# Programs for digital art



## Tabasco (Aug 13, 2010)

Suggestions? Not GIMP! 

...

Unless you can tell me how to bring back the layers toolbox, when both the online manual and an hour of digging through the menus and my one remaining toolbar have yielded nothing. Two hours wasted on a layered piece because I can't change layers now.


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## Jw (Aug 13, 2010)

i did that the first time I used Gimp and practically crapped a brick until I found how to get it back--

Gimp layers: start it up (obviously). Now, look on the "File" menu bar for "Windows" (right next to Help). Check the "Recently Closed Docks" for the combo "Layers, Channels, Paths, Undo". If it's not there, then the shortcut to bring up the layers menu is "ctrl+L". You can also find it under the "Dockable Dialogue" thing under "Windows". You can pickj all the things you need there. That's where you'll find any of the extra junk.

For the hell of it, though, you might want to try a trial of Autodesk Sketchbook Pro. It's a nice, streamlined program with layer capabilities, so you might like it too. I think you can get a 15 day trial for free.

Here's another link that might help you out:
http://forums.furaffinity.net/threads/2217-Various-Art-Programs-and-where-to-download-them

Once yo ulearn where crap is on Gimp, it can be pretty useful. But I know how big of a pain it is learning that program. If you get into it, there's some add-ons that makes painting a lot easier in Gimp:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=167429

Good luck to ya.


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## Runefox (Aug 13, 2010)

To restore the layers box, either press CTRL+L, or go to Windows->Dockable Dialogs->Layers.

You may also look into Windows->Recently Closed Docks to see if your FG/BG, Palettes, etc dock is listed there.

Aside from the Gimp, MyPaint is pretty good.


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## Tabasco (Aug 13, 2010)

GIMP's too cool to have the layer toolbox option by the regular one, apparantly. Thanks guys, but I'm still looking into some other programs.


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## PseudoFluff (Aug 13, 2010)

I really like Open Canvas 1.1, Its my favorite thing for line work and painting. It's got a fairly simple and limited interface, but I hardly use anything other then the pen, paint brush and eraser tools, so it works extremely well for my needs. Plus you can't beat free!
I generally only use GIMP or the like when doing photo manipulation/optimization, since it produces such a jittery stroke.


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## Zydala (Aug 14, 2010)

Open Canvas, Paint Tool Sai, Paint.Net, Artweaver, Art Rage.

http://forums.furaffinity.net/threads/2217-Various-Art-Programs-and-where-to-download-them


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## Eske (Aug 14, 2010)

I love my Photoshop.  
I want to get into some of the better programs out there, which can more easily mimic traditional media, like Painter and OC -- but I always just get frustrated and come back to old Photoshop.  I use CS3.  c:  I know it costs a lot -- but so did my tablet, so it's really not that big of a deal.


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## Stargazer Bleu (Aug 14, 2010)

I am also looking for some good programs.
Tried GIMP, wasn't to bad for being free.  Just seem like a strange setup.

Sai I tried and been liking that.(don't understand the .sai save file tho)
Anything else that's good? Nothing to expensive tho, maybe $100ish.


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## savageorange (Aug 14, 2010)

> GIMP's too cool to have the layer toolbox option by the regular one, apparantly.


That would be because it is not a toolbox   The toolbox is still a one-of-a-kind thing, and it.. you know, contains tools, rather than a list of layers, or a color selection dialog, etc.. Those are dockables.



> I generally only use GIMP or the like when doing photo manipulation/optimization, since it produces such a jittery stroke.


This is substantially changed in more recent versions of GIMP, thanks to Alexia Death. It's not perfect, but the current stroke smoothing in 2.7 produces fairly smooth results which I find generally satisfactory.

As for recommendations: I'll second RuneFox's MyPaint recommendation: if you want to just draw, and forget all the complications, it has exactly the right level of simplicity.
For pixel art, Grafx2 (or Pro Motion if you have the $). For animation, GIMP + GIMP-GAP (I know you want to avoid GIMP, but this is honestly by far and away the most powerful animation suite I've ever used.)

EDIT:
Also, MyPaint is just the most helpful ever for quick shading.[Lighten/Darken actions, which alter the current painting color and work even during a paint stroke]


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## Taralack (Aug 14, 2010)

Stargazer Bleu said:


> don't understand the .sai save file tho


 
It's just a program specific filetype that saves layers as well. Good thing SAI saves to .psd too.

I believe openCanvas saves as .wpb


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## ShayneBear (Aug 14, 2010)

i'm using corel painter essentials 4, it came with my tablet. it's essentially a simpler/less expensive photoshop, and i really like it!


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## PseudoFluff (Aug 14, 2010)

savageorange said:


> This is substantially changed in more recent versions of GIMP, thanks to Alexia Death. It's not perfect, but the current stroke smoothing in 2.7 produces fairly smooth results which I find generally satisfactory.
> 
> As for recommendations: I'll second RuneFox's MyPaint recommendation: if you want to just draw, and forget all the complications, it has exactly the right level of simplicity.
> For pixel art, Grafx2 (or Pro Motion if you have the $). For animation, GIMP + GIMP-GAP (I know you want to avoid GIMP, but this is honestly by far and away the most powerful animation suite I've ever used.)



Cool!
I thought 2.7 was still in beta though, was it just released in the past couple of days as a polished product or what?

Of course I had no idea there was an animator as well, back in the day I used to do all my animating in the Paint Shop Pro add on lol


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## savageorange (Aug 14, 2010)

As you can see, it's listed on www.gimp.org [that's the source download]. A Windows build is available @ http://sourceforge.net/projects/gimp-win/files/ , seemingly.

I always use the latest development version from GIT, so I don't have to wait for releases at all, I could rebuild GIMP with the latest changes daily if I wanted. Note though that if you're not a programmer, it could be fairly hard to build GIMP yourself like this. Most people just stick with actual releases.


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## ZiggyTheWolf (Aug 15, 2010)

I use art rage 3 and find it a very capable and neat program for a low price.


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## Stargazer Bleu (Aug 15, 2010)

ShayneBear said:


> i'm using corel painter essentials 4, it came with my tablet. it's essentially a simpler/less expensive photoshop, and i really like it!


 
My tablet came with Autodesk Sketchbook Express 2010 R1, 
Corel Painter Sketch Pad
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0(got key code with adobe and corel)
and 2 other programs.


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## Jw (Aug 15, 2010)

Stargazer Bleu said:


> My tablet came with Autodesk Sketchbook Express 2010 R1,
> Corel Painter Sketch Pad
> Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0(got key code with adobe and corel)
> and 2 other programs.


 Once again, I gotta say, Sketchbook Pro is amazingly simple and is pretty smoothly integrated with my Bamboo Pen tablet.


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## Stargazer Bleu (Aug 15, 2010)

jwmcd2 said:


> Once again, I gotta say, Sketchbook Pro is amazingly simple and is pretty smoothly integrated with my Bamboo Pen tablet.


 How much extra features does pro have over express?


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## Saintversa (Aug 15, 2010)

sai is amazing. =] js


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## Cratia (Aug 19, 2010)

well, there's GIMP, Photoshop, Illustrator, Open Canvas, and PaintTool SAI.  PaintTool SAI is awesome, in fact quite a few artists that I know also use this program, as well as myself.


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## Cratia (Aug 19, 2010)

The newer version of Open Canvas also has the ability to save as PSD.  




Toraneko said:


> It's just a program specific filetype that saves layers as well. Good thing SAI saves to .psd too.
> 
> I believe openCanvas saves as .wpb


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## Jw (Aug 19, 2010)

Stargazer Bleu said:


> How much extra features does pro have over express?


 
Whoops, I missed this earlier. 

Express doesn't allow you to save stuff with the layers intact. They're flattened when you save. Also, you can create and tweak brushes with pro, as well as a symmetry setting that can let you create some neat scripted looking stuff. Otherwise, I'm not sure-- I bought Pro after trying the trial-- I got a good deal on Amazon for something around $30, so I was really happy.

Forgot to say, it works with the .tif format as default, but reads  and saves in .psd if needed.


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