Drawing programs allow you to make original drawings with a variety of built-in tools. You can use the mouse to draw on your laptop or desktop computer, or you can use external devices such as drawing tablets that record lines and transfer them to the screen. 3D drawing programs often provide built-in effects options and can integrate with photo editing programs or other design tools. You can create digital artworks using various drawing tools such as digital pens, markers, brushes. So, what are the best free drawing programs of 2023? We have also shared a separate list for those who want the best drawing programs for engineering and architecture.
Top 10 drawing programs ✍🏻
1️⃣ Adobe Photoshop CC
- It can be used to design anything. From small logos and banners to full-size posters and packaging…
- It has effective editing features. Such as recovering old worn photos, removing or adding objects, completely transforming an image.
- It allows even beginners to do great work. Professional graphic designers can also unleash their creativity with this tool.
- Featuring a range of effective paintbrush features (brushes, pens, felt-tip pens, pencils). You can draw or paint anything you can think of.
2️⃣ CorelDRAW
- It gives you access to an extensive set of royalty-free content. It features clip art, high-resolution digital images, fonts, and templates.
- It supports the use of devices such as digital pens and Microsoft Surface Dual.
- It has unique time-saving tools like shadow effects manipulator, vector mosaic and automatic symmetrical design. Additionally, there is LiveSketch feature for quick sketching.
- A powerful tool for vector illustration.
- It provides color consistency on different media types (pdf, jpg, eps, etc.).
3️⃣ Clip Studio Paint
- It has artificial intelligence coloring feature using deep learning technology.
- It allows you to import fully customizable 3D shapes to fit the outline you are making.
- Packed with features ideal for drawing manga and comics.
- You can create animations by adding timelines, camera movements, sound effects, and music.
- It supports the use of vector layers that allow easy resizing and editing of lines.
4️⃣ Krita
- It has brush stabilizers that are helpful for those with shaky hands.
- It offers 9 different customizable brush engines.
- The wrapping mode feature facilitates the creation of patterns and textures.
- Equipped with lots of drawing assistant features.
- You can easily import text and brush packs from other artists.
5️⃣ Procreate
- It allows you to create amazing typographies with the option to import fonts.
- Includes a variety of handmade brushes. This allows you to mix colors, create sketches or create shadows as if you were using a real pencil.
- It provides extremely precise control over vibrant colors.
- It works perfectly with Apple Pencil to provide a very natural drawing experience.
- It has a fluid, fast menu that you can configure for instant access to your favorite features.
6️⃣ Autodesk Sketchbook
- Tools are only visible when you need them. In this way, you work in a wide area.
- Layers, groupings, etc. You can export your work to different formats, including PSD.
- Allows you to import a photo taken with your device’s camera directly into your work.
- It has dozens of tools that enable more precise drawing and faster workflow.
- It gives a natural feeling when drawing, thanks to the drawing engine that can process a 100 mpx canvas.
7️⃣ ChemDoodle
- You can mirror chemical reactions with arrow tools, drag-and-drop interface, and cleaning features.
- It comes with a plethora of tools for working with chemistry related graphs. BioArt, ChemSketch are a few of them.
- Stereochemistry can do some of the hard work for you, like working on implicit hydrogens and ring finding.
- It has a calculator tool that lets you calculate properties and identifiers. For example, bond ranges, boiling point and molecular formulas can be calculated through this tool.
- Compatible with Adobe tools and third party applications such as MS Office.
8️⃣ Paintstorm Studio
- Allows you to close the gaps between shapes when filling or selecting an object.
- It comes with a dynamic interface that allows you to create your own custom panel. You can also change the size, position, tab lock and opacity of the toolbars.
- It has advanced symmetry tools.
- It gives full control over every brush option. It gives you the freedom to customize a brush completely to your own style.
- There are bristle brushes of all types and forms.
9️⃣ Mischief
- It has detail preservation and infinite zoom features.
- Thanks to the endless canvas, it allows the creation of a huge project.
- It is a drawing tool that provides a smooth and fast experience. You will feel like you are drawing on paper with a real pen.
- It has multi-touch support.
- It offers a minimalist approach to avoid distractions while working.
🔟 YouiDraw Drawing
- You can make posters, t-shirts, gift cards.
- It has a simpler interface, reminiscent of Photoshop.
- You can access your work from any device by logging into your account.
- It gives tips on how to use the tools. Therefore, it is ideal for beginners.
Engineering drawing programs 💻
- AutoCAD (Civil engineering)
- Solid Edge (Mechanical and Industrial engineering)
- Onshape (Mechanical and Industrial engineering)
- SolidWorks (Mechanical and Industrial engineering)
- Autodesk Fusion 360 (Mechanical and Industrial engineering)
- Shapr3D (Mechanical and Industrial engineering)
- BricsCAD (Civil engineering)
Architecture drawing programs 📐
- SketchUp
- Revit
- 3D Studio Max
- cedreo
- V-Rail
- Photoshop
- InDesign
Laptop recommendation for drawing (2023) 💻
- Surface Pro 8 (Best laptop for drawing with touchscreen)
- HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 (Best budget-friendly drawing laptop)
- Wacom Mobile Studio Pro (All-in-one drawing laptop)
- Lenovo Yoga C740 (One of the best laptops for drawing)
- MacBook Pro 16-inch (Best laptop to use with a drawing pad)
- Microsoft Surface Book 3 (Detachable laptop for drawing)
Video cards for drawing programs 🖥️
- Zotac GeForce GT 1030
- MSI GeForce RTX 3050
- XFX Speedster Radeon RX 6700
- MSI GeForce RTX 3060
- MSI GeForce RTX 4070
- XFX Speedster Radeon RX 7900XT
The best free drawing programs are an excellent way to learn the basics of digital drawing. So, which drawing program should be preferred? In this guide, we have listed the best drawing apps for Windows PC, Mac computer and iPad. In addition to popular 3D drawing and design programs used by engineers, designers and architects, we have shared with you the best laptops, tablets and graphics card models that can be bought for drawing.