PaintTool SAI 2 (often called SAI 2) is the modern successor to the original lightweight digital painting software by . It is renowned for its exceptionally smooth brush engine
Note:
SAI 2 does not natively support macOS or Linux. However, Mac users frequently run it via Wine or CrossOver with excellent results.
The Watercolor Tool
- Use Layers: Layers are a powerful feature in SAI 2. Use them to separate different elements of your artwork and make editing easier.
- Customize Your Brushes: Create and customize your own brushes to achieve unique effects and add variety to your artwork.
- Save Frequently: Save your work frequently to avoid losing progress in case of an unexpected error or shutdown.
- Join the Community: Join online communities and forums to connect with other SAI 2 users, share your work, and learn from others.
Open Photoshop. You see layers, properties, adjustments, swatches, brushes, history, and tools—all competing for space. Open SAI 2. You see:
- Clipping Masks: Create a new layer above your base color, check the "Clipping" box. Now, you can shade only on the pixels below it. This is essential for coloring line art.
- Selection Source: At the bottom of the layers panel, you can set a layer as a "Selection Source." This allows you to paint on Layer B while restricting the paint to the shape of Layer A. (Similar to "Reference Layer" in other software).
Stabilizer
If your hands are shaky, SAI 2 is famous for fixing that. Look at the top of the screen for the dropdown (it usually defaults to "3" or "5").
SAI 2's brush engine emulates real media better than many heavier programs:
Every digital artist struggles with shaky lines. SAI invented the stroke stabilizer that every other app (from Clip Studio Paint to Photoshop) has since copied. In SAI 2, you have a simple slider from 0 to 15.