Corel Painter 8 Upgrade

A tablet is practically a prerequisite to take full advantage of the program. I'm using the cheap $100 6x8 Graphire, but I understand a Wacom Intuos will add the program's ability to determine which way your pen is tilted and whether you swivel the pen or not.

I've made the switch from working in natural media to working 100% digital a couple of years back - but the switch would not have been possible without Painter.

Fo those people who are not familair with computer graphics programs, Painter makes it easy to learn. You can learn so many things with just playing around with the various tools. Painter makes it easy for anyone to learn how to make a graphic. This is one of the best programs I have worked with over an extended period of time! Thanks so much Corel for making a product worth buying!

Painter 8 is a different story altogether!
Corel® has made a great effort to make this upgrade of a previously clunky yet powerful product, a much more versatile, standardised and user-friendly juggernault. Gone are the days where you have to hopelessly search among dozens of panels for a particular brush, style or method. A slick bar at the top dynamically changes according to the tool you're using, where you set the size, opacity, curviness..etc.
Another thing that was greatly improved is the process of choosing the brush (that used to be very annoying with the old selective dimming). The brush selector is tucked at the upper right part of the screen (also in that slick bar,) in a much more logical and standardised way.
One also has the feeling that painter 8 was given something similar to the Macormedia® MX treatment, where the palettes can be customised into different panels and the layout saved according to the project.
The mixer panel IS useful, and is very consistant with the philosophy of this new painter release: the small things that make your work faster and stress-free. The os X over all performance is much snappier, not to mention the beefed-up photoshop compatibility, and o! have i mentioned that you get both a windows and a mac version with the license price ?

In short, If you thought painter was too eccentric and boggy for you, this is the upgrade you've been waiting for. Its new slick interface made me thank God that Corel® had taken the torch from Metacreation.

Painter 8 was exactly what I was looking for. The color mixer is wonderful! I can finally get the colors I want quickly and easily. The new interface is so intuitive and not at all intrusive like Painter 7's. The new brushes are brushes I want and use. Painter 7 had a lot of the same brushes with few variations organized in a haphazard fashion.

If you enjoy the look of natural media, and you enjoy the flexiblility and forgivability of digital media, Painter 8 is for you. I am so glad I bought it. I just wish I had purchased it earlier. It is a big improvement over 7.