Occasionally a landmark program will popularize buzz words, offer new techniques, or dramatically improve existing tools. Sometimes a program will offer an entirely new approach to a problem. Fractal Design Painter 2.0 does all of this. It's high on wow factor and solid as well. And though Fractal built it for the graphics professional, it's priced for the starving artist.
Painter's extensive controls and support for pressure-sensitive tablets allow precise emulation of natural media and the mixing of media to create uncommon effects. Lighting effects are realistic, liquid effects are drippy. The paper textures affect the way a brush applies color just as real textured paper would. Using the cloning feature, you create an image with your own brush strokes that's based on a scanned photo or other image. This type of cloning creates a much more convincing effect than a simple filter.
Painter's most important feature is its controls for brush styles and strokes. The brush selection includes colored pencil and chalk, charcoal, oil paint, and water color. You can vary a brush's size, pressure variability, tip shape, texture, opacity, graininess, edge softness, build- up, drippiness, and a host of other attributes.
If Leonardo were here today, he'd have been a beta tester. - Chris Allain
Fractal Design Painter: US$399. Fractal Design: (800) 647 7443, +1 (408) 688 8800.
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