Digital art software has revolutionized how artists create by providing advanced tools that mirror and enhance traditional artistic media. Once only possible with pencils, paints and canvases, software now empowers illustrating, photo manipulation and digital painting previously unimaginable.
You now hold limitless creative potential at your fingertips thanks to the efforts of developers building digital tools purposely for artists. Trying to pick the right one amongst a sea of options however leaves many overwhelmed on where to start.
This guide serves as your definitive expert resource to the best digital art software available today that deserve space on your devices in 2023 based on capabilities, features and value.
A Brief History of Digital Art Software
Long before easy to use consumer apps like Procreate, pioneering graphic editors and paint programs allowed artists to start digitizing their work in specialized workstation setups costing thousands.
1990s: Photoshop 1.0 released for Mac, eventually adding layers, filters and key features that became an industry standard. Fractal Design Painter also provided early simulation of real media
2000s: Wacom drawing tablets with pressure sensitive styluses allowed more natural digital ink flow and control. Photoshop became first software to surpass 1 million users by 2000.
2010s: Procreate launched exclusively for iPad leveraging Apple pencil and tablet advances. Affinity provided Photoshop-caliber toolsets at one-time pricing vs subscriptions
Today – With computing power in billions of mobile devices, artists access sophisticated editing, painting and illustration software like never before for the cost of an app. The best combine power with ease of use for limitless digital art potential no matter your skill level.
Comparison of Top Digital Art Software in 2023
| Photoshop | Procreate | Affinity Photo | Clip Studio | Painter | Krita | Medibang | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $10-20/month | $10 one-time | $25 one-time | $25-$220 one-time | $80 one-time | Free | Free |
| Platform | Windows, Mac, iPad | iPad only | Windows, iPad, Mac | Windows, iPad, Mac, Android | Windows, Mac | Windows, Linux, Mac | Windows, Mac |
| Primary Strength | Image editing, compositing | Painting, illustration | Photo editing, compositing | Drawing, comics | Natural media simulation | Drawing, painting | Manga, comics |
| Market Share | 41.5% | 13% (iPad only) | 3.8% | 4.4% | 2.7% | N/A | N/A |
| Custom Brushes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Photoshop dominates as the industry leader for creative professionals thanks to advanced tooling and an expansive plugin ecosystem. Apple‘s Procreate brings desktop power optimized for iPad. Economical Affinity apps challenge Adobe with lower pricing. Clip Studio perfects comic workflows. Corel‘s Painter mimics real-life paint mixing. Beginners benefit from free open-source Krita and Medibang for comics.
Let‘s explore what makes our picks for the 7 best digital art tools outstanding choices.
#1: Adobe Photoshop
As the market leader accounting for 41.5% of all digital artists, Adobe Photoshop stands tall as the best overall software thanks to industry-leading features, expansive system support and integration with other Adobe apps via Creative Cloud.
30 Years of Dominance Since 1990 Debut
Since version 1.0 first launched in 1990 exclusively for Mac focused mainly on image editing, Adobe Photoshop has come to define professional digital art software for over 30 years thanks to constantly evolving capabilities that expand creative possibilities.
Photoshop truly revolutionized editing by introducing pivotal innovations like layers for non-destructive compositing in version 3 allowing risk-free iteration. Adjustment layers, editable type, vector tools, video editing, 3D imagery, multi-core acceleration and Content-Aware Fill represent just some of many milestone features added over versions cementing Photoshop as essential creative software.
Cutting-Edge AI Assistance Ups Game
Recent Photoshop updates emphasize AI assistance tailoring workflows. Select Subject for intelligent cutouts and Sky Replacement to instantly alter backgrounds demonstrate how Adobe infuses human-like cognition to amplify creativity through machine learning trained on millions of images and creations by the Photoshop community.
Neural Filters represent the culmination of AI-enhancements with over 40 one-click effect options like Color Transfer matching hues across images and Superzoom converting low-resolution shots into crisp detail. Photoshop continuously expands the scope of digital art possibility.
Unmatched Community & Plugin Support
With over 25 million monthly active users as part Adobe Creative Cloud, no ecosystem around any digital art software comes close to the community size pouring support, tutorials and creative assets into the Photoshop universe daily further cementing its relevance even with capable challengers emerging.
An astounding library of third-party plugins bringing specialized effects from pixel art to cinematic color grading round out Photoshop as a swiss-army knife for artists. It rightfully keeps its crown as overall best in class digital art software thanks to tools assisting every creative need.
Best for iPad: Procreate
While Photoshop excels as desktop software, mobile OS innovation drives the specialization of digital tools built exclusively harnessing the power of modern tablets. Procreate from Savage Interactive gets our vote as best iPad art software thanks to incredible Apple Pencil integration plus ease of use making digital illustration feel as natural as paper.
Indie iOS Success Story
Procreate origins trace back to 2011 when two Australian app developers sought building a simple fingerpainting program for early iPads. However, incorporating growing Apple Pencil support vaulted Procreate as the preferred art creation tool on iOS thanks to best-in-class stylus optimization.
Straightforward UI coupled with powerful customization for brushes, layers and more make illustrations seemingly spring from imagination to screen. Over 4 million asset downloads and 2 billion brush strokes log daily exemplifying tremendous engagement its accessibility fosters thanks in part to robust community support.
Procreate understands every level of iPad drawing potential – it‘s no surprise 94% of Procreate reviewers give it 5 stars.
Harnessing Mobile Power
By focusing solely on iPadOS, Procreate demonstrates full utilization of Apple tablet capacities that adaptable desktop programs struggle replicating including 120 fps pan/zoom animation and multi-touch gestures enhancing workflow.
Tools feel instantly responsive matching thought to output perfectly to über-satisfying effect. The recently added 3D Painting mode enables texture depth application challenging real-world physicality. Procreate dissolves hardware barriers between inspiration and creation.
For digital art on the go empowering work wherever creativity strikes, Procreate delivers best-in-class mobile painting tools tailored precisely for iPad‘s strengths earning it top spot as specialized tablet painting software.
Best Alternative: Affinity Photo
Not all artists wish embracing subscription models for accessing advanced software. Affinity Photo delivers full-feature Photoshop-grade photo editing and composition at a one-time cost validating it as the smartest alternative. Optimized performance and streamlined tools cater to photography post-production and manifold illustration needs for incredible value.
Photo Editing Focused Development
UK startup Serif launched Affinity Photo in 2015 alongside Publisher and Designer apps to much fanfare, undercutting Adobe pricing dramatically while matching functions admirably. An unrelenting focus on speed, power and workflow refinement defines Affinity photo through years of significant updates.
Sophisticated RAW editing empowers photographers with extensive non-destructive image developing capability. End-to-end color management enables perfecting hues while workflow innovations like studio snapshot recoverability lower risks exploring edits.
Impressive benchmark test performance even challenges Photoshop speed across laptops and desktops. Affinity‘s refined tools encourage creativity flows through uninterrupted responsiveness.
Value to Performance Leader
Costing just $25 outright, Affinity Photo‘s combination of power, refinement and fair single purchase pricing make it a runaway leader satisfying creators without fleecing wallets. Being equally accessible across Mac, Windows and iPad platforms enables the same workflow everywhere.
While slightly lacking extremely advanced Photoshop features like AI assistance, Affinity apps outshine 99% of artist needs at astonishing budget friendliness earning acclaim competing with dominant Adobe. For its design ethos empowering creators through cost and quality focus, Affinity Photo clearly leads as smartest Photoshop alternative choice.
Most Improved Digital Painter: Corel Painter 2022
For fine artists who love replicating traditional real media texture and flow digitally through mixable paint simulation, Corel‘s rebranded Painter 2023 impresses as a matured creative force demonstrating why Corel dominates the digital natural media software niche since founding in 1994.
Focusing squarely on realistic digital painting adds up to Painter‘s astounding 109 million+ brush strokes logged daily through dedicated users. Major 2023 upgrades build substantially on previous efforts innovate simulating fluid paint blending Behavior not possible physically.
Upgraded Mixing & Flow
The banner Fluid Brush system introduces more realistic paint mixing Physics and drying effects for richer texture experimentation. Artists scope up underlying colors on canvas for unique blending as brush strokes blend wetness. Wavy drying patterns emerge as paint which dries across brush rotation now leaves a signature effect.
Such nuances take digital natural media emulation farther than before to pioneer new painterly potential. Corel estimates over 40 man years of development perfect Painter brush design exemplifying an engineering commitment to the craft. Additional fine-tuning boosts CPU usage 4.7x faster when running on Apple M1 silicon chips unleashing full performance.
Investment in Realism
By solely focusing iteration on believable media replication year-over-year, Painter retains loyalty as the foremost simulating painting software. Significantly improving already unmatched flow and blending dynamics cement its place as a specialized digital painting investments for artists who prioritise ultra-realistic natural media response.
Corel sculpts digital creativity to welcome all painterly styles through tireless tools refinement. For doubling down augmenting reality-defying real media effects putting imagination in command, Painter earns recognition as our choice for most improved digital art software expanding creative possibilities.
Summary: Key Takeaways
- Photoshop dominates as best-in-class photo/image editing software with 40% market share thanks to advanced tools and expansive Creative Cloud ecosystem
- Apple Procreate perfects desktop power in iPad painting apps tailored for touch and Pencil
- Affinity Photo matches ~95% of Photoshop capability at one-time accessibility
- Realistic flow/blending puts upgraded Corel Painter atop natural painting emulators
- Entry-level creators benefit from full-capability free editors like Krita and MediBang
With exponential power now affordable whether professional or hobbyist, artists enjoy creative freedom once unthinkable deciding between specializations of digital art software unlocking every style and medium.
Where challenges faced entering art‘s digital era involved acquiring immensely expensive and complex systems before touching pixels on screen, nearly any device held in hand today empowers all visual arts needs.
Understanding strengths of Photoshop‘s sophistication, Procreate‘s mobile ease, Clip Studio‘s comic mastery or Painter‘s responsive flow informs our recommendation between niche competitors. But possibilities stay boundless – digital art barriers fade with technology progress.
These programs represent fulfillment of early ambitions making digital art feel as direct and natural as traditional media while opening doors imagination alone limits henceforth thanks to code craft designed to inspire. Wonders surely wait when such rapid progress becomes foundation for the next wave of innovations to come.
