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Professional drawing software can come with hefty price tags.
Sketchbook
Purpose built for sketching and drawing.
wera Rodsawang / Moment / Getty Images
Beginner friendly and suitable for even kids.
Free extras like brushes and palettes available.
Subscription pricing for the premium bundle.
Pencil2d.org
Not truly cross-platform because desktop versions are a one-time purchase.
The Symmetry tools help create complex designs easily.
The drawing app supports layered PSD and TIFF files, which are compatible with other illustration software.
GIMP
Free and open-source.
Full-fledged with support for layers, channels, and alpha channels for transparency.
Interface is customizable to suit every user preference.
Selection tools aren’t as precise as Photoshop’s.
Color adjustment is lacking, as GIMP processes in RGB only.
RAW format is only supported via a plugin.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is one of the best-knownfree photo editorsand open-source alternatives to Photoshop.
Though it’s nowhere as powerful, it’s ideal for beginners and hobbyists.
GIMP gets consistent updates from its developer community.
GIMP, as a FOSS project, only offers AI features with a plugin, unlike Photoshop.
it’s possible for you to use it across platforms, including Windows, GNU/Linux, and macOS.
Krita
A customizable interface with 30 dockers to organize the tools.
Pencil2d.org
100 professionally made brushes with smoothing (for people with shaky hands).
Regular updates and a strong community support system.
Learning curve for beginners.
Occasional performance issues on lower-end hardware.
As a raster graphics tool, vector drawing options are limited.
Krita is a free, open-source digital painting and illustration software for professionals.
Its range of features and customization options makes it a viable alternative to industry-standard tools from Adobe and Corel.
A robust animation tool supports thousands of frames on the timeline.
Advanced users can use the Krita API to extend the software with their widgets.
Krita comes pre-loaded with plugins, and you could tap the community for specific ones you may need.
This drawing app works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Inkscape
Extensive support for various file formats, including SVG.
Strong community with plenty of tutorials and extensions.
Includes more than 90 templates for quickly starting drawing projects.
Steeper learning curve among drawing tools.
Ghosting and artifacts are common reported problems while rendering a graphic.
Performance can be slow with occassional crashes on less powerful systems.
FireAlpaca
Interface is simple and easy to navigate.
Creates only raster artwork.
Lack of documentation and guides.
FireAlpaca is a nice entry point for artists new to digital painting due to its user-friendly and accessible nature.
This lightweight software has a clean interface that feels like drawing on an art board.
FireAlpaca offers different brush textures with adjustments that are like pre-sets for line drawing.
you might access layers, transparency, color profiles like CMYK and RGB, snap tools, and grids.
The digital painting tool can also create animations and time lapses.
This app works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Pencil2D
Pencil2d.org
Minimalist interface.
Lightweight and doesn’t need high-end specs to render animations.
Entry point for learning and practicing 2D animation.
Not as full-featured as other software like Krita.
Frame-by-frame animations can be cumbersome for advanced users.
Pencil2D is a unique entry in this list because it’s a 2D animation tool.
The minimal, uncluttered interface is an ideal training canvas for newbies to create simple, hand-drawn animations.
Artweaver
Collection of realistic brushes.
Mirror painting for creating symmetrical images like mandalas and patterns.
Playback the painting process as it’s recorded as an event.
Advanced features are only available in its paid version.
Free version is for non-commercial and academic purposes.
Artweaver Free is a user-friendly painting tool for both beginners and advanced users.
It has many realistic brushes, including circular, airbrush, and pixel brushes.
you’re able to customize the user interface to your liking.
Artweaver records your entire painting process as events that can be replayed or shared.
Mirror painting can quicken your work if you are creating symmetrical drawings.
Even Artweaver Free offers ten extra add-ons to extend the software.
Advanced features, like collaboration support and support for high DPI displays, are handy for advanced users.
MediBang Paint
Free (ad-supported) and low-cost options for purchase.
Chocies of tools for Manga and comic creators.
Requires internet connection for full functionality.
MediBang Paint is free and open-source cross-platform software for desktop and mobile.
But it’s also accessible for Windows users with an ad-supported free version.
The software’s lightweight design and efficient performance ensure a smooth experience, even on less powerful hardware.
