When I started reviewing graphics and image software I didn’t realise how many really good programs were out there, the My Paint program is another of these. This is definitely software for artists, although I’m sure many graphic designers etc. could use it in conjunction with other programs. This software is all based around brushes and textures. There are brushes for Acrylic look, Watercolour, Charcoal, pencil, knife and more. In addition to this there are other brushes which will alter the colours you already have on the “papers”, blurring, blending and water effect etc. In total I counted over 150 brushes.
Each brush has a few basic options, options like hardness, opacity and Radius. If that isn’t enough the there is also the brush setting editor which will give you about 40 different in depth options for each brush. I have to say I never felt the need to do this. The pre-set options were quite enough for me together with the basic options. You will find extra brushes available for download via the My Paint Website.
And that is basically it, a canvas with lots of brushes. The program will work with layers if you choose but there are no shapes, no text tools, no contrast changing and all that. I’m not saying this as a negative thing at all, this is a painting program and it performs that task exceedingly well.
As with any of these types of programs it wont turn someone who isn’t an artist into one but it is a great tool for those who already have some artistic abilities and something to practice on for the rest of us.
Once again I would recommend using this with a graphics pad if you have one. They aren’t that expensive now-a-days and are a worthwhile investment which can be used with many graphics programs. Maybe try this for a while without and if you like it, invest in one then.
As with all software we strongly suggest you only download it from the official website. My Paint is available for Windows and GNU/Linux and can be downloaded here: http://mypaint.org/
