Inkscape is a vector graphics drawing programme. If you don't know what that means you probably don't need it (unless you fancy exploring a more techinical sort of drawing)

In their own words" An Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Xara X, using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format.

Inkscape supports many advanced SVG features (markers, clones, alpha blending, etc.) and great care is taken in designing a streamlined interface. It is very easy to edit nodes, perform complex path operations, trace bitmaps and much more. We also aim to maintain a thriving user and developer community by using open, community-oriented development."

In their words "Artweaver is a simple Freeware program for creative painting", i.e. Artweaver offers you all artistic effects which you need for your work.

You can create sketches from photos and experiment with a wide range of brushes. The brush simulation is thereby so realistic as possible.


Advantages of Artweaver

• Support of many different digital brushes e.g. chalk, charcoal, pencils...
• Standard image editing tools like gradient, crop, fill and selection tools.
• Transparency and Layers support.
• Effect filters like sharpen, blur, emboss and mosaic.
• Support for the most common file formats like AWD (Artweaver), BMP, GIF, JPEG, PCX, TGA, TIFF, PNG, and PSD.
• Pen Tablet support for a realistic feeling.
• Support for many languages through language files (Columbian Spanish, Danish, Hungarian, Swedish, ...).
• Artweaver is Freeware.

One of the most popular graphics programmes out there, free or paid.  Slightly more "complicated" than some of other graphic editors on this site but capable of professional standard work. The layout can be slightly confusing but just take a bit of time to get use to it or there is an alternative available, GimpShop, which gives Gimp a layout style similar to photoshop.

This programme can do just about all you need either photo editing, drawing pictures or manipulating existing pictures. If you really want to get "into" graphics then this is the programme for you. - (Read more)

I haven't used this graphics programme myself but it certainly looks fully featured and has received many great reviews. I have seen it for sale on ebay (on a disc), in fact you will find many of the free programmes on this site for sale on ebay. Whilst not illegal the sale of free programmes is obviously intended to make money from people who don't know any better.

Certainly worth a download and a try. If you are going to use a graphics programme a lot then its worth trying a few and finding one you are comfortable with. - (Read more)