Software: Art

This is a page of suggested art programs that can be used to create custom visual assets. The majority of listed programs are free.

Filtering Programs
Fotosketcher
 * OS: Windows
 * Description: Filters digital photos automatically and in just a few mouse clicks. Over 20 different styles are available from pencil sketches to watercolor or oil paintings, pen & ink drawings and cartoons..

Logo Design
AAA Logo Logo Design Studio Logo Maker
 * OS: Windows
 * Description: Logo and website design software. Must purchase, free trial is available.
 * OS: Windows
 * Description: Over 2000 pre-designed templates and vector design tools allow for many unique looks. Can save in SVG files that remain fully editable by Logo Design Studio Pro or any other vector editor. Must purchase, free trial is available.
 * OS: Internet Browser
 * Description: Create a quick logo with an image and text.

Pixel Art Programs
Make Pixel Art!
 * OS: Internet Browser, Windows, Macintosh
 * Description: A low-rez drawing app for pixel artists, game developers, and kids of all ages. Draw pixel perfect pics with your fingers!

Bitmap Editing Programs
GIMP Art Rage 2 PhotoPlus 6 Artweaver Paint.net Krita MyPaint SketchBook Copic Edition SketchBook Copic Edition FireAlpaca openCanvas Pencil Animation MakeHuman Creatoon SmoothDraw Pixlr
 * OS: Any system capable of running Gnome 2, KDE 3.2, Windows 2000, Mac OS X and later versions
 * Description: Free open-source image-manipulation tool, similar to Photoshop.
 * OS: Windows, Macintosh X, iPad
 * Description: An easy to use, stylish painting package.
 * OS: Windows
 * Description: Free digital photo editing and enhancing software from Serif.
 * OS: Windows
 * Description: Features a huge range of painting tools. You can create sketches from photos or just experiment with colors. Offers layers, group layers and support for the PSD file format.
 * OS: Windows
 * Description: Has an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools.
 * OS: Windows, Linux
 * Description: KDE program for sketching and painting.
 * OS: Windows, Linux
 * Description: Fast and easy open-source graphics application for digital painters.
 * OS: Windows, Macintosh
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 * OS: Windows
 * Description: Popular computer graphics software program created by Portalgraphics. It was specifically designed for use with pressure-sensitive drawing tablets; it is a sketch program rather than a general-purpose graphic design program.
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 * OS: Internet Browser
 * Description: Browser-based photo editor, no installation required, the interface is very similar to Photoshop.

Vector Drawing Programs
Inkscape Alchemy
 * OS:
 * Description: Vector graphics editor.
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 * Description: Vector inspiration and generation sandbox.

Image Generating
Terragen Celestia Universe generator
 * OS:
 * Description: Scenery generator. (free for personal non-commercial use)
 * OS:
 * Description: Free 3D astronomy program. Might be useful for sci-fi VNs.
 * OS:
 * Description: For creating realistic images of space. (shareware, but sufficient capabilities are available)

Image File Compressors
Image Optimizer ImageAlpha PNGGauntlet PunyPNG Smush.it TinyPNG
 * OS: Internet Browser
 * Description: Resize, compress and optimize your image files.
 * OS: Macintosh
 * Description: Converts 24-bit PNG to paletted 8-bit with full alpha channel. This greatly reduces file sizes with only minor loss of quality. Such images are compatible with all browsers, and even degrade well in IE6.
 * OS: Windows, Macintosh, Linux
 * Description: Combines PNGOUT, OptiPNG, and DeflOpt to create the smallest PNGs without quality loss. Converts JPG, GIF, TIFF, and BMP files to PNG.
 * OS: Internet Browser
 * Description: Free website optimization tool that dramatically reduces the file size of your images without any loss of quality.
 * OS: Internet Browser
 * Description: Yahoo's image compressor, uses optimization techniques specific to image format to remove unnecessary bytes from image files. It'll report how many bytes would be saved by optimizing the page's images and provides a downloadable zip file with the minimized image files.
 * OS: Internet Browser
 * Description: Advanced lossy compression for PNG images that preserves full alpha transparency, upload files to the website and redownload them quickly.

3D Graphics Programs
ComiPo! Google SketchUp Kerkythea Blender 3D Wings 3D Metasequoia Hexagreat 3D MarbleClay Sculptris Sweethome3D
 * OS: Windows
 * Description: 3D models for characters.
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 * Description: 3D sketching
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 * Description: Free renderer for SketchUp models
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 * Description: Shareware, the LE version is freeware
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 * Description: Freeware sculpting program inspired by ZBrush
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Animating
Anim8r FreeAnimestudio2007 Synfig Picasion
 * OS:
 * Description: General animating software
 * OS:
 * Description: During installation select (E) to use it in English
 * OS:
 * Description: 2d vector animation software, check forums for most recent build
 * OS:
 * Description: Online .gif maker.

Utilities
IrfanView IcoFX
 * Description: Viewer/converter with interface for Adobe effect plugins
 * Description: Freeware Windows icon editor/converter. Can also create Mac .icns and change the icons of executables.