This is a guide on choosing which Mac to get, depending on whether you're an artist or art student.
- Best Mac for designers on a budget The best Mac for designers on a budget is the Mac mini. Realistically, any modern Mac is broadly suitable for the majority of design work - it's just that less.
- Frustratingly, Apple doesn't reveal official sensitivity levels for either generation of Apple Pencil, but anecdotally, artists says it's about as sensitive as competing styli.
- No matter which of the trio of 13” models you choose, this MacBook is a solid option for coders, musicians, and photographers who need to improve their productivity. Bright and colorful display. Convenient Magic Keyboard and Force Touch trackpad. Up to 4TB of storage.
Your artist image lets you express your personality and show your fans who you are. Find out where listeners discover your music. Learn which playlists are driving the most plays of your songs, and see the demographics of your top listeners. Get a global view of listeners. If you’re willing to splash out, a MacBook Pro is about as good as you can get. This powerful laptop is perfect for professional artists who run heavy software. It has 8GB to 16GB RAM, so it will be able to keep up with you. Plus, your artworks will look stunning on the Retina screen with True Tone technology.
I'm writing this from an artist's point of view. I've used both Macs and PCs for creating graphics in the newspaper industry. This guide will assume that you've already decided to go with a Mac over PC. I've previously written something on PC vs Mac so I'll not cover that here again.
I would love to hear your comments on what Mac you're have and the work you're using it for, and the performance. Especially if your findings are different from mine.
Laptop vs desktops
Mobility is the only factor to consider between choosing laptops and desktops. Note that by today's standards, Apple laptops are incredibly fast. You don't really sacrifice a lot of features choosing between the two. If you need to be working at different locations, home, office or school, it's the laptop for you.
In addition to the stock configurations, you can also choose to customize your own. If you choose customization, you need to purchase from Apple directly. If not, you can get yours at Amazon or shops. The other difference is in pricing. Depending on where you are, you might save on sales tax if you're getting from Amazon, that's if you're not going to be filing for taxes.
Macbook Air
This is the lightest laptop from Apple.
Here are the configurations:
It comes in 11-inch and 13-inch models. The 11-inch screen is too small for graphics work. 13-inch is significantly better as it shows more viewable information.
The main limitation of the Air is the dual processors which is currently 1.8GHz. It's good enough for light to general graphics creating, like digital painting, layout and graphic design. But it will won't be as fast when it comes to processor intensive stuff, like rendering 3D models and videos.
It has 4GB of memory which is sufficient, and configurable to 8GB. That means you can work on multiple files at the same time, or several Photoshop layers in a single file.
The flash storage means opening and saving files are extremely quick, and general system performance overall is quick.
There's no disc drive, but you have the option to get an external one.
If you need good colour accuracy, the Macbook Air comes up short as compared to Macbook Pro. The colour does shift depending on the tilt of your screen. However, this is more critical for artists or designers working for high end publications like magazines. I work for the newspapers and we don't require that level of accuracy. it doesn't have to be that accurate, but it must not be inaccurate. The other point to note about colour accuracy is, you also need to take into account the colour profile of your printer and audience display.
Bottomline: Extremely mobile. Good for light to general graphics work. Zippy performance overall. Get the 13-inch model.
Macbook Pro
The Macbook Pro is the higher end model of the Apple laptops, sort of. I say sort of because as mentioned earlier, the Macbook Air uses flash storage which is extremely fast. There are configurations of the Macbook Pro that do not use flash storage.
Here are the different configurations currently offered:
These guys have faster processors. The low-end ones use dual core processors while the higher end ones with 4 cores.
The 5400-rpm storage is the constraint. If you can, upgrade to at least a faster 7200-rpm drive. If you have the budget, upgrade to the flash storage.
The low-end 13-inch Macbook Pro is good for light to general graphics work. However, if you're getting the low end Macbook Pro, I would recommend getting the 13-inch Macbook Air instead. Personally, I would sacrifice processor speed for a faster storage drive which improves overall performance of the system.
The 15-inch Macbook Pro is a different story because it has twice the processing power with 4 cores, an additional graphics card, and a larger screen. It's suited for general to heavy graphics work like 3D rendering and video rendering. The constraint is again the 5400-rpm storage.
There's even the super high-end Retina display Macbook Pro. In terms of price and value, I feel the non-Retina 15-inch is better. That's unless you need to see everything in super sharp detail, not that the non-Retina ones are not sharp. I don't have any experience with creating graphics for print with the Retina Macbook Pro so I can't really comment much on the perceived advantage of doubling the resolution.
Bottomline: Get the high-end Macbook Air instead of the low-end Macbook Pro because there's not much difference, with the Air having the advantage of being lighter.
If you do 3D or video work or heavy graphics (huge dimensions and many layers), definitely get the 15-inch quad-core Macbook Pro. Spend the extra money and upgrade to at least a 7200-rpm storage.
Mac Mini
The thing you need to know about the Mac Mini is it doesn't come with a display, keyboard, mouse and disc drive which will all translate to spending extra money to get them.
Here are the configuration:
It's good enough for light to general graphics work, just like the Macbook Air. Get at least the mid-range model which offers 4GB of memory and better graphics card. Upgrade to at least a 7200-rpm storage if possible. For the price Apple is selling, I would have expected them to throw in at least 4GB memory and a 7200-rpm storage.
Chrome for macbook. The quad-core model is more suited for video rendering rather than 3D because of the graphics card.
Bottomline: Good for light to general graphics work. Limited graphics card means 3D software won't run at its best performance. Best digital drawing software.
iMac
If you don't need your computer to be portable, the iMac is a great choice. It's beautiful and powerful. Personally, I think it represents the best value for money.
Here are the configurations:
They are all quad-cores. Even the slowest iMac comes with a decent 7200-rpm drive and graphics card. These are high performance machines for general to heavy graphics work. They can take anything you throw at them.
With the 27-inch model, you can fit in two storage drives. If you put a flash storage inside, it's going to be incredibly fast. And the 27-inch comes with a stunning resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels.
Bottomline: They are value for money desktop workhorse computers. Either the low or high end models are great. I recommend spending a bit extra for the incredible 27-inch display.
Mac Pro
This is the most powerful computer Apple has to offer.
This is also the one that I'm personally using at home. Mine was a quad-core 3GHz bought in 2006. This year, I just upgraded to a flash storage and it's amazingly fast, not that it was that slow before. I've been using it for 6 years and probably will be using it until it physically breaks down. The Mac Pro is also very expensive but I guess if you're using it for that long, it still provides good price-performance value.
Here are the configuration:
Even the base model is immensely powerful. It's also extremely easy to upgrade on your own. You can remove and side cover and add in storage or change graphics card.
The 12-core model is for those working on huge files, heavy 3D and video work.
For art students or artists with budget, I would recommend the iMac. If you do have extra budget, you can consider the Mac Pro. It depends on how long you want to use your computer. Plus, you get to choose your own monitor.
Bottomline: Great for heavy graphics, 3D and video work. Not recommended for artists or art students on budget unless you already know you'll be using it for a long time.
Applecare
Regardless of which Mac you buy. It's good to get the Applecare warranty that gives you two additional years of coverage. It's worth it.
Apple computers are expensive to fix when they break down. Stuff like memory and storage is quite cheap to replace. But motherboard and displays are really pricey because Apple's the only one making those parts.
Other questions
If you have them, I would be glad to answer them if I can.
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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 10 Best Drawing Apps for Mac
- 2 19 Free Drawing Software For Macbook 2021
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
Mac Gallery
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
![Macbook For Artists Macbook For Artists](https://static.decalgirl.com/assets/designs/large/frogprince.jpg)
Peter Mac Artist
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
Mac Arts
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. Best free video editing software for mac 2015. 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.
You can download Inkscape for free by clicking on this link.
Macbook For Artists
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.
19 Free Drawing Software For Macbook 2021
Here is the total list of top Drawing tools and Apps for your Macbook.
- 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
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.