Computersight -

Everyone knows about Photoshop and all of its different forms. A glorious program; everyone who can afford it uses it, and it’s the greatest picture editor out there. Isn’t it? Isn’t Photoshop the best you can get? There’s a possibility that you could be getting something just as useful for no cost.

I was stumbling over random pages online when I found a page that looked like a photo editor, but I was sure it was just going to be a picture, or not work. It was just too decked out. When I clicked on the “file” button, sure enough, I got a menu! Immediately, I opened a picture from my computer and began playing with it. This program was amazing; it did everything! When I went to the site it came from, I found a rather interesting name; Sumo Paint.

Ever since then, I’ve used this program for every picture that I drew and uploaded. I’m one of those digital artists who does their lineart and coloring online. SumoPaint is so effective, and works for my purposes. I felt the need to compare it to everyone’s beloved PhotoShop.

PhotoShop: Pros

• Has a multitude of features
• Makes smooth pictures
• There are many patches and add-ons you can download and use
• Professionally made
• You can make your own brushes for use
• Keyboard shortcuts
• Tons of filters
• Keeps track of editing history
• Has a layer toolbar

PhotoShop: Cons

• Most versions costs from $200 for the old version, and $600 for the new version
• There are so many versions to choose from
• Can be hard to learn; overwhelming amount of features
• Large file

SumoPaint: Pros

• Has a similar toolbar as PhotoShop
• With a bit of learning, you can make quality pictures
• There are a handful of filters
• It comes with a number of pre-made brushes
• It’s completely free
• It’s online
• No scams involved
• Saves to your computer if you don’t want to sign up
• Has a layer toolbar
• Doesn’t take up space on your hard drive

SumoPaint: Cons

• It takes up a lot of bandwidth, therefor might crash your internet if left in use for long periods of time
• Will lag sometimes
• It doesn’t always save to your account
• If you just have a layer invisible, it will still show up when you save the picture

As it’s plainly obvious, they’ve both got their ups and downs. It might be hard for many who have the money to choose, and I fully agree that Sumo is no PhotoShop. My internet, multiple times, has crashed and left me with no scrap of my work left. Still, when using PhotoShop, it’s still a possibility.

Whether you choose Sumo or PhotoShop is up to you. The choice is up to opinion, and what is right for each person. If you’re looking for more advanced options with hundreds of tutorials out there, splurging on PhotoShop might be your choice. If you’re more of a simpleton like me, and just need something for basic art, SumoPaint might be better for you. Maybe you just don’t have the money yet, or you don’t have the space on your computer? SumoPaint might be better for you.

Either way, happy picture-editing.