# Gimps tools without the bugs?



## _Hushy (Aug 24, 2016)

Hey, I'm thinking of switching to SAI. GIMP keeps breaking and it's currently impossible to continue drawing tonight. I like SAI's quality but it doesn't have the tools that GIMP has, for example, smudge has been perfect for fur. Also free would be nice.. or at least not as expensive as SAI..

Is there a program with SAI's quality, GIMPs tools, and no bugs that renders it entirely useless?

This is driving me mad, I'm going to bed. Thank you.


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## ArtVulpine (Aug 24, 2016)

I used to work with GIMP, but it was too buggy. After trying Kitra and Sai (which I found too tricky to use), I switched to Fire Alpaca. Try Fire Alpaca. It's a Japanese based art program that I find very easy to use and has little to no bugs.


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## Grruelty (Aug 24, 2016)

Use gimp on linux. You get so used to bugs that they become normal mundane things.


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## quoting_mungo (Aug 24, 2016)

If you wait for a sale, Clip Studio Paint can be obtained ridiculously cheap. It's got more useful tools than you can shake a stick at, including some I don't think any other art programs have (I pretty much only use it for the perspective ruler, but it's worth the sale price for that thing alone!)


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## Sergei Nóhomo (Aug 24, 2016)

But why would you call gimps a tool? That's just really rood even if they are different from us


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## PlusThirtyOne (Aug 24, 2016)

Sergei Nóhomo said:


> But why would you call gimps a tool? That's just really rood even if they are different from us


Gimps can be very valuable tools. Gimps need jobs too. i was going to quip back with a crippled Goodwill employee joke.
...but i'm better than that.


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## Sergei Nóhomo (Aug 24, 2016)

PlusThirtyOne said:


> Gimps can be very valuable tools. Gimps need jobs too. i was going to quip back with a crippled Goodwill employee joke.
> ...but i'm better than that.



You peg yourself way higher than you actually are my dood


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## PlusThirtyOne (Aug 24, 2016)

Sergei Nóhomo said:


> You peg yourself way higher than you actually are my dood


Maybe so. *SNORT* You said "peg"...


_Hushy said:


> Hey, I'm thinking of switching to SAI.


On topic: Sai and Gimp are both good programs with equally (but different) tools. There's no harm in using more than one on one illustration. You just might have to re-prioritize the steps you'd normally take to finish a drawing. Even _if_ you find another app that smudges the way you like it, i can guarantee there'll be _something else_ that the new app can't do and/or won't work the way you like. Sometimes you have to just adapt to the limited tools you have. That said, i know EXACTLY how you feel.


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## _Hushy (Aug 25, 2016)

PlusThirtyOne said:


> Maybe so. *SNORT* You said "peg"...
> 
> On topic: Sai and Gimp are both good programs with equally (but different) tools. There's no harm in using more than one on one illustration. You just might have to re-prioritize the steps you'd normally take to finish a drawing. Even _if_ you find another app that smudges the way you like it, i can guarantee there'll be _something else_ that the new app can't do and/or won't work the way you like. Sometimes you have to just adapt to the limited tools you have. That said, i know EXACTLY how you feel.



Is there a format I'm unaware of that allows you to save layer data and is somewhat universal? So that I can transfer between programs. Thank you ^.^




ArtVulpine said:


> I used to work with GIMP, but it was too buggy. After trying Kitra and Sai (which I found too tricky to use), I switched to Fire Alpaca. Try Fire Alpaca. It's a Japanese based art program that I find very easy to use and has little to no bugs.



Thank you! Downloading now.




quoting_mungo said:


> If you wait for a sale, Clip Studio Paint can be obtained ridiculously cheap. It's got more useful tools than you can shake a stick at, including some I don't think any other art programs have (I pretty much only use it for the perspective ruler, but it's worth the sale price for that thing alone!)



Thank you too  Glad they have a trial, I'm checking it out too.


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## PlusThirtyOne (Aug 25, 2016)

_Hushy said:


> Is there a format I'm unaware of that allows you to save layer data and is somewhat universal? So that I can transfer between programs. Thank you ^.^


PSD is the most universal of layer formats, provided it's written at "max compatibility". PSD is Photoshop's format but Open Canvas uses it as well as most other programs i've used before. i can't say i've tried it in Gimp or Sai and i don't use either app anymore but it's worth taking a peek to see if both or either can save in said format. -Again, provided the files are saved so that other programs can read them. You can't really tell just by looking at them but it's worth making a quick dummy file and seeing if it's readable across all your programs. Making a file with simple raster layers is almost guaranteed to give you good results but i suggest making a PSD with vector art, some vectorized text, some Flash layer styles (if your app has that feature) and overlays to see which kinds of features translate well. Otherwise you might have to settle with swapping PNGs (sans layers) back and forth between programs.

Hope that makes sense.

Bottom line: Check to see if PSD is a format that all your programs can read. if so, keep things simple or risk having translation errors between programs.


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## quoting_mungo (Aug 25, 2016)

I know offhand that SAI can create and read PSDs, though it has its own format as well. Clip Studio Paint and Sketchbook Pro are also PSD compatible, though vector (art) layers don't seem to convert well between programs (and CSP if I recall correctly will not even try to save vector ink layers as vectors in PSD format) - I use imported vector art from Illustrator for some elements in a fair amount of my art and it gets rasterized if I open the file in Sketchbook Pro. Text also does not seem to translate well back and forth between Sketchbook Pro and Photoshop.

For raster art without a lot of layer effects, layer groups (Sketchbook Pro, at LEAST, will break Photoshop's layer groups) and clipping masks, however, it should work just fine.


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## Shadowblackwolf (Aug 25, 2016)

I've never had a problem with GIMP. and I use it all the time,


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## Sergei Nóhomo (Aug 25, 2016)

quoting_mungo said:


> I know offhand that SAI can create and read PSDs, though it has its own format as well. Clip Studio Paint and Sketchbook Pro are also PSD compatible, though vector (art) layers don't seem to convert well between programs (and CSP if I recall correctly will not even try to save vector ink layers as vectors in PSD format) - I use imported vector art from Illustrator for some elements in a fair amount of my art and it gets rasterized if I open the file in Sketchbook Pro. Text also does not seem to translate well back and forth between Sketchbook Pro and Photoshop.
> 
> For raster art without a lot of layer effects, layer groups (Sketchbook Pro, at LEAST, will break Photoshop's layer groups) and clipping masks, however, it should work just fine.


Yo mungo why ya'll ignoring my requests


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