Programs for creating drawings. Programs for drawing on a graphics tablet. Professional drawing programs

Convenient and easy-to-use programs for drawing on a graphics tablet have become widespread.

This is due to the fact that more and more artists are starting to work digitally, abandoning classical materials to create illustrations or paintings.

However, both the convenience of work and the quality of its implementation largely depend on what software the author uses to work on the tablet.

Content:

Peculiarities

Most artists working on tablets currently use software or Illustrator.

This is high-quality, functional software, however, it is not the only one. It is worth choosing a program based on functionality and ease of working with it.

The extent to which they will open will depend on which program you choose.

Therefore, you need to choose software taking into account the technical data of the device. In addition, there are universal programs suitable.

Paint

This application is suitable for artists who are just starting to master working on a graphics tablet.

It has general functionality, a simple and familiar menu, and therefore you will not need to spend additional time getting used to it (although a novice author will still have to get used to the tablet).

Having a certain level of skill and getting good at it, with the help of such software you can create quite high-quality works. The advantages of such an application include:

1. Its presence by default in standard assemblies (although it is recommended to work with those included in XP assemblies 7, 8, 8.1, 10);
2. An extremely simple interface and menu - almost every user;
3. Quite wide (for a basic program) functionality.

Among the functional features of the program, we can highlight drawing with a pencil with lines of various thicknesses and densities, drawing with a brush at different transparency and stroke widths, filling the selected area with one color, and working in several layers.

You can also act with the finished image - select and copy zones, cut out areas, enlarge, stretch and flip selected zones.

Saves pictures in several formats.

You should start getting acquainted with the functionality of a drawing tablet with this software. Moreover, it can be basic for those who do not draw professionally, as well as for those who periodically make minor edits in graphic files.

<Рис. 2 Работа в Пейнт>

Gimp

This software for creating drawings has wide functionality and significant power. You can download it from the official website www.gimp.org.

Works with all types of graphics tablets, and also with some other input devices.

The disadvantages of such software include the following:

1. Quite a significant load on both the hardware of the computer and tablet;
2. The interface is quite complex, it takes time to get used to it.

<Рис. 3 Работа в Gimp>

However, it is still considered that the application is intended for beginners. It has quite a wide range of functionality:

• Working with photos - brightness, color correction, adjusting levels, contrast, etc.;
• Photo editing - removing unnecessary elements, cropping, etc.;
• Suitable for web designers, as it allows you to create and edit layouts for websites;
• Drawing pictures – equipped with the functions “brush”, “pencil”, “filling an area with color”, etc., and in several types;
• It has an individual format for saving pictures.xcf, which can save data with a picture, text insert, layers, textures, etc.;
• Simple integration with the clipboard – pictures and photos can be opened in the program by simply copying them;
• Opens files from others intended for editing, for example, .psd;
• The developer's open code allows you to create and install your own plugins, add-ons and extensions for this software;
• Allows you to quickly archive files.

This software is very versatile. It is suitable for both beginners and non-professionals, as well as professional illustrators.

MyPaint

The program is intended primarily for artists working in classical genres.

It is not so much designed for drawing simple illustrations, but for creating works of art, paintings in the classical style.

For this reason, it has quite a wide and complex functionality, and a not very simple menu.

It takes most artists some time to get used to it.

However, it is believed that the interface of this program is simpler than most similar ones with similar functionality. You can download the application at .

<Рис. 4 Работа в MyPaint>

The main advantages of this application are:

• Unlimited canvas sizes;
• The ability to customize the contents of the menu bar, include assignable buttons, etc., resulting in the function of quickly switching between commands and easy access to frequently used functions;
• A very wide selection of brush types with the ability to fine-tune each;
• Function for importing strokes and brushes, generating, customizing and editing them;
• Works with many types of devices and supports them well;
• Unlike most similar programs - it works in a variety of operating systems - , Mac OS, Windows, .

Drawing in this software should be fast after the user gets used to its interface.

However, non-professional artists, as well as illustrators and comic book creators, can make do with other, simpler applications (both in terms of interface and functionality).

Graffiti Studio

The program is designed for creating graffiti; its main functionality is designed for this style of drawing.

Can be successfully used by those who create comics, as well as illustrators working in a similar style. The program has a very simple and intuitive interface.

An interesting distinguishing feature is its relative realism. The whole process of work is reminiscent of applying graffiti “live”.

And as a canvas, you can choose surfaces familiar to a street artist - walls, asphalt, cars, buses, etc.

<Рис. 5 Работа в Graffiti Studio>

The features of this application include:

• Use of more than 100 color shades of paints, such as could be used in real painting;
• Creating drips and stains, applying to “dry paint”;
• Changing the specifics of application, depending on what surface you have chosen (as in reality);
• Changing the distance from the artist to the canvas (the distance from which virtual spray paint is applied to a vertical surface);
• The use of markers and other means that are actively used in real graffiti.

Although this style is not as popular now as it was a few years ago, it has not completely disappeared. Largely thanks to the emergence of such programs.

Artweaver

The program is a complete analogue of Photoshop. But, unlike it, it is sold completely free of charge. You can download it from the official website.

Has the following functionality:

• by parameters: brightness, contrast, color correction, shade enhancement, etc.;
• Cutting and transforming photos, stretching, compressing, reflecting, rotating, both the entire image and a selected area;
• Generating complex shapes, objects, etc.;
• Blur and sharpen functions, image stylization options.

However, in general, the application is more designed for editing existing images than for creating new ones. For this reason, it is not suitable for professional artists.

Rather, it is suitable for those who edit photos and pictures, but sometimes make their own edits and additions to them.

<Рис. 8 Работа в PixBuilder Studio>

There have always been, but only recently can we observe a rapid trend in the emergence of online image processing services. If you've never used such services, you'll probably be surprised by the number of features, options, and speed they offer.

Even though most of these applications are developed in Flash, they still load and run very quickly. We also present to your attention several online photo editors, developed using javascript, which work just as well as those based on Flash.

Pixlr is an online photo and image editor developed in Flash. The interface is designed like many graphic editors. In general, the application may seem complicated if you have never dealt with image editors before, but if you have worked in Photoshop, GIMP, Paint.net, Paint Shop Pro, etc., then you will quickly understand all the functions. Pixlr can even open PSD files.

Sketchpad is a simple but powerful online drawing application. Flash support is not needed here, since the application was developed in javascript and HTML5. Sketchpad is considered the best application for those who just want to draw, but do not have the ability or desire to install specialized software on their computer.

QueekyPaint is a unique drawing tool for creating animated images directly online. Like Fauxto was the most powerful of its type until it suddenly disappeared. QueekyPaint has a very unique interface that allows you to quickly become familiar with the application. Here you can take advantage of all the basic functions of Photoshop.

Splashup equipped with a very interesting interface. The application is almost an alternative to Photoshop, but only it is developed in Flash. You will also be able to manage layers and use all the popular effects, just like in the Photoshop graphics editor. If you are a fan of Photoshop, then you will surely love this application!

Online version of Photoshop. Although this version has less functionality than a standalone application, you can still implement almost everything you need.

From simple retouching to complex effects - all this can be done in Phoenix. In addition to the effects, the application is also worth noting its beautiful interface.

07. Raven Vector Editor

You can use the editor Raven Vector Editor to create scalable vector designs for both logos and T-shirt designs. Of course, this application cannot be compared with Illustrator, but it is still a worthy alternative.

Sumo Paint is a complete image processing and drawing application (just take a look at the examples posted on their site).

Myoats– this is truly something everyone should try. Here you can develop both simple and complex symmetrical designs, shapes and textures. The design is created in a circle. If you are looking for a texture development tool, then we recommend Myoats.

Basic drawing and editing tools

If you are looking for a simple “drawing app” or photo and image editors without any specific functions, then we have a selection for you (This selection is also suitable for children!)

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Kindly provided a graphics tablet for this article.

Background

It was evening, there was nothing to do, and suddenly I remembered my old, already half-forgotten hobby - drawing. I never studied this activity anywhere, I just loved to draw from an early age: first with felt-tip pens on wallpaper, for which I received nuts from my parents; then with a pen and pencil in the margins of the notebooks, which the school teachers were no longer happy about. Unfortunately, I did not become a skilled artist, but I did learn how to draw more or less nice sketches and caricatures.

That evening, while moving my pencil a little over the album sheet, I thought that it would be cool not to scan paper drawings every time, but to create them directly on the PC. No sooner said than done: having tried dozens of Windows programs for artists, I finally found the only one in which you can draw good sketches even with a mouse. And after a couple of days, I had the opportunity to draw using a graphics tablet and a pen, using much more functional software. There are a lot of impressions, but first things first.

Drawing with a mouse

There are two problems when drawing with a mouse: you can draw a straight line on the tenth attempt, which leads to the second problem - your hand gets terribly tired. Therefore, most free art programs (Artweaver Free, MyPaint, Inkscape) are not the best for drawing with a mouse.

And the “curvature of the hands” is eliminated by a free application called LiveBrush Lite, which automatically transforms the drawn “broken line” into a beautiful stroke. The official website of the program www.livebrush.com was not working at the time of writing (development may have been suspended), but the installer can be easily found in software catalogs, for example on the website www.softpedia.com.

LiveBrush Lite requires the Adobe AIR library set. Each stroke is stored in the program as a separate layer, so complex drawings “eat up” half a gigabyte or more of RAM.

By default, LiveBrush Lite uses a canvas that imitates slightly yellowed paper from time to time, and a working tool that is a cross between a thin brush and an ink pen. Both look extremely realistic, and one can already remember the acrid smell of ink, familiar from drawing classes.

As mentioned above, LiveBrush Lite converts curved strokes made with the mouse into smooth ones. This operation, however, takes some time: after drawing a couple of twisted lines, sometimes you have to wait before the drawing appears on the virtual canvas. Once you practice a little, drawings with a mouse start to turn out quite decent.

Graphics tablet

Using a mouse limited me to essentially one single drawing program. Therefore, I soon wanted to try drawing with a pen on a graphics tablet. I received an inexpensive Wacom Intuos Pen&Touch S model for testing, a review of which was previously published on our website.

With the transition from a mouse to a tablet, drawings in the aforementioned LiveBrush Lite program, unfortunately, did not improve - the “auto-alignment” of strokes had a negative impact on small details. Fortunately, on the official Wacom website I accidentally came across a mention of two applications for artists: Autodesk Sketchbook Express and ArtRage. Without hesitation, I downloaded and installed both of these programs (in the case of Artrage Studio, the trial version).

To be honest, I couldn’t make friends with the first program, Autodesk Sketchbook Express, even though it correctly processed different degrees of pen pressure. The lines still turned out crooked, there was a delay (preliminary adjustment may be required). I already thought that the problem was my lack of experience and the experiment failed, but still I launched the second application - ArtRage...

I ran the pen across the tablet and a line instantly appeared on the ArtRage canvas, exactly the same as what I would have gotten on paper. Joyful notes began to play in my soul. I drew the pen a few more times and new “correct” lines appeared on the PC screen. And off we go! I stopped only after a couple of minutes, when the first completed sketch was displayed in the ArtRage window.

And while drawing the second sketch in ArtRage, I got used to another function of the pen - the eraser at its opposite end (I still couldn’t draw the same horns on the knight’s helmet). In a word, I haven’t received so many positive emotions from getting to know a gadget and software for a long time.

Bottom line

As practice has shown, drawing on a PC is fun and interesting, and in some aspects easier than on paper. For example, to remove a bad stroke, just press the key combination Ctrl+Z. If you don’t want to buy a graphics tablet, you can trust a regular mouse and the LiveBrush Lite application.

When paired with a tablet, it is better to use the ArtRage program or other professional solutions. There is certainly no question of choosing a tablet brand, since Wacom is the undisputed leader in the industry. But remember that miracles do not happen: if you cannot even draw with a pencil on paper, then neither computer programs nor a graphics tablet with a pen will turn you into Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo.

Today, paintings or art created using a computer are no less interesting than ordinary canvases written on paper. Controlling the mouse cursor is no easier than moving a pencil or brush across the canvas. Some artists who are professionally involved in the electronic art of drawing resort to using special devices like graphics tablets, which eliminates the need for a mouse, but in this case special software is required.

Let's look at the best programs for creating art on a personal computer for both amateur and professional environments. Let us outline the key capabilities of the software, ease of use and accessibility of products for different users. We won’t mention the venerable “Photoshop,” because literally all PC artists already know about its existence and widespread dominance in our computers, but we’ll look at lesser-known and smart 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 basic drawing: brush, pencil, eraser and 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 includes triangle, rectangle, stretching ellipse, polyhedra and conversation clouds for comics. There are also no problems with support for graphic formats. On the official Microsoft resource and on amateur sites you can find some additional plugins and add-ons that significantly expand the capabilities of the program for creating art, turning it into a real monster of art.

We can recommend the utility to any novice artist, as they say, for testing the pen. You can’t count on creating any serious paintings using this program, but it’s quite possible to get your hands on it.

The GIMP

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

The program for GIMP supports multi-layer work with images, detailed customization of tools, the most accurate color calibration, etc. The utility also supports professional graphics tablets, so it can be recommended to both experienced artists and novice amateurs.

Inkscape

Another well-developed 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 can be changed as you wish. The program supports convenient “hot keys” and export not only to all popular graphic formats, but also specific ones, such as XML. Professional painters have plenty of room to explore in Inkscape, but amateurs will find it difficult to understand all the nuances and specifics of the utility, so it’s better for them to 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 professional artists and amateur beginners. There is no need, as in previous programs, to thoroughly study the menu and available tools - just open a new file and give free rein to your imagination using intuitive and well-visualized functionality.

At your disposal are multi-layered objects, canvas rotation along all axes, blending modes and sub-pixel anti-aliasing levels. In addition to the standard set of tools for painting on ready-made photos or from a blank sheet of paper, the utility includes rare ready-made brushes like graffiti, stars, grass or water drops. The program also 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 software’s capabilities also allow you to easily work on website design, which is why the utility is enviably popular among webmasters, competing with the famous Photoshop.

In addition to the already familiar basic set of tools, there is work with layers, multi-stage undoing of operations, adjusting curve lines and levels, as well as adjusting the popular Bloom (blur) and sharpening effects. The user also has the opportunity to customize the interface at his own discretion: pin tools, display important options as separate 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 have a good understanding of the menu branches as well as hot keys consider the utility the most convenient for sculpting anime.

All the tools, which are customizable, are always at your fingertips: screentone, coloring, black outline, brightener, etc. If you are unfamiliar with software of this kind, but really want to draw anime, then an extended version of the program with step-by-step instructions is at your service your choice - illustrations or videos, which explain in detail all the nuances of this event - from the basics to the creation of professional manga paintings.

Livebrush

This utility can be called a shining example of what a high-quality drawing program for children should look like. Despite its specificity, the program is enviably popular among established artists.

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

The software has proven itself to work well with graphics tablets and fully supports all stylus protocols. Moreover, the program monitors not only the pressure applied to the pen, but also its tilt, which for many artists is a critical point when choosing such utilities.

PaintTool SAI

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

The user has access to a wide range of tools: ballpoint pens, ink, dozens of brushes, pencils of different softnesses, pastels, watercolors, etc. Moreover, each individual tool can be customized to suit your specific needs. There is also the possibility of parallel work with several canvases and support for multi-layer objects. This software is used by both professional artists and novice amateurs, and as mentioned above, it 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 similar utilities, this program stands out because it copes well with vector objects and can easily process raster images. Many people use this software not so much for drawing from scratch, but for retouching photos and further processing them into a work of art.

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 matter. Some people like to sculpt landscapes, some prefer to paint faces, and for others, don’t feed them bread - let them turn all of reality into Japanese manga. Despite the similarity of all the above products and functionality, each utility has some distinctive features.

Before you start creating the next masterpiece that your friends will admire, be sure to take into account the focus and set of tools of a particular art program. It’s better to spend a couple of hours studying the manual of the software you like than to then port your work to another utility with loss of data due to the lack of some kind of brush.