Celsys CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO
So while I was in Tokyo I had the opportunity to visit Tsukumo electric store to find if I can purchase illuststudio. Unbeknownst to me was a cyan looking like box identical to the illuststudio box I was going to buy. Only 1000 yen more expensive but with all the functionality of illuststudio, I didn't know what it was and I was curious enough I didn't buy Illuststudio that day.
And good thing I didn't either because I ended up ordering CLIP Studio Paint direct from the CLIP website, lo and behold, it comes with this new fangled contraption below.
And my god, CLIP Studio Paint is the most amazing low-cost drawing program I've used so far. In terms of functionality, it comes pretty close to Photoshop's CS series. But unlike Photoshop it doesn't come with a 4 digit price tag.
Optimised for illustrating, the brush engine is upgraded from illuststudio and has now incorporated 64-bit functionality with CPU multi-core compatibility. Let's just say this baby runs faster than a chicken at a slaughterhouse.
Personally, I've used most of the other graphics programs (bought most of them too, I bet some of you haven't even bought one !! （ ´,_ゝ`) ). I have to say this beats them hands down in every aspect. And trust me, I've used,
- Photoshop 6.0 - CS5
- Paint Shop Pro
- GIMP
- OpenCanvas 3.0 - 5.0
- SAI
- Illuststudio
- Comicstudio
It quite literally merges Illuststudio, Comicstudio, Posestudio together making this one helluva beast. Not only does it have all the Comicstudio functions, it can auto convert between illustration and screen tone shading. It can even prevent moire and dithering of tone by force representing them as solid greyscales at any zoom.
Now it is important to note that Celsys intends to phase out Illuststudio because of this new program. Whether or not Illuststudio users will like this new program depends on if they like the layer mechanics, because the layers are managed exactly like Photoshop now.
Source: Celsys website.
Still, just keep in mind this won't make anyone a better artist, it just makes them a more efficient artist. Anyone can easily reproduce anything in another program, it just depends on the time and effort required. A bad craftsman will always blame his tools.
Rating 6/5 ✩
