Painter Essentials - Top 10 Reasons to Upgrade to Painter 2021

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Performance optimization

Run the intuitive Brush Accelerator™ in Painter 2021 to analyze your system and have it automatically apply the preferred Painter performance settings. Painter will evaluate your computer’s hardware and graphics card to deliver the best possible painting experience. In addition, Painter can easily manage large brushes and memory-intensive operations at top speed.

Additional media types

Dive in to a huge selection of almost 1000 brushes in 36 unique brush categories. Create with voluminous Thick Paint, dripping Real Watercolor and expressive Sargent brushes. Mix Artist Oils on canvas, carve into Liquid Ink, paint precise brush selections and experience so much more!

Adjustable Artificial Intelligence

Go beyond a click and tweak the AI styles by adjusting strength, detail, color match, and smoothing to fine-tune the end result. You can also auto-paint or hand paint with any clone brush to transfer the style using the media of your choice and add a personal touch.

Expanded color selection

Enjoy vast color options, including a full color panel with color ramps in sliders and a slider only view. The Mixer pad and Color Set tabs have expanded tools and customization options. Tweak Color Variability and Color Expression, plus the six Color Harmonies can be saved as color sets. The handy Temporal Color Wheel has an expanded menu that includes left-handed mode and pin/unpin.

Intuitive workspace to match your workflow

Enjoy a flexible workspace that can be customized for your specific needs. Use the brush search to find the perfect brush or the built-in Layouts that highlight tools for specific workflows. Choose a UI color theme, import additional content from fellow artists, or customize your own and organize them in Custom Palettes and Palette Drawers to eliminate desktop clutter.

Tons more photo art options

Collage and edit photo art with ease. Prep your image and then Auto-Paint with any brush in Painter! Create clone sources, or import and adjust the size and shape of your

clone source on the fly. Experience the freedom of painting from transparent clone sources that seamlessly blend into your composition. Another bonus, enable Clone Tinting and choose any color, use any clone brush, and render your source with custom color.

Additional media content

Take advantage of media types you don't have in Painter Essentials, including Interactive Gradients that can be express painted. Patterns, Looks, Weaves, Images, Selections and additional Flow maps & Textures. Create your own papers and textures using Painter’s extensive media controls and turn them in any direction, at any time to achieve the perfect look in your artwork.

Advanced layer control

Additional layer tools offer optimal control. Preserve transparency, pick up underlying color, create layer masks and use composite methods. Access Dynamic Plugins to add exciting effects like Burn, Tear, Glass Distortion, Liquid Metal and more. And paint on Special Media layers with Liquid Ink, Thick Paint, Thick Paint Compatible and Watercolor.

Incomparable composition tools

Set a flawless scene with 1, 2 and 3-point Perspective Guides and craft the perfect composition using the rule of thirds. If your aspiration is to paint like da Vinci, the Divine Proportion tools will ensure your final composition is both aesthetically appealing and functional.

Built-in learning tools

Open the in-app Visual Tooltips to see how adjusting Painter’s brush controls will visually impact your brush selection. Similarly, you can also access hints to help you understand the mechanics behind special media types, brush technology and tools, and the property bar will highlight useful adjustments for customizing the perfect brush.

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