Drawing programs

[T_ed89]

Hello, I'm quite new here on AGS forums and me and my friend have started on a game wich could be pretty good with some work. We made the backgrounds in Paint and I was just wondering wich program you other guys use to do the backgrounds, because Paint is not a very good program for this matters.

Thanks

[Haddas]

It all depends on how good you use it really. There is a stickie thread in the Critics lounge filled with different paint programs, free and not free. I use 3 programs. Ms paint , Photoshop 7 and Flash MX.

Photoshop work:


Flash work:


Unfortunately this is the only paint work I've found:

[Kinoko]

Paint Shop Pro, all the way

[scotch]

Photoshop is most popular, but isn't free so you might not be able to get it.  Paint Shop Pro is also quite popular, and there is a shareware download, it's pretty much identical to Photoshop, for AGS art purposes.  If you need something free The GIMP is the biggest Free graphics program, personally I find the interface fiddly, but it has most of the features you'd want.  If you want something more PS/PSP like, take a look at Paint.net, it seems like a cut down version of those programs, with most of the features you'd need for 2d game art.

[Phemar]

I use the Gimp and MSPaint.

There are some samples of my work on my website: ZorTech.

[Domino]

I  have Photoshop, but i can't seem to draw worth a damn with it.

I prefer NeoPaint (I ordered the Full Version).  It is similar to PC Paintbrush which i used many moons ago and that is probably why i am so comfortable with it.

Everytime i try to draw in Photoshop, i always screw up, so that is basically why i just use it for photo editing, and thats it.

Shawn

[passer-by]

It is similar to PC Paintbrush which i used many moons ago and that is probably why i am so comfortable with it.

Shawn

Neopaint can also convert pictures to 256 colours without significant losses.
I use Paint , Artrage or even Dogwafle and edit/convert my paintings in Neopaint.

[Scummbuddy]

well, i was going to show you up saying: "you cant create art in MSPaint" by showing you some work of Pessi, but it seems he hasn't put up any mspaint work recently, so, just believe me.

[BorisZ]

Photoshop and Flash is a killer combination!

[Oliver]

I use msn paint sometimes and mostly Paint Shop Pro 7

[ildu]

I'd say it should never start from a graphics program if you want good quality backgrounds. Either you draw the backgrounds in pencil first or photograph them, and then use a graphics program to color and add effects.

I myself draw the background in it's rightly size and picture ratio. I try to do everything possible to make it as complete as I can. Also, I try to keep the outlines as sharp as possible. For the whole background, I use my 'hardest' pencil in my shading set. When the drawing is fully done, the worst is over. I then scan it with -25% lightness and insert it as a multiply layer onto my new Photoshop image. After that, I proceed to color it and add texture. After that I add shadows and voila, it's done.

It helps a LOT to keep all the layers on the image in neatly organized groups, so that you have basically a database in every file. In my recent one, I'm going to have like 100-150 layers, because the room is so full of stuff. I use Photoshop 9 CS2, because it's simply the best and it has a great new vanishing point feature that helps with background making.

[Kinoko]

I actually cringe when I think about the time, years ago, when I used to ignore layers and pretend they didn't exist. So many friends swore by them, but hey, I was doing fine without them.

Now, I've seen the light. Layers, I can't live without them! No background of mine escaped at least several layers, and boy does it make things neater and easier.

[Andail]

I belong to those people who can't understand what you could desire that Photoshop hasn't got.
Check my homepage for background samples.

[José Luiz]

I also have Photoshop, but I don't know how to use it yet...

A program I like to use for drawing is GraphicsGale. It's simple and very good.

[InCreator]

I use Artgem... For almost everything, like backgrounds, photomodification, etc.

It's superfunctional, yet there's no such demotivating/deinspirating confusion as Photoshop gives me with its gazillion filters, tools and other professional crap no-one ever uses.
Well, ArtGem has good zoom, memory-based-(air)brushes, layers, list-type undo levels and brightness/darkness processor... which is more than enough for me to create art in my style.

For more specific and smaller pixel-art, MSPaint is also very useful, especially for tiny sprites and dirty animating.

[Raider]

I also use ArtGem, (thanks to InCreator) It works miracles for me.

[magintz]

Has anyone got a download of artgem, the main site seems to have been switched off

[BorisZ]

...yet there's no such demotivating/deinspirating confusion as Photoshop gives me with its gazillion filters, tools and other professional crap no-one ever uses...

I am sure that many people would strongly dissagre with this. And I am one of them! I never understood what makes people think photoshop is complicated. And I am also sure that there is no filter or tool that no-one uses.

[Pelican]

I have to agree with BorisZ there. I've been teaching myself to draw better, on paper and on the computer, and as I progress I find myself using many features of Paint Shop Pro (the prog I use) that previously seemed incomprehensible. At least for me, it seems easier teaching myself, and working out how to use these features than actually reading a guide! I think some people don't use these features simply because they don't know how useful they are. I mean, I was like Kinoko, and didn't see the point of layers and did most of my backgrounds and stuff in MS Paint - now I don't know how I ever did without layers!

At any rate, on topic, I use Paint Shop Pro, got it on sale, and it seemed less incomprehensible to me than Photoshop (both of which I had trial versions of). It just really depends on what you want to do with it.

[InCreator]

Pay attention, please.

...no such demotivating/deinspirating confusion as Photoshop gives me with...

But okay, "no-one ever uses" is a bit overreacting.

...Still, suxx0rz!!!1 Drawing'n'stuff must be fun, not a headache + lifelong study to atleast orientate properly! When I draw, then? :p

Anyway, magnitz, ArtGem 1.2 shareware link is here...

http://www.increator.pri.ee/muz/rlv_ag12.zip

Hm. Since the project is ceased and not sold anymore, you may crack it... or even better, just set computer clock to year 2015 or so,  before installing... and back to current time, after you've used program once (opened and closed it). This gives you thousands of days until trial period expires

Artgem 1.3 supports some critical format, er... PNG? But I unfortunately don't have a copy of it on my HD, just an installed one. Try to find it yourself, if you so badly want it.