GIMP 2.10 vs Krita vs ???

[Gidde]

Turns out that after 6 years of not drawing, I'm completely out of touch on software (hence my recent posts being entirely analog).

Adobe has made me beyond angry by not offering Photoshop in any way other than a cloud solution with storage I don't need and other software I don't want, so that one's right out.

Gimp 2.10 is ..... WEIRD. Is it worth getting used to? Has anyone else upgraded from 2.8? Can I just install 2.10 or should I remove 2.8 first?

What is this Krita I keep hearing about? Their website isn't very descriptive, other than saying hey look these people used it to paint these pictures.

Is there something else I should be looking at? I don't mind paying -- if it's reasonable.

I do like to actually draw stuff with a tablet, so I'm not really interested in CC3 etc., and wow I'm horrible with vectors, so I need something raster-based.

What does everyone suggest?

[AzureWings]

Regarding GIMP 2.10: I've found it to be functionally fairly similar to 2.8 in usage in most ways. I always had the occasional bugs using 2.8 and the biggest change is that 2.10 has different (but about the same in terms of obnoxiousness) bugs. I went ahead and just installed it right next to 2.8 myself; didn't bother removing the older version though doing so shouldn't cause any trouble.

I can't speak to Krita or other raster-based options, since for raster art GIMP is the only thing I've really used heavily. I've seen a lot of folks here and elsewhere cite Krita as a relatively comparable free raster art tool to GIMP though, with its strengths in slightly different areas. I recall specific praise about Krita concerning custom brush composition or something like that?

I agree about Adobe's Creative Cloud too; while software-as-a-service is an excellent model for enterprise clients, as a consumer I find it offensive when presented as the sole option.

[Gidde]

Thanks for the info, AzureWings! Have you noticed any tablet lag? It took forever messing with settings to get rid of it in 2.8.

[Azélor]

I've heard about Krita too but have yet to see a map made with it.

I know Gameprinter uses Xara.

[Sam101]

Krita has nicer brush engines (more than one!)than Gimp and non-destructive filter layers (like PS adjustment layers).

[kacey]

I prefer Krita for free software, I think it has allot more going for it then gimp though I can’t speak to the newest version of Gimp since all it wants to do is crash on my computer... and forgive me if I’m wrong but I believe Voolf uses Krita for his maps and he creates some of the nicest work on the forum so I think it’s worth a try. If I absolutely could not afford to keep up with my photoshop subscription (which is only 20 dollars a month Canadian) then I would shell out a few bucks for clip studio, and they have sales often enough so you can get it pretty cheaply if you’re patient.

[AzureWings]

Hearing all this is making me want to give Krita a try myself...

Regarding tablet lag Gidde, I haven't really noticed any significant tablet lag with either GIMP version (using a rather old Wacom Intuos Pro), except for whenever I move the pen from distant to close proximity with the tablet surface, or vice-versa (I got so used to keeping the tip near the surface at all times when drawing because of this that I almost forgot about it). I don't think that experience differed for me between 2.8 and 2.10 either.

[Tenia]

I have to have a look on Krita. I switched from Gimp to Artrage (pro) more than one year ago, I've never regretted my money and I mainly use it, except for some little annoying things (see below) I was at the beginning attracted by the paint tube and knife tool, but now I mostly use watercolors and ink pen. Concerning the feeling of drawing or painting, compared with Gimp, it is day and night. Beware however that, if Artrage rocks at digital painting it is not specially friendly for some mapmaking features: For example there is no mask layer (althought the stencil tool can be used at), the selection tool really s.cks (the selection "dots" can not be hidden, you can not extend or reduce the selection, etc.) and it has a very limited number of filters (but you can import some photoshop ones)

[KCRileyGyer]

While I do have Gimp 2.10, I'm also a beginner and know next to nothing about the program. I also used a new basic Wacom tablet with it and have no lag with it. The only issue is to make sure the tablet is turned on before opening Gimp. When compared to older Gimp tutorials, it is obvious there are some changes to the new version but the only thing I truly find as different (based on the tutorial that's a few years old) is the way the multiply in the layer mode behaves. I haven't had a chance to work out a workaround to that.

[MapMappingMapped]

I do believe I was told Krita is better for use with a tablet, but I haven't used it and very rarely use gimp too.