Need to make an art app upgrade? Choose from one of the best apps for artists to get the most from your Mac and your art.

Digital art and graphic design is no longer for those who went to special art schools or possess unique and rare talent. Instead, the whole industry has been democratized and now there are a wide range of apps for artists that lets people paint and draw on their computers. Many of these applications focus on a specific aspect of art like photo-manipulation, illustration, or design. 

As Mac computers continue to become more popular, art-minded people are looking for the best apps to try new things. Luckily, you don’t have to search any further. Continue reading and we’ll walk you through the best apps for artists on Mac. 

1. Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is so popular and so ubiquitous that many people talk about it like it’s a verb. “Is this picture photoshopped?” is a common question among skeptics. 

Adobe is one of the best companies around when it comes to making creative software. Anyone who considers themselves to be an artist, whether a professional or amateur, would be wise to consider purchasing the software. 

Photoshop can let artists enhance and create images, 3D visuals, and illustrations. But the software isn’t just about editing images. Professional designers can use the app to make icons, logos, websites, banners, and packaging. 

You can either come up with your own visual ideas or use one of Photoshop’s helpful templates. They’re especially useful for beginners or people who are working under a strict deadline.  

You can also draw your own illustrations and then transforms them into paintings. And you’ll have the opportunity to alternate between print-style and animate options. After you’ve created your masterpiece, you can use the various built-in effects to enhance it even more. 

There are a variety of pricing options when it comes to Adobe products. The cheapest option is the Photography level. This will cost you $10 each month and also comes with Adobe Lightroom CC (CC stands for Creative Cloud). 

You’ll also get 20GB of storage in the cloud. You can also upgrade to the Single App plan. This is $21 each month and includes 100GB of cloud storage. You’ll also get Adobe Spark, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Portfolio. 

If you want all of the applications that are available in Adobe’s Creative Suite, you will have to pay $53 each month. However, you can get student- as well as other types of discounts. 

2. Corel Painter

Corel is a company that provides a variety of creative software applications. One of those apps is known as Painter. This program is meant for students, artists, and designers.

It’s a cross-platform app and will provide you with “thick paint.” You can smear your virtual canvass with this paint and then blend or scrape it to make some very beautiful works. 

Corel Painter gives you a wide array of brush options. And you can even make your own custom palettes and brushes. And you can import your own as well. 

You can download Corel Painter for both Mac and Windows. It’s also compatible with other software apps like Adobe Photoshop as well as digital drawing tablets. 

When it comes to price, Corel Painter will cost you around $400. Although they offer discounts and special pricing for their education edition for both learning centers and students. 

3. Artweaver

One of the oldest digital painting programs on the market, Artweaver is currently on its sixth edition. This app gives you a variety of predefined pencils and paintbrushes that you can use to make all sorts of cool art. 

With Artweaver, you’re going to get an intuitive brush ecosystem as well as a user-friendly interface. This is an app that beginners and experts can enjoy. 

Another great feature of this application is that you can collaborate with other artists on the same project. You’ll just need access to the internet to do this. 

This software also records the progress of your work so you can review and improve your skills. The software costs $47 but you can also get a free trial version. 

4. ArtRage

ArtRage is an artistic application that you can use on both Mac as well as Windows operating systems. This software can also be used on Android and iOS devices for maximum convenience. 

You’re going to get a solid array of features from this app including oil painting brushes, pens, and also pencils. Plus, you’ll get helpful digital editing tools such as custom brushes, filters, transform, and layers. 

The desktop and mobile versions come in both full and lite versions. It only costs $80 for a license for the full version. And you only pay $40 for the lite one. 

The app’s website also offers a plethora of handy support options. You’ll get tutorials, manuals, and even an online forum where you can get tips, advice, tricks, and suggestions. 

5. Rebelle

Rebelle is a program that was created by the artist Peter Blaskovic. This is an extremely versatile painting and drawing program. It’s especially useful for people who work with dry and wet media artwork, acrylic, and watercolor. 

Peter designed the app originally to be part of his experimental art projects. He wanted to have an app that was easy to use and let him use natural painting techniques. Rebelle utilizes drying techniques, wet diffusion, and color blending. 

Users will also be able to choose from a variety of pastels, inks, acrylics, and watercolors. You can also use dry instruments like erasers, markers, and pencils. So you won’t be stuck with just using paintbrushes. 

Another cool feature is that you can tilt the canvas that you’re drawing on. Another great thing about Rebelle is that it’s compatible with Adobe Photoshop. This is going to let you take advantage of over 20 different blending tools. 

The application will cost you about $90 but there’s also a free trial version so you can try before you buy. 

6. Preview

A lot of artists out there wonder if there’s an MS Paint program for Mac. Unfortunately, there isn’t. But Apple’s built-in application Preview is a decent competitor to both MS Paint and Adobe Photoshop.

Many people don’t know this but Preview can do a lot more than just help people view images. You can do basic painting, annotating, and image editing. 

7. Procreate

Procreate comes with all sorts of different features. For example, it comes with groups, Blend Modes, masks, and gives you the chance to work with hundreds of layers. You’ll also get precise color picker tools to make sure your designs turn out exactly how you imagine them. 

Procreate also offers over 100 different brushes. Using their brush engine, you can also make your own. This will all help you imitate standard art effects in a simple and efficient manner. 

It’s also compatible with Adobe Photoshop. And there’s even a new text tool so you have more options for what you can create. 

8. Krita

Many people will argue that Krita is one of the most underrated art applications around. The program is not only free to use but it’s also open source. And it’s been going strong within the artistic community since it was released in 2004. 

The interface for this app is customizable and also very intuitive. All of the panels and dockers can be moved so that you can work within an ideal workspace. 

You’re also going to get over 100 preloaded and professionally designed paintbrushes. Plus, there are nine distinct brush engines. Some of the most popular brush engines are the Particle engine, Shape engine, and Color Smudge engine. 

And to get even more customizable, you can create, share, and import your own texture packs and brushes. The app also comes with its own brush stabilizer so your lines will always be totally smooth.  

9. CorelDraw

For many years, the CorelDraw graphics suite was only available for Windows computers. But since 2019, they’re now also available on Mac and can even be used with the Touch Bar. You can also use their CorelDRAW.app for browser-based work. 

All of your artistic desires can be met with CorelDRAW’s amazing features. Some of their most popular features are vector design and photo editing. Plus, there’s their LiveSketch feature which is powered by artificial intelligence.   

The Importance of Knowing the Best Apps for Artists on Macs

After reading the above, it should be clear that there are all sorts of amazing apps for artists on Mac computers. But that doesn’t mean all of these applications will be the right fit for your artistic needs. That’s why it’s so important to review all of the information and figure out what you want most out of your application. 

Are you interested in reading other helpful articles? Check out the rest of our blog today for more!