Computer Software/Program?

Hi everyone! I am an artist and now feel compelled to create my own Tarot deck. I just got a MacBook Pro and wonder if anyone can tell me what would be a good program to use to create a deck? I usually do everything by hand, but that's getting to be too much. I used to have "Painter", which I loved, but it's way outdated now.

I am thrilled to find so many creative people here!

welcome to AT!

have you read this thread?
Doesn't have anything to do with mac but it has a lot of good advice in it, from someone who has recently finished a deck
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=220990

Sunflower

Hi! Thanks for answering!
Yes, I did read that thread. It seems to be all about the printing, not the creation......

aceofdreams said:

I used to have "Painter", which I loved, but it's way outdated now.

Click to expand...

I have used Painter and think it's an amazing program, very suited to this type of project. I know it's been around a few years, but do you feel it's missing necessary features that might be on new software?

I'm using an old photoshop (CS2) and Painter here - my underpowered PC isn't going to support much more than that - and I don't feel like I have been left short on features. I don't know what's in newer programs, but I would have said Painter, Illustrator, Photoshop, depennding on the style you work in

Painter

Hi Zedrex,

My Painter program is 20 years old and was for an old Mac. No longer compatible with ANYthing. I called Corel, no dice. So I threw it all out. Maybe I'll just buy it again. Probably about $1million by now!

I gather the brush engine in Photoshop has been through several iterations and while it isn't quite at the same level of simulating analog art as Painter, it's very good.

And given that Photoshop is a considerable investment, Photoshop Elements has about 80% of the functionality of Photoshop for a much lower price.I think it also still operates on a "perpetual license" model, although I haven't checked to be sure of that.

I have also heard a lot of good things about a rather popular free program called GIMP which is able to use Photoshop brushes (which are sold in many content marketplaces by 3rd-party vendors).

Of course, those are all if you are planning to use raster images (paintings scanned work, photo manipulations and whatever) If you want to use vector art you will need to look in other directions. I'm not familiar with what is out there, since i am solidly in Adobe's camp and use Illustrator.

There is also the 3D end of the pool. But those require a fairly extensive outlay of investment, and time, either for the programs themselves, or if you go with the low end programs, you will end up investing heavily in content, since the low end programs are typically not modeling programs, but scene builders.

Have you tried manga studio

http://manga.smithmicro.com/index.html

Have you tried magna studio since you like hand drawing?

Thanks

I downloaded Gimp and will try free trial versions of ArtRage and Painter. Sent an email to Manga Studio asking if they have a trial version. Thanks guys!

I have Photoshop CS6, Painter X3, and Manga Studio EX 4. Personally, I prefer using Painter and Photoshop together. (A little technique I picked up from digital painter Corey Loftis.) Painter is good for getting really nice, organic brushstrokes, while photoshop is great for color editing and small fixes.

I'm in the process of making a lenormand deck, but for this I am actually setting aside the computer and using all traditional paints. After over a decade of digital painting I can say hands down I prefer the real stuff.