My honest thoughts on photoshop

[fleohr]

Medibang is 100% free and it can work with script brushes, which means the brushes don't lose resolution if used in a larger size!

They also have option to create your own brushes (they won't be script brushes if you use image instead of coding), just like photoshop and SAI

As for the filters, I use the color mode settings to make them, and there are also tutorials, materials, brushes, etc on Medibang website

[punkarsenic]

It's funny you say that because CSP is the industry standard, at least in East Asia

ive been told before by british comics people that photoshop is the industry standard, so i suspect theres a bit of a regional divide there.

CSP seems way better suited to comics than photoshop (and i hate adobe as a business), although a lot of their brushes are designed with manga in mind from the looks of it.

[okellymx]

Personally, I despise Clip Studio Paint and it runs terribly on all my computers from a cheap laptop to my gaming desktop. However Photoshop runs better even at higher resolutions. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but that doesn't affect how my artwork/comics come out. You just need to really learn the program to get what you want out of it. That's why people can manage to do anything with Photoshop because they spent the time to learn how to do it. CSP doesn't have the same industry resources as Photoshop, but search long enough and you'll find someone who knows what you're looking for.
You could try getting affinity designer and use that with Clip Studio. To make up for the lack of design tools that's what I do.

[andrew17]

I don't know about industry standard but I use PhotoShop because it integrates well with all the other apps in the suite. And because it's effectively free. But that's because in real life I'm in magazine publishing and have a subscription at work that allows an installation on two workstations - thus I have one at home and one at work. So if anyone knows someone who already has a PhotoShop subscription, there may be an installation laying dormant waiting to be used.

[Cavechan]

Erm, I guess I must be an exception because I find CSP to be WAY more clunky than Photoshop. One thing I like about PS over CSP is that it doesn't lag nearly as much. It's so frustrating in CSP to have to wait... and wait... and wait... for an effect to load/update. There is also the HUGE problem with the text tool. I type my text all into CSP so I can get the word bubbles the right size, but at the end, I import my page into PS to finalize the text, crop the page, and resize/save for web.

Don't forget that PS and CSP were made for very different uses. CSP was made for comics (which amazes me even more that the type tool is such a pos) and PS was made... for photos. It wasn't made for drawing or coloring or making comics.

I personally think it's best to use the two together.

[punkarsenic]

There is also the HUGE problem with the text tool.

oh yeah csp's text tool is absolutely awful, i think everyone can agree on that

[FedoraSpooky]

Last time I checked, Clip Studio Paint will often have sales where you can grab it pretty cheap. I bought my license for it for like 15 bucks. I will say it does have less tools than photoshop, at least as far as filters and photomanipulation goes, but it's more suited for illustration and there's tons of amazing free brushes you can get for it!

It's got it's problems, as all programs do, but honestly I've found it to work well enough. I've used it for all my pages so far, haven't run into any trouble save for the occasional bug caused by windows updating. Most importantly- no monthly fees, especially just to be able to use the thing! That was the biggest selling point for me. XD

[TheBryceKrispy]

hell, I seen people make decent webcomics with ms paint

Is this really true? I don't believe you.

[Daknight]

I am in the otherway around. I used photoshop and then move to CSP (still use Photoshop for work though). Is easier on having the comic option (easy panel making, easy bubbles and for me the text works perfect). I really like that if there is a ballon the text instantly recognize it and goes to the middle of it.

[vworksart]

I moved to CSP from Photoshop as well. Photoshop wasn't really built for drawing or digital art but photo editing instead. Not sure when the shift to art happened but in my experience I think Clip studio is a better tool for what I do over Photoshop. It has great brushes, awesome tools for comics, etc. Not to mention it doesn't break my bank... Which I value a lot lol!

[NickRowler]

I was introduced to Photoshop when I was in middle school, so back in 2003-ish and I have been playing around with it over the years. I think I mostly use it now because it's just what I have used for all these years. I like the shortcut keys and the navigation. I also use Photoshop at my job. I'm sort of worried that if I tried to switch to something new, I would get super frustrated by how different it functions. I hate using Flash due to how different it is to Photoshop.

[NickRowler]

When I was in high school, I didn't own a copy of Photoshop so what I did was draw the comic by hand and scan it in at a high resolution. I then brought it into MS Paint to color it. When uploading it to DeviantArt, I set the setting to display it at a smaller size to remove the jagged edges and I ended up with something that looked like this...

[lartianmartian1]

Do the program or tools really matter if you didn't have much of a drive to make the thing in the first place? I used to say I despised real paints because they're so messy, but I was also, coincidentally, depressed at the time and did not want to do the art much at all because I felt I had lost that child-like creative spark. Now I have the creative drive again in spades, I feel mostly okay overall, and I've been drawing every dang day on flipping index cards. INDEX. CARDS.

... Also, I'm still learning CSP so I don't have an honest opinion yet. And this is coming from someone who used to use PS but feels ambivalent about it. Sometimes limitations are the best thing that can happen to you or your art, and the fanciest software don't always guarantee something great. It's all about YOU. Plus, there are some really good free programs out there!

Also, jealousy is a vicious monster. It discouraged me at the college level and I won't let it take hold of me again. Don't let it take hold of you.

[hjfsdh2222]

YOH GOD THE SATAN BABY!!! forgive me I thought I would never hear the name gimp again. (−_−＃)

[qwerty]

My two cents: when looking for new software several months ago I tried the free trial of CSP and Photoshop. I ended up buying CSP for these reasons:

• CSP is way cheaper in the long run. I hate Adobe's subscription model.
• Photoshop was super laggy on my laptop when I tried to draw / paint with it. CSP works fine for me at reasonable image sizes.
• CSP seemed a little easier to learn / get used to at first (although this wasn't a big deal since I knew I could eventually adapt to either software).
• The difference in features didn't matter that much to me. Both were insanely better than the free software I had been using and had all the basic features I would need.

Edit: Also, Krita is really good, although it's a bit too slow to be usable on my laptop. It has some features like liquefy tool that CSP doesn't have, and it's brush engine (or rather, brush engines - plural) are more complex than even Photoshop's.

[kappapeachie]

I'm seeing a few "screw clip studio paint" post on here.

Ah.

[Shanny8]

CSP was made for comics (which amazes me even more that the type tool is such a pos)

This I can kind of agree on. I havent used CSP's type/lettering tool yet, but from a look at a few video tutorials, I wasnt wowed by it. Plus a few pro letterers griped about some thing such as kerning sucks and doesnt work well with fonts that have auto ligatures...I stick with this version of Illustrator that I have for lettering.

I personally think it's best to use the two together

I do this- I use CSP to pencil & ink, then PS for coloring, toggling back & forth to use FX stuff that CSP has that Photoshop doesnt.

Clip Studio Paint will often have sales where you can grab it pretty cheap. I bought my license for it for like 15 bucks.

Same. I started out, getting the Pro version for $15 bucks; after 3 yrs I upgraded to EX, buying a physical download for $90.

[kappapeachie]

I vowed not to waste money, especially anything with subscriptions or that could break bank. combined with my parents insisting not to buy too many things online, I wanted to make sure of that.

maybe until i move out or get into a college.

[indagold]

I mean if you're only an illustrator, do not work in an industry that requires it and don't even know how to use it seems not worth getting it especially knowing adobe lost their soul (if they even had one to begin with) and made their services subscription based.

I've used photoshop since I was 6 and in an industry that demands so i'm kinda stuck with it. I mean don't fret you can't use it.

I can give some pros and cons to using it:

pros: Photoshop is great for editing and has a whole complex system built for everything where a lot of freeware or other art programs lack because they don't care about editing just drawing. So if you want to add cool effects or fix massive changes, Photoshop is great for you.

cons: Photoshops sucks in the drawing/painting department ( Idk if the newest CC improved this if it did, ignore what I said lol) but painting is always one shade (you can change it in color dynamics but its limited), no options for turning images into brushes that saves all ranges of colors, line quality is shit (I have used CC smooth option and frankly its still shit compared to other art programs) and probably lacks a lot of other painting options more art related programs have compared to photo editing.

That said photoshop has a ton of options for how to edit brushes and infinite options to how you can tweak your brushes but if you don't need it than don't get it.

[gparsons]

I use Sketchbook Pro, Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint, and they all have their advantages. But you should be able to do what you want with CSP, and maybe purchase an older copy of Photoshop CS6, it should be fairly cheap and won't require a subscription.
Some projects I do solely in CSP because to me, it has the best inking tools.