VERDICT A rethought interface, new auto painting capabilities and excellent price make Painter Essentials a real creative star.
Corel’s flagship Painter application is unmatched for its ability to mimic traditional artistic media such as watercolours and oil paints – but no-one could claim that it makes the process simple. This is where the cut-down Painter Essentials comes in, promising to make the core of this creative power accessible to everyone.

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VERDICT: New realism for bristled brushes and automatic painting that approaches hands-on quality give Painter X a creative edge.

Over the years Painter has made its reputation by reproducing as faithfully as possible the way that traditional media, art materials and underlying canvas interact with each other...