Artist Download: 9 best apps for artists on Mac

Need to make an art app upgrade? Choose from one of the best apps for artists to get the most from your Mac and your art.

Digital art and
graphic design is no longer for those who went to special art schools
or possess unique and rare talent. Instead, the whole industry has
been democratized and now there are a wide range of apps for
artists that lets people paint and draw on their computers. Many
of these applications focus on a specific aspect of art like
photo-manipulation, illustration, or design.
As Mac computers
continue to become more popular, art-minded people are looking for
the best apps to try new things. Luckily, you don't have to search
any further. Continue reading and we'll walk you through the best
apps for artists on Mac.
1. Adobe
Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is
so popular and so ubiquitous that many people talk about it like
it's a verb. "Is this picture photoshopped?" is a common
question among skeptics.
Adobe is one of the
best companies around when it comes to making creative software.
Anyone who considers themselves to be an artist, whether a
professional or amateur, would be wise to consider purchasing the
software.
Photoshop can let
artists enhance and create images, 3D visuals, and illustrations. But
the software isn't just about editing images. Professional designers
can use the app to make icons, logos, websites, banners, and
packaging.
You can either come
up with your own visual ideas or use one of
Photoshop's helpful templates. They're especially useful for
beginners or people who are working under a strict deadline.
You can also draw
your own illustrations and then transforms them into paintings. And
you'll have the opportunity to alternate between print-style and
animate options. After you've created your masterpiece, you can use
the various built-in effects to enhance it even more.
There are a variety
of pricing options when it comes to Adobe products. The cheapest
option is the Photography level. This will cost you $10 each month
and also comes with Adobe Lightroom CC (CC stands for Creative
Cloud).
You'll also get 20GB
of storage in the cloud. You can also upgrade to the Single App plan.
This is $21 each month and includes 100GB of cloud storage.
You'll also get Adobe Spark, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Portfolio.
If you want all of
the applications that are available in Adobe's Creative Suite, you
will have to pay $53 each month. However, you can get student- as
well as other types
of discounts.
2. Corel Painter
Corel is a company
that provides a variety of creative software applications. One of
those apps is known as Painter. This program is meant for students,
artists, and designers.
It's a
cross-platform app and will provide you with "thick paint."
You can smear your virtual canvass with this paint and then
blend or scrape it to make some very beautiful works.
Corel Painter gives
you a wide array of brush options. And you can even make
your own custom palettes and brushes. And you can import your
own as well.
You can download
Corel Painter for both Mac and Windows. It's also compatible with
other software apps like Adobe Photoshop as well as digital drawing
tablets.
When it comes to
price, Corel Painter will cost you around $400. Although they offer
discounts and special pricing for their education edition for both
learning centers and students.
3. Artweaver
One of the oldest
digital painting programs on the market, Artweaver is currently on
its sixth edition. This app gives you a variety of predefined pencils
and paintbrushes that you can use to make all sorts of cool art.
With Artweaver,
you're going to get an intuitive brush ecosystem as well as a
user-friendly interface. This is an app that beginners and experts
can enjoy.
Another great
feature of this application is that you can collaborate with other
artists on the same project. You'll just need access to the internet
to do this.
This software also
records the progress of your work so you can review and improve your
skills. The software costs $47 but you can also get a free trial
version.
4. ArtRage
ArtRage is an
artistic application that you can use on both Mac as well as Windows
operating systems. This software can also be used on Android and iOS
devices for maximum convenience.
You're going to get
a solid array of features from this app including oil painting
brushes, pens, and also pencils. Plus, you'll get helpful digital
editing tools such as custom brushes, filters, transform, and
layers.
The desktop and
mobile versions come in both full and lite versions. It only
costs $80 for a license for the full version. And you only pay $40
for the lite one.
The app's website
also offers a plethora of handy support options. You'll get
tutorials, manuals, and even an online forum where you can get tips,
advice, tricks, and suggestions.
5. Rebelle
Rebelle is a program
that was created by the artist Peter Blaskovic. This is an
extremely versatile painting and drawing program. It's especially
useful for people who work with dry and wet media artwork, acrylic,
and watercolor.
Peter designed the
app originally to be part of his experimental art projects. He wanted
to have an app that was easy to use and let him use natural painting
techniques. Rebelle utilizes drying techniques, wet diffusion, and
color blending.
Users will also be
able to choose from a variety of pastels, inks, acrylics, and
watercolors. You can also use dry instruments like erasers, markers,
and pencils. So you won't be stuck with just using paintbrushes.
Another cool feature
is that you can tilt the canvas that you're drawing on. Another great
thing about Rebelle is that it's compatible with Adobe Photoshop.
This is going to let you take advantage of over 20 different blending
tools.
The application will
cost you about $90 but there's also a free trial version so you can
try before you buy.
6. Preview
A lot of artists out
there wonder if there's an MS Paint
program for Mac.
Unfortunately, there isn't. But Apple's built-in application Preview
is a decent competitor to both MS Paint and Adobe Photoshop.
Many people don't
know this but Preview can do a lot more than just help people view
images. You can do basic painting, annotating, and image editing.
7. Procreate
Procreate comes with
all sorts of different features. For example, it comes with groups,
Blend Modes, masks, and gives you the chance to work with
hundreds of layers. You'll also get precise color picker tools to
make sure your designs turn out exactly how you imagine them.
Procreate also
offers over 100 different brushes. Using their brush engine, you can
also make your own. This will all help you imitate standard art
effects in a simple and efficient manner.
It's also compatible
with Adobe Photoshop. And
there's even a new text tool so you have more options for what you
can create.
8. Krita
Many people will
argue that Krita is one of the most underrated art applications
around. The program is not only free to use but it's also open
source. And it's been going strong within the artistic community
since it was released in 2004.
The interface for
this app is customizable and also very intuitive. All of the panels
and dockers can be moved so that you can work within an ideal
workspace.
You're also going to
get over 100 preloaded and professionally designed paintbrushes.
Plus, there are nine distinct brush engines. Some of the most popular
brush engines are the Particle engine, Shape engine, and Color Smudge
engine.
And to get even more
customizable, you can create, share, and import your own texture
packs and brushes. The app also comes with its own brush stabilizer
so your lines will always be totally smooth.
9. CorelDraw
For many years, the
CorelDraw graphics suite was only available for Windows computers.
But since 2019, they're now also available on Mac and can even be
used with the Touch Bar. You can also use their CorelDRAW.app
for browser-based work.
All of your artistic
desires can be met with CorelDRAW's amazing features. Some of
their most popular features are vector design and photo editing.
Plus, there's their LiveSketch feature which is powered by artificial
intelligence.
The Importance of
Knowing the Best Apps for Artists on Macs
After reading the
above, it should be clear that there are all sorts of amazing apps
for artists on Mac computers. But that doesn't mean all of these
applications will be the right fit for your artistic needs. That's
why it's so important to review all of the information and figure out
what you want most out of your application.
Are you interested
in reading other helpful articles? Check out the rest of our blog
today for more!
Published February 15, 2020
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