Scripts can also be used as macros to make repetitive steps less tedious. Record a script using the pencil tool on plain paper. Painter has a steep learning curve, but it also offers a wide range of capabilities. To help the user get up to speed, the Painter user manual is color-coded and very logically laid out. The instructions are precise and there are plenty of full-color pictures to illustrate each tool.
Painter is definitely worth the time it takes to learn.
It is as close as you can get to working with natural media tools. Meredith Foster is a HAL-PC member and Art Director for the Magazine .