Gimp - or GNU Image Maniipulation Program - is a professional-grade digital art tool that works across Windows, macOS, and Linux machines. When it comes to the best digital art software, Gimp is to Photoshop what DaVinci Resolve is to Premiere Pro - a free and fully featured alternative to Adobe software.
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# Best digital art and drawing software of 2024

Contributions from
Steve Paris
last updated 15 August 2024

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Best digital art and drawing software of 2024: Quick Menu

An artist drawing on a tablet

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Looking for the best digital art software and the best drawing software? We've put the top tools through their paces, and these are desktop programs we recommend.

From our own reviews, Adobe Photoshop is our top choice for digital art and drawing. The program works across Windows and Apple devices, and it's packed with every tool a professional artist or beginner designer might need.

We've rounded up the best drawing software and the best digital art software we've used. As part our comprehensive review process, we've explored the drawing and painting experience, range of brushes and tools, and pricing.

Adobe Photoshop is an image editing software, that enables users to enhance digital images with precision and creativity. Its extensive toolset is an asset to professionals to retouch photos, create stunning graphics, and design intricate compositions. Try it for yourself.

## The best digital art and drawing software of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

## Best digital art & drawing software overall

Image 1 of 5

AI-generated content in Adobe Photoshop CC (2023)

(Image credit: Future)

Adjustment Presets in Adobe Photoshop CC (2023)

(Image credit: Future)

Before and after image showing the effects of the Remove Tool in Adobe Photoshop CC (2023)

(Image credit: Future)

AI subject selection in Adobe Photoshop CC (2023)

(Image credit: Future)

Comparison showing the effect of the Remove Tool in Adobe Photoshop CC (2023)

(Image credit: Future)

### 1. Adobe Photoshop

Top choice for illustrators and artists

#### Specifications

Operating system: Windows, macOS, iPadOS, Android

Plan: Subscription

Billing: Monthly, Annual, Annual billed monthly

Today's Best Deals

#### Reasons to buy

+ Easy-to-use
+ Cloud-based suite
+ Comprehensive tools

#### Reasons to avoid

- Subscription only
- May intimidate newcomers
- No Android version

When it comes to the best digital art software, Adobe has dominated the scene for decades. Popular with artists and designers, it's effectively the industry-standard drawing software - so, whether you're a professional or just starting out, knowing Photoshop is a great skill to have.

There's not a lot you can't create with the software - unless you're using an Android device, in which case, you'll have to make do with the limited Photoshop Express. The main app, though, features a host AI tools for automating the more complex elements of digital art. Changing backgrounds, removing subjects, adding filters are all streamlined. It's constantly being updated, too.

Photoshop's interface might seem overwhelming if you're new to it. The software is absolutely full of features, so it can be difficult to know what every tool means or where to find them. But you'll find plenty of guides online, and once you understand Photoshop, you'll easily find your way around Adobe's other Creative Cloud apps.

The digital art and drawing software is available as a standalone subscription, bundled with Lightroom and 1TB cloud storage on the Photography plan, and as part of the Adobe  Creative Clouds All Apps subscription.

## Best free digital art software

Gimp homepage

(Image credit: Gimp)

### 2. Gimp

Unlimited digital artwork

#### Specifications

Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux

Plan: Free

Billing: None

Today's Best Deals

#### Reasons to buy

+ Advanced editing tools
+ Cross-platform
+ Raw and PSD compatible
+ Free and open source
+ Great community support

#### Reasons to avoid

- Steep learning curve
- Could be more responsive

Gimp - or GNU Image Maniipulation Program - is a professional-grade digital art tool that works across Windows, macOS, and Linux machines. When it comes to the best digital art software, Gimp is to Photoshop what DaVinci Resolve is to Premiere Pro - a free and fully featured alternative to Adobe software.

During our own tests, we found the features to be very comprehensive, but performance was slightly less responsive, and more resource-intensive, than Photoshop - but nothing that dramatically halted our workflow.

The sheer number of features, and its open-source heritage, means the learning curve is steeper here than with a drawing program like ArtWeaver. But you'll find the results worth it - whether you're fine-tuning photographs or making your own, unique artwork. You can also customize the interface, making navigation more intuitive, and community support for the tool is outstanding.

## Best drawing app for painters

Corel Painter website screenshot.

(Image credit: Corel)

### 3. Corel Painter

Ideal choice if you're into painting

☆☆☆☆☆

#### Specifications

Operating system: Windows, macOS

Plan: Subscription, Perpetual license

Billing: Annual, Lifetime

Today's Best Deals

#### Reasons to buy

+ Custom brushes
+ Support for third-party apps and hardware
+ Subscription-free license
+ Photoshop brush plugins

#### Reasons to avoid

- Not massively advanced
- No iPad or Android versions

One of the best drawing software for artists is Corel Painter. Aimed at designers, artists, and students, it provides you with a canvas and all the paintbrushes, paints, and styles you need to create a masterpiece.

Corel Painter attempts to recreate the feel of working on a canvas in the real world. You can daub likes of ‘thick paint’ onto your digital canvas, for example, then scrape around or blend, making highly realistic digital artwork

During our own tests, we found a large selection of brushes, with the ability to customize brushes and palettes, and importing new ones. Painter is a downloadable multi-platform app, compatible with third-party software like Photoshop, and of course, drawing tablets. Testing it on a desktop PC, performance felt smooth and we noticed considerable speed improvements over previous versions.

While many of the best drawing software platforms have moved to a subscription-only model, Painter is offers both subscription and perpetual licence for a one-off fee. A free trial is available. You’ll also find special rates for students and learning centres.

## Best free drawing software

Artweaver website screenshot.

(Image credit: Artweaver)

### 4. Artweaver

Free digital art software for Windows PC

#### Specifications

Operating system: Windows

Plan: Free, Perpetual license

Billing: Lifetime

Today's Best Deals

#### Reasons to buy

+ Easy to use
+ Collaboration features
+ Lots of brushes
+ Record your work

#### Reasons to avoid

- Only available on Windows
- Limited free version

Artweaver is an old master in the realm of drawing software. Steeped in experience, this tool offers a diverse set of predefined brushes and pencils that can be used to create some jaw-dropping artwork.

Best of all, it's free - although you can get a perpetual license for Artweaver Plus. The one-off purchase is temptingly cheap, means no more endless subscriptions, and you get access to loads more tools. Existing users can upgrade to the latest version at a discounted rate.

In our experience, Artweaver's interface is intuitive and easy-to-use, making it a great starting off point if you want free drawing software for beginners. However, it also boasts an impressively configurable brush system for professional artists. So, you can choose from a variety of predefined brushes, then tweak them to suit your exact needs. Other extras include sharing and collaboration tools and the option to record your canvas to review your artistic process.

## Best digital art software for a realism

Rebelle website screenshot.

(Image credit: Escape Motions)

### 5. Rebelle

Solid digital art app for realistic paintings

#### Specifications

Operating system: Windows, macOS

Plan: Perpetual license

Billing: Lifetime

Today's Best Deals

#### Reasons to buy

+ Designed by a pro artist
+ Simulates realistic painting experience
+ Lots of customization options
+ Toolkit bursting with brushes and tools

#### Reasons to avoid

- Can lag on older hardware
- Not as advanced as Corel Painter

Developed by artist Peter Blaskovic, Rebelle is another highly versatile drawing and painting application. Described as “one-of-a-kind paint software”, it’s been designed to simulate a real-world painting experience for creatives working on watercolor, acrylic, wet and dry media artwork.

Blaskovic created the app as part of his experimental drawing projects and wanted an easy-to-use program to access natural painting tools on-the-go. The app uses realistic color blending, wet diffusion and drying techniques, and offers a plethora of watercolors, acrylics, inks and pastels.

There are also ‘dry’ tools like pencils, markers and erasers, so you don’t have to stick to paintbrushes. The app also boasts some interesting capabilities like the ability to tilt the canvas you’re working on.

What’s more, Rebelle works with Photoshop, allowing you to tap into 23 additional blending nodes. You can download a trial version to see if Rebelle is the best digital art and drawing software for you.

## Best digital art software for desktop and mobile

Artrage website screenshot.

(Image credit: Artrage)

### 6. ArtRage

Great for working across Windows, Mac, and mobile

#### Specifications

Operating system: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

Plan: Perpetual license

Billing: Lifetime

Today's Best Deals

#### Reasons to buy

+ Custom brushes
+ Oil paint feature
+ Realistic painting
+ Recordable actions

#### Reasons to avoid

- A little slow and unstable
- Lite version may be limited for some

Available on Windows, Apple, and Android devices, ArtRage is one of the best drawing software to download when you're working across multiple devices and platforms.

It packs in a good range of painting features, such as pencils, pens, and oil painting brushes, as well as digital editing features such as layers, transform, filters, and custom brushes. Like Rebelle, it simulates real-world painting, with brushes reacting to the textures of the canvas. Collaborative workflow tools also means it's ideal for wortking with colleagues and classmates on projects.

This impressive digital art software is available as a full package or a Lite version, which is half the price but limited in comparison. So, there's flexibility here, but it's worth checking the version you want does what you need.

There are also a good range of support options available on the website, such as manuals, tutorials, as well as an online community for advice, suggestions, tips, and tricks.

## Best digital art & drawing software: FAQs

### What is digital art & drawing software?

Digital art & drawing software transforms your computer monitor or mobile device screen into a blank canvas.

Unlike many general graphic design software, drawing apps tend to provide tools especially for artists and illustrators. Offering a vast array of tools, brushes, and color pallettes, artists will enjoy a realistic creative experience.

These sophisticated programs can emulate a variety of mediums, modeling paint effects with great accuracy.

However, the best software for digital art also allows you to break away from traditional methods. Layers, effects, filters, and many other tools allow you to manipulate your art in ways not previously possible.

### What is the best drawing software for PC?

Adobe Photoshop is the best drawing software for Windows devices overall. The digital art program sets an industry-standard for features and tools, including impressive AI work to lighten the load. Photoshop also works well combined with the likes of Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Fresco. Corel Painter, Rebelle, and Krita offer extra for digital artists and painters.

### What’s the best drawing software for Mac?

Photoshop is the best software for drawing on Mac. It may feel daunting if you’re a beginner, but the powerful tool is intuitively designed, delivering pro results. It syncs your artwork across iPhone and iPad, too. If you’re an artist looking for painting apps on Mac, we recommend trying Corel Painter and Rebelle. Krita is a good free and open-source alternative.

### What’s the best free digital art software?

Gimp is the best free digital art software on WIndows, Mac, and Linux. The open-source drawing app is as powerful as Adobe Photoshop, however, there is a learning curve to mastering the tool. The freemium Adobe Fresco is also worth trying, without having to pay for the full app. Krita is a fully-featured open-source digital art app for Windows, Mac, and Android, if you want to paint and draw.

For a simple free drawing software on PC, try Artweaver. It’s been around a while now, and the free version is somewhat limited, but the highly configurable brush system makes it worth a download.

### What software do digital artists use?

Digital artists express themselves through a range of drawing apps. Many professionals use Photoshop, which works across desktop, mobile, and tablet and integrates with Adobe’s other digital art apps like Adobe Illustrator. Gimp is an open-source alternative to Photoshop, although it’s tied to desktops. The well-loved Procreate is a favorite drawing tool among talented digital artists. Autodesk Sketchbook is a great professional illustrator app for iPhone, Android, Windows, macOS, and iPad.

### What are some digital art software alternatives?

While we've tested out the best digital art and drawing software, there are still alternative tools available - especially if looking for something more entry-level, or simply competent when it comes to art and design.

PaintShop Pro is a neat little art program. Although not as fully featured as some of the above it's still very competent software for many aspects of art and design. Whether it's photo editing, drawing, or creating/designing graphics, there are a lot of tools and additional plugins available to get the effect you want. Originally developed by Jasc, it's now part of the Corel stable of creative programs.

Adobe Illustrator can sometimes be thought of as being the little brother to the more powerful Photoshop, but don't overlook its possibilities. While Photoshop was originally built for photo editing, Adobe Illustrator has always been designed around illustration and drawing. You don't need to choose between one or the other, however, as if you subscribe to even the basic level Adobe creative apps plan, you can have both Photoshop and Illustrator together.

Sketchup is more focused on 3D design rather than general painting and drawing, but is worth considering if that's the main reason you need software for drawing. Even better is that there's a free version, but even the paid-for versions are relatively cheap by comparison to some of the above, with an annual cost varying according to how many features you want to unlock.

Microsoft Paint is a basic art package that comes with every Windows install, and has done so since at least Windows 3.x. The release of Windows 10 has seen 3D editing tools added to it, but let's be fair-it's still a simple program that isn't going to rival anything else on this list. However, because of the easy availability of MS Paint it's worth mentioning - if nothing else because it does have a basic toolkit that is expanded on by other software.

## How to choose which digital art & drawing software is best for you

When deciding which digital art & drawing software is best, first consider how many features and tools you may need, the types of projects you're creating, and your skill-level with this type of software.

Hardware

Digital art and drawing software isn't typically too resource-intensive, with fair minimum system requirements. However, for more complex projects, you may need a machine capable of keeping up with the program. For more on this, we reviewed the best laptops for graphic design and the best laptops for drawing and digital art. Alternatively, you may prefer to use a dedicated digital art tablet, which we've also tested in our guide to the best drawing tablets.

Use

In some cases, fully featured digital art tools may not be needed. For example, if you’re just trying to make simple image, such as a logo, you may find the best free logo designer or similar will be fine. For more complex works, the best photo editors and professional graphic design software may be best.

Collaboration

Whether you're a freelance artist or working in-house, online collaboration tools are essential for sharing your work, receiving feedback, and getting each project pixel-perfect and signed off. If you're working across mediums, look for supported integration between related apps - for example, Photoshop seamlessly integrates with Adobe Lightroom.

Budget

Budget is another factor. We've reviewed plenty of free computer programs for artists, but there will be trade-offs. Adobe Fresco is a good intermediate app in this case, as it operates a freemium model, letting you get a real taste of what it offers before you commit to subscribing.

## How we test the best digital art & drawing software

To test for the best digital art and the best drawing software we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, whether as a download or as an online service. We then tested the service by creating a handful of images to see how the software could be used for the editing and development of each image. The aim was to push each software platform to see how easy it was to use different features, tools, and filters where available. We assess overall user interface and experience, the breadth of tools and brushes on offer, and value for money.

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Steve is TechRadar Pro’s B2B Editor for Creative & Hardware. He explores the apps and devices for individuals and organizations that thrive on design and innovation. A former journalist at Web User magazine, he's covered software and hardware news, reviews, features, and guides. He's previously worked on content for Microsoft, Sony, and countless SaaS & product design firms. Once upon a time, he wrote commercials and movie trailers. Relentless champion of the Oxford comma.

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