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Reviews of Software and Hardware for Drawing on the Computer
These are the programs and hardware I use to help create my art. Sometimes I use these tools to help compose my pencil drawings and sometimes I use them to create fully computer generated art.
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Wacom Graphire 3 4X5 USB Digital Tablet
More and more, I use the computer in various stages of my artwork. I still create most of my drawing with simple pencil and paper, but I use my computer to look at and organize reference photos, to compose the basic structure of drawings, and to get the finished drawings online. Some of this can be done with a mouse but, to really "draw" on the computer or do any of the other precise work needed to compose and get work online, I need a tool that's much more natural feeling and free moving.
I use a slightly larger version of this tablet now, but I started out with the 4x5 size. I could easily do everything I needed to do with the smaller size. I recommend this Wacom Graphire Tablet if you can't afford a larger one because it has the most sensitivity and the lowest price. Many times, this tablet comes bundled with a "Classic" version of Corel Painter that I review below. The link to the left is an Amazon link and may not come bundled with any software. It would be worth your time to shop around and find a tablet that comes with Painter Classic.
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Wacom Intuos3 6X8 Digital Pen Tablet
The Intuos Tablets are more sensitive than the Graphire and this is the type I work with now. Drawing with it is a pleasure. I'm enchanted by the "feel" of it and I'm making more computer generated art because of it. You can buy more pens and each one can be programmed differently, so you can quickly switch between them without interrupting the artistic flow by stopping to choose a new tool from the screen. |
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Corel Painter
Painter is the most amazing real media simulation software on the planet. It's been around, in one version or another, since the dawn of the PC age and it's gotten better and better. It has to be experienced to be believed. Colored pencils act like colored pencils, oil paint acts like oil paint, watercolors act like watercolor, graphite pencils act like real ones, and I could go on and on. The full version is a little expensive but it does have more features than the "Classic" version does. I suggest that you try the classic version and see for yourself what this program can do. You can find the Classic version bundled with Wacom Tablets, as I mention above, and you will definitely need a tablet to take full advantage of all the features of this program.
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Adobe Photoshop
I'm currently using Photoshop 7 and, even though that's not the latest version, it's more than adequate for my needs. I use photoshop to help get my images ready for the web and I compose my drawings in it by using the "layers" function. I make quick sketches in it with a bush that feels very much like a pencil, and I use it to make my art "print ready" by cleaning-up boarders and correcting contrast. I use this program more than any other and I wouldn't want to try to do what I do without it.
If you can't afford the current version of Photoshop, and I never could, you might try shopping for an older one at eBay.com. The older versions still have plenty of bells and whistles, just make sure the version being offered will work on your operating system.
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