GIMP was created in 1998, and has been a popular choice for artwork and image manipulation ever since. It was also my main art program when I got my first graphics tablet in 2015. While it is no longer my first choice for creating artwork, I still find it to be quite pleasant to use, and I would absolutely recommend it, especially to new artists. The UI is simple, but the software is absolutely filled with tools, and it is easy to customize GIMP exactly to one’s liking with imported brushes, plug-ins, and more. The program also shares many similarities with Adobe Photoshop, being a good starting point for those who are interested in learning to edit images. It’s also completely free and open source-a trait that almost no Adobe products have. GIMP has a passionate fanbase and community of developers that regularly contribute code, suggest alterations, develop plug-ins, and offer support to each other too, making the program a great choice for artists who enjoy collaborating with others.

Total rating: