Forums » Smalltalk » Photoshop vs. Paint Tool Sai

Hey, so I'm getting more and more into art. So far, I've only used free software. Started with GIMP and am currently using FireAlpaca mostly though I also have Medibang. However, I've decided it's time to upgrade. The issue I'm having is I don't know what to get. I've seen amazing art done with both Photoshop and Paint Tool Sai. I'm pretty sure I want to get Photoshop because I can get that with Lightroom for $10 a month. However, I need a second opinion. Or a third, or fourth, or fifth. Anyway, I was considering getting both and am willing to do so since I have someone willing to help pay. I was considering both because it seems like Sai is used for more of an animated style while Photoshop is more realistic. Is that because of the programs or just personal style? Is one better than the other? Is it worth getting both? One thing that concerns me is that Photoshop (apparently) doesn't have a stabilizer. I have tremors and my lines are often shaky so I like having that feature and keep it rather high in FireAlpaca. Opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Hmm... Honestly it's good to tend for both, because where one does fail or lack in offerings, the other usually picks up the slack.

For example, Paint Tool SAI is great for more painting like details and lineworks, the pen/lineart tool is easier to handle than Photoshop's pen tool, and it feels much more like you're using a canvas to paint in SAI rather than moving pixels around a screen like in Photoshop.

But SAI doesn't have all the filters, text add-ins, and other stuff that Photoshop does, Photoshop has more brush options, and SAI can't make nice circles and squares automatically as well; you have to draw those by hand, even with the lineart tool.

Basically, it all boils down to what you want out of your artwork. However, I've actually noticed the opposite tends to happen in terms of how the programs are used: people create amazing animated works with Photoshop and more realistic works are painted in SAI. That just means both programs are versatile in whatever you want for them.

I have both, and I work okay with both. Though nowadays, my used computer hates Photoshop, so I have no choice but to rely on GIMP until I get a better one. It's almost like PS, but somewhat limited in terms of what I can/can't do with the software.

Hope some of that helps!

Edit: Forget it

I used to use sai extensively, and I always find myself drifting back to photoshop. In the end it heavily depends on your artistic style and what you want from a program. CC 2017 has a very nice animation option which is fantastic for small level animations, I find sai just..very clumsy with many things, but that's my personal preference. I always end up with nicer lines in photoshop regardless of how many stabilisers I use.

That's my two cents!

I use SAI for painting, sketching, and lineart. I used to use Photoshop but once I got SAI there was no going back. However, I do still have PS, because it's very useful for layout stuff--cropping, text, etc. (And if anyone even THINKS "use GIMP" at me, I will scream. That program gives me ulcers.) You might also want to check out Clip Studio/Manga Studio. I haven't used it as much because I find it frustrating to deal with, but that is just my lack of patience speaking--I can tell it has the capacity to be really powerful, and it is great for touch screen devices.

I use both.I prefer photoshop and I do 90% of everything in photoshop but Sai has one thing that Photoshop doesn't. A workable magical wand that actually does its job and doesn't leavea pixel thin line around your lineart. I use Sai only to fill in my base colors because it is fast and efficient, but besides that I do not use it. I've done a couple drawings with it, but I just prefer photoshop over all. I saw someone mention that Photoshop is slow when it comes to big images. I do not have this problem-- with the exception of using the smudge tool on backgrounds when I am making grass. I work huge, like canvases that at 60 inches by 70 and I do not have lag. But I can see older computers having trouble. Either way, I like that photoshop has custom brushes I can download which can really help your art. My preference is and always will be Photoshop mainly because Sai tends to break on me and give me problems, causing me stress. (for instance, the magic wand tool no longer worked for about 2 months and I reinstalled the program and it just didn't want to work)

It's been awhile since I've been able to use Photoshop. Even when I had it, once I got SAI, I quickly switched to doing most of my art in there. The line tool is excellent because it allows for easy adjusting of those nice vector lines - anchors (curve), color, thickness, placement - after they have been drawn.

More recently, I got Clip Studio Paint Pro. It took me awhile to start using it more, mostly because I still love SAI's lines, but my mascot entry this year was done almost entirely in Clip Studio. I had tried to bring it to GIMP for an affect I wanted, but even that turned out much better using Clip Studios own filters (there aren't many, but they do have a few basics). The thing that really drew me in about Clip Studio to start with though was it's built-in adjustable 3D models that can be used as pose aids. Recent updates have also made it SUPER easy to add free brushes, patterns, pose presets, etc.

I won't claim I don't miss Photoshop, though. But at this point, I don't see it as especially useful for drawing, more for general design and editing.

Thanks, everyone! I've gotten a lot of good opinions and it sounds like I have a lot to think about. I'll probably stick with getting both, but I want to make sure. I'd rather not spend money I don't have to. Of course, I know I want at least one drawing program and one program for editing photography so I'll be spending money either way.

Something I'm going to toss out there is that Photoshop Elements exists and is cheaper than full Photoshop, and although I never learned it decently, I know someone who does use it for art. I wouldn't recommend it, but that might just be personal bias from not being familiar with it.

It sounds like your magic wand in PS is set to be aliased, rather than antialiased. Antialiasing makes that softer edge. You can also feather the edge, or expand/contract the selection in PS, while SAI only lets you expand, and only 1 pixel at a time.

I'm that rogue Clip Studio Paint person, too - and if you couple it with any of Microsoft's Surface machines and their pen, it's unstoppable! (I've done both - CSP with my USB tablet into my regular laptop, and also drawing directly on a Surface Pro. Marvelous, both ways). It's also regularly fifty bucks for a one-time purchase, and it very, very frequently goes on sale for twenty.

Don't get the Lightroom bundle unless you're getting hardcore into photography - Lightroom plus any version of Photoshop is a photography powerhouse (though even then, I'd just recommend the flat fee for the full Lightroom rather than the subscription!) Photoshop, as Heim mentioned above too, is still the best as far as text and cropping and other post-production cleanup tools go.

Clip Studio has far and above the most delicious lineart tools, and if you look for DAUB brushes online, highly customizable tools and workspaces. You can paint with transparency, and have endless undos, as well!

I'll throw you another curveball - as much as I sing the praises of the Microsoft + CSP duo and as much as I'll swear by it forever, all my latest things I've done have been on a little iPad Pro and the Procreate app. It's utter crap for text and cropping, but also impressively intuitive for everything else! But that's a whole other machine and OS.

Edit: Forget it

Yep, I use those extensively. PS has that too, though it's called something else! I think ... selection mask maybe? It is a selection mode that is separate from the drawing mode so it is a bit more flexible but SAIs is good enough for me.

Edit: Forget it

may be worth trying out Manga Studio 5/Clip Studio to see if you like it! i've found MS5 to be a nice blend of SAI's and PS's strengths! it has stabilizers, gradients, a good range of default brushes (with lots of free custom ones online), and you can turn brushes into erasers with a click/keybind. plus it's a fraction of the price.

I'm so glad there are so many fans of Clip Studio! I find it's even more useful than Sai with features like rulers.

IIRC, and I could be remembering wrong, you can toggle the mask on and off before finalizing the selection. So you could be drawing in the mask mode, similar to the selection brush in sai, then toggle back to your drawing to make edits WITHOUT initiating the marching ants, then toggle back to the mask and continue masking from where you left off.

I am actually very interested in photography. There's no doubt that I want photo editing software. I've managed all right with what little my computer has, but I'm excited to use something more advanced. It's the only reason I planned on doing the $10 a month. I honestly hate the hate of paying continuously. It makes me nervous. Do they have a bundle of the two for a flat fee rather than the $10/month?

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about these other suggestions for drawing software though. I'm a very anxious and very frugal person. I don't have the money to be "trying" things that I might not like. I would have to be able to use a free trial before I even considered buying anything other than Paint Tool Sai which I've already tried and know I like though I didn't get completely used to it.

there's a free trial (and brush pack) available here (note that some features are disabled for the trial)

All right, thanks. I think I'm going to do Photoshop's trial first so I can test it out. Then I'll try that one and decide between it and Sai. I'm almost positive I'm getting Photoshop since I want Lightroom as well.