Comparing Drawing Softwares

In order to make sure I get the best results possible and in the quickest time possible, I need to know which pixel art software will be the best to work in. Below I will go through various entries into the ranking list on the website linked below (also present in the bibliography).

PiskelApp

This pixel editor has a distinct focus on sprite creation, something that would be very useful for this project. According to the Felgo blog i'm reading from (which you can find in the bibliography), you can apparently import pixel art that you have already made with ease. Luckily for me, this website also seems to be beginner friendly with the Felgo blog saying that the user interface is easy to understand.

Pixie

Pixie isn't exactly suited to sprite creation but it's very easy to use and so very easy to learn. The software is unfortunately fully online like PiskelApp is, but features like the ability to edit symmetry and edit opacity makes up for this unfortunate issue. Rather than having a transparent canvas, the canvas is completely white. Whilst this may hinder making any sprites, the user is instead encouraged to make environments with very little effort.

Pixlr

Strangely enough, the low quantity of pixels that most pixel editors want you to draw using isn't the the same here. The app offers you the ability to save your creations online, though the lack of dedication to being a proper sprite editor can make this software trickier to use if you aren't trying to make environments. One of the main lures of Pixlr is that the software features plenty more tools than the other recommended pixel art programs which (although probably barely being used) can give a massive amount of creative variety and ability to artists working with this program.

GIMP

GIMP is an open source image editor that you can use to either create brand new artwork or edit existing images. Despite a relatively bad learning curve, the app is perfectly fine at making pixel art and sprite sheets. With this software being relatively old, there are plenty of different tutorials and set up guides that can help any artist if they were to get stuck between which of the many tools is the best as well as where all the features actually are and what they do.

Conclusion

Despite having the different options presented to me on a ranking system courtesy of Felgo, I feel like I would be better off following the advice of my peers. Most of my peers and my tutors have recommended that I use a software called Asesprite that I already have a decent amount of experience drawing and animating in. Asesprite is a very good software to use as you can import other pixel works nearly effortlessly alongside having a large amount of features such as symmetry, rotations and much more. This app isn't free like the other options but I feel that the experience I have alongside the variety of tools and features outweigh paying for the program.

Positives -

• Lots of tools

• I already have experience

• Features the ability to animate

• Can export as GIF and a Spritesheet

Negatives -

• Costs money to use (one time purchase)

• Very bland and basic UI

• The software has a patented file type that you can't open elsewhere