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Review by M
Corel has really stepped up to the plate in the last couple years. Wisely watching the missteps of Adobe, and not following their path. But this pretty much gives them a home run. I have used Photoshop for many years, then, Adobe happened. Basically tolerated it, but no more. Software like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop etc. has been replaced by CorelDRAW, Paint Shop Pro and a suite of Corel editing and creation tools. Now their amazing Painter outdoes itself. No subscription obligation required.
First off, if you have a Wacom tablet, buy this software yesterday. If you don’t, you will want one after you play with this in a matter of minutes. Though a tablet is not necessary with plenty you can do with your mouse, the control of a pen makes this absolutely perfect.
This is obviously great for professional use, but it is also just fine for budding artists. I actually also recommend getting this for children. The creative freedom here is endless. Also, if you give it to a 10 year old, you’ll have someone to teach you! Don’t underestimate the child’s mind. I say this because once you begin the program you will be overwhelmed with so much, you might think it’s over your head. Beginners can simplify their fears and go at their own pace. You will see the only overwhelming aspect is that there are a bazillion brushes and tools to choose from. Just click and play around. You can save your favorite brushes etc. for easy access. You won’t ruin any image. If you make an error or something you don’t like, you can undo anything or start over. There is definitely a lot to learn, but you truly learn by doing here.
I am using the program on my MacBook Pro 2012, 2.7 GHz, 16gb memory, Intel HD Graphics 4000 1024 MB. I have had the software for almost a month, and have been running the OS X Yosemite (beta and new) and having no problems, freezing or crashing. Very fast response and no lag, so there is a flawless flow of brushing and drawing.
The variety of brush categories are endless as there are sub categories as well. But there are also many special effects giving you access to create with patterns and color mixes. Also playing with photos is fun with features like tracing paper and making a painting out of any photo. There are some software programs out there that just create painting effects on photos, but you don’t have any creative input. With Painters version, you still have access to all the brushes and the tracing paper allows you to be as detailed as you would like.
There is an app in the Apple app store called Cinco for Painter by Corel, but apparently they have no plans on updating it for 2015 since its last update was 2012. It would be great to have the mobile app. There is supposedly and app specifically for Android, but I do not have access. I have Kindle HDX and its not available. Maybe its coming soon. And so far no books that I can find for training. But, again, you really do learn by just using it. You teach yourself easily, but be patient. There is a lot to see and do!