If you are looking for a drawing experience that feels so real like the pencil and canvas kind and seamless as well, Procreate has got you covered. The Procreate app comes to light with the intention of giving artists the best time of their lives while drawing and, even, painting digitally.
The pooper is a bit obvious now; Procreate is available on IOS devices only; Android and Windows devices are left out. Procreate has been made available for download on Apple Store alone since its initial introduction in 2011 to date by Savage Interaction. Procreate has been used by recognized artists in their works and employed in making arts related to popular movies like Stranger Things, Blade Runner 2049, and a couple of DC movies. Incredibly, by 2018, it had risen to claim the best selling app status on iPad. The icing on the cake is the one-time purchase feature excluding in-app fees or subscriptions!
But Windows customers deserve an enjoyable crafting time too and, fortunately, there are numerous alternatives to Procreate that their devices can access. Out of so many drawing and painting apps available, we have come down to the best 15 there are, by our analysis.
Before we start, let me recommend you another article I have on the best Procreate alternatives for Android, in case you wanna know how you can develop your artistic skills in your Android tablet or phone.
LIST OF PROCREATE ALTERNATIVE APPS FOR DRAWING AND PAINTING(BOTH FREE AND PREMIUM)
This wonderful illustration application is available on Windows, Apple, and Android devices. It has tens of thousands of brushes and pens for artists to make a near-perfect imitation of their models or draw out their imaginations. The paint expressions vary from watercolor variants to heavy oil painting and acrylics. Same thing with available 3D to easily get action characters into poses. Above all, users get the opportunity to create colors on pallette to their desired taste. Clip Studio Paint is highly useful for manga artists as it presents them with every necessary tool. Although, the available tools depend on the DEBUT, PRO, and EX packages. As regards language, the app allows language change for easy use. There is a one-time payment for Windows and Mac users only. Others can make a choice between the monthly and annual premiums.
A sketch is the genesis of alluring, finished artwork, and Sketchbook takes you from scratch to finish, along the smooth ride. First, the application is available on all devices including Windows. No matter the device used in making illustrations, SketchBook enables the artist to make maximum use of the screen. This entails zoom in and out functions to help one accentuate every detail. Sketchbook also shuns disturbances with help from the UI system, so users can get totally engrossed in creativity. A major feature of this artistic domain is the 16 section Radial Symmetry and Predictive Stroke for fine lines and accurate shapes, to always keep artists in check as per mistakes. Sketchbook is a popular choice for industrial designers and, in fact, architects. The app is free for all except when In large scale use with a maximum purchase validity of 3 years.
Primarily concerned with commercial design, Photoshop is employed for banners, posters, billboards, and product packaging designs. The app boasts of available tools needed to create catchy illustrations and put in raw enhancements. Photoshop, in addition, creates a collection of Adobe fonts, spoiling its users with attractive options. These fonts are equally suited to match users’ liking. Motifs are not exempted; the app aids the formation of pattern overly and pattern fill layers for beautiful backgrounds, either static or moving(rotating). Long hours of design will never go to waste; all pieces are stored in the cloud and accessible on any device. All offers on Photoshop are tagged with payments, monthly.
Have just a smartphone, and you can get started; FireAlpaca is absolutely free. Asides from its Windows compatibility, FireAlpaca is open to Mac users. It prides basically on its viability for comic drawings by providing fantastic comic templates and 3D angles to help creators. Also, regardless of any device’s capacity, the app runs speedily due to its lightness.
Graphiter combines basic features such as Graphite Pencils and Blending Tools. The application focuses on pencil drawings, as you would guess, allowing artists to pick up and use any pencil from hard to soft—from 2H all the way to 8B. This wide range ensures perfect sketch creation. Color pencils of different hues are present to add beauty to your work eventually with shading still very much possible. Inking also comes handy in the area of contouring for proper detailing. The blend tools allow every feature of your drawing to transition into each other smoothly, eliminates the odd placements on your canvas. And of course, with the Eraser, mistakes are forgivable but you will start all over. Graphiter is readily available on the Windows store and contains in-app purchases.
Krita is an open-source painting program set up by a group of artists to satisfy the cravings for concept arts, texture and matte works, and more importantly, comic illustrations. This implies that painting is a priority there. Krita provides brush stabilizers so that your shaky hands won’t make your paintings get smeared. The Dynamic Brush Tool allows unmistaken mass painting for large works. Artists on Krita can customize their brushes with about 9 paintbrush engines. Interactions are abounding with Resource Manager connecting artists to share their unique paint brushes amongst one another. Krita is readily available on Windows with updates of the application on higher versions. Besides, Krita is absolutely free!
Created as competition for Microsoft Paint and similar graphic software, Paint.Net has largely lived up to its name and has received thumbs up on every side. It is an editing software available on Windows run PCs. Paint. Net offers users a large variety of graphic tools and special effects. Redo and undo options eliminates any form of mistakes or omissions. Its user-friendly interface allows artists to connect over various climes through tutorials and assistance rendering. Plugins are allowed. Paint.Net is free to download and void of subscriptions.
From fresh hands to professional creators, ArtRage welcomes everyone to its fold. This is made possible by the application’s flexible usage. ArtRage on Windows presents you with realistic painting tools(brushes, palettes, and finishes) that can be customized. Paintings are always arranged in layers and groups to support appropriate color blending too. You can go on to form a custom workplace that eases your artistic experience while swaying brushes of your liking. Various sets of grids and perspectives allow you to put your drawing on a proper footing. However, the current version ArtRage 6 goes for $79.
Paint Tool Sai is a cost-friendly and lightweight painting application. It presents artists with easy to use tools and touchscreen maneuver with a pen. Basically, you will get a reasonable variety of hues on your palette plus different brushes and pencils. Paint Tool Sai also has vector drawing and selection tools. However, the language barrier decimates its audience to those who understand English or/and Japanese, the only two languages available. The application costs about $50, although, there is a 30 day free trial with access to every tool.
This is a professional painting software on Windows. With over 900 brushes, you can make all sorts of strokes to bring artworks to perfection. A plethora of brushes will help one dab finishes properly, whether in thick painting or watercolor type. The limits to which tools are customized on Painter 2021 are endless. Every artist has a hand in how his/her application functions in order to maximize available resources. All these goodness come at certain fees, though. Subscribers can take a shot at monthly or annual premiums while a whopping payment of about $429 guarantees a buy. Unlike on other platforms, the Windows version has a free trial option.
This loaded application dwells largely on digital painting and comic content creation. Paint Pro provides every tool needed in these aspects. First, multiple brushes adapted to inking and coloring are present. Layouts for comic pages are equally available with good paneling and clear cut action boxes. MediBang Paint Pro is also light on your device’s RAM and stores every effort to the cloud as the pen touches the canvas. A community for artists on the software brings about collaboration on any intended projects. Other features are free fonts to fill up communication bubbles nicely and layer functions. MediBang Paint Pro gives all of these and some more without taking a penny from you.
GIMP(GNU Image Manipulator Program)
GIMP is an open-source, free image editor available on Windows. The software allows users to manipulate images to whatever extent imaginations can go in terms of brightness, contrast, tone, and so on. It doesn’t stop there. Images can also be transformed into an original artwork by the tools present on GIMP, the whole transition concealed. Mockups and Graphic emblems are created on the application as well. As a program, itself, it supports scripted image refixing on the instructions of programming algorithms. Everything costs nothing!
Just as with the fluidity on physical paper, Sketchable presents a similar experience on the digital screen, to the delight of any artist. The interface, though very detailed, allows users to explore creativity at its fullest. On Sketchable, the artist dictates his pace by the means of customized controls and tools. This allows the experiment of every hue and shade to attain perfection on every touch. Eventually, a personalized studio is brought to life. Sketchable is available for free on the Windows store but requires in-app payments to unlock some superb features.
Do you want to lay down beautiful artworks embellished with either watercolors or acrylics? Get hold of Rebelle, literally. Think of whatever method of painting in both ways— drip or blow water coloring, acrylic impasto of varying depths, stenciling—they are achievable on this application. Its interface is spectacular and comprehensive including transparency locking and multiple language choices. Paintbrushes are in abundance to make every keystroke in addition to dry tools like pencils and erasers. In terms of layers, tools, and colors, much is on offer including 23 modes for Photoshop! Even the retina display is adjustable to suit your eyes! Rebelle 3 sells at $89.99 with no further costs and is a one-time auto-update enabled application.
This writing and illustration application is wonderful. The Bamboo paper has six tools including pens and brushes that allow users to get into an expressive mode digitally with about 36 colors. This entails drawings and colorful writings. It also comes with WILL Universal Ink for making effects where necessary. The Bamboo Paper app comes with WAMCO’s Bamboo tablets and can be downloaded on Windows Store. In-app purchases are included.
These are a few alternatives for Windows users out of so many applications. Maybe Apple customers should get jealous now. Every artist will want the enviable features of the Procreate application and these alternatives can match up to it. Varying paintbrushes, a complete interface yet big enough for work, custom-made tools, different pencil grades, and even the opportunity to mix one’s colors are alluring features. Cost is a major aspect to watch out for. Do the purchase costs match the application’s benefits? Are the in-app purchases worth the price labeled on them? However, these considerations will come after identifying the amount one can spare. Equipped with the knowledge of what you want out of your drawing or painting app, you will be guided to pick your best Procreate alternative. All these alternatives are great, depending on how each factor suits you.
