SAI vs Artweave/Gimp or alternate programs

So I was wondering, what is the biggest advantage/coloring advantage that SAI has over like GIMP or Artweave, or Pixia, I have all 4 of those programs on my system and I was wondering why everyone was so hot over SAI? I've only opened it up once or twice and tried to color but I didn't notice much of a different.

Then again I also use a mouse not a tablet, I'm not really a graphic artist.

GIMP is HORRIBLE with a tablet. Seriously, it messes everything up. (My sister uses Sai for her tablet-practice, altough she preferres traditional art...)

Yeah if I was doing tablet work I'd probably use Inkscape, it's sorta designed for that.

I noticed in a video for SAI you can rotate your work area like you rotated the picture, without actually rotating the picture.

smeen wrote:GIMP is HORRIBLE with a tablet. Seriously, it messes everything up. (My sister uses Sai for her tablet-practice, altough she preferres traditional art...)

^ This

Well, I used to have GIMP for my artworks first, but... yeah, it's an alternative to photoshop, but horribly complicated. It also lags a lot with tablet when you're in a Skype call or you're messing around with 3D programs like MMD.
SAI is awesome, doesn't lag as much, and its also easier to use, you can make thinner and cleaner outlines with it and you don't have to open an extra window to pick a new color.
Though GIMP can handle two seperate settings for mouse and tablet (example: mouse; color green and tool brush; tablet; color blue and tool pencil) at once, which can be useful, but sometimes it's just annoying...

I use GIMP for BGs and Text now only. SAI is really better for art.

GIMP is super clunky and laggy.

I don't know much about GIMP, but SAI lets you select stuff without that icky white outline, lets you select colors quickly, and gives you quick and easy access to a plethora of pen settings without sorting through new windows. Aaand no windows blocking your image!

The only thing I can think of being inconvenient is the fact you can only do lines/curves on a vector layer (which deeply hinders my ability to do sharp cell chading).

I know this is offtopic but ... what is your Signature from Lenexia?

By the way, people who drew with mouse ARE graphic artists. Look at Karasu, or Onaneko, or Luna's drawning of Yuugi. Drawning with a mouse doesn't mean you're not a real artist.

KaelemGaen wrote:I know this is offtopic but ... what is your Signature from Lenexia?

I stole it from some dA webcam.

Yeah, gimp is useful for some things (it's all I have but I'd love to get SAI）　But it does have a lot of downers.　T.T but I'm happy because it's free and I'm getting used to it no matter how annoying it is to use. ＊sTares longingly at all the better programs*　T.T *sits in　a dark corner*

SAI for art
Photoshop for everything else.