Got an Artistic Twitch?

We all know that Mac OS X has a bit of an empty space. One thing that many switchers want back after moving over to the Mac is MS Paint. Paint is such a simple program on Windows, however, for a long time, a similar Mac app has eluded many people. Now, I believe I’ve found the solution, well two actually. PaintBrush by Michael Schreiber, and Seashore.

Firstly, PaintBrush. This is an extremely simple app, but for basic doodling, that is all that you need. It offers only the functions shown on the screenshot, including Draw, Cut, Text and Fill; everything you need for a Paint replacement. It feels very similar to Paint, but is currently missing a key feature: the ability to import images. Currently you can only make your own images, which for many will be enough. However, PaintBrush doesn’t offer any image editing.

Seashore is a bit different, it’s got some extra killer features, because it is built on the free GIMP. It is wrapped in Cocoa, making it one of, if not the best, implementation of GIMP on the Mac (for those who haven’t used GIMPShop, it doesn’t have the prettiest interface, and only works in X11). I should, at this point, clarify Seashore is not a full-on GIMPShop, as it is cut back, and is only meant to be a very basic image editor/creator.

Seashore is a great Paint replacement, as it does everything Paint does, but it goes above and beyond. It has basic image editing tools. It’s got a ‘Magnetic Lasso’ tool, which is very useful for cutting out peoples face, or other non-square images. However, even with this extra functionality, it manages to stay so simple, that nearly anyone could use it.

Overall, they are both brilliant apps at the early stages of development (0.6 for PaintBrush, and 0.19 for Seashore), giving us Mac users the ability to do quick doodles. If it’s simplicity you’re after, stick with PaintBrush, as it is easier to use, and has no complicated bits. However, if you’re into making devil pictures of those you don’t like, and very basic image editing, go for Seashore, as it offers much more.

PaintBrush is free, and available from Sourceforge here, while Seashore is also free, and available here. Check them out, It’s worth it!