Time Drawn: February 2013
One of the side effects of having to replace my computer and install everything anew is that I lost Photoshop.
Now mind you, I was using Photoshop 7, which came out in 2002. It was the last one of the basic “Photoshop” line, before they swapped over to “Photoshop Creative Suite”. And even at 11 years old, it was still a good program. It just lacked all the nifty things they added after Adobe outright admitted that people were using it for more than photos.
But, alas, I was using a version that a friend with a spare license for the program had installed on my computer five or more years ago. And even then, the reason he didn’t install a newer version was that Photoshop 7 was also the last one before they got really picky about the licensing. But he lives several states away, and he may not even have access to the install files anymore, so I doubt I shall ever manage to get Photoshop 7 on this computer.
And I certainly can’t afford the $700 it costs to buy the new version of Photoshop.
So, since I’m not the type to go a pirating, I’ve been checking out Open Source graphics programs.
I’ve used Gimp every so often, when I need to do graphics manipulation on a computer that doesn’t have Photoshop. It’s a good manipulation program, if slow, but it’s not that great for creating digital art.
So I decided to try out MyPaint, which focuses on the digital art.
Of course, to test the abilities of the program, I had to make art!
My first thought for a simple object to draw was an apple. It’s traditional, after all. A lot of beginning artists learn off of apples. They don’t go bad partway through using them in a still life, they’ve got a simple shape and strong colors, and hey, you can even eat it afterwards.
Alas, I don’t really care for apples. So I drew a jalapeno instead.
Half an hour later, I had a really good looking jalapeno. And unlike a lot of graphics programs I’ve tried, I didn’t feel like I was struggling against the program! The colors went down nice and easy, in a logical fashion that just worked with how my brain approaches a piece.
So I drew a red onion. And then an avocado. And an heirloom tomato just like the one I have in the fridge. And a simple background for them to sit on.
I think I shall continue using this program. It suits me. And while it’s not the best for image manipulation tasks like rotating individual layers, it saves in a format compatible with Gimp, which IS good at those tasks.
Now to start planning my next project.
After I grab something to eat, though. For some reason I’m really craving tacos…
