Usually trying to be an application that is a “jack of all trades” may leave some of your users on the fringe. This may just be the case with Photoshop, where the application no longer really excels at one thing, but is competent and sufficient in most tasks. This is most likely why applications like Sketch or ArtRage do so well, providing really robust and specific workflows targeted to certain users.
In addition to apps like Sketch, there is a new contender in Black Ink from Bleank, an independent design studio focusing on high-end creative software development.
Black Ink’s Approach to Digital Painting
Black Ink offers some great features towards digital painting, most notably being the generative art brushes. Black Ink features a “controller” system, which is a node based method for creating complex brushes easily.
tweak every parameter of a brush, from size and pressure control to complex mathematical behaviors
The Black Ink Controller system can handle anything from simple custom stylus inputs tp much more complex generative behaviors – brushes and behaviors that would be impossible in Photoshop. This also provides the opportunity to easily save, re-use and share custom brushes with the Black Ink Community.
Modern GPU Integration
Black Ink is built as a modern digital painting engine, taking advantage of the computer’s GPU claiming unprecedented speeds with large files. Black Ink boasts blazing fast performance on any resolution. 4K, 8K, 10K, just choose a number and draw incredibly fast with the finest details. Black Ink’s GPU integration also extends to its user interface, giving the application a snappy and responsive feel.
Black Ink recently released as a public beta – learn more here.
