Painting is to art as drawing is also to art (simile?). Painting is said to help relax a person’s mind and relieve stress by stimulating the creative mind while relieving mental strain.
Paintings are now done on iPads and Tablets via apps but if you are new to the digital world of painting, you probably don’t know the best apps for painting and drawing with your device and that’s why we have compiled a list of the best apps available for both iOS and Android devices.
If you like to draw and paint, it is time for you to start in the world of digital drawing art, through your PC, tablet or other devices. Here are the 25 best apps for drawing and painting. This way you will develop your talent in the most practical way, taking into account the most convenient application.
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25 Best Apps for Drawing and Painting
1. Autodesk SketchBook
All good drawings must start with an idea and with this app, you can draw, paint and create sketches. It is completely free and suitable for Windows 10 and macOS. With Autodesk you will find an appropriate interface to make your first strokes, using more than 130 brushes. You will also draw multi-layered drawings and canvases of various sizes to add different colour palettes.
2. Corel Painter
This professional application will help you if you want to make the leap from traditional to digital painting. Your brushstrokes in Corel Painter will be as real as painting on paper. You will make artistic pieces with original styles thanks to more than 900 realistic brushes. You’ll use paper textures, photo art features, and much more. There is currently a 2021 update for Corel Painter that you can download for payment on their website. Painter is one of the tools most chosen by photography and graphic design professionals.
3. Paint Tool SAI
When you have problems with digital drawing, Paint Tool SAI is the solution. It is an ideal tool for its stroke stabilizer function. Just calibrate your graphic tablet, so your drawings will be more fluid. Paint Tool is a good choice for a drawing and painting program. You will create your illustrations in a simple way because of the workspace it has, although at first glance it seems a bit outdated, the results are very satisfying.
4. Clip Studio Paint
For lovers of manga and comics, this application for drawing and painting anime is one of the most recommended. Clip Studio Paint is used by many many users, due to the more than 1000 updated drawing tools, making the creation of comics, manga and animations more professional. Do not wait and start now. You can download the app from its website, for both computers and cell phones, through a single payment or monthly plans.
5. Krita art
This digital drawing program is mainly focused on digital painting and illustrations. However, you can create both retouching and vector images, use its various effects and brushes, and thus work comfortably in the interface. It is a fairly simple and easy-to-use tool, which is why it is considered a good application option for drawing and painting. Currently, it is available for use in Windows, free of charge.
6. Gimp, image and photo editor
If you used Photoshop and you had complications, this drawing and photo editor will make everything easier. Gimp has the same functions as large design programs such as creating logos, retouching, composing, and drawing free-form drawings and photomontages. You will work with graphics in different formats such as jpg, and tiff, among others. You can also import PDF files and SVG vector images. This free and open-source image editor is available for download on GNU – Linux, OS X, Windows and macOS operating systems.
7. ArtWeaver, drawing and imaging program
ArtWeaver is an application that will allow you to quickly paint your drawings. Although it does not have a wide range of brushes, it is an excellent drawing program. You will have unique finishes because its 19 realistic brushes achieve calligraphic, artistic, chalk effect, acrylic or charcoal styles. The structure of the work area is complete, you will find texture effects and you can modify images by degrading colours and more. The program is available only for download on Windows systems, both in its free version and in its plus version.
8. Inkscape, vector graphics editor
Take your drawings to vectors in a suitable quality with this vector graphics editor, whose interface is easy to understand. Inkscape offers you flexible drawing tools, compatible with various file formats. Create and manipulate objects, copy and paste styles, use markers on the path, and use any font to generate text. This drawing and painting application is suitable for GNU / Linux, Windows and macOS.
9. Gravit Designer, the application for designing drawings
Another alternative for vector graphics is the Gravit Designer app. It is free, or you can purchase the Pro version. Both can be used without problems on your PC if you have GNU / Linux, Windows and macOS systems. But, if you want maximum advantage you must have a touch screen along with a stylus. This application to design logos, icons, concept art and more, helps you mix various filters in your graphics and use more than 40 effects.
10. Affinity Designer, a vector drawing program
If you want to try a vector program similar to Illustrator, now is the time to use Affinity Designer. It is a pack of tools suitable for PCs and iPads. The process of its operation is more agile than other software. It has an elegant design, which allows you to choose the type of interface to your liking and order the panels for your comfort. You can also apply brushes, textures, overlays, and templates.
11. Sketch, the app for Mac and iPhone
With the following application, you will use everything from filters and effects to the creation of vectors for your illustrations. The sketch comes with various plugins and is quite fast to use. It is an app only available for Mac and iPhone through an annual or monthly plan. It has received good comments for the advantages it counts, such as the order in the artboards or artboards. It also shows the exact measurement for each piece and with contents on an automatic scale.
12. Fresh Paint, Microsoft’s drawing and painting program
The result of your paintings will look very real with this app. Thanks to Fresh Paint you will get paintings in watercolours, pencil, oil and pen. With this Microsoft program, you can start with a drawing from scratch or import a photograph and turn it into a beautiful painting with brushes. It is compatible with Windows 10 and 8 and its download is free although it includes some purchases on the website.
13. Sketchable, create easy drawings in this app
To create finer details, then use Sketchable. With this app, your screen will be like a complete sheet to create easy sketches and drawings. You can install it for free on your PC, but it is advisable to use a tablet for greater precision and ease. One of its main advantages is to export the files as PSD and thus give it the final finish in programs such as Adobe Photoshop.
14. Graphiter, graphite drawings
With this Microsoft app, create your graphite drawings in digital format. Graphiter gives you different types of pencils from 2H to 8B, thus enhancing the use of light and dark tones for a realistic finish. Export the drawings in jpg or png, and in addition, the program also saves your drawings automatically so that later you can continue. It is available for download on Windows.
15. Tracing, drawing and painting applications for windows
If you want to start with simple strokes, this Windows application is ideal, because it gives you a digital ruler to make your strokes more precise. Another advantage is the transparency slider, which allows you to choose how far you want to see the image you are drawing. It has an 800% zoom that will allow you to achieve better details in your drawings. Among his tools are multiple pens and stencils.
If you want to start with simple strokes, this application for Windows is ideal, because it provides a digital ruler and your strokes are more precise, another advantage is the transparency slider, so you can choose where you want to see the image you are drawing. It has a zoom of 800%, which will allow better details in your drawings.
16. MedibangPaint, learn to draw comics
Every drawing must tell a story, if you want to try it, learn to draw comics with MedibangPaint. With this tool, you will draw whenever you want since it can be installed on Android, iPhones, tablets and PCs. You will have a space in the cloud so everything you do will be saved and so you can collaborate with comics by other artists and also allow them to collaborate with your comics. MedibangPaint has different backgrounds, shades, and brushes.
17. FireAlpaca, manga creator
This free program is very lightweight and shows a non-complex interface. With FireAlpaca you will be able to use several tools that in other applications are only available in a premium version, that is, they are paid. The downside is that you don’t have an autosave option. But on the positive side, as a manga creator, your pen, ink and watercolour-style sketches will look fabulous with this app.
18. SmoothDraw, digital drawing
If your thing is freehand drawing and you want a simple application, but that meets what is necessary for digital drawing, SmoothDraw is your best option. You will find various brushes, watercolours, airbrushes, and markers. You can also create textures, add filters and effects, and make adjustments. If you are concerned about order, or neglect, you will work in layers for greater comfort, precision and quality in your drawings.
19. Paint 3D, drawings and versatile painting
Your level to handle the brushes will be more demanding with this program to draw and paint. Edit your drawings in Paint 3D, from different sides and angles, using various tools and brushes. Everything you do will be self-saved thanks to its constant updates that improve the user experience. Do not be intimidated by 3D drawing, since you can start from scratch thanks to its doodle.
20. Skencil, vectorize your images
Skencil is a fairly simple program that has the essentials for you to make your vector drawings. It is not very heavy to install on your computer and it has the same functions as other applications. These include Bézier curves, text, curves, rectangles and ellipses, fountain fills, blend groups, and more. You can vectorize your images and import different file formats.
21. ArtRage
The canvas is an important factor and ArtRage offers the option of enlarging the image on the entire screen. It is advisable to use your tablet to draw and paint comfortably using this application since the panels can be hidden if you wish. On the other hand, its brushes are very realistic and you can also use anything from watercolours to markers. The finish can be super professional as if it were an oil painting by hand. You just have to clarify that it is available for download with previous payment from its official website.
22. Mischief, digital sketches
With this program make your digital sketches on tablets and touch screens. It has 6 main brushes, their derivatives and textures. You will feel as if you are drawing with pencil and paper, working on its transparent layers and vectors. You will be able to export your drawings in popular formats such as jpg among others. It is available in a limited free version and in a full version with a paid option.
23. Photoshop, effects for drawings
It is the best-known software for professional designers and photographers. It is part of the great family of Adobe Master Collection. With Photoshop you can draw pictures, and create amazing banners and photo compositions. You will also find effects for drawing, painting and much more. You have the option to install your own brushes and apply the filters that you like the most.
24. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, create graphics and drawings
Despite the time existence of this program, it has been updated by the demand of many users. Currently, it has very innovative tools to create graphics and drawings, you can add your own style and customize the interface to suit you. It is one of the programs most chosen by graphic design professionals and amateurs, due to its easy use and variety of illustration options with which you can make great works.
25. Adobe Illustrator, the program to vectorize images and drawings
Finally, we have the most complete program for many design experts. Illustrator is perfect for vectorizing images and drawings. Using this application for drawing and painting, you will also create logos, vector illustrations as covers, and fanart in your own style. Thanks to its constant updates you will stop worrying about losing your illustrations, its autosave is ideal to ensure work that could have cost hours. You can even continue your work when you are offline since everything you do is stored in the cloud.
We all have an artist inside us, we just have to choose the style that best defines us and the application that best suits us for drawing and painting. It is also great to be able to take advantage of the many applications available that offer us a wide range of tools to make incredible illustrations.
