What about MacDraw Pro?

ByMike Moffit

When I mentioned how much I loved Keynote in last week’s Kibbles, a reader (shout out to Steve!) wrote to ask about a decent replacement for MacDraw. I thought that might be a good starting point for an article. I’ll preface this by saying, “I do not have one iota of artistic talent no matter how many times I watch Bob Ross.” So please take my recommendations with a grain of salt. But I have taught kids using several drawing programs, so I have a decent idea of what makes a good piece of software (mainly intuitive use).

The big problem with drawing programs is that they become too complicated to just pick up and start using.

iDraw is a true vector drawing app but its price and interface is nowhere as intimidating as Adobe Illustrator!* It is a piece of software that a new user can pick up and start using. There is a Mac version that sells for $24.99 on the App Store.

I was introduced to SketchBook Pro by first using Autodesk’s free version (SketchBook Express) on my iPad when I was looking for something cool to add to my iPad. SketchBook Pro is produced by Autodesk and is recommended for anything you would use a pen and paper for such as storyboarding and illustrating. It combines both painting with drawing. There is a free trial, as well as a free version for Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad SketchBook Pro sells for $59.99 from the App Store.

Paintbrush is similar to the long lost Mac Paint (and MS Paint). It is available at no charge here.

ArtRage 2 and ArtRage Studio Pro are more paint programs, but are easy to use and the only limitation is the limitation of the artist. I used ArtRage with the kids at The Warren School, and it is VERY easy to start using. ArtRage 2 has a free starter edition that is free to check out and will give you an idea of what the full version will be like. ArtRage Studio Pro sells for $59.99 (there are other less expensive versions as well). There are versions that don’t have all the features available for less here.

Check out a Kibbles exclusive special with a Wacom tablet and Hammerhead stylus below.

*For some up-to-date Adobe news about CS6, click here to read our blog, Barkings!

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