pattern of given shapes and sizes. Here you can easily decorate Slavic or Oriental ornaments, some kind of symmetrical nets or Gothic patterns. The already huge selection of brushes can be expanded with your own settings, or you can download an even larger assortment from both the developer's official resource and other amateur resources.

The software proved to be excellent in working with graphics tablets and fully supports all stylus protocols. Moreover, the program monitors not only the force of pressing the pen, but also its inclination, which for many artists is a critical moment when choosing utilities of this kind.

PaintTool SAI

This utility, along with Manga Studio, has become popular with fans of Japanese comics. In addition, many users called it a program for creating art on Minecraft because of the specific and convenient tools for this business. The utility is also perfect for those who like to draw landscapes and portraits in the style of hyperrealism or pop art.

A wide range of tools is available to the user: ballpoint pens, ink, dozens of brushes, pencils of different softness, pastels, watercolors, etc. Moreover, each individual tool can be customized to fit your needs. It is also possible to work with several canvases in parallel and support for multi-layered objects. This software is used by both professional artists and novice amateurs, and as mentioned above, this is an almost ideal program for creating art for Minecraft.

Affinity Designer

This is a good software for creating art with a classic design and a familiar set of tools. Here you will find a large assortment of brushes, gradients and other auxiliary modes. Among other masses of similar utilities, this program stands out in that it does an excellent job with vector objects and can easily process raster images. Many people use this software not only for drawing from scratch, but for photo retouching and further processing into an art work.

One of the obvious disadvantages of the program is the lack of support for third-party plugins. All that is available to the user is a small list of add-ons on the developer's official resource. The latter, by the way, promised to correct this defect in the very near future. But even without additional plugins, the utility is capable of a lot and will delight you with intuitive functionality with good artistic capabilities.

Summarizing

Drawing is a specific thing. Someone likes to sculpt landscapes, someone prefers to draw faces, and don't feed someone with bread - let them turn all reality into Japanese manga. Despite the similarity of all the above products and functionality, each utility has some of its own distinctive features.

Before you take on the creation of the next masterpiece that your friends will admire, be sure to consider the focus and set of tools for a particular art program. It is better to spend a couple of hours studying the manual of the software you like than to port your work to another utility with data loss due to lack of some kind of brush.

To paint a picture, it is not necessary to enroll in art courses and buy and buy expensive supplies. Just turn on the computer and run the appropriate software. In this article, we will look at the best programs for creating digital paintings.

To draw on a computer, you need to select a brush and move it around the virtual canvas using a mouse, keyboard, or special devices such as graphics tablets.

The tool can be a pen, pencil or an art brush with paints. With a long press, the thickness of the lines changes, mixing colors is allowed.

There are special panels for working with the palette. Various effects can be applied to finished objects.

The advantages of digital painting include items such as:

  • Cancellation of unsuccessful actions;
  • Unlimited color range;

Let's start the top 15 drawing applications on a personal computer with.

You can use all their functionality completely free of charge for an unlimited amount of time.

Table: characteristics comparison

AppendixGraphic tablet supportpurposePlugins

graffiti studio

amateur

Autodesk Sketchbook Pro

+ pro +

Corel Painter

amateur +

Pix Builder Studio

+ amateur +

Affinity Designer

+ specialist

paint tool Sai

+ pro +

The Gimp

+ pro +
+ pro +

livebrush

+ amateur

Tux paint

amateur

paint.net

amateur +
+ pro +

SmoothDraw

+ amateur +

artweaver

+ pro +
+ amateur +

Tux paint

Read also: Graphics tablet with a screen for drawing: Choose the TOP-10 Best!

Educational program Tux paint was created for the youngest users. personal computer, but it can also appeal to adult novice artists. It has a relatively small set of tools and does not have a lot of palettes.

The highlight of this application is its simplicity, large buttons in the interface, the presence of basic models, a large number of stamps, an integrated assistant in the form of a funny penguin Tuxie.

All this greatly facilitates the process of creating works.

By the way, it is possible to make a slide show. The program was developed specifically for children from 3 to 12 years old and is even used in a number of preschools in Europe.

Attractive and colorful interface with funny sound effects offers easy-to-understand large buttons with tools and colors, and Tooks the penguin will show you how to draw.

Tux Paint will help your child develop creativity and teach him the basics of computer literacy.

Among the shortcomings of tux paint, we highlight the lengthy processing of applied effects.

paint.net

Paint.NET for Windows

Version: 4.2.10

Developer: dotPDN LLC

License: free

Checked. Viruses not found

Download 8 Mb

Read also: TOP 12 Best Windows 10 Keyboard Tablets | Overview of current models in 2019

At first glance, it may seem that this program is no different from standard application called Paint, bundled with the operating system.

This is part of the point of paint.net. The interface is familiar to all users of the Windows operating system.

But the functionality of the paint.net application stands out significantly from the background of the integrated editor.

In it, you can create three-dimensional models, draw transparent objects, moving objects and other complex structures. Note very handy tool selection.

In paint.net it is invoked by the magic wand.

The program contains whole line integrated tools, and also supports plugins, among which you can find a large number useful tools.

inscape

Read also: TOP 11 Best Apps for Learning English | 2019 +Reviews

Inscape is a popular vector . It is often used for drawing graphic systems, as well as for creating business cards, booklets and other promotional items.

With this application it is very convenient to draw geometric figures and objects based on several small particles of the correct shape.

A special block is available for working with text and footnotes.

This program is primarily based on its own rendering engine, which means that with the proper performance of a personal computer, the process of applying new strokes will be carried out at lightning speed.

SmoothDraw

Read also: Reducing the Size of a JPG Image: TOP 5 Simple Simple Ways

A program called SmoothDraw is more versatile than the previous editor. Here exist Various types pencils, as well as comfortable pen, sprayers, markers.

With this whole set, you will add personality to your painting.

This program contains a convenient layering algorithm, including an integrated collection of elios effects. Pixel technology allows you to create high quality drawings.

In this case, the principle of choosing the type of brush is very conveniently implemented, that is, depending on pressing a number on the keyboard, the corresponding drawing tool is selected.

It should be noted that the application is compatible with . The disadvantage of this utility is a poor localized interface.

artweaver

Artweaver for Windows

Version: 7.0.2

Developer: Artweaver

License: free

Checked. Viruses not found

Download 11.9 Mb

Read also: Photoshop online in Russian for free: TOP 5 best services to replace Photoshop

A program called Artweaver is a good bitmap editor with a large set of customizable brushes.

The app stands out for having impasto, which is a unique painting tool that mimics relief paint. A similar feature allows you to create oil masks on canvas.

A program called My Paint is an art editor that includes high-quality visualization of each brush. Large icons help when choosing a tool.

The user clearly sees what each brush is capable of. In addition, all brushes are divided into three main blocks:

  • Classic;
  • Experimental;
  • Favorite.

The last section is initially empty. If desired, it can be filled manually by simple drag and drop.

One more feature may paint is the presence of a notebook that performs the function of a paper tool.

If you're not sure if you should try using this program, then first take a look at the gallery of works by users from around the world. In it you can find interesting work.

livebrush

Read also: TOP 15 Best Laptop Tablets | Overview of proven models

An application called Livebrush is a beautiful graphics editor, which is loved by many users from different parts of the globe.

The program has a very convenient function of creating brushes.

The application allows you to generate tools based on your own pattern. Not for nothing, after all, the name of the application is translated as a live brush.

Among the features of the program, we note such functions as:

  • decorating the line along which the brush passes;
  • It is also worth highlighting the presence of fractal brushes.

Livebrush is based on the EtoubiAir platform. To run the program, you must initially install this environment, although this installation method cannot be called convenient.

Krita

Crita for Windows

Version: 4.2.8

Developer: The Krita Team

License: free

Checked. Viruses not found

Download 100 Mb

Read also: TOP 15 Programs for Slow Motoon (Slow Mo): creating a slowdown effect

The next program, called "Krita" is considered one of the best in the industry. This application selects a large number of artists from different parts of the globe.

Key features:

  • Unlimited canvas size;
  • Imitation of canvas materials;
  • Emulation of real drawing tools;
  • A huge number of artistic effects.

This whole set is successfully enclosed in a concise Russified interface.

Add to that high level detail, a good implementation of the layer overlay function, a lot of post-processing tools and a large number of other useful features.

Of course, the Krita app supports most modern graphics tablets.

The Gimp

The GIMP for Windows

Version: 2.10.14.3

Developer: gimp.team

License: free

Checked. Viruses not found

Download 217 Mb

Read also: How to save photos from Instagram to a computer or phone? | 6 Ways for PC, Android and iOS

The developers produced an application called Gimp initially as a competitor to the well-known photo editor.

With time this application has acquired enough features to be considered a full-fledged drawing software.

  • Editable hard and soft brushes;
  • layer-by-layer processing; Smoothing functions;
  • Built-in effects;
  • A large number of tools that allow you to change the size and other characteristics of an element;
  • Etc.

Thus, we have a fairly good editor for creating high-quality works.

There is one significant disadvantage that you should pay attention to.

Since the program has a very large quantity options, you will need a fairly powerful personal .

paint tool Sai

Paint Tool SAI 2 Windows

Version: 2.0 beta Technical Preview

Developer: SYSTEMAX Software Development

License: free

Download 12.8 Mb

Read also: Create a collage from photos online - TOP-15 services

A program called Paint Tool Sai was created by Japanese developers.

This application has recently gained popularity among users living in the Russian Federation. The program has two drawing modes:

  • The first of which is bitmap;
  • The second is a vector.

It is worth noting that each of the brushes belongs to different regime. The application boasts a high-tech rendering engine, full support graphics tablets, the presence of its own pen smoothing algorithm.

As in most other solutions, the application interface resembles a menu from a program

However, the developers of this application went even further. Thus, hotkeys are exactly the same as Adobe Photoshop.

This editor can be installed on any operating system Windows system, including Windows ninety-eight.

Unfortunately, the application is not adapted for Russian Federation and the CIS as a whole, the menu is only available in English.

It must be understood that the program is paid, but there is time to use it in the trial period of one calendar month.

The application is available for purchase forever for seventy-seven United States dollars.

Affinity Designer

Another paid product called Affinity Designer is notable for having three modes of operation:

  • Painting;
  • Pixel editing;
  • Export.

Each of the modes has an interesting name - Persona. It is logical that Affinity Designer can work with raster and vector graphics.

The program is based on a fairly fast engine. Its interface also has a Photoshop-like design, though it would be more accurate to compare the app to Adobe Illustrator than to Photoshop.

The set of brushes is standard. It is possible to create your own drawing tools.

An interesting fact is that initially the developments produced this application for the operating system called . And only very recently the program appeared on operating system Windows.

The program is paid, but there is trial period which is ten calendar days. The cost of the license is fifty United States dollars.

It should be noted that the developers of Affinity Designer did not take care of the Russification of the menu and the availability of such an important option as plugin support.

Pix Builder Studio

PixBuilder Studio - good enough free editor raster graphics, which also allows you to create web-graphics.

Its functionality, in addition to the basic components, includes layer management, level and curve adjustment, multi-stage undo operations, as well as high-quality sharpening and blurring effects.

With all this, the user is given the opportunity to customize the interface - to fix frequently used or important options on the main toolbar.

Corel Painter

Version: 2020

Developer: Corel Corporation

License: trialware

Checked. Viruses not found

Download 614.4 Kb

Do you want to paint beautiful pictures, but don't want to spend money on materials? This is no longer a problem! Today, digital technologies have come to replace paints and canvases, which have made painting an incredibly convenient and exciting experience.

Mouse or graphics tablet?

This choice depends on your drawing skills. If you went to art school or are just a confident pencil and brush user, you'll be more comfortable working with a graphics tablet. If you still do not know how to draw, then you can easily start with a computer mouse.

As with any art form, drawing requires a certain amount of skill. The more confidently you use the tool, the more accurate the picture is. Someone creates second-rate drawings on a cool graphics tablet, and someone writes masterpieces using a regular computer mouse.

Choose a tool based on your abilities and skills, and special programs will help you turn your ideas into reality.

What program to draw in?

The modern world is changing everything, and anyone can become anyone, even an artist. In order to draw, it is not necessary to work in some special place, it is enough just to have programs for drawing art on your computer. This article shows the most famous of these programs.

Any graphics editor can be called an art drawing program, although not every such editor is able to please your desires. It is for this reason that this list will include a variety of programs with different functionality. Most importantly, each of the programs can become both a separate tool in your hands, and enter your set, which you can use in different ways.

This graphic editor is not intended for drawing art. More precisely, it was not designed for this. When it was created, the programmers were inspired by children, and the fact that it is in childhood that we become who we are now. This children's program has musical accompaniment, many tools, but is not very suitable for drawing quality art.

artweaver

This art program is very similar to Adobe Photoshop. It has everything that Photoshop has - layers, corrections, the same tools. But not all tools are available in free version, and this is an important disadvantage.

ArtRage

ArtRage is the most unique program in this collection. The fact is that the program has a set of tools that is great for drawing not only with a pencil, but also with paints, both oil and watercolor. Moreover, the image drawn by these tools is very similar to the real one. Also in the program there are layers, stickers, stencils and even tracing paper. The main advantage is that each tool can be customized and saved as a separate template, thereby expanding the capabilities of the program.

Paint.NET

If Artweaver was like Photoshop, then this program is more like standard Paint with Photoshop capabilities. It has tools from Paint, layers, correction, effects, and even getting an image from a camera or scanner. Plus, it's completely free. The only negative is that sometimes it works much slower with 3D images.

inkscape

This art drawing program is quite a powerful tool in the hands of an experienced user. It has a very wide functionality and a lot of possibilities. Of the possibilities, the most prominent is the conversion of a raster image to a vector one. There are also tools for working with layers, text and paths.

GIMP

This photo editor is another copy of Adobe Photoshop, but it has a few differences. However, these differences are rather superficial. Here, too, there is work with layers, image correction and filters, but there is also image transformation, moreover, access to it is quite easy.

Paint Tool Sai

A huge number of various instrument settings allow you to create an almost new instrument, which is a plus of the program. Plus, you can customize the toolbar directly. But, unfortunately, all this is available only for one day, and then you have to pay.

In our modern time, it is not necessary to be able to draw in order to create art, it is enough just to have one of the programs presented in this list. They all have one common goal, but almost each of them approaches this goal in different ways, however, with the help of these programs you can create truly beautiful and unique art. What software do you use to create art?

In today's world, computers are increasingly penetrating our lives. Many areas are already simply unthinkable without the use of a PC: complex mathematical calculations, design, modeling, Internet connection, etc. Finally, it came to drawing!

Now not only artists, but also simple amateurs can easily try to draw some kind of “masterpiece” using special programs. That's about these special programs for drawing on a computer and I would like to talk in this article.

*I note that only free programs will be considered.

1. Paint is the default program…

It is with Paint that I would like to start a review of drawing programs, because. it is included in the OS Windows XP, 7, 8, Vista, etc., which means you don’t need to download anything to start drawing!

To open it, go to the menu " start/programs/standard", and then click on the "Paint" icon.

The program itself is extremely simple and even a complete novice who has recently turned on a PC can understand it.

Of the main functions: resizing images, cutting out a certain part of the image, the ability to draw with a pencil, brush, fill an area with a selected color, etc.

For those who are not professionally engaged in images, for those who sometimes need to fix something in the pictures on the little things - the program's capabilities are more than enough. That is why I recommend starting your acquaintance with drawing on a PC with it!

2. Gimp is a powerful graph. editor

Gimp is a powerful graphics editor that can work with graphics tablets* (see below) and many other input devices.

Main functions:

Improve photos, make them brighter, enhance color reproduction;

Easily and quickly remove unnecessary elements from photos;

Cutting website layouts;

Drawing pictures with graphics tablets;

Own file storage format ".xcf", which is able to store texts, textures, layers, etc.;

Convenient ability to work with the clipboard - you can instantly insert a picture into the program and start editing it;

Gimp will allow you to archive images almost on the fly;

Ability to open ".psd" format files;

Creating your own plugins (if you have programming skills, of course).

3. MyPaint - artistic drawing

Website: http://mypaint.intilinux.com/?page_id=6

MyPaint is a graphics editor aimed at beginner artists. The program has a simple interface, coupled with unlimited canvas sizes. There is also an excellent set of brushes, thanks to which, using this program, you can draw pictures on your computer, just like on a canvas!

Main functions:

Possibility of quick commands using assigned buttons;

A huge selection of brushes, their settings, the ability to create and import them;

Excellent support for the tablet, by the way, the program, in general, was developed for it;

Limitless canvas size - thus nothing limits your creativity;

Ability to work in Windows, Linux and Mac OS.

4. Graffiti Studio - for graffiti fans

This program will appeal to all graffiti lovers (in principle, you can guess the direction of the program from the name).

The program captivates with its simplicity, realism - the pictures come out from under the pen almost like greatest hits on the walls of professionals.

In the program, you can choose canvases, for example, wagons, walls, buses, on which to work your creative miracles in the future.

The panel provides a choice of a huge number of colors - more than 100 pieces! It is possible to make smudges, change the distance to the surface, use markers, etc. In general, a whole arsenal of graffiti artist!

5. Artweaver - replacement for Adobe Photoshop

A free graphics editor that claims to be Adobe Photoshop itself. This program simulates drawing with oil, paint, pencil, chalk, brush, etc.

It is possible to work with layers, convert images to various formats, compress, etc. Judging by the screenshot below, you can't even tell it from Adobe Photoshop!

Website: http://www.smoothdraw.com/

SmoothDraw is an excellent graphics editor with a lot of options for processing and creating images. Basically, the program is focused on creating pictures from scratch, from a white and clean canvas.

You will have a large number of design and artistic tools in your arsenal: brushes, pencils, pens, pens, etc.

The work with tablets is also not bad, coupled with user-friendly interface program - it can be safely recommended to most users.

7. PixBuilder Studio - mini photoshop

This program on the network, many users have already dubbed mini photoshop. It has most of the popular features and paid features. Adobe software Photoshop: brightness and contrast editor, there are tools for cutting, transforming images, you can create complex shapes and objects.

A good implementation of several types of image blur, sharpening effects, etc.

It's probably not worth talking about such features as changing the size of the picture, rotations, reversals, etc., probably. All in all, PixBuilder Studio is a great program for drawing and editing on a computer.

8. Inkscape - analogue of Corel Draw (vector graphics)

It's free vector editor images, is an analogue of Corel Draw. This vector drawing program - ie. directed segments. Unlike bitmaps, vector images can be easily resized without losing quality! Typically, such a program is used in printing.

It is worth mentioning Flash here - it is also used there Vector graphics, allowing you to significantly reduce the size of the video!

By the way, it is worth adding that the program has support for the Russian language!

9. Livebrush - painting with a brush

Website: http://www.livebrush.com/GetLivebrush.aspx

Highly simple program for drawing with good image editing capabilities. One of the main features of this editor is that you will draw here brush! There are no other tools!

On the one hand, this limits, but on the other hand, the program allows you to implement a lot of things that in no other - you will not do this!

A huge number of brushes, settings for them, strokes, etc. Moreover, you can create brushes yourself and download from the Internet.

By the way, the “brush” in livebrush means not “just a simple” line, but also models of complex geometric shapes ... In general, it is recommended for acquaintance with all fans of working with graphics.

10. Graphic tablets

A graphics tablet is a special device for drawing on a computer. Connects to a computer via standard USB. With the help of a pen, you can drive on an electronic sheet, and on the computer screen you immediately see your picture online. Great!

Who needs a tablet for what?

The tablet can be useful not only for professional designers, but also for ordinary schoolchildren and children. With it, you can edit photos and images, draw graffiti in social networks, easily and quickly add manuscripts to graphic documents. In addition, when using a pen (tablet pen), the hand and wrist do not get tired during prolonged work, such as when using a mouse.

For professionals, this is the ability to edit photos: creating masks, retouching, editing and editing complex image contours (hair, eyes, etc.).

In general, you get used to the tablet very quickly, and if you often work with graphics, the device becomes simply indispensable! Recommended to all graphic lovers.

This concludes the review of the programs. Good luck and beautiful drawings!

Liked the article? Share with friends!
Was this article helpful?
Yes
Not
Thanks for your feedback!
Something went wrong and your vote was not counted.
Thank you. Your message has been sent
Did you find an error in the text?
Select it, click Ctrl+Enter and we'll fix it!