ArtRage

ArtRage

ArtRage
Developer(s) Ambient Design Ltd
Stable release
4.5.10 / May 19, 2016 (2016-05-19)
Operating system Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, iOS
Type Raster graphics editor
License Proprietary EULA
Website www.artrage.com

ArtRage is a bitmap graphics editor for digital painting created by Ambient Design Ltd. It is currently in version 4.5.10, and supports Windows, Mac OS X and mobile Apple and Android devices and is available in multiple languages. It caters to all ages and skill levels, from children to professional artists.

It is designed to be used with a tablet PC or graphics tablet, but it can be used with a regular mouse as well. Its mediums include tools such as oil paint, spray paint, pencil, acrylic, and others, using relatively realistic physics to simulate actual painting. Other tools include tracing, smearing, blurring, mixing, symmetry, different types of paper for the "canvas," (i.e. crumpled paper, smooth paper, wrinkled tin foil, etc.) as well as special effects, custom brushes and basic digital editing tools.

Traditional media simulation and tools

A quick demonstration of the blendable texture of paint and the realistic colour mixing in ArtRage 4
An example of the painting tools in ArtRage 4: Gloop Pen, Airbrush, Glitter, Ink Pen, Pencil, Oil Brush, Watercolor, Paint Tube, Paint Roller, Pastel/Chalk, Pencil, Felt Pen

ArtRage is designed to be as realistic as possible. This includes varying thickness and textures of media and canvas, the ability to mix media, and a realistic colour blending option as well as the standard digital RGB blending. It includes a wide array of real life tools, as well as Stencils, scrap layers to use as scrap paper or mixing palettes and the option to integrate reference or tracing images. The later versions (Studio, Studio Pro and ArtRage 4) include more standard digital tools, such as Select, Transform, Cloner, Symmetry, Fill and custom brushes ("Sticker").

Each tool is highly customisable, and comes with several presets. It is possible to share custom resources between users and there is a reasonably active ArtRage community that creates and shares presets, canvases, custom brushes, stencils, colour palettes and other resources.

Tools and features

Traditional drawing tools Other features
Airbrush Gloop Pen Glitter, Ink Pen, Pencil, Oil Brush, Watercolor, Paint Tube, Paint Roller, Pastel/Chalk, Pencil, Felt Pen, Eraser, Palette Knife, Stencils, Sticker Spray, Rulers, Metallic Select, Cloner, Fill, Transform, Symmetry, Gradients, Layers, Tracing, Reference Images, Scrap Layers, View panels, Text, Filters, Layer Blur, Presets, Canvas options, Customisable Workbench, Scripts, Grids, Pattern Fill, Gradient Fill,

Real colour blending

ArtRage offers a realistic colour blending option as well as standard digital RGB based blending. It is turned off by default as it is memory intensive but can be turned on from the Tools menu. The most noticeable effect is that green is produced when yellow and blue are mixed.[1]

The color picker supports HSL and RGB colors.

Custom resources

One of the less well known features of ArtRage is the custom resource options. Users can create their own versions of various resources and tools, or record scripts, and share them with other users. Users can save their resource collections as a Package File (.arpack), which acts similar to a ZIP file. It allows folders of resources to be shared and automatically installed.[2] ArtRage can import some Photoshop filters, but not all. It only supports .ttf (TrueType Fonts) which it reads from the computer's fonts folder.

Package files do not work with versions earlier than 3.5. ArtRage Studio does not support Photoshop filters, or allow sticker creation, and has fewer options overall. Alternatively, individual resources can be shared directly. Most of the resources have specific file types.

Resource/tool File type
Colour Set .col
Colour Picker Any image file
Canvases .cpr
Stencil PNG or JPEG
Stickers & Sticker Spray Presets (custom brushes) .stk
Scripts .arscript
Tool Preset .prs
Gradients .argrad
Package File .arpack

Versions

ArtRage comes in seven current editions. The mobile apps are ArtRage for Android, ArtRage Oil Painter Free for Android, ArtRage for iPhone, and ArtRage for iPad. A version called ArtRage Touch is also available in the Windows App Store for Metro devices. The desktop versions are ArtRage Lite and ArtRage 4. A free demo version of ArtRage 4 is also available. ArtRage 1, ArtRage 2, ArtRage Studio and ArtRage Studio Pro have been discontinued.

Ambient Design releases a new edition of ArtRage on three to four yearly upgrade cycle. There is a major free update halfway through this cycle (the X.5 edition) and ongoing free patches and minor updates. Some updates continue for the previous version, although support is slowly phased out over time. For example, backdated upgrades to Studio Pro included bug fixes, DRM removal for Steam users, and a fix to allow it to work properly on OS X Mavericks, and the iPad version was updated to include Retina support.

ArtRage is also available through Steam. It was part of the very first non-gaming software launch on Steam, on October 10, 2012.[3] The Steam version does not include DRM and can be used without Steam running.

Languages

ArtRage 4 is available in several languages, but the manual is only available in English. The other versions have manuals available in assorted languages. Language is chosen when installing the program (except for the ArtRage 2 alternative editions).

Language ArtRage 2.6 Full Edition ArtRage Studio and Studio Pro ArtRage 4 ArtRage Lite iPad iPhone Android (free + paid)
Chinese (Simplified) Yes* Yes* No Yes + Manual No No Yes + Manual
Chinese (Traditional) No Yes* No Yes + Manual No No Yes + Manual
Dutch Yes Yes Yes Yes + Manual Yes No No
English Yes + Manual Yes + Manual Yes + Manual Yes + Manual Yes + Manual Yes + Manual Yes + Manual
French Yes + Manual Yes + Manual Yes Yes + Manual Yes No Yes + Manual
German Yes + Manual Yes Yes Yes + Manual Yes No Yes + Manual
Greek Yes No No No No No No
Italian Yes + Manual Yes + Manual Yes Yes + Manual Yes No No
Japanese Yes* Yes Yes Yes + Manual Yes No Yes + Manual
Korean No Yes No No Yes No Yes + Manual
Portuguese Yes Yes No No No No Yes + Manual
Portuguese (Brazil) Yes Yes No No No No No
Russian Yes Yes Yes Yes + Manual No No Yes + Manual
Spanish Yes Yes Yes Yes + Manual Yes No Yes + Manual
Spanish (Latin America) Yes Yes No No No No No
Turkish Yes + Manual Yes No No No No No

Japanese/Chinese are only available as Alternative Editions in ArtRage 2

Release history

New desktop editions of ArtRage are released approximately every three years, with a major .5 update being released halfway through. There is no official release schedule, and new updates are announced as they are ready. The latest edition is ArtRage 4.5, which was released 11 August 2014.[4]

Release Date Edition Platform Latest Version Price (USD) Last Updated[5][6]
2004 ArtRage 1 (Starter) Windows/Mac OSX ? Free
2006 ArtRage 2 (also known as ArtRage Deluxe) Windows/Mac OSX 2.6.0 $25 May 2010
2009 ArtRage Studio / ArtRage Studio Pro Windows/Mac OSX 3.5.12 $40 / $80 2014[7]
2010 ArtRage for iPad iOS 2.1.5 $4.99 May 2016[8]
2012 ArtRage for iPhone iOS 1.0.4 $1.99 July 2013
2013 ArtRage 4 Windows/Mac OSX 4.5.10 $49.90 May 2016[9]
2014 ArtRage for Android Android 1.0.104 $4.99 April 2015[10]
2015 ArtRage Touch Windows 8 App 1.0.3 $9.99 March 2016[11]
2015 ArtRage Lite Windows/Mac OSX 4.5.10 $29.90 May 2016[12]
2015 ArtRage Oil Painter Free Android 1.1.0 Free May 2016[12]

Free demo versions

These were released alongside their respective editions, as trial software. The earlier editions have been discontinued, and only the current ArtRage 4 demo is now available. Work can only be exported to JPEG format and contains an ArtRage watermark. Images larger than 1280x1024 cannot be saved or exported.

Software downloads

Pen Types

ArtRage is only sold individually as an online download. It can be bought directly from the company website, or through Steam, but is not sold on any other websites. The free demo is only available from the main site. The mobile (iPad and iPhone) versions can only be bought via the Apple app store and cannot be registered on the ArtRage site. The Android version is available from the GALAXY Gift store for specific Samsung devices, and will be made available on the Samsung Apps and Google Play stores.

Upgrades

Upgrading from ArtRage Lite or any pre-existing desktop editions gives a permanent 50% discount on ArtRage 4 (the most recent full desktop edition). This upgrade discount is handled separately by the Steam and the ArtRage stores, so users cannot currently switch between stores.

To upgrade, owners must register their serial number in the ArtRage members area (unless it is a Steam or mobile version). This also allows users to download both the Mac OS X and the Windows versions of their software at any time, an unlimited number of times.

Steam and mobile versions are updated through Steam and the App Store.

Hardware bundles

The ArtRage for Android app was released as part of a bundle deal with Samsung. It is free for the new Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung Galaxy Note Edge smartphones, distributed through the GALAXY Gifts store, and is available for purchase from the Galaxy App store for other Samsung devices. It was released for sale on the Google Play Store in February 2015.[13]

ArtRage Lite comes free with the Wacom Intuos Draw tablet.

The older editions of ArtRage also come as bundled software with various devices.[14] ArtRage 2 and ArtRage Studio Pro are still available bundled with several WACOM graphics tablets, as well as various other devices, such as ASUS EP121 tablets, Sony VAIO Laptops, and Adesso Cybertablets. The serial numbers in these cases are handled by the companies distributing the hardware. ArtRage is usually provided as a software download, although it can come pre-installed or on an accompanying CD.

A version of ArtRage called "Ink Art" was included in Microsoft's Experience Pack for the Tablet PC in 2005[15] and on some older Wacom tablets. Ink Art contained a subset of features offered in the full ArtRage program. Promethean Planet, an educator community, distributes a free version of ArtRage for classroom use on Promethean's range of interactive whiteboards..

Sony Duo PCs

ArtRage is included on the following models from the Sony Duo touchscreen range.[16]

Wacom Tablet models

(see full Tablet details here)

Tablet model number Name Bundled software
Americas Europe Americas Europe
CTL490DW

CTL490DB

 Intuos Draw Intuos Draw
  • ArtRage Lite
  • ArtRage Lite
CTH-670 Create Fun M Pen & Touch[17]
  • ArtRage 3[18]
  • Adobe Photoshop Elements 10[18]
  • Corel Painter Essentials 4[18]
  • Bamboo Dock[18]
CTH-470 Capture[19] Fun S Pen & Touch[20]
  • Autodesk SketchBook Express
  • Adobe Photoshop Elements
  • Nik Color Filters
  • ArtRage 3 Studio[18]
  • Adobe Photoshop Elements 9[18]
  • Bamboo Dock[18]
CTL-471 Splash[21] N/A
  • Autodesk SketchBook Express
  • ArtRage 3 Studio
 N/A
CTL-470 Connect[22] Pen[23]
  • Autodesk SketchBook Express
MTE-450 Bamboo[24] ?
CTF-430 ? One N/A
  • ArtRage 2
  • Bamboo Link

System support

ArtRage 4.5 has full 64-bit support on Windows and Macs. There are also iOS supported versions for iPhone and iPad.[25]

ArtRage for Android supports Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 and later.

Operating System ArtRage 2 ArtRage Studio/ Studio Pro ArtRage 4 ArtRage Lite ArtRage Touch ArtRage for iPhone /iPad ArtRage for Android
Mac OS 10.4 and earlier Yes No No No No N/A N/A
Power PC Macs Yes No No No No N/A N/A
Mac OS 10.5 Yes Yes No No No N/A N/A
Mac OS 10.6-8 Yes Yes Yes Yes No N/A N/A
Mac OS 9 and later Yes Yes∞ Yes Yes No N/A N/A
Windows XP Yes Yes No∞∞ No No N/A N/A
Windows Vista Yes Yes Yes Yes No N/A N/A
Windows 7 Yes Yes Yes Yes No N/A N/A
Windows 8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes N/A N/A
Windows 10 Yes Yes∞∞∞ Yes∞∞∞ Yes Yes N/A N/A
Linux on Wine∞∞∞∞ Yes Mostly No∞∞∞∞∞ No∞∞∞∞∞ No N/A N/A
iOS4 and later N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A <1.6 N/A
iOS8 and later N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2.0> N/A
Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 + N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Yes

∞Mavericks support added in ArtRage Studio/ Studio Pro versions 3.5.10 and 3.5.11 [26]
∞∞ Windows XP support was dropped in the 4.5 update. The XP compatible version of ArtRage 4 is still available for existing and future owners of the program through the member area.[27]
∞∞∞ ArtRage 3 Multithreading is not compatible with Windows 10. Disable this in ArtRage Preferences.
∞∞∞∞Linux support is unofficial.[28][29]
∞∞∞∞∞ The Wine installer for ArtRage 4 does not currently work, but it can be worked around by copying program files from a Windows installation [30]

Stylus support

ArtRage 4 supports various Wacom stylus features, although they may vary depending on the tool being used.[31]

ArtRage for iPad supports four Bluetooth stylus brands, as well as the Apple Pencil, which has full pressure and tilt support.[32]

ArtRage for Android supports the native Android system for pressure sensitivity, including the Samsung S Pen.

The desktop editions of ArtRage fully support the following Windows Graphics tablet and Tablet computer drivers:[25]

Supported file types

ArtRage uses a proprietary file type, ".ptg", which stands for "painting".[33] It can only save as PTG and can only open PSD and PTG files using the File > Open command. However, images can be exported to the following formats: PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF and Adobe Photoshop's .psd format. ArtRage can import all of these file types using the File > Import Image or Import Image as Layer command. Importing PTG files will open the PNG used for thumbnail images instead (this can be used to rescue images from corrupted PTG files).[34]

Exported File Type Layers Transparency
BMP No No
JPEG No No
GIF No No
PNG No Yes
TIFF No Yes*
PSD Yes Yes

*Only when exported as an individual layer

Transparency
ArtRage supports transparency on imported files, but not on all exported files (for example, GIF and TIFF). It is often easier to export a transparent image as an individual layer, as the Canvas settings can save as opaque on full saves for some file types and in older editions.

Ambient Design

Ambient Design Ltd. is a New Zealand-based software development and publishing firm, specializing in creative applications and user interfaces for artists. It was founded in 2000 by Andy Bearsley and Matt Fox-Wilson.[35] The founders formerly worked for MetaCreations, the developer of Painter, Bryce and Kai’s Power Tools, and have worked for Corel, Adobe, Digital Anarchy and Jasc Software.[36] Before that, they developed Deep Paint 3D for Right Hemisphere Ltd,[37] and hid various Easter Eggs in the code.[38]

Awards

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mixing Colors with ArtRage". Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "The 'How to' thread for downloading and installing ArtRage Resources". ArtRage Forums. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  3. ↑ Steam (October 10, 2012). "Now Available - Software on Steam, 10% off!". Steam Community.
  4. ↑ "ArtRage 4.5 Update Released!". http://www.artrage.com/artrage-4-5-update-released/. Ambient Design. Retrieved 28 August 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  5. ↑ "Announcements". ArtRage Forums. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  6. ↑ "ArtRage iPad App". iTunes Store. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "ArtRage Studio / Studio Pro version update history". http://www.artrage.com/. Ambient Design. Retrieved 29 August 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  8. ↑ "ArtRage for iPad version history". http://www.artrage.com/. Ambient Design. Retrieved 29 August 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  9. ↑ "ArtRage 4.5 version history". http://www.artrage.com/. Ambient Design. Retrieved 29 August 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  10. ↑ "ArtRage for Android Arrives At Last". http://www.artrage.com/artrage-android-release/. Ambient Design. Retrieved 19 October 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  11. ↑ "ArtRage Touch Now Available in the Windows App Store". https://www.artrage.com/artrage-touch-released-win-8-1-devices/. Ambient Design. Retrieved 5 November 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  12. 1 2 "Announcing ArtRage Lite". https://www.artrage.com/announcing-artrage-lite/. Ambient Design. Retrieved 5 November 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  13. ↑ Ambient Design. "ArtRage for Android now on the Google Play Store". www.artrage.com. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "ArtRage as Bundled Software". http://www.artrage.com. Ambient Design. Retrieved 4 September 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  15. ↑ Microsoft (April 4, 2005). "Microsoft Experience Pack for Tablet PC". Microsoft Download Center.
  16. ↑ "Sony Selects ArtRage to Highlight Creative Side of New Sony VAIO Touch PC's at Launch in New York City - Easy to Learn Realistic Digital Painting Software Included in US". Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  17. ↑ Bamboo Fun M Pen & Touch Write a review All languages. "Bamboo Fun M Pen & Touch | Wacom eStore - official Onlinestore". Uk.shop.wacom.eu. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Wacom Europe GmbH. "Wacom Europe GmbH - Products - Bamboo - Bamboo Tablets". Wacom.eu. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
  19. ↑ https://www.wacom.com/store/pages/product?product=CTH470&crumb={EB5A996C-64B6-4174-96AA-05CBD7F58FD4}
  20. ↑ Bamboo Fun S Pen & Touch Write a review All languages. "Bamboo Fun S Pen & Touch | Wacom eStore - official Onlinestore". Uk.shop.wacom.eu. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
  21. ↑ https://www.wacom.com/store/pages/product?product=CTL471&crumb={EB5A996C-64B6-4174-96AA-05CBD7F58FD4}
  22. ↑ https://www.wacom.com/store/pages/product?product=CTL470&crumb={EB5A996C-64B6-4174-96AA-05CBD7F58FD4}
  23. ↑ "Bamboo pen & touch". Archived from the original on 8 May 2013.
  24. ↑ Bray, Jonathan (2011-02-05). "Wacom Bamboo Graphics Tablet review - Peripheral". Trusted Reviews. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
  25. 1 2 "ArtRage Supported Platforms & Devices". http://www.artrage.com/. Ambient Design. Retrieved 28 August 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  26. ↑ "ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro Support for OS X 10.9 Mavericks". Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  27. ↑ "Can I use ArtRage 4.5 on Windows XP?". www.artrage.com. Ambient Design. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  28. ↑ "WineHQ - ArtRage". Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  29. ↑ "ArtRage 3 and Linux". ArtRage Forums.
  30. ↑ "Artrage version 4 on Linux Ubuntu". ArtRage Forums. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  31. ↑ "ArtRage 4 Features: Stylus Support". Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  32. ↑ "ArtRage for iPad Stylus Support". Ambient Design.
  33. ↑ Ambient Design. "What Does PTG Stand For?". http://www.artrage.com/. Retrieved 8 July 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  34. ↑ "How to recover a damaged ArtRage painting". http://www.artrage.com. Ambient Design. Retrieved 28 August 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  35. ↑ "New Zealand Companies Office". Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  36. ↑ Saarinen, Juha (28 October 2004). "Lifestyle programming: Ambient Design cranks code from the forests of west Auckland". computerworld.co.nz. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  37. ↑ Webster, Mark (Jan 13, 2010). "It's an ArtRage, I tell you". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  38. ↑ "Deep Paint 3D Easter Egg - Some Thoughts from the Programmers". http://www.eeggs.com/. The Easter Egg Archive. Retrieved 4 February 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  39. ↑ "Microsoft Announces Winners of Tablet PC Developer Application Contest". Microsoft.com. Dec 1, 2004. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  40. ↑ "Hot Ones Award Winners 2012: Software". Professional Photographer. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  41. ↑ "ArtRage for iPad Spring 2014 Mobile Apps". Retrieved 14 April 2014.

Reviews

External links

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