PaintTool SAI Complete Course

The compact graphic design tool – PaintTool SAI

PaintTool SAI is a powerful but lightweight simple graphic design software. It allows you to use simple vector tools and can be used in conjunction with touch screen devices so that you can draw with a digital pen. Digital artists can use various art tools provided in the program to create illustrations, including cartoons and animations. SAI is an independent program whose functions can help users create digital art works.

Color is the key

SAI is a popular product in the online artist community (including DeviantArt). One of the reasons it has so many fans is because it provides fully digital support. It is suitable for Windows, tablets and mobile devices. Anyone who likes to express themselves with a digital pen can get creative through this program. It is easy to learn how it works and various tools, so the learning curve is an interesting experience, not a challenge.

Creative ability

In addition to the main tools for adding color, SAI also has functions for adding and editing layers and selecting parts of your artwork. Allows you to erase a layer, move it to another part of the drawing, or lock layers together. is an eraser tool that inherits the properties of the different brushes, it is helpful to put the finishing touches before saving your piece as you can soften the hard edges.

The interface of this drawing tool is easy to navigate, so it takes no time to find the tools and functions you need. That’s because there aren’t many functions. Its main purpose is to create new works of art, so it is not suitable if you are looking for a tool that also gives you photo editing capabilities.

There are also limits to what you can add to your canvas. SAI works well with creating textures and colors, but adding text or gradients is not included. After all, it is a compact and lightweight program. It also lacks the ability to print directly from the app, although you can export your work to PSD or BMP files.

Arty alternatives

Painttool SAI has some excellent tools for drawing and painting, but it is not the only software available. If you don’t get on well with the product or are looking for more advanced features, here are some other options for graphic design.

A popular raster-based graphic design program is Corel Painter. It is great for those just getting started in digital art, as well as experienced amateurs and professionals. The latest version has launched with a clean and easy to use interface that is still packed full of useful functions and features. Like SAI it offers a smooth experience when painting and minimal lagging.

Many artists require a full suite of features, and for that reason, they opt for the industry-standard program Adobe Illustrator. When it comes to vector drawing, you can achieve a professional design with this application. It includes many brush types, gradients, filters and special effects that can be applied to achieve the finished product that you are looking for. Other alternatives worthy of mention are GIMP and Paint.NET.

A smooth and enjoyable experience

PaintTool SAI has enough features for amateur and professional artists to create digital artworks. Its appeal lies in the fact that it takes up little space, it is easy to learn how to use, and it is fast and smooth with no lagging. It is aimed at those who want to paint and draw rather than edit photos or create collages.

The latest version of SAI has added features and fixed some bugs. The issues with the lasso tool, opening PSD files, and converting symmetrical shapes have been fixed. A symmetric ruler has been added, which helps users achieve symmetrical lines and shapes.

Some of the PaintTool SAI artwork from Instructor – Mr Nokun