5 Best Paint Apps For Mac 2023
Here are the best paint apps for Mac. Check it out!
If you are an art enthusiast and are searching for a Mac iOS platform to use so you can bring your creations to life, we have listed some of the best apps presently out there so you can do just that.
Macs are some of the fastest and best computing hardware around, most Macs can deal with whatever load or task they are given, being very versatile they bring a lot of features that are amazing for artists to use.
So if you have a Mac drawing on your computer will be fast, fluid, and smooth.
- Related Read: Best Animation Software for Mac
But just having the best hardware is not merely enough to make full use of its creative capacity. Good software and having the best tools are equally important. Although some drawing apps like Adobe’s cost quite a bit of money, one can find apps that offer similar features which will allow you to draw high-grade sketches, concept art, and vectors.
Before you decide on an app, think long and hard about what kind of features you would want in the app as each app offers its own pros and cons, then accordingly start looking and narrowing in on the best option for you and your needs.
The current digital art space has made it easier than ever before for artists to get started on their passion projects, whether you are a professional artist or a casual painter, the software listed below will help you develop your sketching skill.
Top Paint Apps For Mac
Krita
Krita is a multi-feature drawing app, that was created by digital artists who intended to build an app with the kind of tools they use and make that affordable and available to everyone to hone their skills.
Apart from this, the official Krita website even offers a collection of free learning resources.
As a result, this app is a great choice even for beginners who are just starting out in the field to help master the skills of digital sketching.
Krita comes with a user interface that is fully customizable to your preference which in turn will help you maximize your work output. The app also has various features like brush engines, pop-up color pallets, stabilizers, and an advanced resources management system.
Krita has been available for Macs since 2004 and it has been in constant development ever since. But although it is a brilliant app it is slightly underrated and even despite the fact that it is free and open sourced too.
When it comes to tools and features, the Krita app has everything you need as an artist. But note that Krita is primarily designed for comic and concept artists more than it is for illustrators. And if you want to work cross-platform as well, the app is also available on Windows and Linux too.
Paintbrush
The paintbrush app for Macs is the closest thing to Microsoft paint on Windows that Apple has.
It is a painting and illustrating application that is similar to the functionality of Windows paint.
This app can be downloaded for free because it is completely open source, it is one of the best paint apps fr beginners who have a Mac and even good for keeping your child creatively occupied, although you will need your Mac to be running on Mac OS 10.10 or newer.
Paintbrush provides one of the best freehand art experiences among most paint or sketch apps. It is very easy to run in terms of hardware and has ease of use at the same time as well, so anyone can just pretty much open it and start using it.
It is easy to doodle, draw or paint on this app without the need for much technical expertise that some other apps may need.
Other tools like cropping, resizing, adding text are great for home painting and picture customizing and some basic photo editing too. The app supports the most popular image formats like JPEG, BMP, TIFF, and more.
It also supports transparency which will allow you to open PNG and GIF files as you intend.
You can also paste images copied from many other common Mac applications, including Microsoft Office and Apple iWork as well.
Paintbrush will get you to discover your inner artistic self in no time. Just pick a tool, pick a color, and get going!
Pixelmator
Pixelmator Team
Pixelmator is a powerful, layer-based image editor that is packed with features that let you touch up and enhance images, sketch, and paint, and even allows you to make advanced image compositions on iPad and iPhone, and your Mac.
Pixelmator has all the tools and everything else you will need, it does not matter whether you’re a mobile photographer, mobile painter, or mobile graphic designer, this app will give you all features in one easy to use app.
With Pixelmator, you can quickly add or create layers from your photos, other pictures from selections, or even your iSight. Yes, Pixelmator can even add a layer to your composition directly from your Mac’s tiny camera.
And you don’t need to stop there not only can you link and arrange the layers you have added, but Pixelmator also allows you to blend layers, create clipping masks, change their opacity or even add layer masks to hide some portions of a layer.
With the Pixelmator app, advanced users have the option to execute layer-based image editing, create new or duplicate, delete, rename, load as selection, and even hide layers.
The app supports a wide range of formats like JPEG, PSD, PNG, and other popular formats, you can even import HEIF images.
Open and save images using PSD, JPEG, PNG, and many other popular formats
Pixelmator also features support for iCloud, So you can now create, edit and keep all images up to date on all your devices.
Share your art with family and friends through email or directly upload your images to Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter.
Pixelmator is a paid service but can be downloaded and used for free within a specified evaluation period or purchased at a one-time fee.
Tayasui Sketches
Tayasui.com
Tayasui Sketches is another very popular and well loved drawing app. This app aims to replicate the feel of pen and paint on paper. The painting tools handle well, run smoothly, and feel natural, whether it is the pencil, the marker, or watercolor.
Artists across various spectrums such as Designers, Painters, Illustrators, art students, and enthusiasts use this app, mainly because it’s so simple to use, intuitive, and full of features that will help you take your art skills to the next level.
With a sleek built and lite UI, Tayasui Sketches is one of the most versatile and user-friendly sketching apps available on MacOs.
It features many gesture controls that allow a user to easily undo, redo, zoom in and out, move the entire canvas, and much more.
The sidebar is simple with a slide out cabinet interface for its brushes and tools that vary from a fine pen to an airbrush.
With more than 20 modifiable, amazingly realistic tools like the watercolor wet brushes that easily suit size and color with the smart brush editor, color eyedropper, smudge tool, and much much more.
This app also features a built from the ground up, stylus option that gives pressure sensitive options for all its tools and even for photoshop documents (PSD).
Tayasui Sketches is available fr free. There is a paid Pro version as well that costs 19.99. This version unlocks more features such as layer editing, more drawing tools, and stylus pressure support for a variety of peripherals.
The whole experience is unmatched in terms of simulating real-life drawing, painting, or sketching.
Check out the free version on the app store
Check out the paid version here!
Sketchbook®
Sketchbook, Inc
SketchBook is one of the most fully loaded drawing and painting apps you can use right now. It was formerly known as Autodesk Sketchbook.
Autodesk is known for the creation of brilliant apps like Maya, CAD, and many more. Their deep knowledge in the creative field is why SketchBook is one of the best paint apps for Mac.
Sketchbook is widely used by amateurs and professionals alike for its robust features and expansive toolset. You will find anything and everything you need from a pencil to gradients or patterns that you can use to create the best digital art possible.
Sketchbook has all the features that a user expects from a professional grade app. It comes with a wide range of highly customizable brushes supported by guides, rulers, and stroke tools in order to give you stylistic freedom and precision at the same time right when you need it.
When you work with Sketchbook it feels like actually drawing on paper. Brushes and pens behave like their real world cousins without the messy desk.
The user interface is clean and is not obstructive at all, you can also tuck your tools and palettes neatly out of sight until you need them so you can focus on drawing.
Easily customize the marking menus in the lagoon-UI to get access to your favorite tools or colors with just a quick gesture.
Layers come with a full complement of blend modes that deliver lots of flexibility to build up and explore drawings and color in specific detail.
It even has support for saving and storing your works to Dropbox or iCloud so you can share or access or other devices more easily.
Sketchbook comes for free, but there is a pro version for 19.99 USD if you desire more tools and features.
Check it out on the app store now!
