Best illustration software according to redditors

Two that I saw recommended were:

http://www.amazon.com/Core-Learning-CRAS-1200-ESD-Crayola-Download/dp/B005WMSQ8O

http://www.amazon.com/Corel-AfterShot-Pro-PC-Download/dp/B0073LIDE4

I personally love Draw A Box. As for digital art I suggest getting the wacom intous. Software wise I use clip pain studio pro.

Definitely get him a wacom tablet, any will do. Wacoms website has all the software for any tablet you get, no matter how old or new. The wacom Intuos series is probably the best, even the older ones are great. A medium sized tablet is probably the best, or a large if your sons desk is big enough (Though he can just use it in his lap if he wants). They aren't horribly expensive but they are great quality, the cheaper tablets from other brands stop working and are generally unreliable. (the 30$ range)

amazon.com/dp/B079NWPZTG/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_ilqZBb55VQXMD
(if the link shows up, this should be a good one to get.)

It would be hard to spend 500 dollars on one tablet haha, but I would reccomend having some drawing software for him to use.

I love Paint tool SAI, it's great for line work, they don't have a physical copy however. You have to buy it off of the website (systemax.jp) for around 55 bucks (5400JPY) although you can only use it on Windows operating systems.

Photoshop is a great software for digital art, however it is extremely expensive, and Adobe wants to get people into paying yearly for it, which is dumb. You might as well pirate it if you really want it bad, which it's not really a necessity.

For software that is similar to photoshop, manga studio/clip studio paint is great. It's like a combination of paint tool sai and photoshop, and works on Mac and Windows.

I'm sure your son knows how digital software works and with tons of tutorials online he'll get the hang of it in no time.

amazon.com/dp/B01F70HHBC/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_MvqZBbGCS2PVV

(if this link shows up, this is clip studio paint EX, and is a good choice.)

The links I put in would be the easiest things to get for your son, and would be easy to give to him and he will be able to figure it out with the instructions and such, if he knows how to use computers/technology. (what kid doesn't at this point lol) I hope he has fun! c:

The free software package is absolute trash. Its not even full versions but dumbed down "light" versions of software with missing functionality for tryout purposes. Its not worth the effort and I am speaking honestly from someone who likes free stuff. I would invest in sketchbook pro (30 dollars a year) in photoshop (10.99 a month photography plan) or clip studio paint ( formerly manga studio) for 24.99 here https://www.amazon.com/CLIP-STUDIO-PAINT-PRO-Download/dp/B01ESKIDZ6 All of these options are better than the crappy freeware "light" versions that wacom gives away.

Hey there!

Glad to hear there is another potential animator/artist in the world :)
A lot of your question depends on your budget as tablets can get very expensive very quickly based on size and quality. For instance buying something that lets you draw directly on the screen is going to run you several hundred dollars for the lowest tier models (Wacom Cintiq's are currently considered the gold standard but their monitors and tablets start at over $1000 new so that is out of the question for most people and definitely not worth it for a beginner). So if she's just wanting to explore, a drawing app on a samsung galaxy tablet is a cheaper option that works great for beginners and allows them to work directly on screen. Plus is she loses interest you'll still have a tablet to use for other things.

However most people start with something like a Wacom Bamboo tablet. They are high quality, very responsive, and made by Wacom (the current industry leader) for a much more reasonable price. However you're drawing on a tablet placed on a desk while watching your work on a separate monitor and this can take some serious getting used to. Once you've got it figured out though they're great (they come in various sizes and are used by professionals throughout various industries)!

As for software consider these:
Art/Drawing - Sketchbook Pro

Animation - Anime Studio 10
keep in mind animation programs can be tough to learn so she'll definitely need to watch tutorials online. However this is an awesomely priced option with a lot of great features to make jumping-in easy



If she really catches the animation bug there are two books that are wonderful (although they are thick and may be better for when she is a little older? Up to you but they could make great future gifts):
Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams

and

The Illusion of Life by Ollie Johnson and Frank Thomas - Two of Disney's original master animators known as the Nine Old Men

Anyway that's a quick rundown of where equipment and resources stand. If I were you I'd probably go for the bamboo tablet and Sketchbook Pro to get started (for drawing) + Anime Studio 10 if animation is definitely something she wants to explore as all these items are an outstanding value for what they offer.

If things get super serious as she gets older prices begin to jump up very quickly (especially on the software side) but I believe the items listed above should suit her perfectly for at least through all her high school years. As she improves and explores you'll naturally learn what all the tools and options are on your own, as well as what her preferences are.

3D animation as a whole is a different beast that is very computer/technical heavy with a steeper learning curve. So if she wants to start trying that it becomes a whole different realm as you'll need a solid PC and a lot of time and patience when it comes to learning one of the various computer graphics programs out there.

Hope this helps at least a little! Good luck, and feel free to PM any time :)

First, this is super cool. I want to give as much as I can as this is something I would want and want for amazon. Honestly I just want anime to gain more popularity as a whole.

Well the anime strike channel is definitely a new addition, one that I was not aware of until now. I do love my amazon prime. This is a great addition. I see some I instantly recognized like Eromanga :D something airing now which is a pleasant surprise. I see one punch man and some other really good ones.

Though before I answer your question I would like to offer some advice to help make this more enjoyable for customers.

If you have both Sub and Dub available, they should be easily found. Like for example Parasyte

• DUBBED https://www.amazon.com/The-Metamorphosis/dp/B0166I1972/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1493358443&sr=1-1&keywords=parasyte
  
  
• SUBBED https://www.amazon.com/The-Metamorphosis/dp/B01MS4VC2S/ref=sr_1_2?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1493358443&sr=1-2&keywords=parasyte
  
  
  I think having the dubbed up on the main page is good but I think having a link in the description that is easy to find that links you to the dubbed/subbed version of that episode would be wonderful, even a button. In the event they discover x show where It wasn't advertised there to be a dubbed. You want to appeal to all kinds of people and being able to find what you want fast is always good. Those that are new to anime may very much be put off by subtitles, I know many are. So maybe they saw this cool show that caught their eye because of the cover but it is subbed, if one were to have the Dubbed link in a noticeable spot, they are far more likely to A find it and B watch it. A quality of life thing, something to make navigating better. (imo having the ability to change it in the "subs and audio" tab would be really convenient)
  
  If you are getting these currently airing shows simulcasted, make sure to advertise that. That's a huge draw. IF you are paying for something, I think most people would be happy to know they are getting it as soon as possible, if not they'd consider something like crunchyroll where you know you are getting simulcasts.
  
  
  Neat lil deals are always cool. https://www.amazon.com/ref_=dvm_us_kr_cs_AShqp/b?node=16341030011 this is a nice bonus, if you make it more noticeable and are more upfront about it, it'll be pretty enticing. Like I'd put it on my banner or when you click on the banner and it takes you here
  
  
  If you want to make things fun try featuring really well received shows each day or week during anime month. One punch man is a great starter. If you can get access to shows like clannad or Death note, that'd be terrific. You want to show off really good content to hook people. Also have a show of the week, by this I mean one of the ones that were currently airing. Though Ultimately what you want is to expand what you have and what shows you can get the license for that are currently airing. Having all of the latest shows is probably the biggest appeal you can have. Unfortunately you have to have amazon prime (100 a year) on top of the 60$ a year subscription, but I know they have to be able to make their money. So what one might do is like a monthly free digital item. Like a season of a show or perhaps some kind of game or something. Similar to what Sony does with PS Plus or if not that then those that have the Anime Strike sub get discounts on anime related goods. That'd be pretty nice. I know amazon offers free apps, so maybe free anime app of the day or the week.
  
  If this is anime month then you want to be able to reach out with lots of different things. What is something many people enjoy? The songs like the OP/ED of an anime or even the OST of animes. If you make those available to buy or easily found through prime music that'd be cool. Same could be said about the manga, figures, cool collectibles and other stuff. Getting hold of exclusive content could be appealing or maybe even a signed copy of a series or book from an author. That'd be amazing.
  
  Amazon has x-ray for a their videos, having x-ray for anime would be pretty amazing. You could do trivia and all that jazz.
  
  If you want to make it fun maybe consider a lucky give-a-way if that is in your power. One give-a-way a day and 3 semi big ones a week to one grand winner at the end of the month.
  
  In addition you could have recommended games by the staff of Anime Strike (personally would suggest looking up Rabi Ribi) to help find cool anime games out there. Throwing a discount on games you can sell helps to. 5% 10% 15%
  
  
  
  I think there are a lot of angles one could approach this if you start looking at things outside of simply videos. You can bring attention to different products that customers might not have known about likehttps://www.amazon.com/Smith-Micro-Software-Inc-CLSP1HDVD/dp/B01F70HGA4/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1493412991&sr=8-1&keywords=clip+studio+paint+pro 25$ on sale for prime members. Create your own anime art. The ex version allows you to go for animations if you are into that. Art is a huuuuuuuge part of anime. So you look at stuff like this.
  
  
  now I'm not sure what you can and can't do. I have other ideas but this just to throw some out there.
  
  
  Out of curiosity what do you do at Amazon/how did you come to work there?
  

Thank you. This is precisely the information I was looking for. I'll hold off on the GTS-191, then, I think.

Photoshop does seem like industry standard.
Not to be too demanding, at what point/for what purposes will things like Corel Painter Essentials or Clip Studio Paint Pro be useful?

Thanks again. I appreciate it.

Manga Studio was pretty cheap when I last took a look at it, and is entirely designed for people looking to draw/further their drawings and less so for standard image editing

Tbf, I've no idea where to get it or how much it is anymore though; all I found from a quick Google search was this amazon entry (which shows me a "currently available" message).

Ninja edit: looks like it;s also called Clip Studio 5 now, it's about 20 euros - http://www.mangastudio5.com | https://www.clipstudio.net/en.. I've no idea why, but it looks to be significantly more expensive on Amazon (over $100)

Sketchbook Pro is actually very cheap right now and I agree, a VERY useful piece of software. I've gotten in the habit of doing sketches in SBP, and finishing with Photoshop.

Speaking of which, Photoshop is $9.99/mo if you opt for the year subscription. Quite affordable if you ask me

KG-Chart Pro. You can buy it on Amazon here