Unlike Paint Tool SAI, FireAlpaca comes with a full set of text editing tools that allow users to create text on their drawings. The program includes brushes that can be used to draw or paint, as well as erasers and a pencil tool.
One of those features is FireAlpaca’s basic paint tools, which are just as powerful as those found in other software like Photoshop or Paint Tool SAI.
It was created as a drawing and painting tool for professional artists, so it has all the features pro illustrators need.įireAlpaca is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems and it’s available in 10 different languages. FireAlpacaįireAlpaca is a great alternative to Paint Tool SAI because it’s free and easy to use, but also has many of the same features that make SAI popular in the first place. If you’re just starting with graphics editing software, we would suggest downloading Adobe Photoshop instead of SAI because it has a much more user-friendly interface (for beginners).Īdobe Photoshop goes for $20.99 per month.Įxplore the best open-source Photoshop alternatives here.
It’s doable, but it takes time to learn how to use both programs. You have to open up two windows in SAI - one for text and one for graphics - and learn to use both simultaneously. For example, in Photoshop, you can edit text and images together in one window. It has a lot of limitations that Photoshop doesn’t have. SAI is free, but it’s not as powerful as Photoshop. It also contains an automatic correction feature that enables color correction of an image and gradient mapping tools. Photoshop has Image Correction features such as retouching tools to remove dust, scratches, or other defects (such as red-eye) from a photographic image. Alpha compositing, masks, and several color models, including RGB, CIELAB, spot color, CMYK, and duotone, are supported. Images can be edited and composed in multiple layers. It has become the de facto industry standard in raster graphics editing, such that the word “photoshop” has become a verb as in “to Photoshop an image,” “photoshopping,” and “photoshopped.” It has been described as “an industry standard for graphics professionals” and was one of the early “killer applications” on the Macintosh, later also for Microsoft Windows. It is the current market leader for commercial bitmap and image manipulation software and is the flagship product of Adobe Systems. Adobe PhotoshopĪdobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems.
ArtRage 4.Bottom Line Best Paint Tool SAI Alternatives 1. The limitations of this program are almost entirely due to my talent level and not any shortcoming of the product. I'm like a kid in a candy store trying to figure out which brushes and settings to use next. You can tell the value of a product when it keeps surprising you with all the extra things it can do. This can be seen with the oil paints that are thicker, especially in the corners where I wish the transitions were a bit smoother.ĭon't let those things turn you off. Another item on my wish list is to be able to create my own brush tip shapes and add some randomness to the strokes so they don't look so uniform. The brush preview and settings sometimes make it hard to see the subtle nuances that you may be trying to dial in to your brush. There are a couple of little things that keep me from giving it a five-star rating. I can't believe the program is so cheap for what it offers, and there are versions for iPad and iPhone.
One of the neat features is that you can use reference images or other imagery for your paintings. It handles layers and blending like a champ and the ability to add shadowing to certain strokes is very nice.
The interface is clean and customizable so you can put everything you don't need out of the way and just paint. It has so many natural-feeling brushes and options that you'll love. ArtRage 4.5 is a painting program that's worth checking out.