It is very true that there's an awful lot of image editing software available to the artist and photographer these days, and it would be true to say that such programmes often leave the individual confused as to which one to use.
A few days ago I came across 'sumo paint' and I can honestly say that it fits in perfectly with what I've been looking for. I'm happy to admit that I'm no 'tech geek', so whatever programme I use has to have a certain ease of use, and that whatever learning curve there is, it is not too steep.
Having done some research about sumo paint, it seems that many users prefer it to 'Photoshop' and have commented that it's better than this particular programme. I can't say that I know this is correct, as I've never used Photoshop, but I can say that sumo paint does all the things I would expect an image editing programme to do, and more besides.
What makes sumo paint stand out is that within a few hours you will have accomplished a level of understanding which will enable you to successfully begin 'painting' pictures. The interface is uncluttered and whilst there are a lot of advanced features available, each one is fairly easy to understand as regards its use. The 'Help' section is fairly intuitive and goes into as much or little details you need without overwhelming you with technical jargon. I'd say that all the information you get is geared towards the end user, rather than being written for the 'geek'.
Apart from its ease of use, its most compelling feature is the cost; which for the basic package is free. To upgrade to the 'pro' version it cost me €19, which for the extra features and able to use the programme 'offline' is more than reasonable, along with the added '+' that all upgrades, additional software improvements etc are free for the first year of use.
As I also use GIMP 2.6, the latest version, I can say that sumo paint is much the easier to use. GIMP's problem has always been its lack of integrated 'painting' features, although they can be added as a separate 'add on'. However, sumo paint's versatility and use across OS platforms leaves GIMP struggling in its wake. I can use the same sumo paint programme on both my pc and mac, whereas with GIMP I have to download a different version for pc and mac.
In terms of cost GIMP offers a lot more because it comes as a single package and is free. But GIMP is more 'expensive' because of the time needed to get to grips with its steep learning curve. I have nothing but admiration for GIMP, not only is it an advanced image editing programme that continues to evolve, but it is also a comprehensive editing suite and never rests on its laurels.
However, I've noticed that I'm using GIMP less and less, and instead have turned to 'Aperture 3' as my preferred photo editing programme. I can honestly say that, based on actual use, I can do more refined image editing in Aperture than I can in GIMP, although in GIMP I can do more in terms of image manipulation. For example, if I want to work with layers then I use GIMP, but if I want more control over the image itself I use Aperture. There have been numerous photographs that couldn't be 'rescued' in GIMP, yet I managed to considerably improve the quality of the image in Aperture.
As we can see above, sumo paint, GIMP and Aperture 3 all do different things, and that's no bad thing as it gives me a lot of flexibility when working on different projects. Each has a weakness, but understanding what they are means my attention is focused on the work I'm doing and not on the software programme I'm using. The biggest advantage to using sumo paint and Gimp is that they are virtually free and will take care of the majority of the 'artistic' needs encountered by individuals.
As a final word on the subject, whilst I would recommend all three programmes, if I had to choose between them and could only use two, then I'd go with sumo paint and GIMP on the basis of cost. In terms of editing control I'd go with sumo paint and Aperture. If you wanted cross platform use, in its truest meaning of the word, then I'd only go with sumo paint, the reason being because sumo paint is done mostly in the 'cloud', so you are able to access your work regardless of the operating system you are using. Luckily I don't have to worry about which one I use, and so I'm fortunate in being able to use all three depending on the task in hand.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
To all the budding film makers and editors out there Apple have announced that in June the new 'Final Cut Pro X' will be released for sale, via the 'Apps Store'. This is fantastic news because on first showing it will replace both 'Final Cut Express 4' and 'Final Cut Pro', which whilst superb editing programmes are a little outdated and in need of a serious revamp.
The new Final Cut Pro X looks like it will fully integrate with the editing programme in iMovie11, which should make the process of exporting from the latter into the former a much more seamless process. One of my few complaints about Final Cut Express 4 and iMovie11 is that the two are completely differently animals and at times a pain in the backside, largely because any edited work in iMovie11 is often lost when exporting to FCE 4. Why this is the case, is open to conjecture but I suspect that both programmes were designed for both the hobbyist and more professional approach. I, like countless others, recognised that when moving up to FCE 4 from iMovie there was a steep learning curve involved and techniques learned in iMovie11 were incompatible for working in FCE 4.
However, with the growth in self expression and the revolution in digital film making, it appears that Final Cut Pro X will go a long way to making it possible for the hobbyist film maker to make more 'professional' films. Whilst I like Apple products, they are generally priced too highly and any Apple product I buy has to fulfil my criterion as a working tool. And here I take my hat off to Apple for pricing Final Cut Pro X at $299, which is a massive $700 saving on Final Cut Pro and $100 above the price of Final Cut Express 4. Additionally, because Final Cut Pro X will be sold through the Apple AppStore, it now means that every Mac you buy you will be able to download the Final Cut Pro X you originally bought. This will save the average Mac user a lot of money. Whilst I can't say that this will happen with everything you buy in the AppStore, it's a move in the right direction, and nice to see that the 'hole' in Apple's marketing strategy is being slowly filled by more competitive pricing.
As for the Mac range of products, I hope that these will also come down in price to more reasonable and manageable levels. Apple's growth in the computer sector now needs to be addressed in terms of price competiveness, if it isn't then as more manufacturers succeed in determining better specifications, people will move away from buying Apple products and once you lose a section of the market it's virtually impossible to get it back. Apple is now moving towards a greater share in computer sales, but the Apple brand as to respond to the new consumer demands if it wishes to remain in its present position.
One final word on Final Cut Pro X. As I watched its launch I just went 'wow', as it's an unbelievable piece of software. I was immediately smitten by it and I look forward to its release with a great deal of anticipation, and priced keenly it's going to resolve a lot of issues, including the bane of any editor's life, film rendering, which holds up the workflow enormously. Thankfully this will be done automatically in the background whilst you're editing. There are many other improvements as well, and there isn't the space here to cover them. My advice is to go and check it out.
Have fun!
The new Final Cut Pro X looks like it will fully integrate with the editing programme in iMovie11, which should make the process of exporting from the latter into the former a much more seamless process. One of my few complaints about Final Cut Express 4 and iMovie11 is that the two are completely differently animals and at times a pain in the backside, largely because any edited work in iMovie11 is often lost when exporting to FCE 4. Why this is the case, is open to conjecture but I suspect that both programmes were designed for both the hobbyist and more professional approach. I, like countless others, recognised that when moving up to FCE 4 from iMovie there was a steep learning curve involved and techniques learned in iMovie11 were incompatible for working in FCE 4.
However, with the growth in self expression and the revolution in digital film making, it appears that Final Cut Pro X will go a long way to making it possible for the hobbyist film maker to make more 'professional' films. Whilst I like Apple products, they are generally priced too highly and any Apple product I buy has to fulfil my criterion as a working tool. And here I take my hat off to Apple for pricing Final Cut Pro X at $299, which is a massive $700 saving on Final Cut Pro and $100 above the price of Final Cut Express 4. Additionally, because Final Cut Pro X will be sold through the Apple AppStore, it now means that every Mac you buy you will be able to download the Final Cut Pro X you originally bought. This will save the average Mac user a lot of money. Whilst I can't say that this will happen with everything you buy in the AppStore, it's a move in the right direction, and nice to see that the 'hole' in Apple's marketing strategy is being slowly filled by more competitive pricing.
As for the Mac range of products, I hope that these will also come down in price to more reasonable and manageable levels. Apple's growth in the computer sector now needs to be addressed in terms of price competiveness, if it isn't then as more manufacturers succeed in determining better specifications, people will move away from buying Apple products and once you lose a section of the market it's virtually impossible to get it back. Apple is now moving towards a greater share in computer sales, but the Apple brand as to respond to the new consumer demands if it wishes to remain in its present position.
One final word on Final Cut Pro X. As I watched its launch I just went 'wow', as it's an unbelievable piece of software. I was immediately smitten by it and I look forward to its release with a great deal of anticipation, and priced keenly it's going to resolve a lot of issues, including the bane of any editor's life, film rendering, which holds up the workflow enormously. Thankfully this will be done automatically in the background whilst you're editing. There are many other improvements as well, and there isn't the space here to cover them. My advice is to go and check it out.
Have fun!
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