Image editors like Adobe Photoshop, CorelDRAW and GIMP are used for high-level image editing, which can also give very realistic looking paint effects, but now you can use a number of free tools to give that effect.
A paint effect application is not a full image editor like Photoshop, but it can give way more options and features than the usual Paint app in Windows.
Below are some of the free apps I found which can be used to give nice paint effects to your photos.
MyPaint
MyPaint is a fast and easy graphics application for digital painters. It has extensive options for brush creation and configuration which give effects like natural painting. It also supports pressure sensitive graphic tablets. MyPaint is a multi-platform application supporting Windows and Linux. Download MyPaint
.ArtRage Starter Edition
ArtRage 2.5 Starter Edition gives you 8 painting tools and lets you create, save, and print as many pictures as you like and doesn’t limit their size. It has a very appealing interface with limited features for a beginner. Download ArtRage Starter Edition
.TwistedBrush Free Edition
The free edition is a version of TwistedBrush with a significantly reduced set of features that is suitable for painting original artwork. But you can use its quick start guide to get familiarized with tools. Download TwistedBrush
.Project DogWaffle Free Edition
It’s a light, yet powerful tool for artistic expression. You don’t have to worry about things get messy. Simply paint, erase it, and try again, and again, and again…… Download Project DogWaffle Free Edition.
Artweaver
Artweaver is a free application for creative paintings with all artistic effects you need. It supports layers, gradients etc. and contains variety of digital brushes. You can also create sketches with photos. Download Artweaver
