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Artists, What Applications do You Use?

Sep 21, 2019
1,401
I'm curious what the different artists on here use for their art. Personally, I like using Paint Tool Sai because it has a nice set of tools and is overall very user-friendly. I also used to use Procreate for iPad, though it doesn't work very well unless you have a good stylus. It has a cool selection of brushes and a great UI, though I haven't used it in a long time.
 
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Aia

DDR-tist
Jul 14, 2019
374
20
The Internet™
I use two programs: Autodesk Sketchbook on my phone and Medibang Paint Pro on my laptop. I really like using Autodesk a lot because the brushes have really nice textures. Medibang I'm still learning how to use; it has a lot more features than Autodesk which is pretty neat. They're both pretty user friendly though in my opinion.
 

cafenurse

Still misses Anri Rune
Apr 8, 2018
1,803
22
USA
I like Paint Tool Sai because I like the simple layout and the fact thats its backgrounds are white and light gray.
A lot of my digital art used to be done with Autodesk Sketchbook on a little tablet I used to have. It's not a half bad art program for being an app, most art programs you find as apps are just about as good as MS Paint or worse.
 

uncreepy

👵Escaped from the retirement home
Apr 9, 2018
1,618
Outdated Photoshop gang. Adobe will have to pry CS6 from my cold, dead hands. :cyberdiva_ani_lili:
Me and my sister have been using Photoshop CS4 since like 2008. orz

We're trying to learn how to use Clip Studio Paint, though. It's more modern, aimed at illustrators, and has stuff like vectors and layer masks that make editing colors while staying in the lines much easier. Can't beat the low price tag compared to the monthly modern Adobe one, either.
 

WyndReed

Dareka tasukete!
Apr 8, 2018
298
26
???, New York
I use Autodesk Sketchbook(love this program), Corel Painter 2016(my paint skills are nonexistent, but this was a really good price when bundled with my computer so I got it.), and Gimp. I used Photoshop CC for a bit, but Adobe drives me nuts so I switched back to Gimp. I’m thinking of trying out Sai and Clip Studio Paint to see if they fit my drawing style.
 

razelberii

Bless the Lord, O my Soul
Apr 8, 2018
423
雨リカ
razzyru.com
For me, I commonly use Clip Studio Paint, and Adobe's line of products (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, etc.).
If it counts, I also use pencils, paper/sketchbook, and ink pens. These are for sketching and line art.

Clip Studio Paint I use mostly for illustration. Adobe's applications I tend to use more in my design and animation work (Logos, videos/PVs, etc). There are moments I use it in my illustration work, especially if I'm including type.
My personal thought is it's more important to use what works best for you - not the kind of brand or product. It's neat seeing a variety of applications on this thread!
 

lIlI

Staff member
Moderator
Apr 6, 2018
837
The Lightning Strike
Me and my sister have been using Photoshop CS4 since like 2008. orz

We're trying to learn how to use Clip Studio Paint, though. It's more modern, aimed at illustrators, and has stuff like vectors and layer masks that make editing colors while staying in the lines much easier. Can't beat the low price tag compared to the monthly modern Adobe one, either.
Totally late, but if you ever need it, CS4 has masks too: it supports clipping masks, layer masks and transparency lock.

Bonus: When double checking if CS4 had masks, I learned that it introduced content aware scale, a decade old, super useful feature I literally didn't know existed. :ring_ani_lili: Regardless of what software you're using, always check out tutorials from time to time!

 

Trevor

?
May 2, 2018
78
Sai seems to be the best program for animation-esc illustrations for hobbest use. Other than that, Adobe Illustrator takes the lead in versatility and ease-of-use on a professional level.
 
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Sep 21, 2019
1,401
Sai seems to be the best program for animation-esc illustrations for hobbest use. Other than that, Adobe Illustrator takes the lead in versatility and ease-of-use on a professional level.
Oh, yes! Illustrator is great, especially for vector graphics! Though it's similar to Photoshop in some ways, is doesn't have as steep of a learning curve. I used to love using it way back when.
 
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lIlI

Staff member
Moderator
Apr 6, 2018
837
The Lightning Strike
I enjoy using Illustrator too! It's so weirdly satisfying once you get the hang of it.

One thing to note about Illustrator: Although it has 'illustration' in the name, it's surprisingly not predominantly used for illustration. This is because the vector workflow is very different to painting. It can't handle subtle brushstrokes and textures very well, so many styles of art take a long time or crash the program. You build your image rather than draw it, using carefully defined shapes. But that isn't to say you can't make amazing art - you just need to work in a particular style that the program is suited for. Many artists thrive because of Illustrator's limitations - it's all about the type of art you want to make.

This is a popular example of artwork made in a raster program (like SAI or Photoshop)


This is a popular style of art possible in a vector program (like Illustrator)


A quick google for artwork made in these programs shows instantly that they produce a very different look and feel.

At the sacrifice of scaling, raster programs provide a natural painting experience, and are most like traditional art. Whereas with a vector program you are mainly making artwork out of shapes rather than brushstrokes, which allows the computer to store the image as mathematical points in space instead of pixels. This lets you scale your art to any size without losing resolution - an incredibly powerful tool.

But most of all, Illustrator is amazing for making graphic design assets. If you're creating logos, infographics and website features, this is definitely the software for you.
 

BambooGarden101

現実逃避
Aug 10, 2018
61
La-La Land
As a kid I would draw on Photoshop and MS Paint, and I also remember playing around with Corel Painter on my dad's computer. Good times.

These days I mostly use Clip Studio Paint for my personal art. I've also started using Photoshop again (for school assignments), but it feels a bit confusing and strange after so many years of not using it. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it again soon.

Edit: I just remembered that I used GIMP to make the Vocaloid sprites I used to upload sometimes on VO.
 
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