A big bonus feature of the free 2D animation software for Mac is that it can export animated files in FLV and GIF format. Overall, Pencil2D is a good choice for beginners to start with free drawing programs, but it may not be suitable for professional projects. Blender Blender. Blender is an open source, free 3D animation programs for macOS to. QCAD is a free, open source application for computer aided drafting (CAD) in two dimensions (2D). With QCAD you can create technical drawings such as plans for buildings, interiors, mechanical parts or schematics and diagrams. QCAD works on Windows, macOS and Linux. The source code of QCAD is released under the GPL version 3 (GPLv3), a popular.
Looking for a drawing program that’s not as elementary as Paint? Or perhaps something with more features and flexibility than the usual photo editor? Then have a look at these excellent drawing software we’ve listed. Some are great for digital sketching and some for painting and retouching images. And the best part? They’re absolutely free.
1. DrawPlus Starter Edition
This freeware is the ultimate in graphics and drawing software. Why? It’s a vector illustrator with a realistic set of tools like pencil, pen and brush. It’s also pretty accurate, with text on a path that’s just wonderful for creative designs. In addition, the shape-blending techniques and the professional colors are just great. Definitely worth checking out.
2. GIMP
This beloved open-source software has a devoted community laboring for its development. And indeed, it has come a long way. The software is now more user-friendly, stable and packed with more features. It’s also pretty intuitive, with extensive customizations everywhere from widgets to tool sets. For photo editing, GIMP is your best bet. However, some graphic designers and illustrators may prefer vector editors like DrawPlus and not just an image manipulation program like GIMP.
3. Pixia
This English version of the popular Japanese software is best for full color graphics. There are lots of tools you can use for painting and retouching. The software even allows the customization of brush tips by using an image file to create very unique effects. There’s also plenty of free plugins and filter downloads, and it supports layers, masks and a variety of editing functions.
4. Artrage
Artrage is probably the closest thing you’ll ever get to a digital easel. Using this software is like drawing and painting on paper – it’s seamless, easy and realistic. There are 20 painting tools that you can use in a variety of settings and presets. There’s also an oil paint tool you can control to adjust paint volume and wetness. Go ahead watch your paint or watercolor smear realistically across your canvas, and be awed. Although the trial version does not expire, the save resolution and export format is limited unless you upgrade.
5. Chasys Draw IES
More user-friendly than other programs, Chasys is a full-feature editing and drawing software that allows you to create vector graphics and manipulate your photos with tons of tools and options. The program walks you through every project creation, which is pretty helpful for newbies. It’s also got a nifty Windows aero-compatible transparency that keeps unused tools and windows semitransparent until you hover your mouse over it. Overall, the software is intuitive, powerful and packed with awesome features.
6. Inkscape
Another great vector illustrator, Inkscape is powerful, stable and flexible. The interface is pretty straightforward: tools and options are clearly presented and side palettes are tucked in. The tools for drawing and editing are actually good, and you can tweak the objects tool as creatively as you like. Everything is possible with Inkscape; you can create the simplest logos to the most complex graphic designs all in a single software.
7. SmoothDraw
SmoothDraw is another great freeware best used by free-hand artists. You can design and draw graphics, presentations, invitations and just about anything with this software. It supports brush and tool configuration and even ink-flow, which free-hand artists will appreciate. The program’s interface is easy to use and the image effects are more advanced than your usual drawing software.
8. Google Sketchup
This 3D drawing software is a helpful tool to make even the most inexperienced user create an awesome 3D art. Create a sketch to remodel your kitchen, design your new deck or landscape your yard and be amazed with professional-looking results. The program is simple, easy to use and is blissfully free of technical terms. Help and guides are also plenty, so you won’t get lost in the application. The fun part? Exporting your drawing to Google Earth. Very cool.
9. Paint.Net
Simple and powerful, this free image editor will allow you to design, create, retouch and restore images among others. Newbie or otherwise, this software is easy to use with a range of tools and options you can choose from. There’s even an unlimited undo button – every action is recorded so you can go back as deep as you want. You can also download tons of amazing plugins to go with this great program.
10. Pinta
Lighter and easier to use than other open-source drawing software, Pinta is ideal for newbies and experienced users alike. Pinta is full-featured, with 40 menu entries for image editing that supports multiple layers, drawing tools, photo effects and color adjustment, just to name a few. It also supports freehand drawing and has unlimited undo, which makes experimenting with an image worry-free. Pinta is available for Windows, Linux and Mac.
Are you more interested in freehand drawing, or image manipulation? Your pick of the best drawing software from this list will depend on the kind of digital art that interests you. Either way, there’s always a software that’s right for you.
Essential drawing app for Mac
Macs have always been known as creative machines for creative people. It's likely the reason you actually bought one! So naturally Macs offer a wide variety of opportunities for you to express yourself, whether that’s building apps, writing prose, or drawing.
Free Drawing Program For Mac
Having a good drawing app for Mac is priceless. Retina screens, accurate touchpads, and native support for a variety of inputs make sketching on Mac a pleasure. But with so many drawing programs to choose from, how do you pick the right one? Welcome to the no-sweat guide to the best free drawing software for Mac!
Best drawing, design, and editing apps
With Setapp, you don’t have to choose only one — get a large choice of the best drawing software to support your creativity flow.
Free Art Programs For Mac
The Best Drawing Programs On Mac Today
It's not easy to pinpoint the best drawing app for Mac. Is it one of the free drawing programs? Is it made for simple drawings or lets you paint on Mac beautifully? The level of skill has to be considered as well.
The collection of drawing apps below features something that appeals to everyone, from the Mac equivalent of Paint you can find on Windows to a simple drawing pad for Mac to the likes of Sketch software that can be used by professional designers too.
Communicate with the markup feature in Preview
If you just want to do a rough sketch for Mac or a few simple drawings, you don't necessarily need to go about downloading lots of drawing apps, you can just use a drawing app for Mac you've already got — Preview.
While most of us think of Preview as an image or PDF viewer, it's also packs a basic toolset for annotating, drawing, and sketching. To see what you can do with Preview:
- Open an image, document, or just a white sheet in Preview
- Click Show Markup Toolbar in its top menu
- From here you can choose tools, shapes, colors, thickness, type, and more to make necessary adjustments or create something completely new
- Save and share your image
Get nostalgic with Paintbrush
Lots of us remember the simplicity and versatility of Microsoft Paint. Macs used to have a similar app too called MacPaint (that’s been discontinued). Well, good news is some enthusiastic developers took the matter into their own hands and essentially recreated a Paint app for Mac — Paintbrush.
This Mac equivalent of Paint will strike you as a complete duplicate of that old software you used to love. It features all the same tools, including rectangular and oval shapes, paint bucket, pencil, spray, lines, etc. You can also easily switch and add colors to your palette as you go.
Make professional mockups with Sketch
If you’ve already outgrown simple drawings you can do with Preview and Paintbrush, and want to move higher — try Sketch.
Sketch took the world by storm just a few years ago, when they essentially introduced a viable alternative to complex apps like Adobe Illustrator and targeted it specifically to digital design professionals.
Everything you do in the Sketch program is done in vector, which means all shapes are infinitely resizable, in contrast to the raster graphics of Paintbrush. With Sketch for Mac, you can design high-fidelity mockups for your website, prototype your iOS app, or just create complex illustrations.
You can download and try the Sketch software for free, but after a month, you'll be required to pay the annual license fee, which is a big downside if you don’t plan to use the app regularly. In addition, Sketch for Mac is not the most accessible app for beginners and it’s not exactly a drawing app for Mac due to its vector nature.
Create digital art with MediBang Paint Pro
Perhaps an equivalent of Sketch, but in raster graphics, is MediBang Paint Pro. This drawing software for Mac allows you to execute your dreams beautifully with over 50 custom brushes as well as its extensive support for layers and fonts.
Originally developed for comic creators, MediBang Paint Pro got quickly adopted by everyone looking for a versatile drawing pad for Mac and is hailed by many as the best free drawing software around. However, since it was built for the purpose of creating comics, you might face a few problems adapting it to your needs — it’s definitely one quirky drawing app for Mac. Another issue is the app’s slow update release cycle. So far, it’s been unavailable to macOS Catalina and macOS Big Sur users due to the lack of security updates from the developers. This means you can only use MediBang Paint Pro on macOS 10.13 or older.
Set your imagination free with Tayasui Sketches
Talking about the best drawing programs, it’s simply impossible to avoid Tayasui Sketches. This intuitive sketch program is universally loved by painters, designers, illustrators, and art aficionados alike.
Ultimate drawing app for Mac
Draw on your Mac’s screen like on canvas with Tayasui Sketches. Mix colors and experiment with limitless layers!
Tayasui Sketches makes it easy to bring what you have in mind to reality with its support for unlimited layers, infinite undos, smart rules, and a wide variety of drawing tools. If you want to paint on Mac, nothing else comes close to representing the physical experience of applying colors to paper than this drawing software for Mac.
To start your drawing pad for Mac with Tayasui Sketches:
Free Drawing Program For Microsoft
- Open a new document
- Try out all the different tools from the sidebar, from a fine pen to an airbrush
- Use supporting menus to modify your currently selected tool and mix just the right color
With just a bit of practice, you’ll see why Tayasui Sketches beats all the free drawing programs out there. Time for your digital painting skills to skyrocket!
Save all the cool colors with Sip
Regardless of the drawing software for Mac you choose to use in the end, one of the most difficult things to do is going to be finding the right colors out there. Sometimes, you might come across a beautiful color you might use in the future, but where do you save it? Sip.
Sip is the most intuitive, handy, and non-intrusive palette organizer available for Mac. This little utility lives in your Mac’s menu bar, where it saves all the colors you like and simultaneously features a tiny color picker on the side of your screen, which makes Sip instantly available in any sketch program for Mac, like Tayasui Sketches, for example.
By now, you should be well-equipped to start on your Mac drawing journey, using the selection of the drawing software for Mac listed above, whether it’s a simple annotation or a large-scale digital painting.
Best of all, you can try Tayasui Sketches and Sip for free by signing up for a free seven-day trial on Setapp, a platform for more than 200 unique creative Mac apps that literally help you bring your dreams to reality. Why wait, check it out now!