What programs can you use to draw art? The best graphics programs for drawing on your computer

In our selection, we decided to compare applications for drawing landscapes, digital paintings, portraits, comics and various artistic designs on the PC with tools for beginners and professionals. Many effects, brushes, colors on the palette and the finest settings of virtual canvases will help you create real masterpieces.

Consider the best drawing programs on your computer to choose the most worthy and multifunctional one, with which you can unleash your creative potential, edit photos with high quality, or complete a design project.

A well-known graphic editor with useful functions for both beginners and professionals. Supports popular formats, processes GIF animation, works with layers, draws, retouches, corrects colors, removes defects, changes size and format, saves operations and opens several pictures at the same time. The user can also rotate, scale and apply filters to the image.

Microsoft graphic editor with a wide range of useful functions and a clear interface. The software corrects and processes photographs, imports files from scanners and cameras, performs layer-by-layer processing and applies effects. In this practical application, the user can remove red-eye, rotate the picture using a 3D effect, adjust textures, add plugins for additional functionality, change the photo size, create freehand pictures with fill settings, add text or use an eraser.

The software creates and edits vector technical illustrations, sets analytical curves, has a set of high-quality tools and a multilingual interface. In the application, the user can create a diagram, logo, poster, graph or presentation business card. Using PSTricks macros, you can create graphs, import/export various graphic formats, open and save documents in gzip. As a result, the user will receive graphics for high-quality printing. Inkscape has versions for 64-bit OS and is supported by Windows and Linux.

A virtual canvas painting utility that uses professional tools and sub-pixel technology to create a high-quality painting. Allows you to create paintings from scratch, while having useful options for working with finished material. The user can select different types of pencils, pens, pens, brushes, colors on the palette and effects, synchronize the material to a graphics tablet, process multiple layers, move canvases and save the project in a convenient format.

The application creates professional digital paintings, works with layers, and processes imported photographs and pictures. The editor has impressive functionality, fine-tuning color balances and curves, creating drawings and managing masks. The user has access to drawing, professional editing and processing. Various effects are available, managing gradients and balances, creating web graphics, working with layers and large-scale images.

Creates graphics and processes graphic elements, supports layers, has tools for rotations, filling, moving, interesting special effects and filters. Allows you to change the size of graphics, add text to them, delete an area, scale, apply a texture and work with noise. Artweaver is distributed free of charge, but in terms of functionality it is on par with paid editors. Supports various formats, has gradients, filters and fills. Menu in English.

The application creates digital paintings using high-quality and interesting tools with limitless possibilities of a virtual canvas. The functions are accessible and understandable for both beginners and professionals in this field. In the utility you can create a large picture, use a variety of custom brushes, manage layers, scale, erase, shift colors, blur, etc. Support for the ORA format is convenient for working with a project in other editors or for collaborating with artists.

This free program creates digital drawings on a PC, supports its sai and standard formats, and has a large selection of interesting tools and filters. On a digital canvas, the user can use many layers, adjust the softness of the pencil, the shape of the brush, the transparency of colors, the texture of the canvases and other tools (water, pen, marker, eraser, curves, lines, selections, etc.). To make the illustration more realistic, you can add sunlight, shadows, folds, parallel work in different documents and customization of “hot keys” are implemented.

A colorful graphic application for children with interesting effects, preparations, tips from Tux the penguin and music while working. This graphic editor for young artists has an accessible and understandable menu displaying all functions, settings and color palette. The child has access to stamps of cartoon characters, animals, plants, ready-made objects in the form of flowers, bricks and other objects, drawing figures and lines, as well as creating a slide show from their creations.

Multifunctional cross-platform utility for creating, processing and editing raster art pictures. It has a large selection of filters, brushes, masks, and the ability to work with layers and color perspectives. The program looks like an imitation of a canvas with tools, so an amateur, photographer or artist can easily edit a photo or raster image, create an artistic painting or process the material layer by layer. Krita has a version for 64-bit OS, supports working with RAW format photographs and can be controlled by hot keys.

The application allows you to capture the PC screen for later editing of the screen. In the editor, the user can change the size of the screenshot, draw text or add a picture by hand, adjust saturation, brightness, blur, shades and other parameters. In addition, the software can capture scrollable material, so you can screen a web page and other large documents. The screenshot can be saved in any graphic format, uploaded to social networks or sent to a friend.

A well-known editor with high-quality functionality, high performance and a large selection of effects. The application works with layers, has a large selection of palettes and textures, blurs the picture, removes the background, creates raster graphics and adjusts color correction. The user has options for adding noise and text, rotation, distortion, overlaying images on top of each other and printing the finished material. And this is only a small part of all the available features of this popular utility. The trial version lasts 30 days.

A powerful photo editor with a rich collection of filters, effects, cards and frames. In the software, with a couple of clicks you can improve a photo, create a unique collage or calendar, retouch a frame, remove noise, adjust tone and color balances, and apply interesting filters. The user will like templates for photos, options for creating unusual postcards and bright frames.

— An interesting product, with real painting tools (oil, roller, watercolor)

A very interesting raster editor with which you can create real artistic masterpieces, because this is where real tools for applying paint are used: oil, palette knife, pen, watercolor, roller and many others. If you want to paint virtually as a real artist writes on his canvas, then download the ArtRage program.

ArtRage - a program for real artists

The developers did their best to achieve realism while drawing. If in the same Adobe Photoshop you simply move the tool, then here the process of applying paint is similar to reality, for example, to create a circle with a roller, the tool needs to be scrolled around an axis. There are a total of 20 tools in the editor.

It is possible to connect a graphic editor, with which it is even easier to draw. However, if a person has the ability for this art, then making a beautiful drawing with a mouse is no more difficult.

To adjust the application in ArtRage, use the following settings:

• pressure;
• softness;
• incline;
• size;
• symmetry;
• tracking, etc.

Plus, the user can create or use ready-made templates that are already configured and perform a specific function. In addition, you can choose the canvas on which you will paint, there are several types of paper, as well as some decorative backgrounds. And no one is stopping you from downloading the background from the Internet and loading it into the program.

ArtRage comes with a variety of ready-made stickers and stencils. The first ones can be used as an addition to the work - attach the flight of birds, add spots, decorative triangles, etc. And the latter are used to make work easier, when, for example, you need to insert a symbol of a person, draw beads or a geometric figure; it is much easier to use a ready-made tool than to draw everything from scratch.

The layer system is very conveniently implemented - it is the same as in Corel or Photoshop, which already makes it easier to work on a complex drawing, because fragments can be deleted, moved, added color, etc. You can also work with layers - adjust them transparently, pin them, hide them, or transform them.

Unfortunately, in the limited version, the result can be saved in either JPEG or PTG project format. To expand the functionality, you need to purchase the full version, which costs about 1,500 rubles.

In all other respects, the ArtRage program is simply ideal, with sophisticated physics and many real tools, so this editor is a real find for a true artist.

So, you bought a graphics tablet. Besides the fact that you still have to get used to it and get better at it, you need to immediately decide on a graphic editor that will maximize all the capabilities of your new device. And if you think that you can only draw in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, then you are very mistaken.

In addition to the globally recognized and undoubtedly cool products of Adobe, there are many graphic editors that offer the same functionality, but for less money, and sometimes even for free. In addition, some programs boast a unique interface with many interesting features; designers and illustrators will definitely appreciate them.

We have compiled a list of programs where you can fully draw using a graphics tablet, simulating various artistic techniques, make sketches, create raster and vector images, and also practice lettering and calligraphy.

Corel Painter X3

Painter X3 simulates traditional brushes, textures, dry and wet effects with incredible precision. Thanks to this, there is an almost complete immersion in a real artist’s studio, where there is no computer or monitor, only an easel and canvas.

Painter Lite

A lighter, cheaper version of Painter offers all the painting tools you need, but at a lower price. An excellent option for those who are just starting to draw and are not ready to spend a lot of money.

Clip Paint Studio PRO

Despite the fact that this program was developed specifically for drawing manga, Clip Paint Studio has gone quite far and can be used with the same success in industry-standard digital painting. The program has incredibly convenient features, for example, ready-made shapes that can be used as a model for drawing poses.

Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 7

SketchBook Pro is a professional drawing application optimized specifically for tablet devices. Drawing in it is easy and pleasant, which novice users will undoubtedly appreciate.

ArtRage 4

A program with incredible tools and the most attractive interface. Drawing in it is easy and pleasant. Focused on creating realistic images.

Xara Photo and Graphic Designer 9

Photo editing, drawing, unusual effects are not all the capabilities of Xara Photo. Users will appreciate the compatibility of file formats and the low price of the product.

Affinity Designer

The program supports working with layers, import\export of different file formats, a convenient navigator and all the tools for working with vector graphics that you can think of. Affinity Designer is something of an Adobe Illustrator killer. The only drawback of this program may be that it is only available for MAC. But the price is more than reasonable.

Inkscape

A free and convenient vector illustrator, which is essentially a symbiosis of Corel DRAW and Adobe Illustrator. Remarkable support for pen pressure sensitivity—a big deficiency in the vector illustration world—makes Inkscape a powerful tool for those serious about calligraphy.

By the way, Inkscape has an excellent resource in seven languages, including Russian, which is very rare even for commercial graphics programs. On the Inkscape website you can not only download the program, but also read articles, study lessons, participate in discussions and much more. There is also the opportunity to become one of the developers and testers of the product and bring useful features to it.

Artweaver

A raster graphics program that looks like a symbiosis of Painter and Photoshop. Compared to GIMP, it is slower in processing, but with a much larger set of brushes. Wide support for Wacom tablet.

GIMP

A colorful and functional raster program for drawing and illustrating. The interface appearance and capabilities are similar to Corel Painter. Wide support for Wacom tablet.

MyPaint

An undemanding and easy-to-use open-source program for digital artists. Allows you to concentrate on creativity, not the program interface. Tablet support is well implemented.

SmoothDraw

And here is another drawing program worth attention - ten thousand beginner and professional artists managed to download this wonderful development for free. You don't have to waste time learning menus and tools - just open a new file and show off your talents using clearly visualized functions.

Users have access to blending modes, layers, virtual canvas rotation, and sub-pixel anti-aliasing levels. In addition to standard painting tools, the application contains special tools, such as graffiti, water drops, stars, grass. Synchronization with tablets is also implemented.

Paint Tool SAI

Don't be intimidated by SAI's clean interface, as this is the de facto standard program for most Japanese anime artists. It also comes with a line correction feature to create sharper contours.

Serif DrawPlus (starter edition)

Serif DrawPlus offers all the tools for working with raster and vector graphics. Here you can create interesting prints, make logos, edit photos or draw using a lot of custom effects, including 3D. Truly a godsend for beginning illustrators and designers, and completely free!

All the programs on the list will be excellent alternatives to Adobe products, even if you are not ready to admit it yet. It’s enough to give them a chance, and who knows, maybe in a couple of weeks you won’t even remember about Photoshop! Moreover, you don’t have to pay for some products at all. Don't be afraid to try new things, push boundaries and improve!

A computer drawing program is a very necessary thing both for creative people and for those who work with images for work.

Few people think that in addition to the standard Windows graphic editors, as well as, there are other drawing programs for the computer that are no worse, and in some places even outperform eminent competitors.

Another interesting free representative from the graphic category. Using the program, you can change and edit ready-made files or draw your own, fortunately, there are enough tools.

In addition to the standard tools that almost everyone has, they also have their own features.

It's no wonder why SmoothDraw has so many useful tools with a professional twist. The fact is that this project was originally intended to create files from scratch.

This computer drawing program for children is just right. There are no complicated elements, and the menu is intuitive even for a beginner.

The lack of Russian support for packages with files is a little darkening, but the interface itself is so simple that you can ignore this drawback.

In addition, SmoothDraw does not have an installation file, being a portable version. In other words, you can transfer the folder with the editor to your flash drive, and then activate the product anywhere.

The application opens with equal ease on both old Win98 and Win8 machines.

Paint.NET

The editor's workspace is quite archaic, which does not prevent it from being as informative as possible.

In addition to the classic panel, there are several floating windows that are configured in the menu and have informative and auxiliary functions.

In addition, they are translucent, which will not interfere with drawing or editing any object.

This editor, by the way, has good support for layers, as well as the ability to import external files.

At the same time, you can vary the transparency, data mixing, and also change the names of these layers. A useful feature, isn't it?

Work with hot keys is present. To view the full list of supported commands, just click on the “Window” menu.

In most cases, all functions are activated by pressing F1-F12, although alternatives are possible.

The main advantage of the editor lies in its accessibility and pleasant appearance. And “in the depths” lies some good functionality that will appeal to many.

ArtWeaver

Not a bad program, designed to compete with its famous competitor from Adobe. Of course, it cannot be called a full-fledged replacement for Photoshop, but the functionality here is no less interesting.

In addition, products are produced under an Open Source license, i.e. completely free (non-commercial version). It is somewhat reminiscent of Corel PhotoPaint in its capabilities.

If you look at the workspace interface, you will notice many similarities with the same competitor version 7 and below.

In this case, there are all the necessary windows required for a raster editor, be it a toolkit, navigation, a list of layers, or a sequence of actions.

The main tool is, oddly enough, a brush. Firstly, this is the most popular tool, and secondly, the developers have endowed this function with an abundance of settings and customization.

Even the framing was given attention, providing it with horizontal and vertical proportions.

For a free program, working with layers is excellent.

You are free to group them, set transparency, blending types, and even fix scaling and movement. But what is really useful is duplicating a separate layer.

It even has its own format - awd. Layers can only be saved in it, but the list of supported ones includes jpg, png, psd, tiff and more. Full set.

A good choice for those who have just decided to get comfortable.