Corel Painter 2016 for Mac

Corel Painter 2015 is designed to emulate the painting experience on a computer. Painter integrates with digital tools like the Wacom tablet, and through a range of features, Painter allows you to synthesize hundreds of techniques, brush strokes, and styles on your Mac.

Pros

Massive library of digital-painting tools: Corel Painter 2015 offers hundreds of options for brush strokes, paint styles, textures, and additional media. An impressive new feature called RealBristle simulates the effect of what a bristle paintbrush looks like on paper. Another new option, Jitter Smoothing, brings a more natural feel to each stroke.

Very fast and responsive: Corel Painter is very fast. While it requires a decent amount of power to run at peak efficacy, it operates most of its basic features efficiently, from extremely large canvases to quick zoom-ins.

Cons

Steep learning curve: This isn't new for a Corel Painter program, but it's an issue that newcomers must face: The learning curve is steep. If you've used previous versions, it won't take long to navigate the updates and additions. But for those without previous experience, or those who have used only Photoshop, the learning process can be frustrating. Additionally, you may find that the most powerful features are best used on a tablet.

Bottom Line

Corel Painter 2015 is the best iteration to date, bringing in a number of new features; powerful, memory-friendly tools; and physics-based painting that in the hands of a master can create true masterpieces. This is a great piece of software for any digital artist.