Paint program preferences?

GreyRat · 06-09-2005, 02:37 PM

Hey-o all, I was just wondering what kind of painting programs people like? What's a good program for simple things (like making avatars & game chits)? Any software to avoid?

The_King_of_Durf · 06-09-2005, 03:14 PM

Adobe Illustrator rocks, its awesomeness has yet to be met by other painting programs, it's worth learning even if its hard at first

erisian · 06-09-2005, 03:43 PM

I use Illustrator and Photoshop exclusively.

Wukei · 06-09-2005, 03:50 PM

I only know how to work MS Paint...go me?

Balrogossah · 06-10-2005, 03:15 AM

For my avatars I use paint and than shrink n' smooth em' out with Irfanview. Theres more than one way to skin a cat ;D

PS: Who came up with that saying, what were they up to?! :o

irongolem · 06-10-2005, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MC Abhorzoggorath

PS: Who came up with that saying, what were they up to?! :o

Boring Trivia time ::)
Supposedly first recorded in a book collecting english proverbs; 1678 by author John Ray.
It's been referenced a bit throughout history too.

ref: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mor1.htm

The_Stoney_One · 07-28-2006, 10:30 AM

paint shop pro here....

Ryujin · 07-28-2006, 10:22 PM

Adobe Photoshop for everything (works for Craig Mullins), Painter IX for the occasional effect that's too tedious to do in PS.

Alarra · 07-28-2006, 11:31 PM

I use photoshop

The_bard · 07-29-2006, 12:25 PM

inkscape!

ShmoTz · 07-29-2006, 12:42 PM

Photoshop CS2 here

Not good at making Stick avatars though... But i use it for lots of other things

Ms_Elaneous · 07-30-2006, 08:12 PM

My avatar was created on my Photoshop. It is pretty good.

BelkarsDagger · 07-30-2006, 08:15 PM

Adobe Illustrator 8.0.1, but I cant find out how to save them on a file compatable with Photobucket, unless I copy into Paint, which loses the detail.

Eldhrin · 07-31-2006, 10:56 AM

I wouldn't classify anything vector-based as a 'paint program'.

But then I wouldn't use a paint program to do OOTS-style art. Rich, I know, uses Adobe Illustrator, which is excellent, very powerful, very complicated and hideously expensive.

I use Inkscape, which is free and complicated enough for avatars. There are a few things I'd like which would make comic strips easier, but these obstacles can be overcome with some unscrupulous use of the boolean shape combining operations.

Must finish that strip.

Valox · 07-31-2006, 01:21 PM

I use Xara, i find it much easier than AI

B0nd07 · 08-01-2006, 12:06 AM

I use Adobe Illustrator CS2 for the initial drawing, then I resize the canvas in Adobe Photoshop CS2 (for Oots style avies). I use Photoshop for everything else.

LostInBrittany · 08-01-2006, 05:23 AM

Inskcape + GIMP, open source only :)

DArKandEViL · 08-01-2006, 11:29 AM

I use Fireworks and Flash ( flash isn't for Avatars), I still have yet to figure out fireworks animation option.

TinSoldier · 08-01-2006, 12:46 PM

I like Paint.NET. Windows only, but free and open source and very powerful.

I don't do avatars but I use it for lots of other stuff.

Were-Sandwich · 08-01-2006, 02:05 PM

Inkscape+GIMP ftw!

And, LostinBritanny: Hows it coming? :)

TheTick · 08-02-2006, 12:14 PM

Inkscape/GiMP here as well. My low-level graphic arts skills are perfect for emulating a stick figure comic.

Omen · 08-02-2006, 04:03 PM

I started by using Paint and converting it from 585x585 to 117x117 in InfraView. I was having issue with the line thickness not being correct even on largest line thickness... so out of curriousity I drew one in PowerPoint then converted it with Infraview. Worked out well and more on the order of what I was looking for. PP also allows me to more easily manipulate sizes and tweak it. 8)

Brickwall · 08-02-2006, 05:42 PM

I use Inkscape to make avatars then export it as a png for use in Fireworks and making uploading easier. For anything else, I use my good old pencil and paper then upload it to Fireworks.

Cornugon · 08-02-2006, 07:46 PM

For Avatars I've been using Inkscape and Gimp

For stuff like this(Biiiig Image) I use Photoshop CS2.

I'd use Illustartor for Avatars, but the whole 'free' thing appealed to me.

TinSoldier · 08-02-2006, 08:51 PM

So.... has anyone else used Paint.NET? I actually find it much easier to use than Gimp.

LostInBrittany · 08-03-2006, 03:48 AM

I didn't know Paint .NET, and as your precedent post intrigued me, I've done a bit of research.

I've discovered (Wikipedia is your friend! ) that it's an open source project sponsored by Microsoft for an successor to MS Paint.

It seems rather good for bitmap ( non vectorial) drawing, easier to use (for a new user) than Gimp. Inkscape + Paint .NET can be a good combination for Windows users.

But as I'm a linux user (I only use Windows at work), it is not the good solution for me.

TinSoldier · 08-03-2006, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LostInBrittany

I didn't know Paint .NET, and as your precedent post intrigued me, I've done a bit of research.

I've discovered (Wikipedia is your friend! ) that it's an open source project sponsored by Microsoft for an successor to MS Paint.

It seems rather good for bitmap ( non vectorial) drawing, easier to use (for a new user) than Gimp. Inkscape + Paint .NET can be a good combination for Windows users.

But as I'm a linux user (I only use Windows at work), it is not the good solution for me.

Yeah, I'm still stuck with Windows. I've switched back and forth from time to time but I always return to Windows :'(.

I wonder if there is any plan to port it to Mono? I think the reason the main developers don't is because of all the MS-specific stuff they put into it.

I still think it's a nice program. It's light years ahead of the old MS-Paint application. I've used it to color B/W drawings, convert formats, resize and crop, and all of those other tasks.

I haven't used Inkscape in awhile because I kind of gave up trying to draw avatars. I may again in the future.