Free Art Programs/Software (EDITED)

Apr 6, 20154 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Apr 6, 2015

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_{He's a list of free art programs for you to use! None of them have viruses; I've used them all at one point of my life or another.

Note: To open some of these, you'll need WinRAR. It's free, and even after the 'trial' expires, you can still use it to open RAR, ZIP, and many other files.

WinRAR: www.rarlab.com/download.htm
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When it comes to art quality and style, a lot of older artists say "It's the artist, not the program.". On the contrary to what they say, the program DOES play a LARGE part in what your art looks like.

New programs open up opportunity for improvement! Heck, when I first used Paint.NET (Which will be in the description), it REALLY helped me learn a LOT about shading. And when I upgraded to Paint Tool SAI, I improved drastically. It's nice to change programs once in a while!

Who said you need Photoshop to have good art? In my opinion, Photoshop sucks. I hate it. A huge price doesn't mean it's good. It's constantly crashing for me, and it lags too much. It also seems to have trouble with tablet pressure, and cleaner-looking lines. (They always look fuzzy/blurred).

So, here's a list of FREE programs, just for you!
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PROGRAMS

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Starter programs:
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Paint.NET: www.getpaint.net/index.html

This program is first, due to it being very dear to me. I haven't used it in years, but it played a HUGE role in learning shading and everything else! I used it for about 3 years before I moved to SAI. There's a lot of filters you can find online that will help! (Enhanced blurring filters, ect. It also supports layers, so you can start getting used to them!)

I REALLY suggest this if you're just about to upgrade from MS Paint! It's VERY similar to MS Paint, to the point I had NO trouble OR confusion when I first upgraded. (Also, smudge tool. I used to spam it.)
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MyPaint: mypaint.intilinux.com/

HUGE canvas. Layer support. Cool brushes to test out. Powerful and amazing. Oh, and it's free. It's worth a shot, eh?
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FireAlpaca: firealpaca.com/en

This program is absolutely AMAZING. When I'm not using SAI, I'm using this. It's better than Photoshop, I'll tell you that. It doesn't have as many brush options as SAI, but it's still 100% free! It's a good starter program if you're ready to dive into something more detailed, and don't want to lag around on something too similar to MS Paint.

(Also, I think the stabilizer works with the mouse, if I recall. Don't quote me on this, I can't remember!)

It'll help you get ready for SAI, if you're not ready to upgrade just yet.
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"Upgrade" Programs:
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Paint Tool SAI: www.mediafire.com/download/ed9…

(NOTE: If that link doesn't work, try this one! www.mediafire.com/download/uik… I have both versions on my computer.)

This is the main program that I use. I've been using it since 2011; it has my favorite interface for any art program, and there's no confusion once you get used to it. (It's totally worth getting used to it!) It's much, MUCH better than Photoshop.

There's a lot of textures you can download to make your art look cool! (Rocks textures, clouds, ect). Just search up "Paint Tool SAI Brushes" or "Paint Tool SAI textures". There's a lot to download here on DA!
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Other:

GIMP: www.gimp.org/

I'll be honest; I don't like GIMP's userface. That, and if you alternate between your tablet/mouse a lot, it changes tools. It's annoying.

People say it's a good starter program, but it's pretty complicated (for me, that is.)

I really don't believe it's a STARTER program, but that's just my opinion. A lot of people love using it.

BUT, I use this program for animation/GIFs! It's worth a shot, I promise you that!
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Krita: krita.org/

I tried it, didn't like it. It lagged my computer and crashed instantly. Then again, I've been spoiled by SAI. Worth a shot!
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Now, there's many, MANY more. These are just all I could think of, and the ones that I recommend the most. Don't be afraid to search around! (Just look up "Free art software".)

Also, if you're a Mac user, here; www.marcofolio.net/features/to… (I don't have a Mac, so I don't know how these work.)
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Have fun drawing, guys!}