Chewing Pencils

I’m frequently asked by aspiring cartoonists about the software I use to create my cartoons. For many, this question is simply part of their research into improving their craft. For other, it seems to be part of a search for some sort of Holy Grail that will turn them instantly into famous cartoonists…

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you’ve probably picked up on my philosophy about cartooning tools. There are many things promoted as the ‘industry standard’ or as the software package you ‘must’ have to succeed.

I think most of this is simply false. You use the software package with which you can produce the best results for your style. If that means using a $50 graphics package that you found in the bargain bin of the computer shop then more power to you! That’s a far wiser choice than spending $2000 on a package that you will only ever use 5% of.

However, while the software title might not be that important, the functions of the software are. Put simply, if the software you are are using can’t do a number of basic functions, then you will always struggle to make decent amounts of money from your work purely because your software will be holding you back.

My style is fairly simple, so I don’t need a lot of whiz-bang features. But here’s a list of things that I think most artists would find necessary to produce work regardless of their style:

1. Saving your work in multiple formats

I updated the software I use just two weeks ago. I had been using that software for the last eight years without a hitch - the only reason I updated it was that it wouldn’t save my work in a file type that a client was after.

Clients will usually ask for Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop files, Encapsulated Postscript files, or the more recognizable TIF, JPG or GIF files if it is for the web. Make sure that the software you use can save your work in multiple formats and in particular, the native file formats of some of the more popular (and expensive) software titles.

2. Adequate colour separations

You won’t have to do separations often, but make sure your software can do this anyway. CMYK separations are the most common, and good software should be able to perform this for you at the click of a button.

3. Layers/Object editing

When I discovered layers, the quality of my work leaped forward like it never had before. Working in layers is like drawing different parts of your image on different sheets of clear plastic. When you lay all the sheets together, you see your finished piece of work. The real advantage of working in layers is the ability to edit or change different elements of your image without affecting the rest of it. Colouring also becomes more effective - I add the colour on one layer while the black line work resides on the layer above it. This means no white dots in between the colour and the line.

Every cartoon I draw now has at least five different layers.

4. Different paint tools

As I mentioned before, my style is simple so I don’t require many fancy things. However, I use more than just a simple paint brush. Having options like air brush, water colour and pastel, for instance, means greater I can achieve a greater range of effects that would normally have to be done in traditional media.

5. Scanning capability

Your software needs to be able to talk to your scanner and capture images directly. Most do, or at least can link in with third party scanning software, but it always best to make sure.

6. Compatibility with a drawing tablet

Even if you don’t use one now, a time will come when you will at least consider it. If your software is ‘tablet friendly’ it means you won’t have to pay even more to get some new software - or put up with the outdated stuff that is bundled with your tablet.

That’s all very well and good, I hear you say, but answer the question - what software should I use?!!! Well, as a starting point, consider what you will need your software to do. If you are drawing in a digital environment (i.e. no pencil or paper) then you will need software that specializes in creating art from scratch. Software that has ‘paint’ or ‘draw’ or words to the effect are usually the best for this. If you do most of your drawing in natural media and then use software to do the final touch ups and additions, then software that has ‘photo’ in the title will be adequate. These are designed to take existing work (i.e. photos) and add that something extra.

Of course, your budget will have the final say on what you do, but don’t fall into the trap of buying the most expensive. There’s a good chance you won’t need it, and those artists that said you do, probably don’t need it either.

I’ve listed below some of the more well known software packages with a few comments based on my experience. I haven’t used them all extensively, so if you’re interested, make sure you get a demo version and try them out first. Prices are taken from these guys from whom I have bought all of my software over the last ten years.

Adobe Photoshop

This, and it’s vector based buddy Illustrator are the so-called industry standards. They will do everything that you could ever dream of doing, plus a bit more for good luck. But they are hideously expensive. I’ve played with them, but unless you’re doing super-detailed work, you could probably give this one a miss.

Stand alone price: AU$1450 (ouch!)
Suite price: AU$1925 (Premium edition including Illustrator, InDesign and others)

Corel Photopaint

OK. This is what I use, so I’m biased. But really, I only started using this software because version 5 was bundled with my scanner. I upgraded to version 7 when I got into the web, and upgraded to version 13 in the last few weeks. It’s done everything I’ve ever needed it to and the results have been great. At a fraction of the cost of the equivalent Adobe products, I’m not sure why it isn’t more popular than it is.

Stand alone price: n/a
Suite price: AU$749 (Includes CorelDRAW, CorelCAPTURE and others)

Corel Painter

Some of the pro’s in the field swear by this product. I’ve only ever used the version that came bundled with my Wacom tablet, but even that stripped down version had a wealth of tools that produced some beautiful results. One day I’ll set aside some time to learn how to use this properly! I forget who used to make it, but Corel bought them out a few years ago. I assume it is only a matter of time before Painter and Photopaint are merged into the same thing.

Stand alone price: AU$625

Macromedia Fireworks

I have this on my machine because I bought the Macromedia suite when I wanted both Dreamweaver and Flash. Everything is there, but it seems a bit clunky to me and not very intuitive.

Stand alone price: AU$593
Suite Price: AU$1972 (includes Flash, Dreamweaver and others)

Paint Shop Pro

This is like an old friend. Ever since I have used a computer, there has been a version of PaintShop on it somewhere. I must confess to never taking it that seriously, but the ‘pro’ part seems to indicate it could do far more than I’ve ever given it credit for. Worth a look I guess.

Stand alone price: AU$299

Free Products

You don’t have to pay anything for software if you don’t want to! These two packages have quite a following on the web:

Gimp - If memory serves me correctly, this started out as a project some geeky UNIX users put together. Now it is multi-platform, but still nice and free!

Pixia - something I stumbled upon entirely by accident, but it seems to be a well regarded Japanese based graphics package. Let me know if you’ve used it before!

I guess the best advice I can give you when it comes to software, though, is to find what works for you and then stick with it. It takes a lot of time to learn how to use a program adequately, and even longer to use it properly. Jumping from package to package wastes a lot of time and money, so learn to use what you have and upgrade or change if you must.

And don’t forget, the software won’t make your drawing any better - that’s your job!