Fresco

KEEPING IT REAL This is Adobe’s attempt at blurring analogue and digital mediums, but does it do enough to challenge similar art tools?

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Fresco is a decent new drawing tool, which mimics some of the best elements of other fine art apps. However, the software is marred by its pricing model, and is slightly underwhelming when compared to other established apps.

Fresco starts as a free six-month trial, after which time you’ll have the option to upgrade to the paid-for version. Yet at £10 a month, Fresco is a high price for hobby artists and non- Adobe users in a busy and established market where one-off payments for apps are the norm. But as part of a Creative Cloud subscription, it’s another fine tool in the Adobe family.

Oil painting and watercolours are a tactile, messy pastime. It’s this malleable, evocative danger that makes them so appealing to artists and why most digital art programs miss the mark widely by being too synthetic or not blending colours well, with paint sitting flatly in layers.

While Fresco makes a good start, with the watercolour brushes working particularly well, it does feel a little underbaked. First-time users and onlookers will no doubt watch on in awe as the paint mix and watercolour bleed into one another on their tablet screens for the first time. However, if you’re an experienced artist, it’ll feel much like a polished but basic option.