Corel Painter 2017

The veteran natural-media app is back for more.

- Rob Redman

The last few years have seen Painter keep its place at the top of the naturalmedia painting app pile, but it’s been hard to see where it could go forward. Fortunately, in the 2017 edition the developer has innovated with new tools, as well as improving existing ones.

The app itself hasn’t changed much in feel or operation, which is a good thing and ultimately allows the new features to feel less like bolt-ons for the purposes of upgrades, and more like integral parts of the software.

The toolset is pretty comprehensive, as well as very realistic. It’s very easy to get to grips with, especially if used with a tablet. Many tools respond to stylus angle and rotation, as well as position, so you can angle to create broader shading with a #2 pencil, or work with shaped-tip ink pens.