0 Comments Computer Scanner Options For Aging Hardware

I find it troubling that a expensive scanner that still works is relegated to the trash due to nothing more than lack of updated drivers - forcing a new purchase.

Sure companies say that the hardware is "not compatible" with new operating systems, but is complete bull. Thankfully there are a few options to fix the "incompatibility" that is better known as abandoned driver updates.

0 Comments Smoothing Drawn Lines - Comparing Options

To finish off my current round of software reviews the last ones are for drawn line correction, stabilization, smoothing, tracking, altering, and other names given to the same task.

That is any line drawn in software and corrected, rather it be mouse or graphics tablet input.

Reasons to need it range from your hand is shaky, your mouse/tablet drivers are incompatible at some level (common lately even for Wacom), a subpar graphics tablet/mouse hardware issue, art program brush limits, and to whatever else. Sometimes called a drawing crutch, which is humorous in many aspects itself, and the reason for the strange image above (obviously without any stabilization /correction either). 😁

0 Comments Art Review: Serif Affinity Designer

Program - Affinity Designer (Serif (Europe) Ltd.)
Tested version - v1.6.4.104

Price - 15-day trial, $49.99 to purchase
Notes - Their new replacement for DrawPlus, and is a amazing upgrade
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10, Mac OS X 10.7.5 (Mac Store)
Official website - https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/

Raster or Vector - Both Vector and Raster. Two layouts, Draw Persona (vector) and Pixel Persona (raster), with seamless switching.

0 Comments Art Review: Ambient Design ArtRage

Program - ArtRage (Ambient Design Ltd.)
Tested version - v5.0.5

Price - Unlimited time trial, $29.90 Lite, $79.00 Full (version comparisons)
Systems - Windows Vista/7/8.1/10, Mac OS X 10.6, Android, iPad/iPhone
Official website - https://www.artrage.com/

Raster or Vector - Raster

0 Comments Art Review: Serif DrawPlus

Program - DrawPlus X8 (Serif (Europe) Ltd.)
Tested version - v14.0.1.21 (final)

Price - $24.99 to purchase (discontinued, but still available at the discount).
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10
Official website - http://www.serif.com/drawplus/

Raster or Vector - Vector

0 Comments Art Review: Autodesk SketchBook

Program - Autodesk SketchBook (Autodesk, Inc.)
Tested version - v8.5.1

Price - 15-day trial, $29.99 per year subscription, $85.00 Enterprise per year subscription (comparison, scroll down their page)
Notes - The demo has very limited features unless you sign-up for the 15-day trial with an account.
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10, Mac OS X, Android, iPad/iPhone - see complete details.
Official website - https://www.autodesk.com/products/sketchbook/overview

Raster or Vector - Raster

0 Comments Art Review: Pixia

Program - Pixia (Isao Maruoka)
Tested version - 6.04f

Price - Free
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10
Official website - http://www.ne.jp/asahi/mighty/knight/

Raster or Vector - Raster

0 Comments Art Review: SmoothDraw

Program - SmoothDraw (Qingrui Li)
Tested version - 4.1.4.0

Price - Free
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10
Official website - http://www.smoothdraw.com/

Raster or Vector - Raster

0 Comments Art Review: AzDrawing and AzPainter

AzDrawing

AzPainter

Programs - AzDrawing2 and AzPainter2 (AzSky (Azel))
Tested versions - AzDrawing2 v2.02 and AzPainter2 v2.12

Price - Free, open source
Notes - Both programs are a complementary package, so I am including them together too.
Systems - Windows XP/Vista/7/8.1/10, Linux
Official website - Linux (newest) http://azsky2.html.xdomain.jp/ (English translated)
Windows (discontinued November 22, 2011) http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA033749/index.html (English translated)

Raster or Vector - Raster

0 Comments Differences Between Corel Painter Essentials 6 vs Corel Painter 2018

Corel Painter Essentials 6

vs

Corel Painter 2018

A basic comparison of the differences between Corel Painter Essentials 6 vs Corel Painter 2018 - with a setup as similar as possible. I have already reviewed Painter 2018, but I see no need for a individual review for Painter Essentials 6 (beyond this difference comparison).

0 Comments Art Review: Corel Painter

Program - Corel Painter 2018 (Corel Corporation)
Tested version - v18.1.0.651

Price - 30-day trial, $199.00 for full version
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10, Mac OS X 10.10
Official website - https://www.painterartist.com/en/product/painter/

Raster or Vector - Raster with some editable vector tools

0 Comments Art Review: CorelDRAW

Program - CorelDRAW 2017 (Corel Corporation)
Tested version - v19.1.0.419

Price - 15-day trial, $469.00 for full version (or $198.00 for a yearly subscription)
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10
Official website - https://www.coreldraw.com/en/product/graphic-design-software/

Raster or Vector - Vector

0 Comments Art Review: Inkscape

Program - Inkscape (Credit list)
Tested version - v0.92.3

Price - Free, open source
Systems - Windows XP/Vista/7/8.1/10, Mac OS X 10.7, Linux
Official website - https://inkscape.org/en/

Raster or Vector - Vector

0 Comments Art Review: MediBang Paint Pro

Program - MediBang Paint Pro (PGN Inc.)
Tested version - 14.0 (ver 2.0.1)

Price - Free, ad supported (single closable window) no malware in version tested (or ever heard of).
Notes - The software Terms of Service. This software is aimed at artists that want a MediBang account, but is not required.
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10, Mac OS X 10.9 - iPad / iPhone / Android (see site for those specs)
Official website - https://medibangpaint.com/en/

If you are wondering what are the Differences Between FireAlpaca vs MediBang Paint Pro then read my post.

Raster or Vector - Raster

0 Comments Differences Between FireAlpaca vs MediBang Paint Pro

FireAlpaca

vs

MediBang Paint Pro

For this I used the newest versions of both programs from PGN Inc., FireAlpaca v2.0.1 and MediBang Paint Pro 14.0 (ver 2.0.1) as of March 31, 2018.

0 Comments Art Review: FireAlpaca

Program - FireAlpaca (PGN Inc.)
Tested version - v2.0.1

Price - Free, ad supported (single closable window) no malware in version tested (or ever heard of). Or an ad-free version for $39.99 on Steam (ironically).
Notes - The software Terms of Service is found on the download page (half-way down the page).
Systems - Windows Vista/7/8.1/10, Mac OS X 10.7
Official website - http://firealpaca.com

If you are wondering what are the Differences Between FireAlpaca vs MediBang Paint Pro then read my post.

Raster or Vector - Raster

0 Comments Art Review: Corel PaintShop Pro

Program - PaintShop Pro (Corel Corporation)
Tested version - v20.2.0.1 2018

Price - 30-day trial, $63.99 to buy
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10
Official website - https://www.paintshoppro.com/en/

Raster or Vector - Primarily raster; however, some things are done in vector format too.

0 Comments Art Review: Artweaver

Program - Artweaver (Boris Eyrich Software)
Tested version - v6.0.8

Price - Timed trial, $42.30 (34 €) for Plus, they also offer a limited Free version, see comparison
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10
Official website - https://www.artweaver.de/en

Raster or Vector - Raster

0 Comments Art Review: Krita

Program - Krita (KDE)
Tested version - v4.0.0

Price - Free, open source
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux
Official website - https://krita.org/en/

Raster or Vector - Primarily raster; however, various things can be done in editable vector format too.

0 Comments Art Review: Paint.NET

Program - Paint.NET (dotPDN LLC.)
Tested version - v4.0.21

Price - Free (custom license)
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10
Official website - https://www.getpaint.net

Raster or Vector - Raster