Reviewing Free Digital Art Programs

In the digital age, the idea of drawing on one's devices are becoming increasingly popular. And for good reason! Digital art is quite versatile, and comes with a large selection of tools! What's not to love about having all colors at your fingertips? There are a plethora of digital art applications for a variety of platforms, whether you own a smartphone or a drawing tablet and laptop. However, many art programs come with a price tag, and many artists, especially for those who are young (I completely understand).

Here are a few digital art programs I have used over the course of my digital art journey.

Medibang Paint

Medibang paint. A program I have been familiar with since middle school. For a free program, it is definitely worth downloading! It's relatively simple to use whilst having a variety of tools, such as brushes mimicking real-life mediums, grides and guidelines, and many different layer modes. It is lightweight and quick. This program also comes with a plethora of online resources (however, an account is needed to access them). Lastly, Medibang is available for iOS, Android, and PC, making it extremely versatile.

Pros:

• Easy to learn

• Large selection of tools

• Lightweight

• Available on multiple platforms

Cons:

• Not as powerful as Krita

• Limited editing capabilities

Firealpaca

Firealpaca is another program I have been familiar with for a while. The program is very similar to Medibang; right down to the layout and tools (except for the color of the interface). However, it has an additional feature that animators would enjoy: the ability to animate frame-by-frame! However, unlike Medibang Paint, Firealpaca is not available on iOS or Android.

Pros:

• Easy to learn

• Supports animation

• Large selection of tools

Cons:

• Bright colored interface can be straining on eyes

• Not available on iOS or Android

• Limited editing capabilities

Krita

When it comes to free digital art programs, Krita is as powerful as it gets, and it even rivals photoshop! It has significantly more features than the other programs listed, such as built-in vector and text, nine different brush engines, a customizable interface, and an extremely large selection of tools! There are also more options in editing images in terms of effects, lighting, and color. However, because of the vast number of features, it has a steeper learning curve than all of the other art programs listed here and may run slowly on some devices. It is also only available for PC.

Pros:

• Powerful

• Better editing capabilities

• Large selection of tools

Cons:

• Can be slow on some devices

• Not as lightweight

• Steep learning curve

Adobe Sketch

Adobe Sketch is a decent digital art program for mobile phones: it comes with realistic media brushes (the watercolor brush is especially realistic, as it simulates the fluidity of real watercolors), the ability to customize them, and the ability to screen record for those who want time-lapses of their processes. However, Adobe sketch lacks the ability to group layers or cut. It also does not allow the user to adjust the properties of the image (such as color, saturation, lighting). As a result, this program is best suitable for on-the-go-doodling.

Pros:

• Realistic simulation of real media

• Can screen record

• Many ways to customize brushes

Cons:

• Lacking in features other programs have (such as grouping layers and cutting)

• No editing capabilities

Whether you are a novice or experienced artist, one thing that is agreeable is that trying out new mediums is a fun and exciting experience. However, with any medium, it is important to do additional research to assess what will meet your needs and wants. Regardless, digital art is an extremely versatile medium, and can greatly expand your horizons. Have at it and draw!