Good Drawing Programs For Mac Free

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! This is a great drawing program tool if you are a Mac user especially if don’t want to pay on a subscription basis but want to get the best as well. You will get a lot of features of just one-lifetime payment. Also, this is a good program for beginners since it’s easy to use and access. The software listed above is some of the best free drawing programs one can download on their Mac systems. They tend to provide users with similar features which Adobe suite has to offer whereas in some cases free programs excel in the feature category as compared to the one present in Adobe suite.

Free Drawing Software For Mac
Good Drawing Programs For Mac Free To Play
Good Drawing Programs For Mac Free Downloads
Good Drawing Programs For Mac Free Full
Good Drawing Programs For Mac Free Download
Best Drawing Programs For Mac

by Kayla Morrison • 2020-10-28 17:49:45 • Proven solutions

We are living in an era where digital artists are highly appreciated. Luckily, there are so many free drawing software for Mac and Windows that can help turn you into an Oscar Award-winning digital artist. But finding the right tool from the myriad of options available can be a serious challenge. So, to cut your long chase short, here is a list of the 15 best free drawing software for Mac in 2020.

1. Krita

Krita is a free open source drawing program that offers all the necessary tools to make a smashing art. Despite being free, Krita is a darling to most professional designers looking to create unique illustrations, comics, arts, and more. It features a customizable UI with lots of fantastic features like pop-up pallets, brush stabilizers, dockers, color themes, etc. And without forgetting, you can make custom brushes and share them with Krita friends.

Pros:

Mar 06, 2020 An open-source app doesn’t get better than this. In fact, Inkscape is probably one of the best free drawing programs that can work as a kind of Illustrator alternative as well. Supported Platforms: PC/Mac. Clip Studio is one of the best drawing programs for artists and illustrators who primarily work on manga. From fine art to anime, watercolors to photo collage, logos to illustrations, Adobe painting and drawing software has your canvas covered. Start your free trial. Take your artistry everywhere. Fresco lets you paint and draw on iPad or iPhone, anywhere you feel inspired. Use it with Photoshop on the iPad to combine images, retouch artwork,.

Open-source program.
Customizable resource center.
Constant updates.

Cons:

Lacks documentation.
Poor touch controls.

2. Autodesk Sketchbook

Autodesk Sketchbook is another popular drawing app among professional designers. Some of the features that place this app among the best are its simple UI and advanced sketching tools. Speaking of tools, there are more than 140 brushes, multiple layers, and various blending models. Additionally, the software supports predictive and perspective strokes and rulers.

Pros:

Excellent brush collection.
Professional tools.
Simple to use.

Cons:

Not for beginners.
Slugging on older Mac versions.

3. MediBang Paint

MediBang Paint is undoubtedly one of the best free drawing software for Mac you can find currently. The key advantage here, apart from simplicity, is the compatibility with all desktop and mobile platforms. For example, you might begin drawing on your iPhone and then finish up on Mac, thanks to the free cloud storage. However, some specific tools that you’ll enjoy on the desktop version might not be present on your phone or tablet.

Pros:

Cross-platform app.
Fantastic brush presets.
Free cloud storage.

Cons:

Must create a MediBang account.
Tutorials are mostly in the Japanese language.

4. Sip

Sip offers you a professional and straightforward way to collect, organize, and export your colorful arts. It boasts of universal shortcuts that allow users to manipulate colors effortlessly. Sip also enables you to choose the precise shade you need and organize them neatly to form palettes. Additionally, you can duplicate colors and even create snapshots for remembering colors when required. Plus, the app will detect and align color formats with whatever app you’re using.

Pros:

Supports multiple color formats.
Universal keyboard shortcuts.
Simple to use.

Cons:

Not entirely free.
Lacks important features.

5. Inkscape

Are you still looking for a free drawing app for Mac with vectors? Try Inkscape! With this open-source drawing powerhouse, you’ll enjoy a simple design layout with multiple features to make professional vectors. It can design and manipulate notes, objects, and colors. You’ll also get multi-line text support, support for standard image file formats, and anti-aliased display. Overall, freebies can’t come any better!

Pros:

Open-source app.
Multiple drawing tools.
Helpful online community.

Cons:

Lags with large files.
Cluttered UI.

6. GrafX2

Honestly, I can’t get any easier than GrafX2. It is a free and straightforward online tool for making unique pixel arts. This 256-color bitmap app allows you to draw up to 60 varying resolutions. Surprisingly, the last reboot was in 2007, but GrafX2 has still managed to offer advanced sketching tools for modern designers. You’ll get grid settings, shading tools, animation options, and shape tools.

Pros:

Best for game developers.
Simple to use.
Free app.

Cons:

Outdated UI.
Lacks important tools.

7. Adobe Illustrator

Although overshadowed by its sibling, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator is still one of the complete apps for drawing vector designs. Here, designers and artists will create everything, ranging from billboards and product packaging to book illustrations and web icons. You’ll get all the essential tools to change simple shapes or colors into sophisticated logos, graphics, or icons. Also, you’ll get beautiful typography and drawing tools.

Pros:

Smooth and fast operations.
Multiple drawing tools.
Supports PDF files.

Cons:

Not for beginners.
Free trial with the paid version.

8. Clip Studio

URL: https://www.clipstudio.net/en

If you primarily work on manga, Clip Studio should be your go-to option. Although you can use it to design standard animations and illustrations, Clip Studio excels in the manga space, just like Manga Studio. The app offers advanced features like pen-pressure detection to allow you easily create drawings of intricate areas, quick colorings, and so on.

Pros:

Smooth and natural brushes.
Excellent dark theme.
Customizable interface.

Cons:

Unintuitive key binding.
Stifling price.

9. FireAlpaca

If you want a lightweight tool for your old computer, choose FireAlpaca. Please don’t dismiss this tool, however, because it comes with some pretty essential drawing tools. This free digital painting program is available in up to 10 different languages and runs smoothly on Mac and PCs. It comes with simple tools such as Pen, Pencil, and Watercolor to draw illustrations and arts professionally. And best of all, FireAlpaca is free forever!

Pros:

A free, open-source app.
Basic drawing tools.
Multi-language platform.

Cons:

Not for pros.

10. Adobe Photoshop

Closing our best ten is Adobe Photoshop, which is undoubtedly the most popular drawing tool of the lot. Here, you’ll get access to hundreds of brushes with smooth strokes. Unlike the perception out there, Adobe Photoshop is super-simple to use but might require some learning curve first. You can use it to make banners, websites, icons, logos, convert images, and so on. Moreover, you can upload local photos and start from scratch.

Pros:

All-purpose software.
Multiple design tools.
Supports all image formats.

Cons:

Resource hungry program.
Not for beginners.

Vector Drawing Programs For Mac

11. BlackInk

If you’re still experimenting with your art but not afraid to take risks, here’s the perfect app for you. The app offers a straightforward controller system for making unique and custom brushes. You can also customize the default brushes and use them to paint images. Even better, you can share your custom brushes to the community. This way, you’ll never lack a paintbrush to work with.

Pros:

Perfect for beginners.
Create custom brushes.
Share brushes to the community.

Cons:

Steep price.
Not for advanced users.

12. ArtRage

ArtRage is an intuitive and uniquely realistic app for real artists. Although it’s designed with simplicity and fun in mind, this app offers powerful tools to match. On the multi-lingual platform, you’ll get painting tools such as watercolor, oil brush, paint roller, airbrush, palette knife, and so much more. You’ll also get an eraser, pen, ink pen, marker pen, and any other drawing tool you can imagine.

Pros:

Create custom brush tools.
Offers special effect tools.
Zoom and rotate canvas freely.

Cons:

Not for beginners.
Awkward when adjusting brush size.

13. EazyDraw for Mac

This is a vector-based drawing app tailor-made for technical illustrations, drawings, and desktop publishing on Mac OS X computers. With EazyDraw for Mac, users will enjoy a full set of tools to design, logos, titles, illustrations, etc. And if you’re a beginner, you’ll get simple to understand manuals and tutorials to help you get started quickly.

Pros:

Multiple drawing tools.
Comes with easy tutorials and manuals.
Simple layer controls.

Cons:

Awkward interface.
Steep price.

14. Gravit Designer

Gravit Designer is a simple cross-platform app that’s free to download and use on Mac, Windows, Linux, and Chrome OS. With it, you’ll design beautiful mockups, interfaces, and scalable vector graphics. Unlike other high-end options like Photoshop and Sketch, Gravit Designer allows you to create social media posts without breaking the bank. Another thing, it supports multiple import and export file formats.

Pros:

Software is bug-free.
Supports multiple image file formats.
Available in both online and desktop versions.

Cons:

Scrolling the canvas can be annoying.
Crashes with big files.

15. Vectr

Lastly, you can use Vectr to make some eye-catching designs and arts on Mac. It’s a beautiful free tool that’s fun to use and simple to learn. With Vectr, you’ll make smooth and professional designs for any business. You’ll also get a straightforward tutorial to help you get started quickly. You can work with texts, shapes, and multiple layers. However, Vectr is not as sophisticated as other advanced options like Canva.

Pros:

Free to use.
Simple to understand.
Offers straightforward tutorials.

Cons:

Not for pro designers.
You need to create an account first to save files.

Conclusion

These are the best free drawing software for Mac you can get currently. If you’re on a limited budget, you can opt for free, open-source options like Vectr and Fire Alpaca. But if you want to enjoy extended features, choose advanced tools like Photoshop and Canva. What’s better, all of these programs offer free trials, so there’s no harm in trying.

Getting your art out there has never been easier than it is today. Just a few decades ago, people needed sophisticated tools and other expensive methods to show others their creative talent. Digital platforms have revolutionized this landscape and a lot of artists are getting recognized every day. However, if you’re looking for drawing apps for Mac, you can find a ton of options and it can be a little overwhelming.

In this article, we are going to streamline that list so that you can choose the best drawing app for you. Let’s jump into it.

Contents

1 Top 10 Best Drawing Apps for Mac:

Top 10 Best Drawing Apps for Mac:

We have compiled a list of 8 best drawing apps for Mac that you can get today. The list is ranked based on which app we think is the best, but you can choose whichever app suits your art style.

1. Adobe Photoshop

What can I say about Adobe Photoshop that hasn’t been said already? Photoshop has been around for a long time and it gets new updates every year. It’s one of the most sophisticated drawing apps for Mac and will be a lot of help for a creator. You can create your own image and also edit other images to your liking. This software has a lot of love and support all over the world and it’s easy to understand why. There are a lot of videos online that’s going to help you learn Photoshop and there’s a large online community who’d be happy to help you. The newest version, Photoshop 2020, has an AI called Adobe Sensei that will help you get better selections.

Photoshop is great, but it is expensive. You will have to pay a subscription fee of $20.99/month if billed annually and you can do so here. So if you’re new to the creator scene, then I’d recommend checking out other entries.

2. Autodesk Sketchbook

If you want a professional drawing app with a lot of bells and whistles and if you want it for free, then Autodesk Sketchbook is for you. This app is so versatile and feature-rich that it will appeal to a lot of people. It has a minimalistic design and is preferred by a lot of content creators. There are over 140 brushes and you can even import brushes created by other artists. You can also get custom perspective guides among other things.

You can check out more features and download the app by clicking on this link.

3. Corel Painter

Corel Painter is an app that’s designed by creators for creators. It has a wide variety of tools you can use to propel your art to the next level. With over 900 brushes, this app is loved by many artists. Corel Painter also supports GPU acceleration so that you can get your work done much faster. Their website has hundreds of videos that will help you perform better.

Corel Painter costs $339.99 and there’s no subscription. You can download the app here.

4. Rebelle 3

If you are into realistic painting, then you will find Rebelle 3 appealing. It’s a unique app that uses realistic watercolor, acrylic paint simulations. The resulting image will look like it was made on paper with real colors and if this suits your art style, then you should definitely go for it. It makes the colors seem extremely realistic and you can even get simulated watercolor drops. This app was supposed to be an experimental software designed by Peter Blaškovič and it is popular among watercolor painters and CG artists.

You can check out Rebelle 3 and its features on its website. You can get Rebelle 3 for $89.99.

5. FireAlpaca

If you are new to digital drawing or if you have older Macs, then FireAlpaca should be a nice fit for you. It doesn’t have as many features as the earlier entries on the list, but that’s why it’s recommended to beginners. You won’t find the options overwhelming and you can worry about getting a more powerful Mac later on. It’s a small app that’s simple, easy and free to use.

You can check out the feature list of FireAlpaca on their website.

6. Preview

Preview comes pre-installed on a Mac and it can do much more than sign PDFs. If you want a simple drawing app for random doodles, the Preview should be good enough. You can open up any image on Preview and click on the Markup icon (pictured above) to access a lot more menus. It can help you doodle, make notes and even select shapes with the lasso tool. Since this is an in-built app, you don’t have to download anything.

7. Clip Studio Paint

If your dream is to become the best mangaka on Za Warudo!(means “the world” for all of my readers who are not JoJo fans), then you deserve a great manga illustrator. Clip Studio Paint is highly recommended if you draw a lot of manga panels. You can decide panel layouts and customize the tools for your art style pretty quickly. This drawing app for Mac also works great if you want to draw comics.

Clip Studio Paint is available for the free trial and you can get the standard version for $49.99. You can get the full-featured version for $219.99.

8. MediBang Paint

MediBang Paint, just like Clip Studio Paint is aimed at anime and comic-book artists. It has over 50 brushes and a large number of backgrounds that you can choose from. They have tons of tutorials for you on their website and you can snap grids and arrange the panels easily. This app is also available on iPhones and iPads. Medibang Paint is available for free and you can download it here.

9. Inkscape

Inkscape is an app that will appeal to a wide variety of creative people. It can help you create anything from sketches to website designs. It’s a versatile app that’s open-source and free to use. Inkscape also has a very helpful community that will help you use the app.

Free Drawing Software For Mac

You can download Inkscape for free by clicking on this link.

10. Patina

Patina is another simple app that lets you create sketches to your heart’s content and simply moves everything else out of the way. It has a simple layout and it’s extremely simple to use. you can use it to make a lot of sketches and doodles on other images too. Patina has a lot of essential features but misses out on stuff like multiple layers. This app is, however, perfect for beginner artists.

Patina is a free app available on the App Store and you can download here.

List of 19 Drawing Software For Macbook

Here is the total list of top Drawing tools and Apps for your Macbook.

Drawing Tool For Mac

Adobe Photoshop
Autodesk Sketchbook
Corel Painter
Rebelle 3
FireAlpaca
Preview
Clip Studio Paint
MediBang Paint
Inkscape
Patina
Adobe Illustrator
Leonardo
Affinity Designer
Krita
Tayasui Sketches
Paintbrush
Tayasui Sketches
Sketch
Sip

Final Take

Drawing Software For Mac

These are some of the best drawing apps for Mac. I hope that this article was helpful to you. If you have any doubts or if we missed your favorite app, then please let us know in the comments section down below and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Drawing is a thing that we start learning since our childhood. Many individuals grow their skills in this. The traditional way of drawing is to hold a pencil or color and draw. As the technology is growing, we are coming up with new tools or software. Drawing software and best photo editing software is one of them. You can draw anything on your pc or laptop with the help of these software. There are various drawing software available online. Some are free to use, and some come with a paid subscription.

Contents

7 Best Free Drawing Software in the List

7 Best Free Drawing Software in the List

1. Paint.NET

The time you started using a computer, you are familiar with Paint.NET. It is the most commonly used free software for drawing and painting purposes. This is one of the best free drawing software in the market. This digital software perfect with tasks like drawing volumetric models, moving objects, and transparent structures. You can use this software to make drawings to print on T-Shirts.

Paint.NET is favorite among many individuals because of its simplicity and easy to use features. There are various tools for blurring, sharpening, styling, and noise reduction. You can also use plugins with this software. This free paint program allows you to get images from the scanner and enhance it. It is the best free drawing software for windows.

Features:

Unlimited history
Edit multiple images
Automatic updates
Extensive language support
Various editing tools

Pros:

Easy to use
Online support
Useful tutorial
Easy user interface
Various effects and features

Cons:

Limited brushwork
Burn & dodge is not available
No undo option for the text after adding the effect

Link to download Paint.NET:

2. GIMP

GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is an open-source drawing software that is free to use. It is one of the best free drawing software in the market. GIMP can be used in Windows OS, Mac OS as well as Linux OS. It is a powerful and flexible tool for creating your imagination live on screen.

The software has features like layers, color grading, masks, smart selection, filters, brushes, etc. You can also use plugins with GIMP. This software is precisely a free alternative for photoshop. The software also includes different brushes, which are very helpful in enhancing your drawing.

Features:

Digital retouching
Customizable interface
Photo enhancement
Hardware support
Supports different file formats

Pros:

Easy user interface
Graphic tablet support
Create plugins
Supports PSD files
Individual file storage format

Cons:

Difficult to use
The user interface is bit messy
Fewer features as compared to the paid version

Link to download GIMP:

3. Artweaver free

Artweaver free is a great free software that allows users to create beautiful digital drawings. It has a feature of taking input from the touchscreen too along with mouse and stylus; this makes it one of the best free drawing software. It is excellent software across all age groups. Your kid can spend hours on it practicing his drawing skills.

When he finishes doing it, you can also find all the essential features that are required for creating your masterpiece to pursue your hobby. You are offered with the wide variety of brushes, various filters as well as the graphics in multiple formats to bring out the best from your drawing. It is compatible with the various versions of Windows OS from Windows 7 to Windows 10. Hence it is undoubtedly one of the best free drawing software for windows.

Features:

Contains plugins pack which contains additional filters
Allows drawing textures
Availability of filters
Supports a wide range of inputs
Variety of editing tools

Pros:

Good Drawing Programs For Mac Free To Play

Offers a wide range of creative brushes
It is Layer based
Contains creative painting tools
Very small Installation File of size less than 20 MB

Cons:

A slightly poor working with the text
Problematic drawing working with the stamp tool

Link to download Artweaver Free:

Read – Best Free 3D Modelling Software for Windows and Mac.

4. MyPaint

MyPaint was created with an intension to provide a free platform for all the serious artists out there. It is available for various Operating Systems such as Windows, Linux, and Mac. So, it can be considered as one of the best free drawing software.

It supports various inputs, including a touchscreen too. You can select from various brushes to create some beautiful drawings. Its stand out feature is a tool called ‘Notepad,’ where you can try how different brushes paint prior to use them in your drawing.

Features:

Simple Interface
Unlimited Canvas sizes
Highly Customizable
Graphic Editor supported for beginners

Pros:

Support for layers
Works on various platforms
Free option for anime artists

Cons:

Sharp lines are not smooth
Undo feature is quite slow
Abrupt learning curve

Link to download MyPaint:

5. Microsoft Paint 3D

It is an advanced version of the classic version of Microsoft Paint. It has to be there in the list of best free drawing software because of the 3D feature it brings into the play. As the name suggests, it is a product by Microsoft. It comes by default with the Windows 10 devices. Hence, it is the best free drawing software for windows.

It supports all the features that you get with classic software, but the best one is using a 3D feature. With the 3D model, you will get a more fun experience. After drawing the 3D shapes, you can rotate these and view them from different angles.

Features:

Supports creation of user’s choice 3D drawings
Multi-model positioning at different depths
Supports the printing of your drawing with the 3D printer
The creation process can be undone and repeated

Pros:

Good Drawing Programs For Mac Free Downloads

Able to convert simple drawings to 3D models
Capable of creating the animation of the drawing
Allows sharing of 3D drawings online

Cons:

The thickness of the 3D effect cannot be controlled
Lacks standard picture editing tool

Link to download Microsoft Paint 3D:

6. Krita

It is a top-quality drawing software that is liked by most of the professionals because of the creative tools it has. Hence, it finds a place in the best free drawing software list. Using Krita is very easy, and you can simply use it from a casual drawing to illustration purposes. It is widely used for comics and manga.

It has a selection wheel feature that is displayed whenever you right-click anywhere on the canvas. From this, you can pick a new tool and make color selection quicker. It is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. But it is one of the best free drawing software for Mac.

Features:

Contains panel templates and halftone filters
Brushes are customizable
Customized brushes can be saved for future use

Pros:

Supports HDR
Number of Brushes available
Layers availability

Cons:

The text tool is inconvenient
Images retouching tools are not available

Link to download Krita:

7. Mischief

Mischief has upgraded itself to the newer version. With the more original version, it provides the unlimited canvas and amazing brushes to enter the list of best free drawing software. It features the ability to get an image with well-detailed areas and highlighted parts.

It is available for both Windows and Mac OS. Hence it is considered an excellent choice for free drawing software for Windows and Mac.

Features:

Supports stretching of canvas to the desired size.
Trackpad support for Mac Devices
Two new custom swatch color palettes
Zoom-in option
Multi-touch support
Elements are located across the screen

Pros:

Gives access to unlimited canvas
Updated free version
Scalable brushes and canvas
Multiple brushes and their types
Larger canvas

Cons:

UI is not that tidy
Lacks the standard brushes.

Link to download Mischief:

Good Drawing Programs For Mac Free Full

Read – The Best Music and Audio Editing Software.

Conclusion

For the person of any age group, drawing is something that brings peace to their mind. When you are happy you draw your happy memories, when you are sad, you draw your sorrows, and when you are alone, you draw your loneliness. So, whatever is the case, drawing is a blessing.

Good Drawing Programs For Mac Free Download

So, we brought into the picture the top 7 software in the list of best free drawing software. With this drawing software, you can give a new life to your imagination. We have listed all the features, pros, and cons of each drawing software.

Best Drawing Programs For Mac

As per your convenience and choice of feature, you can select the one and start drawing your heart out.