Corel Painter X

Throw in the additional improvements that have become almost mandatory with each new release of Painter - enhanced support for the latest Wacom tablets and Photoshop PSD files, a boost to overall performance, especially when opening and closing files, and some tweaks to colour management - and that's it. It isn't a comprehensive all-round upgrade but, with its RealBristle brushes, Universal Mixer and especially its Smart Stroke Painting, Painter X really stands out from the crowd when it comes to computer-based art - both hands-on and automatic.

Author: Tom Arah