# Art programs! What do you use?



## KayJay (Apr 1, 2017)

Hello I'm kind of new here, although I've been doing digital art for quite a bit now.  I wanted to start off to ask what everyone's preferred programs are.  Mine is Clip Studio Paint Pro (and I will recommend it to anyone who asked) . Any other Clip Studio artists out there?


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## Xaroin (Apr 1, 2017)

Imagine an iphone
Now imagine a watered down photoshop
Now imagine me not having a stylus
Now imagine the app not being avalable on the app store anymore


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## Andromedahl (Apr 1, 2017)

Sai, gimp, krita, and an old version of photoshop elements. I jump between these and sometimes use more than one of those on a singular piece: I like sai for lines and coloring, krita for symmetry tools, gimp for its brush path tool and minor adjustments, and photoshop for the big guns/touchups


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## Kezi Avdiivka (Apr 2, 2017)

I don't use programs, I use monies.

....STOP LAUGHING AT ME


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## KeitoTheMidnightFox (Apr 2, 2017)

I use GIMP 2 + my mouse. I dont make anything really good. But my Fursonas were commissions though lol 
I might try Pain Tool SAI is that what its called? I think


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## TheRealKingKoopa (Apr 2, 2017)

I use GIMP for pixels since a) the pencil tool preview thing snaps to the pixels and b) it's really easy to draw straight lines, both of which are things Photoshop doesn't seem to do.

I also happen to own a Surface Pro 4 and a copy of Photoshop CS6, so if I'm out somewhere with it and get bored I'll draw up some lineart to pixel over later.


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## Ashwolves5 (Apr 2, 2017)

I use sai for drawing and most graphics. sometimes old school photoshop cs2 for some blending on photo manipulations.


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## Bidoyinn (Apr 2, 2017)

I use SAI for everything but I've been eyeing CSP for over a year now...one day, haha


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## KayJay (Apr 2, 2017)

Andromedahl said:


> Sai, gimp, krita, and an old version of photoshop elements. I jump between these and sometimes use more than one of those on a singular piece: I like sai for lines and coloring, krita for symmetry tools, gimp for its brush path tool and minor adjustments, and photoshop for the big guns/touchups


 
I had a bit of trouble getting used to Krita.  Perhaps I should try again because symmetry tools sound awesome.  Also I love programs with animation support (main reason I updated Manga Studio to Clip Studio).  I have multiple art programs on the art machine I use as well.   Clip Studio, Sai, Medibang Paint Pro, and GIMP I believe. 



KeitoTheMidnightFox said:


> I use GIMP 2 + my mouse. I dont make anything really good. But my Fursonas were commissions though lol
> I might try Pain Tool SAI is that what its called? I think



Yeah Paint Tool Sai is pretty awesome.  There are lots of places to get a good free copy.   I imagine there's a good market here for commissioning sonas, that could be good for me lol.  



TheRealKingKoopa said:


> I use GIMP for pixels since a) the pencil tool preview thing snaps to the pixels and b) it's really easy to draw straight lines, both of which are things Photoshop doesn't seem to do.
> 
> I also happen to own a Surface Pro 4 and a copy of Photoshop CS6, so if I'm out somewhere with it and get bored I'll draw up some lineart to pixel over later.


Hmm good to know.  I have friends who do good pixel art.  It looks hard to me so I'm always impressed by people who can do it.


Ashwolves5 said:


> I use sai for drawing and most graphics. sometimes old school photoshop cs2 for some blending on photo manipulations.


Sai is good for that. Some of my artists friends use Sai exclusively.  Also can I just say that your avatar is very pretty. 



Bidoyinn said:


> I use SAI for everything but I've been eyeing CSP for over a year now...one day, haha


Oh I'd def recommend it.  Pretty sure that Pro is only $24 on amazon right now, last I saw.  It's defintley worth it especially with the asset shop where most everything is free and there's new bonus material every day. The bonus material has done wonders for my art.


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## Zenoth (Apr 2, 2017)

SAI and Photoshop CC


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## bbrrk9 (Apr 3, 2017)

i use clip studio too!! actually JUST started using it this year after like almost 4yrs with sai. 
it was heartbreaking to give up sai until i realized how damn good clip studio was??? idk about you but the brushes feel so good! 
theres so many different types of brushed n ppl also create a ton new n interesting ones too its amazing. also just all stuff csp can do makes me want to experiment more with my art! 
im like in a very pure honeymoon phase with clip studio lmao


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## AlleycatIrony (Apr 3, 2017)

i'm a paint tool sai user c:


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## KayJay (Apr 3, 2017)

bbrrk9 said:


> i use clip studio too!! actually JUST started using it this year after like almost 4yrs with sai.
> it was heartbreaking to give up sai until i realized how damn good clip studio was??? idk about you but the brushes feel so good!
> theres so many different types of brushed n ppl also create a ton new n interesting ones too its amazing. also just all stuff csp can do makes me want to experiment more with my art!
> im like in a very pure honeymoon phase with clip studio lmao


I used Sai for a bit.. but then I got Manga Studio 5 (the old version) and I've been loyal to it for ages. When I discovered Clip was the new version and had ANIMATION I was sold.  The brushes are great.  Also if you ever want you can PM me and I can share some of the brushes I've found, and direct you to some of the best assets in the Asset shop/library that have changed the way I art.


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## Shadow-Wing456 (Apr 3, 2017)

GIMP has always been my go to since it's free. I have a Surface Pro 4 now and that has been a godsend, I much prefer the ability to draw and interact directly  on the screen rather than with the Wacom tablet I learned on.


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## bbrrk9 (Apr 3, 2017)

KayJay said:


> I used Sai for a bit.. but then I got Manga Studio 5 (the old version) and I've been loyal to it for ages. When I discovered Clip was the new version and had ANIMATION I was sold.  The brushes are great.  Also if you ever want you can PM me and I can share some of the brushes I've found, and direct you to some of the best assets in the Asset shop/library that have changed the way I art.


that b super!


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## Belatucadros (Apr 3, 2017)

GIMP all the way!


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## narutogod123 (Apr 5, 2017)

I use Photoshop CS5 and Clip Studio Paint. My tablet is a Wacom Cintiq 21ux, I use Photoshop to color and Clip Studio Paint for comics and lineart. I highly recommend both of them


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## KayJay (Apr 6, 2017)

Ahhh I wish I could afford Photoshop. It would be so nice

Then again I wish I could afford Toon Boom Harmony Essentials too.


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## BittiBones (Apr 6, 2017)

*K*rita and SAI! I've literally gone on for _hours_ on how much I love Krita and its autosave, along with my 300+ brushes in it (which I know is excessive but if what I want and what I need were the same things, then I'd _need _all of the brushes people put out for it!). I'd really recommend it!

*A*sides from that, I have worked with Manga Studio EX-- essentially the sister program to clip paint-- and it is a good program for anyone out there.

*E*dit : note, Krita's a free program.


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## Baconbasket (Apr 9, 2017)

I love:

Paper and Pencil
GIMP
Photoshop
Sai

Sometimes I use all four for one picture, but I'm mostly traditional (Paper and Pencil)!


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## ArtVulpine (Apr 9, 2017)

I used to use GIMP, but now i use Fire Alpaca, a free Japanese based art system. It's easy to use and has lots of tools.


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## Fishsticks03 (Apr 11, 2017)

I use Adobe draw


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## estiniens (Apr 11, 2017)

I do everything (including photo/screenshot edits) in Paint Tool Sai.


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## lajm (Apr 11, 2017)

the good ol' paper & pencil


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## RailRide (Apr 15, 2017)

Primarily, an ancient Win98-era Photoshop wanna-be known as Micrografx Picture Publisher. It was the first image editor I knew of (other than Photoshop) that showed you the size+shape of your brush (in the form of an outline) before you actually started putting down pixels.

After the turn of the century, I started to dabble with vectors. Vector graphics were total voodoo to me until I understood what awsomely smooth and editable curves they could produce. For a while I fooled around with a promotional copy of Deneba Canvas (an old version provided on a computer magazine coverdisc), but did not fully grasp how to use vectors until years later when I found Inkscape. I used it primarily to ink, and once did a complete near photo-quality vectorization of some car photos. I use it less often now due to practice with digital inking with modern digital paint applications (primarily for their canvas-rotate features)

As far as "modern" digital art apps, I switch back and forth between Krita and Clip Studio Paint EX (the $210 version--which I got for about $80 since Smith Micro throws on a substantial discount twice a year or so*). I had CSP first, then added Krita around about the time they announced that animation support is in the future. (Right around the time they did just that, Celsys/Smith Micro added this functionality to Clip Studio).

Krita's animation support is getting better, adding the ability to export animations in standard video file formats (MP4, MKV, etc) and most recently, add sound to animation. Enhanced support for vector graphics is also in the future. Despite having two licenses for CSP, I fool around with Krita for the novelty of having such a powerful freeware application. But no single application is my "one and only" anymore.

While I haven't installed it yet, OpenToonz allows vector drawing of still images as well as full-on animation, so that is another free application to explore.

Less frequently used are SmoothDraw and MyPaint. Both support layers and canvas rotate and are fairly small applications. I basically experimented with them to see if I could complete a project with them. I haven't done more than a couple of pics with either one since I have so many other applications to use/learn.

---PCJ

*--There is was a promotion going on RIGHT NOW where you can buy a digital download of the pro version of Clip Studio for $79 until 4/18/17. Keep an eye on their site or get on their mailing list to get notice when they put CSP or Anime Studio...er...MOHO on sale again


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## Deleted member 82554 (Apr 15, 2017)

MS Paint. Just look at my stickman, isn't he great?!?


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## spacerogue (Apr 19, 2017)

Been using Clip for a few years now, I also own a copy of a newer app called Paintstorm and I can't decide what one I love the most ,lol. 

They both are great really, I try to use them both at what they excel at.


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