Do you have children who like to draw pictures on the computer? (Digitally, that is, not with crayon 😉 )
Do you have a teen who likes to design in 3D?
Or do YOU need something for creating digital art or enhancing photos?
There are some amazing free digital art software programs available that can you can easily incorporate into your homeschool. Some are simple enough for a first grader to use while others would be better applied to a high school course for your teen. Some are just plain fun for persons of any age to use.
Below are 5 freebies that you can install on a Windows PC. Some will also run on a Mac but you’ll want to check the specifications before you download it. I have included some age recommendations with each program. These are just guidelines. It IS possible for younger children to use some of this software, but instruction, books, or tutorials from an outside source are highly recommended.
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Free Digital Art Software
Paint
Paint is a fairly easy-to-use graphics painting program. It allows users to draw lines and shapes, color, add images and text, and erase (the latter being the most important feature for me 😉 ). Children of almost any age can use it although I recommend that any child under the age of 6 should be supervised. If you have a PC with Windows installed on it, you should already have Paint. You’ll find it by clicking on Start > All Programs > Accessories > Paint.
GIMP
GIMP is the free equivalent of Photoshop, though it has fewer features. It stands for “GNU Image Manipulation Program”, and as the title suggests, is used to edit images. It offers tools such as paintbrush, text, filters, layers, clipping, color picker, bucket fill, and gradients. This program is a bit more complex to use so I would recommend it for ages 13 and up. GIMP can be found at gimp.org.
Fotosketcher
Fotosketcher is a photo manipulation program which allows you to turn your photographs into works of art. In just a few clicks, you can turn your close-up of a rose into a watercolor. Fotosketcher offers more than 20 filters which apply effects such as pencil sketch (b&w and color), oil painting, pen and ink, and cartoon. Effects can be modified by dragging a series of sliders associated with each filter. This program is appropriate for children ages 8 and up. You can get this application at fotosketcher.com.
SketchUp
SketchUp is a 3D modeling software application which can be used to design anything from a box to a building. It was previously owned by Google but has since been sold to Trimble. In the adult world, SketchUp is used by builders, designers, architects, engineers, and makers of many things. If you have a teen who has interests and talents in any of these areas, you may want to introduce him to this program. This application is a bit complicated so it is probably best suited for ages 13 and up. You can get SketchUp at sketchup.com.
Blender
Blender is a 3D modeling and animation program. It offers some pretty incredible features such as collision simulation, motion tracking, fluid simulator, character modeling and game creation. This is an extremely complex program, however, with a steep learning curve. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone under the age of 15. Blender can be found at blender.org.
What are YOUR personal favorites when it comes to free digital art software? I would love to hear about it in the comment section below.