Last updated: November 19, 2022

10 BEST FREE DRAWING SOFTWARE IN 2022

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10 BEST FREE DRAWING SOFTWARE IN 2022

Number 1: CLIP STUDIO PAINT

ProductClip Studio Paint
Website: www.clipstudio.net
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Clip Studio Paint works on Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, Android, Chromebook. It is built for character art, drawing concept art and painting, comics, manga, webtoons, animation, etc. It has a powerful brush engine, it lets you customise all aspects of the brushes, it also provides a limitless supply of tools. It allows adding instant effects and saturated lines, realistic pens and brushes, etc. It lets you add balloons with personality. For animation it has functions of onion skin, customizable camera work, vector lines with hand-drawn feel, etc. It makes concept art and painting easier with features of custom brushes, customizable 3D references, gradient maps, etc. It has sophisticated fill tools, decoration brushes, 3D models and AI posing, etc for character art.

AdvantagesDisadvantages
1. Excellent AI technology.1. Does support audio with their animations.
2. Wide range of options with Vector Toolkit.2. Little confusing key binding.
3. Advanced techniques for making 3D arts.3. The user interface is quite knotty.

Number 2: GIMP

Product GIMP
Website: www.gimp.org
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Best for small to medium-sized businesses. GIMP is a professional-grade open-source, image-editing software. Its source code can be manipulated to fit users’ needs. Users can benefit from its wide array of features, which makes it comparable to Adobe Photoshop in many respects. The program comes with a standard interface and can handle high-end graphics work. Its features include a full suite of painting tools like brush, air brush, pencil, and clone. It has advanced image manipulation capabilities, it is compatible with over 100 plugins. It also enables loading and saving animations, and has a customizable interface. It can be used in professional settings and includes enough features to satisfy everyone except the pickiest digital artists. GIMP is GNU Image Manipulation Program.

AdvantagesDisadvantages
1. Easy to use.1. Large file.
2. User friendly.2. Open source software.
3. Intuitive interface.3. The UI could be revamped to reflect more modern UI trends, for example, material design look.

Number 3:  KRITA

ProductKrita
Website: www.krita.org
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 Krita is best for freelance and small business digital artists. It is a professional grade open source painting program created by a group of artists that wished to make digital drawing tools available for everyone. It is great for creating digitally painted works like concept art, comics, and oil paintings. Its features include over 100 brush options, versatile colour selector, bezier tool for drawing professional lines and curves, workflow switching by editing panel layout, and smart patch tool. Krita is a great option for both beginner and novice digital artists. It offers limited capabilities for photo editing and animation, so it may not be the best option for professional artists looking for these features.

AdvantagesDisadvantages
1. Easy to use layout.1. Poor touch controls.
2. Constantly updated.2. Working with text is not that pleasant.
3. Developed in part by KDE, which has a great community and therefore great support.3. New features are not tested thoroughly.

Number 4: ARTWEAVER

ProductArtweaver
Website: www.artweaver.de
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Artweaver is best for small businesses. It’s an image designing tool with a wide variety of features. It offers much of the functionality Adobe Photoshop is known for, and is suitable for both beginners and professional artists. It comes with numerous realistic brushes like hairy brush, pixel brush, circular brush, etc. Users can also move, dock, and resize the canvases and palettes as they please. It also comes with a paid “plus” version with enhanced functionality and free technical support. It also has numerous realistic brush choices, adjustable and easy-to -use interface, savable ëvents” for demonstrating your painting style, group working functionality over the internet or LAN.

AdvantagesDisadvantages
1. A wide variety of brushes.1. The free editor includes limited tools for photo editing.
2. Plug-in support.2. The User Interface isn’t very well organized.
3. Layout and transparency.3. In comparison to paid analogues, it offers fewer opportunities.

Number 5: SKETCHPAD

ProductSketchpad
Website: www.sketch.io
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Sketchpad is a web-based sketching tool that is best for students, teachers, and social media designers looking for a simple but versatile drawing software. It can be accessed by visiting their website, it also has a paid downloadable version that works on desktop and tablet devices. It is simple and straightforward. Its features include more than 800 text fonts, 18 brushes, 14 customizable shapes, and over 5000 clipart options. It is however not for professional use, as its functionality range is too limited, except in emergencies.

AdvantagesDisadvantages
1. It works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android.1. It cannot be used for professional work.
2. It is easy to use.2. Does not work with copy correction. 
3. It can be accessed straight from the website, without the need for being downloaded.
3. Does not allow import or export.

Number 6: ASTROPAD

ProductAstropad
Website:www.astropad.com
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Astropad is a drawing app that is only available for iPads. It is most suitable for small to medium-sized business graphics artists that work on iPads. It turns any iPad into a fully functional graphics tablet. The standard version supports Apple Pencil functionality and allows you to draw directly onto Mac software from your iPad, it also supports pressure sensitivity and customizable shortcuts, but the studio version includes gesture control and customizable pressure controls. It comes with features like pressure sensitivity, Apple Pencil support, Wi-Fi and USB support, fast speeds (studio version only), magic gestures (studio version only), and colour correction (studio version only).

AdvantagesDisadvantages
1. Works with all native Mac apps.1. Subscription costs can be pricey for non-professional users.
2. Optimized for quick display to your monitor.2. On-screen menu “dot” can get in the way.
3. Seamless setup and connectivity.
3.Mirror mode only, can’t be used as a second display.

Number 7: ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR DRAW

Product Adobe Illustrator Draw
Website: www.adobe.com/products/draw
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Adobe Illustrator Draw is a special version of Adobe Illustrator made for touchscreen devices. It is best for small to medium-sized businesses, and allows users to draw on their Android and iOS with the help of a wide array of tools. It offers versatile functionality, letting you change brush style, size, opacity, and smoothness. Realistic gradients that layers can combine together perfectly can easily be created by users. Although Adobe Illustrator Draw is a great free app on the go, it has a steep learning curve that may make it difficult for new users to use.

AdvantagesDisadvantages
1. It has 24/7 live support.1. It has a very steep learning curve.
2. It offers adequate documentation for training.2. Although the files are relatively small, they can sometimes be difficult to share.
3. You have infinite resolution with the vectors in AI.3. It does not handle pixel art.

Number 8:  INKSCAPE

Product Inkscape
Website:www.inkscape.org
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 Inkscape is a vector graphics software that works on Windows, Linux, and macOS desktop devices. It is best for small to medium-sized businesses, and supports a number of image formats and is especially useful for creating and printing promotional materials of high quality. Its features include drawing, pencil, pen, and calligraphy tools, text tools, bitmap tracing, and it supports multiple file formats. It also has SVG format file editing and generation. Its Scalable Vector Graphics support makes it a great choice for designing and creating logos and banners. It can, however, be difficult for new users to familiarise themselves with it. 

AdvantagesDisadvantages
1. Extensive tool set.1. Lacks some important tools found in illustrator such as a gradient mesh tool.
2. Large network of users to provide support.2. Has no support for PMS colours or multiple pages. 
3. Linux compatible.3. Can be a little buggy.

Number 9: VECTR

ProductVectr
Website: www.vectr.com
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 Vectr is a graphics software for creating vector graphics with ease. It has a simple design, but powerful capabilities comparable to Adobe Illustrator. It is available as a web-based tool that is accessible on its website, and can be downloaded as a free software. Vectr is versatile, great for novice engineers, and designers that wish to create presentations, logos, brochures, and cards. It features a pen tool, shape tools, element arrangement capabilities, fills and strokes, and gradients. It is a great substitute for Adobe Illustrator and for anyone looking for a powerful vector graphics software accessible via their browser. It, however, features a limited library of shapes and icons, and requires a constant internet connection to function.

AdvantagesDisadvantages
1.  Easy to learn and use.1. Not a great tool when it comes to advanced vector designs.
2. A plethora of design tools and features.2. Vectr must have an internet connection at all times, so working on a project offline is out of the question.
3. Online based.3. There is no import function, and exporting has some issues.

Number 10: FIREALPACA

ProductFireAlpaca
Website: www.firealpaca.com
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 FireAlpaca is a digital painting software that is compatible with both Windows and Mac, and is best for freelance artists and small businesses. It has simple tools and control for creating illustrations. New tools are added to this software regularly, and it is a great option for anyone seeking lightweight digital marketing software for their desktop. It has features that include original brush, flexible windows, 3D perspective support, concentration lines, and comic templates. Its flexible windows offer users the chance to create their ideal layout, while its 3D perspective capabilities make it perfect for comic book artists. However, its brush and editing tools have limited capabilities.

AdvantagesDisadvantages
1. Easy program to start using for a beginner, although there is much to learn.1. There is very little guidance on how to use the software, and you rely on user video guides which can cause more confusion when you don’t get the expected results.
2. Free to use, and provides most of the features needed for general use.2. Despite having many of the base features, it misses some extra options
3. It is infinitely customizable; users can even create their own brushes.3. It is not available in all languages.

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