The Best Drawing Alternatives for Every Digital Artist
Are you looking for a simple image editor that gets the job done without overwhelming you with complex features? While Drawing, a basic image editor similar to Microsoft Paint and designed for the GNOME desktop, handles PNG, JPEG, and BMP files competently, you might be seeking more advanced capabilities, cross-platform support, or a different user experience. Fortunately, the digital art world offers a plethora of excellent Drawing alternative options to suit various needs, from professional-grade painting software to lightweight, everyday tools.
Top Drawing Alternatives
Whether you're a seasoned digital artist or just starting, there's a perfect alternative waiting for you. Dive into our curated list to find the ideal software that complements your workflow and unleashes your creativity.
Krita
Krita is a professional, open-source raster graphics editor, making it an exceptional Drawing alternative for artists focused on digital painting and sketching. It offers advanced tools, workflow features, and extensive support across Free, Open Source, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android Tablet, and PortableApps.com platforms. Key features include Digital Drawing, Animation, Blending brushes, Frame by frame animation, Advanced brush settings, and support for Wacom Tablets.
Paint.NET
Paint.NET is a free and highly capable image editing software for Windows, serving as an excellent Drawing alternative for users who desire more power than basic paint programs but don't need the complexity of Photoshop. It's a Freemium application primarily for Windows and Windows S, featuring crucial elements like Support for Layers, Extensible by Plugins/Extensions, Layer manipulation, and a Lightweight, minimalistic UI.
MyPaint
MyPaint is a fast, distraction-free, and easy painting tool, making it a superb open-source Drawing alternative for digital artists. Available for Free, Open Source, Mac, Windows, Linux, and PortableApps.com, it supports graphics tablets by Wacom and similar devices. Its notable features include an Infinite canvas, Color blending, Drawing, Fullscreen support, and Support for Layers.
Microsoft Paint
Microsoft Paint, often simply called Paint, is the classic, ultra-basic graphics painting program included with almost all versions of Microsoft Windows. It's a free Windows-only application that excels as a straightforward Drawing alternative for simple image editing and pixel art, retaining a minimalistic approach and being bundled with the OS.
LazPaint
LazPaint is a free and open-source image editor written in Lazarus (Free Pascal), providing a robust Drawing alternative with features akin to PaintBrush or Paint.Net. It's available for Free, Open Source, Mac, Windows, Linux, BSD, and PortableApps.com, distinguishing itself with Lightweight performance, support for Layers, Reads PDN Format, and Pixel accuracy.
KolourPaint
KolourPaint is a simple, open-source painting program for Linux, making it a functional Drawing alternative for quickly creating raster images. It's useful as a touch-up tool and for basic image editing tasks, offering Image Editing and Texturing features for free on Linux platforms.
Adobe Photoshop Elements
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a commercial software combining power and simplicity, making it a compelling Drawing alternative for users who want to enhance photos and create personalized projects. Available for Commercial use on Mac, Windows, and Windows S, it includes features like Facial recognition, Image Editing, Layer manipulation, and Lossless Cropping.
Dibuja
Dibuja is a simple-to-use paint program, similar to Paintbrush for Mac or classic MS Paint, but specifically designed for Linux, making it a great open-source Drawing alternative for that ecosystem. It's free and open-source, available for Linux and BSD, offering basic features such as Crop images, Drawing, and Image Editing.
Gpaint
Gpaint (aka GNU Paint) is a small-scale painting program for GNOME, the GNU Desktop Environment. As a free and open-source Drawing alternative for Linux and BSD, gpaint does not aim to compete with GIMP but rather provides a simple drawing experience with features like Drawing, Drawing 2D, Image Editing, and Image Processing.
Paint +++
Paint +++ aims to fill the need for a basic, streamlined, and Mac-native image editor. It's a commercial Drawing alternative for Mac users who need to quickly crop a photo, add text, or perform simple edits, providing a user-friendly experience for educational or everyday tasks.
With a wide range of options available, from powerful professional tools to lightweight, user-friendly alternatives, you're sure to find the perfect Drawing alternative to enhance your digital art workflow. Consider your platform, budget, and specific feature requirements to choose the best fit for your creative endeavors.