What it does
Paintstorm Studio is a digital painting application with bristle and textured brushes, colour mixing, stroke correction and perspective rulers. Its desktop licence is a perpetual one-time purchase.
Dirty mode picks up colour from the underlying paint as you blend, and the mixer provides a separate palette for combining colours. Brush settings can follow perspective guides; two- and three-point rulers, snapping and saved ruler states help with buildings and other structured subjects. Custom panels and individual shortcuts put particular brushes and sliders within reach.
The desktop licence covers one computer, with Windows, Mac and Linux versions available. Enter your email in the registration dialog and choose Register while connected to the internet; painting can then continue offline. Licence transfers use the online account and are limited to once a week.
A trial provides all functions and is activated by email. The iPad edition is a separate App Store purchase, with Apple Pencil support and support for Photoshop PSD and ABR files.
Strengths
- Brush and mixing controls support material studies.
- Custom panels and tool hotkeys adapt the workspace.
Watch out for
- Desktop registration requires an internet connection.
- A desktop licence covers one computer; transfers are limited to once a week.
Best for
- Textured concept painting
- Perspective-led illustration
Sources
- Paintstorm Studio: Professional software for digital painting (Oct 27, 2026)
- Paintstorm Studio: Buy (Oct 27, 2026)
- Registration FAQ: Paintstorm Studio Help (Oct 27, 2026)
- Paintstorm Studio: Free Trial (Oct 27, 2026)
- Paintstorm Studio: App Store (Oct 27, 2026)