Photoshop, Affinity, Procreate… is that all? When it comes to drawing programs, people usually name these fellas, although if you dig a bit deeper, you can wallow in a great variety of free and paid subscription-based apps or the ones requiring one-time payment. All in all, here’s the list of our top picks.
Top 20 Best Drawing Software
Drawing Brushes & Add-Ons
Mastering new digital painting software with its unique tools and tricks can result in discovering a fresh approach to illustration, learning new techniques, and redefining your personal style. At least that’s what we hope for when making this selection of programs. It never hurts to try out the free ones: you’ll be surprised how much high-quality content can be found for free. And if you had doubts about some of the paid ones, let this article add more to “pros & cons,” so you can finally go for it and get yourself the best painting software!
adobe.com
Perhaps, the very first drawing software coming to mind when speaking of creativity and graphic design is Adobe Photoshop. Some say, that it’s a half of success, when the drawing tools are of a high quality to let you follow the spirit of imagination not tied up by the absence of required editing tools, lagging tabs and strokes. And we tend to fully believe that statement with a little side note attached: free drawing software or a paid one, the main criterion should be the programs’ ability to fulfil any need. And Adobe Photoshop has proved to be exactly that kind of software! When you start your creative path in design, getting acquainted with Photoshop is some sort of a baptism by fire, the obligatory step in upgrading your graphic design skills. It’s simply the classics everyone must try out. The Adobe Creative Cloud eco-system, makes accessing and sharing assets via any device a super easy process: your data is safe.
Platforms:
- Windows (10, 64-bit versions V1809, V1903, V1909, and V2004, Windows 10 versions 1507, 1511, 1607, 1703, 1709 and 1803 are not supported).
- MacOS (version 11.0 – Big Sur, version 10.15 – Catalina, version 10.14 – Mojave).
- iPadOS 13.4 or later
Key Features
- Create, edit, and combine simple shapes.
- Design logos and draw vector graphics.
- Add effects to make your art pop.
- Add impact with professional typography.
- Design packaging with 3D Revolve.
- Mock up a website design with the best type instruments.
- Trace and recolor imported photos to turn them into works of art.
- Create up to a thousand artboards on your canvas.
- Add images and artictic effects.
Pricing:
- 7 days free trial.
- Illustrator — US$20.99 /mo
The longer you work with this program, the more functional tools you discover. But it happens to be the way that your standard set of operations slightly changes over the years once it settles. What does it mean? You can still wobble on the iceberg peak with only, let’s say, 30% of discovered creative possibilities and still feel absolutely comfortable about it, not deprived of any tools.
Adobe Photoshop CC has its downsides too. If it freezes — it freezes hard. It’s not totally the app to blame but the system workload, compatibility questions and stuff. But honestly, working in multiple layers can slow down work to the turtle pace and spend so much system resources.
adobe.com
Despite its name, which literally states that this app is for illustrating and drawing, Adobe Illustrator was surpassed by its closest equivalent — Photoshop. And when we bring up the talk about best drawing software, it’s mostly Photoshop that gets mentioned. Not hard to be: there are gazillions of .abr brushes being released, so once you open this app you can stay in there to perform any operation from drawing to editing the ready-made composition. However, the is a major difference between Photoshop and Illustrator — the latter allows working with vector format. So if you’re more comfortable with working in vector, it’s Adobe Illustrator you need to get right away.
Platforms:
- Windows (10 version or later; 64-bit versions only; Windows 7, Windows 8.1 not supported).
- MacOS (10.14 through 10.15 or macOS 11).
- iPadOS (iPad Pro all generations, 5th-7th generations, Mini 5th generation, Mini 4, Air 3rd generation, Air 2).
Key Features
- Adjust, crop, retouch photos and images.
- Remove and move objects and backgrounds.
- Combine images to create new scenes.
- Automate tasks and actions in Photoshop.
- Add artistic and creative filters like blurs.
- Paint with smooth lines and curves.
- Make 3D artwork for animation or print.
- Adjust weight and width on variable fonts.
Pricing:
- 7 days free trial.
- Photography (Lightroom, Photoshop, Lightroom Classic) — US$9.99/mo.
- Photoshop — US$20.99/mo.
Of course, it has tons of handy creative brushes too! And filters, and type tools, and editing functions, and all of that Photoshop can boast with. But here everything can be scaled without losing the quality! If you come to this software after Photoshop, the instruments and interface won’t be completely new for you. The thing many people point out about working in Adobe Illustrator is that you can create complex files of any type: from logotypes, graphs, presentations, website updates to hand-drawn illustrations. It’s both a benefit and a disadvantage, actually: because of the loaded software system, the app can be very slow, lag and overload the PC. Sometimes it shuts down with an error, which is very irritating. But the strong sides of Adobe Illustrator cover it all up and let you enjoy the workflow.
affinity.serif.com
When we had received the early access to Affinity Designer to give it a go for the first time before the official software release, everything was so unusual: in terms of feelings it was like you already know how to ride a bike but you had to ride a completely new version of the same very bike. Many new and unfamiliar drawing tools and features, packed in a colorful interface caused a mild confusion. Nevertheless, rediscovering the digital art tools in a new form was both exciting and unusual.
Platforms:
- Windows (7, 8.1, 10 version or later).
- MacOS ( from 10.9 to 10.15).
- iPadOS (iPad Pro all models, Air 2-3, iPad 2017-2019, Mini 5) with operating system 12 or above.
Key Features
- Live gradients, effects and adjustments.
- Real time blend mode previews.
- All transforms and curve edits previewed live.
- Optimized for documents of any complexity.
- Vector and raster options.
- Advanced grids and guides.
- Unlimited artboards of any size.
- Comprehensive OpenType support.
Pricing:
- MacOS and Windows users can have 30 days of free trial
- Affinity Designer — $49.90
What really was miraculous and the best about Affinity Designer is the magic switch between pixel and vector formats! It was just a matter of clicks. Such a convenient tool for digital drawing, it saved tons of time we could spend on preparing the project for the big release. However, before the very first updates were released, the command for the formats switching crashed the program without saving the results. Thankfully, the problem was fixed in no time!
The second cherished feature was the ability to open and edit AI files, sometimes even the complicated ones. Cheat move but a very handy one when there was an urge to fix some assets and work on heavy vector graphics files.
As for the recent updates, Affinity has delivered the freshest update for macOS. Now this drawing software provides a better user experience for all the MacBook Pro owners (the proper technical boost for such a powerful M1 chip-driven computers).
Well, to wrap it up, just don’t confuse Affinity Designer with Affinity Photo, these are completely two different things. Beyond that, Affinity Designer is a wonderful digital drawing software you won’t regret purchasing.
apps.apple.com
Platforms:
iOS (the 11.1 version or newer, but the current version of Procreate for iPad is 5X (5.1) requires iPadOS 13.2 or newer to install)
Key Features
- Brush Studio with everything from pencils, inks, charcoals, to artistic strokes.
- Color Dynamics, Color Harmony and Color History give you full color control.
- Procreate is built with multi-touch gestures.
- Powerful Valkyrie graphics engine, allowing to paint at the speed of 120fps.
- QuickShape fine-tunes any messy shape before you continue on.
- ColorDrop feature to easily do the filling: pick, drag & drop onto the canvas.
- Streamline strokes for smooth curves and less imperfections
Pricing:
- Procreate (iPad) — US$9.99
- Procreate Pocket (iPhone) — US$4.99
A couple of words, dedicated to the new drawing software update release, as the introduced features worth to be emphasized. Among the announced editing tools every Procreate user can boast about there are Stroke Stabilization, 3D Model Painting, Page Assist, a suite of accessibility features, and more adjusted layers & resolution settings, made to run wild with M1s and iPads. The brush stroke tools in Procreate were perfect before, but the developers set a new higher ground once again: the smoothness of lines and a sensitive stylus pressure turn an Apple Pencil into the extension of your hand so naturally. Speaking of, the same Apple Pencil now allows you to expand drawing tools onto the 3D Model experience, helping to work on effects, lighting, gloss, and reflectivity of voluminous objects.
Haven’t found anything significant in terms of disadvantages throughout the use of Procreate. Although, can say for sure that some marvellous drawing software functions are hard to find: you just stumble upon them. But tutorials, that Procreate has in a free access, are a great help: they demonstrate you a new feature and, probably, let you discover a new artist to follow on Instagram. So far, this has been almost an ode to Procreate as the best digital painting software (fair to point out that it’s not a sponsored part of the post!).
The app seems to be all flawless and easy to use, but its accessibility is not the first thing to mention: the joy of working in Procreate is available only to iPad and iPhone users. And here’s a little tip: the more powerful your iPad is, the better — the amount of RAM affects the number of layers you can work with. The complicated assets performance here is out of question.
adobe.com
Sure thing, what we’re dealing here with is the resemblance of the well-known (and already adored so much) Procreate app. Adobe Fresco can’t fairly compete with Procreate drawing software because of its, let’s say, relative “rawness,” not implying that the software is of no use! Fresco has so many tools & features that are, first off, placed in such a likable interface. It’s clear, user-friendly and understandable, everything can be easily explored during the first encounter with Adobe Fresco.
Platforms:
Windows (10 version 1903 or later).
iPadOS (iOS version 13 or later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad (5ᵗʰ, 6ᵗʰ, 7ᵗʰ, and 8ᵗʰ generation), iPad mini (5ᵗʰ generation).
iPhoneOS (iOS version 13 or later, iPhone models from SE to 11 Pro Max).
Key Features
- Work with watercolors and oils that blossom and blend at your touch.
- Use vector and raster brushes on the same canvas.
- Draw with thousands of brushes from Adobe Photoshop.
- Discover essential and fast illustration tools for stylus and touch devices.
- Easily isolate parts of a layer and turn selections into masks.
- Customize your UI for left- or right-handed drawing.
- Start a project on your iPad/iPhone and finish it on your desktop — your work automatically syncs to the cloud.
Pricing:
30 days free trial.
Adobe Fresco US$9.99/mo (the paid version includes Photoshop on the iPad
1,000+ brushes curated by Adobe, 100GB of cloud storage).
The real fun begins when you test the brushes, watercolor and oil ones in particular. It’s fascinating how the colors interact with each other, imitating the real strokes so well. Even if you’re an amateur in digital drawing, the chances are you’ll be getting a great deal of pleasure, watching, for example, oil brushes getting mixed together, their responsive texture and realistic behavior.
The feature every drawing software developing company is tied at is achieving realistic results separately from the workflow risks a user can encounter while working with the physical equivalents of the same materials. Adobe Fresco is well-advanced at this spree, demonstrating the huge collection of raster and vector brush tools. Mixing & matching watercolors, for instance, can be a pickle when you’re willing to achieve a certain quintessence of shades and a sudden leaky stroke ruins it all. Even professional artists faced the issue, but with Fresco you’ll feel that watercolors have always been your force of nature. Just like the oil paints for the same reason.
Unfortunately, there’s bad news for people who don’t have a Creative Cloud subscription with a chance to download Adobe Fresco easily: this digital drawing program is pricey by itself. Also, the software lacks some editing options Photoshop has, so sometimes artists polish their illustrations in Photoshop afterward. Taking these two facts into consideration, if you’re willing to get yourself Fresco, you should seriously look into the opportunity of just subscribing to Creative Cloud.
escapemotions.com
Platforms:
- Windows (min Windows 7, 64-bit or 32-bit)
- MacOS (Mac OS X 10.13 and newer)
- Real-world color blending, wet diffusion, and drying.
- Watercolor DropEngine enables creating dripping effects.
- Oil Tool sets hyper-realistic wet medium for drawing.
- Blow tool to experiment with the flow of the paint by blowing drips in different directions.
- Acrylic Impasto Depth to decide how you like your paint structure to be shown.
- With Transparency Locking, every action is applied only on the paint, not the transparent areas.
- Digital stencils to make own templates and create seamless patterns.
- Ruler Tool for precise drawings with an approach of a Free Hand effect.
- Perspective Tool to express depth in your 1, 2 or 3 point perspective.
Pricing:
- Free 30 days trial period (for both Mac & Windows)
- Unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee
- 50% discount for existing Rebelle 4 users
krita.org
Free digital drawing software — doesn’t it already make Krita the best art program? Of course not, but it surely adds extra points to its rating among the other digital art apps, making this free open source software accessible to give it a test yourself without losing a penny.
Platforms:
Windows (8.1 version or higher)
MacOS 10.12 and higher)
Linux
Key Features
- Over 100 professionally made brushes that come preloaded.
- Brush stabilizers to smoothen it out.
- Built-in vector tools help you create comic panels.
- Customize your strokes with over 9 unique brush engines.
- Wrap-around mode to easily create seamless textures and patterns.
- Import brush and texture packs from other artists to expand your tools.
- Clean and flexible Interface.
- Opens PSD files that even Photoshop cannot open sometimes.
Pricing: it’s free drawing software, no trials
You’re welcomed by the totally intuitive and customizable interface of Krita: stack the things around the way you want them to be, according to your needs and their frequency. Speaking of tools, the great brushes library has a wide variety of realistic textures to pick from (inkers, pencils, watercolors, and more!). Touching upon realism, it would be fair to point out the blending options, that are so genuine and let you make adjustments on the already-painted canvas. There are other brush families to check out but nothing can explain it better than the personal experience.
Checking every drawing tool of Krita in tablet mode on our Wacom was so smooth; we felt that incredible program response to the angle of pen pressure and the speed of drawing. After working for several years in Procreate on iPad, we must admit that it was something not that remote to create concept art and illustrations in.
Layer management is not different from what we see in Photoshop, content of the layer can be edited via masks and filters. If you don’t know what this or that icon means (you don’t expect the painting program to fully repeat Adobe products, right?) Krita offers broad and insightful tutorials and help guides in its manual to always keep you on track.
Pleasantly surprising the users, Krita has released the latest update, troubleshooting many UI issues, prioritizing a convenient creative experience. It couldn’t do without the overall technical improvements as well: the resource system is faster and more flexible! The list of updates includes adding a new version of bundle manager and making resource locations configurable, tagging, sharing and searching among layers, or landing several layers at once. But the majority of artists points out the boosted gradients tool: the colors in gradients are now much smoother, while creating new gradient presets is easier with an extensive set of editing options.
inkscape.org
Platforms:
Windows (Windows 7 and higher).
MacOS (10.11-10.15 versions).
Linux
Key Features
- Object creation (pencil, pen, calligraphy, text, bitmaps and clones).
- Object manipulation (transformations, Z-order operations, grouping objects, layers, alignment and distribution commands).
- Fill and stroke (color selector and picker, gradient editor, pattern fills, path markers, copy/paste style).
- Operations on paths (node editing, converting to path, boolean operations, path simplification/insetting/outsetting, bitmap tracing).
- Text support (multi-line text, kerning, letterspacing, linespacing adjustments, text on path, text in shape, uses any installed outline fonts).
- Rendering (fully anti-aliased display, alpha transparency support for display and PNG export).
- File formats (SVG, PNG, OpenDocument Drawing, DXF, sk1, PDF, EPS and PostScript export formats and more)
To put it briefly about the cons, there is a standard set of issues any free software has. It’s an abundance of bugs and system crash situations, as well as operating system speed when working with a multitude of paths. There’s one more thing to add to this list. Inkscape doesn’t support the CMYK colors, so if you’re aimed at creating print-ready projects, it would be a sizeable problem. In other respects, this software is a fair replacement for the subscription-based Adobe Illustrator and despite all the cons, it worths being downloaded and tested out.
clipstudio.net
The app, that has been flashing before our eyes on social media ad integrations so many times! We thought it’s free drawing software but the close investigation of the tool library, user experience, and editing features has made us realize that such a gem can’t be given away for free.
First released as a digital art software for creating comics and manga (it used to be called Manga Studio), and then turned into the expanded library of tools for illustration and graphic design, Clip Studio Paint Pro is a somewhat similar but paid software version of Krita: the application for drawing and painting, having a quite similar (adjustable and easy to use) interface. We used docking to place every required art tool around the artboard and checked out the window themes to make it lighter or darker.
Platforms:
- Windows 8.1 (64-bit) and higher
- MacOS (10.13, 10.14, 10.15, 11)
- iPad (minimum OS 13)
- iPhone (minimum iOS13.1)
- Android (9 version and higher)
Key Features
- Powerful brush engine, reflecting 8192 levels of pen pressure detected by Wacom tablets.
- With 1000 new materials every month, you’ll always find something to match your style.
- Includes adjustable 3D figures to freely change pose, proportions, and body type as needed.
- The Artistic filter to convert any photos into artistic paintings.
- AI-based automatic colorization and quick coloring with smart fill tools.
- Image resolution up-conversion to resample images and erase jpeg noise.
- Clip Studio Paint Assets help you quickly create artwork and designs.
- Perform frequent or repeated operations with one click using Auto Actions.
To our greatest surprise, the command hotkeys in Clip Studio Paint were similar to Photoshop CC, making the adaptation process as easy as it can be via the intuitive interface. The digital art app supports vector graphics and raster tool choice, uniting the power of Adobe products under one roof. Nothing new and revolutionary about the vast collection of full-featured brushes: they are realistic, customizable (the stabilization tool works perfectly, hello, shaky hands!), and responsive. The only disadvantage found in Clip Studio Paint (and based on the users’ and artists’ feedback/reviews) is the lack of publishing tools, which were present in Manga Studio version.
Great news for all the Samsung users! The recent update revealed Companion mode feature, added to the Galaxy Store. Now all the Galaxy smartphones with Clip Studio Paint app can connect to the Galaxy Tab S8 Series in Companion mode over Wi-Fi and used like color selecting palettes and brushes panel. And using a Galaxy Tab S8 series tablet in connect with a smartphone in Companion mode, artists will receive more creative output, having access to a more convenient working process.
painterartist.com
Nothing resonates in mind as nostalgically as Corel Painter. Seems like more than one generation was raised with their painting programs, using some of the most essential and simple creative tools. Now it has gone more complicated and improved in its modern versions. Let’s drop by to take a look at how things are going.
Platforms:
Windows (10 versions, with the latest updates).
MacOS (10.15 or 10.14, with the latest revision).
Key Features
- Pan, zoom, rotate and apply lighting and surface texture with ease.
- Enliven your canvas by using Papers, Flow Maps, Textures, and Gradients.
- Use the Color Wheel, Mixer, Color Sets and Harmonies to craft the perfect color palette.
- Over 900 brushes included in the library to craft your masterpiece.
- Modify brush size, shape, angle, flow with in-depth brush control panels.
- Enhance your artwork by using Papers, Flow Maps, Patterns, Textures, and Gradients.
- Stylize image/photo using artificial intelligence and easily transform photos into paintings.
- Build composition with Divine Proportion, Layout Grid, Perspective Guides and Mirror Painting.
Pricing:
- The full version costs US$429, but if you want to upgrade the existing one, it’s US$229.
- Monthly subscription for only US$16.58 (billed annually) or 365-day subscription for US$199.
- Free trial version for Mac and Windows.
The modern Corel Paint version is way less laggy than it used to be for sure, thanks to the Brush Accelerator tool: the process goes nicely and smoothly. The interface keeps up with the other digital drawing software covered in this article, but if we compare with the Painter’s predecessors, the fresh layout is more responsive, adaptive, and just… convenient: you get in terms with your creative needs easily and group every essential drawing tool icons around the artboard. There’s nothing to point out about the Layers tool: it’s the same with universal commands, wrapped in the style of Corel Painter.
Brush Selector shows the handy brush previews you can investigate before applying a stamp or a stroke, which is also a thumbs-up to Corel Painter. What was curious about this app is the Color Harmonies tool. It demonstrates the relative colors to the ones you currently use so it’s possible to adjust just the right palette. It’s a precious art tool for a graphic design software!
The new 2022 software update version adds points not only to intuitive interface, but also to the user experience on the whole by upgrading the brush tools: brand new categories and brush previews. Starting with a stamp brush tool, whose versatility was fostered greatly by adding a multitude of options like shape changing, edge effects, rotation, squeezing and anti-aliasing plus, and more of them. The company couldn’t deprive a modern drawing tools user of changes in watercolor department: the new aquarelle compatible brushes invest in the realistic outcome of any artistic wandering. Of course, the layers, to which these strokes are meant to be applied were optimized according to the improved brushes!
artweaver.de
Again, we encounter the Photoshop-like interface in this free version of a digital art software, looking like the ancient relative for it, and to be fair, the first impression was not wholly false. The toolbox is significantly weaker, than in Photoshop, but similar to the old versions of it, existed about 5 years ago. The name for commands and their placement is undoubtedly the well-known thing you’ll nail within the first seconds of using Artweaver.
Platforms:
- Windows (7, 8 or 10, each with latest service pack).
- Linux.
Key Features
- The powerful and highly configurable brush system to simulate any texture.
- Intuitive, simple, and adjustable interface.
- Artweaver records the painting process as events and allows to save and later to replay them.
- The app’s mighty core which utilizes existing hardware to a maximum.
- You can work together on the same document with other artists over LAN or the Internet.
Pricing:
- Free version of Artweaver 7 can be downloaded on Windows;
- Paid Plus edition — €34.
The 7th edition of this program has an expanded library of effects and custom brushes. Still, here you’ll encounter some “out of reach” features — the maximum image size support, Photoshop filters, a more precise brush control, and others. And that’s when the thoughts of purchasing the Plus version would push the artists’ brain.
However, Artweaver 7 can surely be put in the row of good free drawing programs, at least because it’s free. But from our perspective, this is not a drawing or sketching software; it would be a better fit for the photo manipulation tasks and for artists, working with effects & layers.
medibangpaint.com
Free drawing and no annoying ads popping up here and there — it’s not a distant dream with MediBang Paint Pro. You can download this free drawing software to any device (PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android) and experience the absolute ease of a workflow, bordering on something meditative. But you have to set the MediBang account first to access every drawing tool. Totally worths it, and you’d thank yourself later after discovering that all your creations and concept art get stored in the cloud service.
Platforms:
- Windows (7, 8/8.1, 10).
- MacOS (10.9-10.13 versions).
- iOS (11.0 or later).
- Android.
Key Features
- Over 50 brushes to use, each has various settings so they can be customized to your liking.
- Sleek and lightweight: runs smoothly without slowing down your computer.
- Like with most drawing software there’s a layer function.
- Snap Lines to draw lines, curves, perspective, or speed lines for action scenes perfectly.
- Comic panels can easily be made by slicing across page borders in any direction.
- When starting a new comic project you can save all of your pages in one file.
- You can sync your brush and other settings across devices.
- Comes with 800 free pre-made tones and backgrounds to use.
Pricing: You can download this software for free.
The working process in MediBang Paint includes a thorough and transparent guide for artists on how things operate in there (which is already very obvious from the well-organized interface, even in mobile versions, where it’s hard to be both explanatory, spacious, and look user-friendly), which is great for beginners.
Contextual interface triggers the related tools to the ones you’ve already used to appear, which turns the process into a drawing symphony. Besides, it reserves the place for truly important and useful things at the moment. Drawing in this free painting app feels natural: no slow, inaccurate strokes or the unintended moves.
artrage.com
The Photoshop comparisons as the industry standard measuring digital art software are inevitable, when it comes to enumerating and reviewing digital painting software. Speaking of ArtRage, Photoshop can be brought up when speaking of interface and accessible functions as the program has many similarities with Adobe’s drawing software, making your transition less painful, saving tons of time on discovering artistic functions. Sometimes ArtRage may seem to be even easier to use, great for beginners, who want to get the best full-featured drawing and painting equivalent.
Platforms:
- Windows (Vista, 7, 8, 10 versions)
- MacOS (anything running Mac OS 10.7 or later)
- iPad and iPhone (iOS 10+ versions)
- Android
Key Features
- Smear and blend thick oils to create natural color gradients
- Sketch with pencils and shade with the edge of the tip
- Create delicate watercolor strokes that react to canvas texture
- Use photos as References while painting
- Work with Guides, Grids, and Perspective Layout tools
- Layers, Blend Modes, and other industry standards
- Free demo-version for Windows/macOS
- ArtRage 6 — $79
- ArtRage Lite — $29.90
- ArtRage for Android — $4.99
- ArtRage for iOS — $4.99
Minimalistic yet multi-functional interface panels unveil the creative possibilities, being very clear and flexible. In particular, we liked the circular, artistic palette-like set of panels in the corners of the screen, leaving no chance for an eyesore to interfere with the inspired workflow. It’s super easy to find the tool you need in such a wide variety!
The feature ArtRage can be freely called the best drawing software for is the realistic behavior of brush strokes, especially the oil brushes and watercolor ones. The natural-looking paper and canvas texture allow the stokes to produce close-to-life art pieces without the hint of a digital effect. So once you decided to quit the world of sketchbooks and albums for drawing, saving the benefits of natural materials, take a look at ArtRage, it’ll be your salvation!
apps.apple.com
Suppose you’re on the very rise of your designing or drawing career or have no professional intentions for the painting programs you’re choosing at the beginning of a creative path. In that case, MyBrushes Paint is your win-win solution. This digital drawing software is created with a straightforward and user-friendly interface even a rookie can navigate through. It seems to be the best drawing software in terms of simplicity enumerated in the list so far but don’t let this thing trick you into making assumptions about its functionality.
Platforms:
- MacOS (10.10 or later, 64-bit processor)
- iOS (iPhone and iPad compatible, for iOS 7.0 or later)
Key Features
- Unlimited layers to create, delete, paste, scale, rotate and re-order
- Infinite canvas size
- Drawing record function (to record and playback the process)
- Support of many image formats to the Mac paint tool
- Continuous auto-save — never lose work again
- Pressure-sensitive could be adjusted
- 100 shapes natural paintbrushes: brush, pencil, pen, airbrush, watercolor brush, chalk, etc.
- 50 kinds of background templates in template Library
Pricing:
- MyBrushes-Sketch,Paint,Design — US$29.99
- MyBrushes Pro – Sketch, Paint and Draw — US$4.99
The most remarkable features we’ve discovered comprise canvas of any size you want to create and unlimited layers, so you can draw on or edit any object your creative heart desires. And yes, aside from that, the software has color pallets, brushes, supported by a good pressure sensitivity to carry out beautiful digital art (although the same can’t be said about a case when you work with your finger on the screen).
Our verdict: it’s not one of the best but the basic applications for drawing if you’re not a professional designer. Nevertheless, the low price with this amount of full-featured functions and editing possibilities is fair and square.
paintstormstudio.com
Once you open this software, there are too many control panels popping up, invading the interface! But all the artists’ fears and worries fade away once discovering that everything’s in Paintstorm Studio is customizable and manageable. Having the workspace packed with dozens of used tools, don’t forget to set the keyboard shortcuts; otherwise, you’ll get lost. The personalization lets you control the app and not the other way around!
Platforms:
- Windows (Vista, 7, 8, and 10 versions)
- MacOS (10.7 and higher)
- iPad (iOS 12.0 or later)
- Linux
Key Features
- Full control of all bush options
- Stroke post correction
- Parameters binding to the perspective
- Full controlled mask-brush
- “Close gaps” function when you fill or select
- Individual hotkeys
- PSD supported
- Brush stroke stabilizer
- Get the demo version for Windows, Mac, Linux — free for 30 launches
- Paintstorm for iOS — US$12.99
- Paintstorm Studio — US$19.00
- Licenses for 2 PC — US$29.00
The mildly infuriating about Paintstorm Studio might be the fact that you suddenly find yourself messing around with settings for an hour or so, but the actual drawing process hasn’t begun. So don’t fall into this trap either.
The brush features open a wide range of creative possibilities, it’s the best way to experiment with them for as long as you want! What is genuinely convenient is the tool, letting you avoid the manual resizing or changing transparency for the brush strokes if you draw something, having a random structure such as water, bushes, hair, maybe. You need just to define the required perspective with a guide one time, so the future strokes will be managed according to your settings.
Spend some extra time figuring out all them features for each option, and Paintstorm Studio will become the best digital drawing software for you! And don’t forget about the free version of it, coming as a demo.
sketch.com
Among the other art apps, Sketch with its diamond icon has always been the favorite one among the UI/UI designers as the industry standard, and it’s honestly the best solution for designing websites, apps, icons, and more. Just like the other art programs, this one has its own layers structure and its tricks: you can switch between layers and have them with totally different parameters set, corresponding to what you’re working on in the particular layer.
Platforms:
Key Features
- Intuitive and powerful vector editing tools
- Boolean operations are non-destructive, editable and easy to combine
- With pixel-level precision it’s easy to zoom in, align things perfectly and adjust layers
- Export individual assets exactly the way you want them with extensive export options
- Quick shortcuts to toggle grids and layout views, with a full set of customization options
- Resizing constraints, making it easier to scale things up and down for different screen sizes
- Infinite control over typography with Variable fonts support, and OpenType features.
- Smart Layout give the Symbols superpowers to automatically resize & fit the content
Pricing:
- Access a free 30-day trial right here
- For individuals, a pay-once license — US$99.00
- For teams, a subscription for the team — US$9.00 per contributor monthly or US$99.00 yearly
Traditionally, first comes the interface: clean, flexible and eye-pleasing, making the learning process easy-peasy and intuitive. Even a zero-level designer can pick up knowledge by trial and error, simply reading the sections’ names and logically following the workflow.
As a digital drawing software, Sketch substitutes many other apps, uniting the required functions in a single place. You’ll get excited by the way your creative process goes quickly and smoothly because of various third-party plugins and other app integrations.
Now a couple of words about the most outstanding features. Sketch allows to work in both vector and raster, you can export various formats and device resolutions to work with. Definitely check out the “Data Fill” feature, if you want to have your design assets be filled with actual data it would contain in the end (from Google Sheets or Excel, for example), or something similar to it, so you can have a gasp of the ready-made project, which’s just the best!
After discovering the prototyping tool your work will become less monotonous: create UI flowcharts and make different designs simultaneously, without having to download additional software. What a blast!
sketchbook.com
As for the sketching software, this one with a name speaking for itself is a real catch! The SketchBook is a free app that has everything for convenient sketching: it’s packed with customizable brushes, stroke stabilization, color library, gradient fills, blending modes, advanced layers (can be arranged in folders within one artwork). The interface is clear and intuitive: everything is well-arranged, so the artboard is all yours; you can put so much free space to good use!
Platforms:
- Windows (8 and higher versions)
- MacOS (10.12 and higher versions)
- iOS (10.0 and later)
- Android (OS 5.0 and higher)
Key Features
- Predictive stroke to smooth line work and correct basic shapes
- Scan sketch with mobile to import it as transparent linework with color data
- Copic Color Library with matching Copic Marker default brushes
- Flipbook simple animation option with up to 4 layers
- Easy distortion of illustration to fix perspective and proportions
- Eighteen blending modes to apply to layers
- Import/Export layered PSD option
- Fully adjustable rulers, ellipse guides, and French curves for precision drawing
Pricing:
- 7-day trial of Sketchbook running for free after the demo is over
- SketchBook with Enterprise license — US$85/year
Available as a desktop version, the mobile one is also keeping up, and it was particularly interesting to give the mobile version a test. It has everything you need, many useful brushes and coloring drawing tools (oh my, the Conic markers are also in there!). Even if you have sketching software but don’t have a stylus, using your finger won’t be a disaster — A+ for the responsiveness.
After the download, you’ll need to set the Autodesk account to access your works from any device in the future. The price you have to pay for a good but free drawing app.
Autodesk SketchBook is a perfect alternative for an actual sketchbook paper, giving you a chance to put down your ideas, concepts, drafts, and sketches whenever the bright idea or inspiration strikes you.
mypaint.org
Your eyes and mind will be resting while drawing in this open-source painting program. We’ve brought up minimalism so often, talking about display and interface, but here these benefits are reflected via a unique full-screen mode without distractions on your canvas.
Platforms:
Windows
MacOS
Linux
Key Features
- Nimble, distraction-free, and easy tool for digital painters
- Supports graphics tablets made by Wacom, and many similar devices
- The brush engine is versatile and configurable, and it provides useful, productive tools
- The standard brushes can emulate traditional media like charcoal, pencils, ink, or paint
- It’s easy to make expressive, artful new brushes that don’t respond like anything conventional
- Fullscreen mode declutters the interface, leaving you with just your brush and your creativity
- MyPaint has simplicity, yet it gives you all the drawing tools you need to create great artwork
Pricing: MyPaint is a free software.
Adjustable brushes configuration and easy stroke stabilization in a relatively big selection of drawing materials and pencils in a free drawing app will suit your needs perfectly. MyPaint supports tablets, but it’s not a crime to draw with a mouse once in a while, just for fun (and even have some decent-looking images as a result). Mostly if you use the Symmetry tool, Lines, and Curves: it’s possible to preview the Pressure Variation for Lines and Curves.
This free painting software is so light that it seems like you can physically feel it: the speed at which you work and create another illustration is pretty high. The app supports Open Raster as the default file format, but it can save images in JPEG or PNG if needed.
pixarra.com
Dive into the extensive collection of more than 9000 brushes! If it’s still not enough for your art-craving soul, you can use the bush customization tools to create your own sets. The same abundance is seen in the included filters, which provide tons of alternatives to your photo editing process. This digital drawing software has all the other features you expect to see in the app: layers, brush settings, import and export options, and so on. Even though you have so many tools (and again, brushes!) available at your disposal, the menu doesn’t look cluttered.
Platforms: Windows (from Windows 7 to the current version).
Key Features
- Over 9000 brushes included, covering every area of digital art
- Powerful brush engine to mimic full natural media brushes, complex blending operations, etc
- A large array of color palettes, including, dynamic color palettes and mixing color palettes
- TwistedBrush fully supports transparency and layers with all the standard layer mixing modes
- A specialized sequencing system over 400 brushes effects modify the core brush types
- The extensive mask support for protecting and selecting parts of your images
- Over 200 image processing filters give you the tools to manipulate your photos or other work
- Tracing paper — a drawing guide that allows to see another image below your current image
- Download a free trial version
- Version License — US$99
- Perpetual License — US$189
Talking about the sphere of use, this app would surely step aside for the majority of the programs mentioned above. Why? TwistedBrush appears more as a tool for illustration or photo-editing as a hobby, even with so many similar features. It will be challenging to bring to life technically complex ideas and tasks.
gimp.org
GNU image manipulation program, or shortly GIMP, is a free, open-source program, allowing any interference and customization via the 3rd party plugins, so you can always load something you lack into the app. The credibility of these plugins might be questioned, but still. It would be tedious to enumerate all the creative possibilities GIMP offers; let’s just say it can fairly compete with Photoshop. Besides, the software receives regular updates aimed at fixing errors and bugs, optimizing the workflow.
Platforms:
- Windows (from Windows 7 and higher).
- MacOS (from 10.9 Mavericks and higher).
- Linux
Key Features:
- Customizable interface.
- Photo enhancement.
- Digital retouching.
- Hardware support.
- The vast file format support.
Pricing:
- GIMP is a free software you can download via the link below
As always, there’s a backside for this free drawing software festivity. The interface looks like a “hello” from the past with its outdated appearance. But it’s not only about aesthetics: the terminology and functions are hard to grasp at first. You need to either watch tons of tutorials or spend time with the “trial and error” method until you finally get used to it. Even if you think the program mimics Photoshop, you’d be wrong when taking a closer look. For instance, our favorite “drag & drop” feature doesn’t work that smoothly; to add something in the layer, you need to edit its properties and not just throw the graphics in there.
The latest GIMP software update 2.99.8 unveils many significant novelties any user can test out. These are not very graphics in terms of presentation: the company has placed a list of characteristics of a new edition, asking the community to test it out. Briefly, the current version introduced clone-type tools on multiple layers, canvas-focus by toolbox clicking, improved file formats, memory leak fixes and wider coverage of input devices.
In conclusion, GIMP is a very nice free drawing software replacement for Photoshop, but professional graphic designers, working on some big projects will feel the scarcity of working drawing tools. But hey, you can always donate to this free drawing software developers as an investment into a more speedy improvement process!
Frequently Asked Questions
Photoshop and not Illustrator??? Adobe Illustrator is THE Adobe drawing/illustration program (Photoshop at it’s core is an image editor). Yes, I know some like to illustrate in Photoshop but failing to list Illustrator makes your list questionable.
Hey Thomas! We’ve decided to include these drawing programs, based on our own experience. Sure thing, Adobe Illustrator should be on the list and we will add it in there along with some other useful apps. It’s just planned for the upcoming article update, don’t miss it 😏
I can understand that you just listed the software that you have tasted and know about. But there are some which are not in the list that perfectly matches all the standards. Just Tu mention Adobe Illustrator, GIMP and Inkscape. The first is a great and high priced product and the other two are just for free.
Thanks for the post. It is a huge list to choose from.
We’re preparing the article update with all these mentioned apps being tested and reviewed 😏 What a coincidence that you’ve named them!
Very good post,You are awesome!
I own a XP-Pen Artist 12 Pro drawing tablet monitor . In my experiences, i use Adobe Photoshop and Clip Studio paint. Both are really great .
Thanks, Rhyinn! 🥰 I agree, Clip Studio Paint was a huge discovery for me! It can fairly compete with such popular software as Photoshop 🙌
How Can you omit Affinity Designer & Affinity Photo?
Affinity Designer comes as the third drawing software we’ve reviewed; oops, seems like you’ve overlooked it by accident 🥺 Please, check it out and let us know what your thoughts are!
Nice list of drawing tools, thx for sharing 🙂
I think it’s worth adding Magma Studio to it as well. I’m using that software everyday. It is a free & paid tool with pro drawing features. What distinguishes Magma Studio from other drawing programs is that it works in the browser, (you do not need to install anything), you can draw with up to 30 people on Magma at the same time in real time, you can chat live via voice chat during drawing sessions, create storyboards and has a lot of other interesting features for artists, professional gaming and animation studios. I recommend you check out this co-drawing application.
It’s really cool software that in my opinion also deserves to be included in this ranking. 🙂 BTW, I’m curious about your opinion on Magma and if you know any tools similar to it.