list of everything for art (software & services) which i have personally use(d)
this list is focused more on learning, having fun, drawing for yourself, and connecting with others, but includes some work-related things, too.
online places to keep and show your creations. info about servers and laws are either from websites TOS, or found by me using Flagbox add-on.
art focused.
good alternative to ArtStation for "professional" portfolios, i don't feel like it's a comfortable place for hobbyists and sketches.
servers/laws: USA age verification: no anti-genAI: yes
SheezyArt/Sheezy.Art, or just Sheezy, is an online art site devoted to all types of media, including traditional, digital, photography, writing, pixel art, and animation.
art focused.
optional CSS customization and privacy settings. very good moderating and tagging system, working report system and a cool old DeviantArt feeling.
servers/laws: USA age verification (UK): yes anti-genAI: yes
Itaku is an online community with a focus on browsing and sharing art, it also features a commissioning marketplace.
art focused, slightly more into furry.
comfortable and chill place. UI is confusing sometimes (as for 2025), but i still like it.
servers/laws: Finland (EU) age verification: no anti-genAI: yes
[Pillowfort is currently in closed beta with over 40,000 users. Everyone who donates $5 or more will get a registration key (or keys) to create an account on the site]
general blogging platform, not strictly art focused.
it feels like a mix of good parts of Dreamwidth and Tumblr. while it's not a social gallery website, there are plenty art & creativity communities (groups), so i decided to include it here.
servers/laws: USA age verification: no anti-genAI: yes
A community for collaborative character creation and trading, worldbuilding and roleplay. Toyhouse is invite-only and only premium users can give out invites.
OC & worldbuilding art focused.
has privacy & watermark settings: for example, you can make your art to be visible with watermark for guests, and leave full version for logged-in users.
optional HTML editor for pages, which means (almost) endless fun with OC profiles.
needs invite to create an account.
servers/laws: Australia/USA age verification: no anti-genAI: yes, but only for adopts
because having fun is important!
Classic game of Telephone but with drawing and thousands of players, ensuring miscommunication and chaos.
a little art game! you could even draw from your phone. or with your mouse. or with touchpad. it doesn't matter. helped with artblock once :)
to draw online with someone on the same canvas.
it feels like a small hangout place for fellow artists to have fun drawing together.
it has what i need: graphic tablet support, pressure sensitivity (or draw with your mouse like a real man!), layers, canvas, even smol chat.
android app is buggy (as for 2025 version at least), but desktop is cool!
tools to create
JSPaint is a free web-based remake of 
Microsoft Paint , a basic but popular image editor for the Windows operating system.
seriousness level: lowest
could be used to deal with artblock and have fun! ^w^
Basic, ad-free editor bundled with Windows for bitmap, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and TIFF files. Features AI powered features, layer support, offline use, and no registration.
seriousness level: low
good to deal with artblock.
PaintTool SAI is high quality and lightweight painting software, fully digitizer support, amazing anti-aliased paintings, provide easy and stable operation, this software make digital art more enjoyable and comfortable.
seriousness level: medium
could be used to deal with artblock.
A free, open-source painting program for professional artists offering customizable UI, 9 brush engines, layer support, and color management.
seriousness level: medium
could be used to deal with artblock.
Essential digital tool for comic and manga artists, offering specialized tools for shortcuts like panel layouts, inking, vector support, and 3D model import.
seriousness level: high
should be avoided during artblock.
i'm begging you, do not buy a subscription. wait for one-time purchase sale (often on Christmas!)
BeeRef lets you quickly arrange your reference images and view them while you create. Its minimal interface is designed not to get in the way of your creative process.
to squeeze all of those Important 999 references into my small laptop screen.
R.I.P.
Save anything, organize it your way, and arrange it on an infinite canvas, connected on a graph that maps how it all relates. All on your machine, yours forever.
best pinterest alternative ever made. o7
it's alive again, but in completely different format this time.
it's not dead, you can still self-host it, but there are no public instances anymore :(
Easily create and share reference sheets and art galleries for all your characters; perfect for artists, world builders, and role players.
was a good characters references and profiles hub. o7
also, bunnie created very detailed list with anti-AI art communities.
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