X-MyPaint

Painting nowadays can also be done with the help of computers or other devices. This is made possible by specialized applications like, X-MyPaint that tries to offer various professional tools with which you can unleash your imagination on a virtual canvas or edit existing images.

Running the application brings up a decent workspace, with all necessary functions cleverly stored in an upper toolbar. The design is pretty lightweight, as most of the main window consists of the canvas and brushes or color palettes only being visible when needed. However, the last mentioned tools can be stored in a side panel for quick access.

With a little effort, nearly anything you imagine can be obtained with the available brushes. The rich library gives you access to categories like classic, experimental and three additional sets, each containing at least 10 types.

From different styles of pencils and crayons to pixel or water effects, brushes can be used and customized to get the desired result. You can either work on a blank canvas or import a picture from your computer for editing.

One of the most useful features is the ability to switch to a fullscreen view. It only leaves the canvas on top, with the selected brush, for more space to work in. Implemented hotkey support give you the possibility to quickly switch between tools while in fullscreen mode.

Moreover, you are able to work with multiple layers, to which you can set opacity and blending mode. Their visibility can be toggled on or off easily from the list they are stored in.

Unfortunately, there are no preset effects you can further enhance your pictures with, leaving you to create them yourself with available brushes.

X-MyPaint may not be the best of its kind, but the intuitive design and available brushes make it a keeper. This portable version does not take up much disk space so you can easily carry it around on a storing device and take your projects wherever you go.