Looking for a Free Simple Drawing Program

warder808

Hi.

I have a brother who isn't computer savvy. He likes to draw alot. I got him a Bamboo wacom tablet, hoping he would draw on that instead of draw graffiti.

What is a good, simple, free drawing program so he can learn how to draw using the PC? I got the cheapest version of the Bamboo tablet, I think the next one up comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements but I dont know anything about that. Is that a good place to start?

Thanks in advance guys.

SeñorAmor

There's always The GIMP

Silvoculous

Inkscape is popular.

Janin

Another vote for Inkscape, it's high-quality software that's easy to learn and use.

Kron

OpenCanvas. OpenCanvas.

FyreWulff

Paint.NET

VThornheart

I second Paint.NET. Very intuitive interface, works well, has many plugins available as your needs progress.

ben0207

Kron wrote: »

OpenCanvas. OpenCanvas.

Woah there, executable-linking guy. Some more info first please?

Kron

ben0207 wrote: »

Kron wrote: »

OpenCanvas. OpenCanvas.

Woah there, executable-linking guy. Some more info first please?

It's the same executable linked from the Questions sticky in the Artist's Corner. It's a pretty cool program, and that version is the last freeware one - it also has internet linking so you can draw with mutliple people at the same time.

Airan

I second both Open Canvas and Paint.NET. OC has a much smoother brush system and in my opinion is to Painter what Paint.NET is to Photoshop.

FyreWulff

Paint.NET also has a human interface, unlike the GIMP.

Also, I prefer to tell people "I use Paint.NET" to "I use the gimp".

Silvoculous

Thirding Paint.NET because I like it way more than Inkscape, even.

Just give him Paint.NET, he'll love it.

DHS Odium

Paint.Net, it has tablet/pressure support. I'm surprised people are listing Inkscape, while good, it's a vector program, I didn't get the impression that this would be useful for tablet drawing. Or am I missing a feaure of Inkscape?

Janin

DHS Odium wrote: »

Paint.Net, it has tablet/pressure support. I'm surprised people are listing Inkscape, while good, it's a vector program, I didn't get the impression that this would be useful for tablet drawing. Or am I missing a feaure of Inkscape?

The OP never specified whether he wanted to use vector or raster output. Tablets can be used for either.

jackal

11th or 12th'ing Paint.Net.

ben0207

FyreWulff wrote: »

Paint.NET also has a human interface, unlike the GIMP.

Also, I prefer to tell people "I use Paint.NET" to "I use the gimp".

They should just rename it. GIMP is a stupid name for an application, as it already has negative connotations. App names have three categories:

• Word, Pages, Photoshop: Fairly descriptive, and pleasently short and to-the-point.
  
• Seashore, Quicktime, Firefox: Non-descriptive, but a short, sharp and pleasing little thing that has the advantage of being memorable.
  
• Paint Shop Pro, OmniGraffle Proffesional, the majority of shareware: Neither entirely descriptive, nor entirely pleasant. Very functional, but thankfully dying out now.

But GIMP? What the fuck were they thinking?

"hurf furf guys we've made an excellent and useful application that would be semi-suitable for the proffesional creative market! What's the best way to kill it's chances?"

"Well, we could call it sometihng so embarassing that nobody will be willing to even suggest it to their boss or admit to using it"

"hurf hurf hurf let's call it Nun-fucker"

"Not really relevant. How about GNU Image Manipulation Program - GIMP!"

"lulz genisu"

FyreWulff

Even something like GNUcanvas would have been better (which according to a google, does not exist on the internet suprisingly, and will probably soon point to this post)

DHS Odium

Just call it the Image Manipulation Program - IMP. Imp sounds much better, they could make a little Imp mascot too and get rid of that hideous thing they currently have. Who wouldn't want a mischievous little demon as their mascot?

DigDug2000

I'll 1,000,000th Paint.NET for dumb little image manipulation stuff and Inkscape for anything vector, and then throw in the one and only recommendation ever given for GIMP. If you don't know a lot about Photoshop or can't afford it, GIMP gives you similar abilities for $0. Paint.Net is nice, but you'll eventually run into features that it just doesn't have. Gimp has them all with an.... unoptimized interface to dig through to find them. Once you learn it its not unusable though.