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Should you purchase Rebelle 5 or Rebelle 5 Pro?

Rebelle 5 comes packed with a lot of great new features. But which features are the ones you need? 


Which version of Rebelle should you buy, Rebelle 5 or Rebelle 5 Pro? 

Are you serious about creating physical printed artwork, read no further Rebelle 5 Pro is the way to go. 

What features in the Pro version are necessary for printing beautiful gallery quality physical artwork? We will talk about this later in the article. Jump ahead

If you aren’t printing your work does that mean the standard edition of Rebelle 5 is the correct option? Well, not exactly. Let’s talk 😊

For those who have never used Rebelle before, than getting starting with Rebelle 5 is an easy YES. It is the best natural media painting software on the planet. It is my favorite drawing app by far, and I highly recommend it for natural looking traditional style digital art creation. 

I recommend it over Photoshop, Artrage, Clip Studio Paint, Krita, Paint Tool Sai, Autodesk Sketchbook, and even Corel Painter. In the past I would have said the best option was Corel Painter. I believe that is no longer the case. I believe Rebelle 5 Pro to be the better choice for professionals and allows for a much more emotional experience. 

Rebelle 5 is the first painting program that feels alive, that feels emotional. You have these moments where you are looking at the canvas, excited, watching, waiting to see how the paint and canvas will respond to the work of your hands.

Rebelle is PHENOMENAL living digital art software unlike anything else on the planet. 

*(note – all images and videos used by permission of EscapeMotions)

NanoPixel Export for Printing (PRO)

rebelle 5 pro pigment names

Traditional Pigment Color Sets

Some Rebelle 4 users have asked “is the upgrade to Rebelle 5 worth doing” or is only the Pro version worth the upgrade? 

That depends. Rebelle 5 has a number of great additions over Rebelle 4. New in Rebelle 5 standard edition, I’ve marked my favorites in BOLD *note – you can always upgrade to Rebelle 5 now and Pro later. 

One of my main goals is to find or develop the best tools for artists, put them on this website, and partner with great companies so I can provide for my family by supporting tools I need and love. (I have partner/affiliate relationships with Clip Studio Paint, Artrage, Rebelle, and others) To support my family and try my favorite painting app click below. 

justice skye shaylee

·      Color mixing palette

·       Express oils for faster painting

·       Improved control over oils and acrylics

·      More Brush Presets

·       Watercolor granulation

·      Volume Presets

·      Curves in the Brush Creator (LOVE THIS)

·       Brush line stabilization assignable per brush

·      Speed control over diffusion

·       Beautiful full colored papers and canvases

·       Canvas textures that physically affect diffusion patterns

·       Pigment names in Color Swatches

·       Time-lapse recording

Assign Stabilization per Brush Preset!

Curves in the Brush Creator

One of the biggest benefits for me is the ability to precisely adjust the curves in the brush creator. I’ve been an avid Paint Tool Sai v2 users for a long time and I wanted to replicate the way the brush feels in Rebelle to match what I was used to in Sai v2. I can do that now, and I can make it better than Sai, Clip Studio, Krita, Artrage, Corel Painter or any of the other software I’d used in the past that left me with very fond girlfriend levels of nostalgia over specific brushes.

Brush Stabilization for individual brushes

I love that I can set one specific brush to be my line brush/pencil and set just that one brush to have pulled string stabilization and not have to toggle that on/off in settings.

Pigment Names

When I talk to traditional artists our vocabulary always splits furthest at color. Beautiful shade of #FF8C1A, really brings out your eyes. (which of course it wouldn’t unless your eyes were orange) But with the pigment color names I’m able to communicate with names that bring traditional and digital artists closer. Becoming a better artist in Rebelle 5 makes you a better artist in the physical world as well. I LOVE that.

Time-Lapse Recording

Time-lapse is a big deal for me as well. It’s been my number one request since working with Rebelle in version 3. They NAILED this. It’s exceeded my expectations at every level. Better resolution, capture speed, frame rate, doesn’t capture empty space when you are going to the bathroom and a simple format selection that is compatible almost everywhere (h.264).

Canvas Textures affect Diffusion

Physics based Watercolors and Oil

Canvas Textures

When you see the way the new canvas textures change the way that diffusion works, and the canvas is not a generic colored background but a REAL textured surface built from extremely high resolution scans and the texture of the canvas accurately reflects the way the watercolor and oils diffuse. It’s a beautiful thing to behold. A quick switch of the canvas can completely change the emotion of a piece of artwork.

 

The Paint interacts like a living object

This is why I LOVE Rebelle, it’s satisfying in a way that can only be satisfying when you have two things interacting. Not just one side manipulating something dead and lifeless.

No one sided interaction can match the beauty, synergy, depth, or joy of working with a living body. Like a dance with a mannequin vs a dance with someone you love.

When I work in Rebelle it’s different than any other digital art program. It is an actual living canvas that responds to your brush strokes, that responds to your paint, the way the wet paint diffuses into the textures in the canvas, the angle the canvas is tilted, you can blow on the canvas to push the paint away, or dry it to crust it up and crack the paint. It feels to me like a magical step through traditional painting into a world where I have all the things I like about physical paint and dry media (although I miss the smell) and let’s me control with precision (and undo) everything like a speedy painting wizard.

Rebelle 5 does digital art better, the paint physics integration is meaningful and satisfying. It’s not a gimmick. Painting feels emotional. It is deeper, the control is more precise, the customization is richer. The whole thing is a big step closer to reality.

 

Rebelle 5 Pro - why it's necessary for professional artists

Does a regular artist or hobbyist have a reason to get the Pro version? (which you can always upgrade to later)

The Pro version has a few features that are absolutely critical for Professional artists. Professional Color management, Nano Pixel export,
Photoshop integration for easy layer sharing, and Color Pigments to name a few.

 

Pigments Color Mixing (PRO)

The one that I find to be the most important for me, or maybe just my favorite one is Pigments. Rebelle 5 Pro is the first and only (at the time of this writing) digital art program to incorporate real world color mixing. That means that if a traditional oil painter tries Rebelle 5 Pro and they want to mix oil pigments to get a new color, they get what they expect. Rich, full bodied, frothy color. 

Unlearning color is a huge, unnatural and depressing aspect of switching from traditional to digital. I’m glad that Rebelle has been able to take this huge step forwards in making this easier for traditional artists to join the dark side, erhh, I mean digital art creation. I’m sure that other art programs will be scrambling to catch up to Rebelle for years to come.

The Pigment color mixing is a MUST have for me, even for regular digital artists. It immediately makes your artwork better.

 

NanoPixel Export

If you are printing your work (even old work not made in Rebelle) then NanoPixel Export is another must have. It takes your lower resolution images or canvas in Rebelle and makes it glorious. It has to be seen to be believed. It uses advanced AI to add detail at the canvas texture level so that you can
print your work at 10x size and have it look amazing and pixel free. 

Have questions about Rebelle or want to schedule a 30 min private training session? Send me a message below.

Pigment Color Mixing (PRO)

Rebelle 5 pro pigments

Pigments matching traditional Oils (PRO)

NanoPixel Export for Printing (PRO)

Want to know more about what is in Rebelle 5 Pro? Click the link below to go to the EscapeMotions website for all the details. 

How to Install the Tablet Pro Artist Pad for Rebelle

tablet pro suite image

Suite 2022

(free trial enabled automatically after install)

  • After installing open the start menu and launch the Pen Tool
  • Double click the Pen Tool icon to get started 
  • Double click the Rebelle preset on the left
  • Questions on how to get started? – watch the Quick Start guide to the right

Quick FAQ for Rebelle + Tablet Pro

There are a few things to try. First, in the Pen Tool settings check the path to your preset files. You may want to try “default” location. 

It’s possible that the exe for the program has changed or the preset file doesn’t exist. Please delete the old preset in the Pen Tool list and create a new one. Pressing (Alt + Z) with the desired application active will get you started. Otherwise, select the exe file from the dropdown and proceed through the setup process manually. 

While it may apear that your computer has become possessed by electronic demons it is not likely the case. The Pen Tool has an option for autoswitching. Some people accidentally activate the feature. To turn it off, go in the Pen Tool and “lock” the settings or select the preset you want to toggle off this behavior and uncheck “connect with Tablet Pro” 

While it’s not easy to admit this, the short answer is “yes, it is ghosts” 👻. To vanquish the ghosts and get Tablet Pro to become visibile again in Windows 11, you can do one of two things. Make a stew of boiled garlic, add chives and scallions. Eat. After your close friends have left and you are no longer distracted, follow these steps. Install the new version of Tablet Pro, it will automatically display the “taskbar notification area icon” found in general settings. Otherwise, turn on that setting and it will display the mouse icon. 

If you can’t open the settings for Tablet Pro manually, they will open at the end of the install process when you check for a license. If you have the Pen Tool installed you can open the settings for Tablet Pro desktop from the Pen Tool right click menu. Go to settings – general – “taskbar notification area icon”. Toggle this on/off and apply. 

If the buttons don’t work or they click the wrong location it may be for a few reasons

Some of the buttons in Tablet Pro click a location on the screen instead of pressing a keyboard shortcut.

Please make sure that your program is maximized to full screen your taskbar is on the bottom of the screen and if you have trouble please watch the tutorial in the link below

 

Alternately some programs do not have a shortcut pre programmed in that maps to the button on the artist pad. In this situation you need to edit the programs keyboard shortcut to add the connection inside the program

For Tablet Pro to work with a program in the most familiar way (like a keyboard) the program must use Microsoft’s newer touch api. The newer touch api has been around for a number of years now, and many of the newer programs have adopted it. Krita, Rebelle 4, Sai V2, Clip Studio Paint, and Leonardo are a few examples. Some Programs like Zbrush and Photoshop that have been around for 20+ years are still using the older api. This means to navigate in those programs you will need to use toggles or drag frames. The recommended option example is a “blank button, + alt +1 sec”. Tap the button then quickly start using the pen within 1 second. This works well for color picking and quick navigational movements in 3D. However, ideally, if your program doesn’t support SPT (simultaneous pen and touch), use of the Pen Tool is recommended. Assign the modifier to the side button (rbutton). The included presets in Tablet Pro have this behavior pre setup. Navigation on a drag frame is done with just touch while the pen is hovering and the touch movement performs the action. For more information on this please watch our SPT (simultaneous pen and touch) video on YouTube. 

If the Pen Tool is not working for you, Please contact support. The new version of the Pen Tool (version 4) has a bug that we are trying to locate and fix, but need help from users experiencing a non working version of the Pen Tool.

Some users have said that updating Windows has fixed the problem for them. This is not a documented fix yet, but may be helpful. 

The purchase for Tablet Pro desktop is done using the Layout Editor in the Microsoft Store. The purchase includes a license for up to 10 machines using the same Microsoft account and can be used concurrently.

Getting Started Guide How to install and use Tablet Pro

Double click to Run

This is a visual guide to show you the steps from the Store install to switching the Tablet Pro modes. *The Pen Tool does not require Tablet Pro to change the stylus side buttons. It does require Tablet Pro to load the Artist Pad presets. They work together to simplify the process.  

  • Install from the Microsoft Store App
  • Open the Start Menu
  • Search Pen Tool and run
  • Drag out of Hidden Tasktray
  • Double click to open
  • Single click to quick launch

quickstart Guide

All the basics

How to start using Tablet Pro’s Artist Pad and other modes using the Pen Tool – followed by how to use it without the Pen Tool. 

 

  • Single click the Pen Tool to activate
  • Right click the Pen Tool icon 
  • Single click the Mouse icon to toggle
  • Right click the Moues icon for modes
  • Set Preset file location troubleshooting
  • Automatic MODE launch or LOCK

Change the buttons

Trouble finding the app? Open the Microsoft Store and search “Tablet Pro”. Learn how to adjust the buttons in the Layout Editor to do almost anything, including:

 

  • mouse clicks at specific locations
  • keyboard shortcuts like “CTRL+Z”
  • Modifiers – ALT – CTRL – SHIFT
  • Open the Touch Keyboard
  • Numpad keys
  • Trackpad actions like Drag+Alt
  • Toggles