Throughout its long and chequered career – first under MetaCreations, then Procreate and now Corel – Painter has always stood out as the artistic and creative computer application bar none. The reason is simple: Painter's unique range of natural media brushes.

New realism for bristled brushes and automatic painting that approaches manual quality give Painter X an edge.

A simplified interface, strong photo-to-art Focus and the low price make painter essentials a great buy.

An LG phone has miraculously survived the ravaging flames of a Queensland brush fire. Read on for more details and photos.

With its improved interface, colour handling, image adjustments and brush-based artistic creativity, DrawPlus moves onto a new level.

When you think of photo editing, the chances are you think of Adobe Photoshop. However, the majority of non-professional users don't need Photoshop's high-end power and can't justify its cost. That's where Paint Shop Pro (PSP) comes in. Its low price is definitely its initial attraction, but that has never stopped it aiming high. At times, as with version 6's introduction of vector layers, it has even left Photoshop trailing behind. However, version 7's minor fiddling was a serious letdown and as time passed, it began to look as if PSP had run out of steam. Version 8, though, shows this isn't the case.You begin to realise how fundamental the overhaul has been as soon as you load the application.

Computer mice are arguably the best thing since sliced bread - for computer users anyway - until you try to draw with one.

A blemish can be anything from a speck of dust to physical tears on an original photo you have scanned. A digital camera image shouldnt be so afflicted, but you may want to get rid of something you di

With the free products on our new cover DVD, you need never buy software again. So why do we still keep paying?

Control your digital photos professionally with this free image editor

An image editor with interesting features.

A splendid bit of design that will please the most commited enthusiast, and a godsend for artists on a budget.

Aarons studio is in a modern purpose-built block on the UCSD campus in La Jolla. Canvases are stacked ten- or 12-deep, others fill the racks at the back of the room. It could be any artists studio any

Update to the natural paint program

For many years, After Effects (AE) was the only real choice for PC video compositing - everything else was in a different price/hardware league. But in the last couple of years, with the steady improvement of Pinnacle's Commotion and the huge price drop in Discreet's Combustion, AE isn't alone anymore.

Improved interface, object and layer handling, plus integrated 3D painting add greatly to power, usability and value

Our feature story covers best formats, backup options, and why you should reburn those photo CDs every two years.

Make works of art on your computer

Open architecture allows easy access to plug-ins.

Natural painting program for artists