![]() ![]() Many aspects of the interface are clear enough, like the palette of tools and the color picker, and many of the tools are actually easier to use than their counterparts in the more expensive applications, which can sometimes be bewildering to novice users. The downside, from my point of view, is the quirky and sometimes frustrating interface design, in which the designers have felt it necessary to be clever and original, sometimes at the expense of ease of use. ![]() The application’s strongest point is the drawing and painting tools themselves, particularly the default oil painting brush, which I think is among the best in the industry, and the pen and pencil tools, which are at least as good as the tools from the more expensive counterparts.Īdd to that features like layers, layer transparency, layer groups, Photoshop standard blend modes, and the additional capabilities in ArtRage Studio Pro for extra painting tools, selection tools and filters, and you have a very capable digital art tool for a very reasonable price. Another relevant application would be Corel Painter Essentials.ĭespite a vaguely toy-like interface and inclusion of craft store sillyness like a “Glitter” tool, ArtRage in actual use defies your initial impressions and becomes a surprisingly powerful tool, suitable for creating serious digital artwork. ![]() The most direct competition for ArtRage might be AutoDesk’s Sketchbook Pro, though I don’t have a copy of that for comparison. The Studio Pro version, which is what I tested, features layers and layer groups, layer blend modes, support for plug-in fliters, importing and exporting custom brush settings and a range of surprisingly sophisticated capabilities for its modest price. (Wacom’s Bamboo Pen model allows for basic pressure sensitive pen input for about $70 U.S.)ĪrtRage features digital emulations of painting and drawing tools for oils, watercolor, pencil, ink, airbrush, chalk and others. Though not strictly necessary, ArtRage is meant, like those other tools, to be used with a pressure sensitive tablet and stylus when drawing and painting. I received a review version of ArtRage3 Studio Pro, and as someone with both an eye to the needs of novice digital painters and a long personal history of creating digital art in both Painter and Photoshop, I put it through its paces. One of them is ArtRage, a digital painting and drawing application by Ambient Design that represents an inexpensive alternative to the industry standard digital painting and drawing applications like Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop (I might include Manga Studio Pro as a standard at this point as well). There are smaller, easier to use alternatives, however, that can make the dive into digital art simpler and require less of an up-front investment. The transition can be daunting, though, with some artists feeling intimidated by what they perceive as complex and expensive digital art tools and the implied learning curve. For those worried about their current version – it will not stop working.An increasing number of artists, even those firmly committed to working in traditional media, are discovering the value of adding digital painting and drawing tools to their repertoire. Over time, I hope to add tutorials and further information, as well as art created in this version. I am gathering all the available information about the new edition, its price, contents and release date, here on this page. It also makes a very good last minute gift for Xmas, because you can simply download it. The new version is far more powerful, incorporates custom brushes and selection tools, photoshop filters and a vast array of customisable canvas and tool options – and, even better, watercolours! And IF I can wait that long, it’ll make me the perfect artistic Christmas present! (So if you don’t think you can afford it, or don’t have a credit card, just send this page to someone as a hint – I’ll confirm the ‘how to buy’ instructions when it comes out but they’ll almost certainly be exactly the same as ArtRage 2.5 – that is, pay online and get an emailed registration code – see this section for ideas and instructions). Much loved by users for its ease of use and the replication of natural media, such as paints, canvases and chalk. ArtRage is a delightful natural painting program that I have been using to paint with for over two years – nearly the entirety of my ‘professional’ painting career. ![]()
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