if i buy painter 11 do i need adobe photoshop?

[Vay]

i have never used either of them before.

but i want to know if it is best to stick with one or get both?

[Ian Barker]

Well obviously it's ideal to have both, but in no way does either program rely on the other. Both stand as quality programs on their own.

[Viridis]

It really depends on what you want to do. They both do sort of different things, so without knowing what you're doing it's hard to give any advice. Photoshop has a lot of powerful tools for manipulating images in lots of different ways; Painter is much more adept at mimicking the style and appearance of many traditional media in digital form. I would probably get both, if you can.

[JJacks]

Go to their websites and download the 30 day trials. Work with them and figure out which program would best suit your art and your needs. Then decide if you want Painter or Photoshop. You don't need both...especially if you're just starting with digital media. It may even be more beneficial for you to try cheaper programs like Sai before you invest so much money.

[Mike from Toronto]

I also think that others have mentioned the value of finishing the image off in Photoshop for printing purposes by a final adjustment. According to these users, photoshop has excellent/accurate color management for print output.

Others with real world knowledge - please step in to verify this. This would make owning both programs a good idea - even if you only want to use Painter.

Mike