Microsoft Offers "Acrylic" Technology Preview, Free Download

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/' target='_blank'>http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/</a><br /><br /></div><i>""Acrylic" is the codename for an innovative illustration, painting and graphics tool that provides exciting creative capabilities for designers working in print, web, video, and interactive media."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/acrylic.jpg" /><br /><br />This is an interesting move by Microsoft, considering their past graphics efforts have been dismal failures. Should Adobe be running scared? I've only had a few brief moments to play with this software, but so far I'm not blown away by what I see. "Acrylic" is no Illustrator.

[koriel]

But to be fair to them, Acrylic isn't intended to compete against Illustrator. It is really a new version of Creature House Expression 3 a graphics package that simulated using natural media such as oil paint etc. Probably the best way to think of it is as the vector equivalent to Corel Painter.

You can get more information on Expression 3 at : http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/previous/expression3_home.aspx