Photoshop and Illustrator are the workhorses of graphic design in the art world, but they're also quite expensive—they cost at least $20 a month, and often more. However, this doesn't mean you have to pay to get into graphic design. There are some great free options.
GIMP
GNU Image Management Programcommonly referred to simply as GIMP, is a free, open-source image editor available for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
In many ways it can be compared to Photoshop. It supports all the important features of Photoshop such as filters, different types of brushes, layers and masking.
GIMP also has a ton of plugins, meaning that even if it doesn't have something built-in, you can usually find someone who has already developed something that does what you're looking for. As with most graphics programs, you can use a mouse and keyboard to interact with GIMP, or connect a drawing tablet.
GIMP lacks the integrated AI tools that Photoshop has, but there are plugins that use local (or cloud) AI models to provide AI features in GIMP, such as the ability to turn text into an image or intelligently remove background or objects from a scene.
GIMP is my favorite image editor on any low-power device (Windows or otherwise) because it can work well on almost any device as long as you keep your image editing sane. It's also a great way to start learning important image creation and editing techniques without paying for a subscription.
Peak
Not everything you create needs to have 8K resolution and more photorealistic detail than what comes out of your camera. Sometimes pixel art is exactly what you need and want, and this is where Piskel shines.
Piskel is a lightweight, portable, open source pixel art application. available on Windows, Linux and macOS. You can also just access it via browsermaking it completely platform independent.
The tools you are given to work with are quite simple. You can draw blocks of color, use symmetry tools to create mirror images, create geometric shapes, and use a fill tool much like the one you'd find in GIMP or Photoshop.
I'm not an artist by any means, but I had a lot of fun working with Piskel creating things for Terraria. Sometimes the challenge of creating something recognizable within the confines of pixel art is more fun than creating something photorealistic.
Canvas
Unlike GIMP and Piskel, Canvas designed based on a number of templates. When you start a project, you will be asked to choose from an existing template designed for a specific purpose. For example, if you want to create any poster, you should go to Print Templates and then select one of the Poster Templates.
You can choose one of the existing posters, upload or create a style, and then start adding images or drawing on it.
It's a completely different approach than Piskel or GIMP, and if you need to understand the intricacies of image editing, this is probably not the tool for the job. However, if you just need to create something beautiful, the included tools are more than up to the job. Plus, templates and styles can really save you a lot of time.
When all is said and done, you have thousands of templates to choose from. Even if you won't use them directly, it's always good to have a little inspiration on hand.
The main thing to remember is to use the right tool for the job. Piskel probably won't be suitable if you're trying to create a photo for your Instagram feed – that's more of a Canva job. Likewise, if you're editing a texture for a video game, you should probably use GIMP.
