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A common misconception in the world today is that digital art done on a computer will always look just like what it is - digital. I have always attempted to produce digital art that looks like it was done by hand since I first got my grubby little mitts on an Apple Macintosh in the 90's. I have learned many different techniques through trial and error that I wish to share with other artists attempting to produce similar effects. While art done by hand the traditional way with pencil and paints has its own look and feel, trying to emulate that same look and feel on a computer has eluded many in the past. Though filters and artificial intelligence that are readily available today have been around for years, and actually look amazing these days, there remains a niche of making digital art by hand on a computer that replicates art painted by the masters. Having multiple undoes, changing colors on the fly, using layers and different brushes makes the whole experience one that outshines traditional methods. Painting on canvas with acrylics or oils is a laborious and challenging adventure that can take weeks to accomplish, with lots of layering over mistakes.    

Let's start with what applications are best suited for creating digital art. While most tools on a computer are limited only by the users skills and experience, there are several apps that I would highly recommend for those attempting this for the first time. It's true that anyone can take a photo and run a filter over it to create a Rembrandt on their phone, however, this is hardly considered fine art. Adobe Photoshop is probably one of the more well known applications that would be recommended, as it remains an industry standard and has quite a lot of brushes and filters for painting. Photoshop is typically used for photo editing, and is quite powerful and in depth while also being a bit overwhelming. Pricing can also be an issue with Photoshop. Adobe has changed their price plans to include subscriptions which makes it more affordable. There are also a plethora of YouTube videos that go to great lengths to cut down the learning curve.     

Probably the best application for painting on a computer is Corel Painter, particularly when used in conjunction with a pen tablet. Painter has dry, wet and blended brushes that closely resemble actual paint, including watercolors. Works of art created in Painter and printed on canvas are virtually indistinguishable from actual paintings. The textures and depth represented in Painter are far superior to Photoshop across the board.  

Shizuku is a recent app that uses the ADB interface for modding. Shizuku uses a unique service that allows third-party apps access to system-level Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). It achieves this through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) interface. ADB commands are limited, but combining them with system APIs gives you a significant amount of control over side-loading apps, installing custom ROMs, taking screenshots in apps that forbid it, or accessing certain hidden features. This app might be a bit more advanced for casual users, but spending the time to get it running correctly on your device should definitely give you a boost in modding your Android. 

I was reminiscing with a colleague a few weeks ago about the good ol' days of rooting Android phones back in the late 2000s. It was always a precarious process at best and at worst a bricked paperweight nightmare. The payoffs were huge though. Elevated permissions. Complete root access to the phone’s system. No more ads. No more bloatware. No more battery-sucking background processes. No more system themes. No more constraints. Those days have mostly melted into the shadows of more modern features that allow root-like control of the system and bloatware apps that your friendly neighborhood cellular monopoly graciously bestowed upon your android companion to live with for the rest of its short digital life. 

Rooting Flashback 101 

Android of the past was always a wild wasteland of privacy violations, developer overreach, and customer complaints. The logical way to gain control over your device at the time was to ROOT the device. This is similar to jail-breaking Apple devices and usually involved several pages of convoluted instructions, and an even longer disclaimer telling you that the use of this method could brick your device and you were solely responsible for anything untoward that happened during or after this process. XDA Developers was always my go-to for whatever device I was using at the moment, as they always have the most tested and secure root methods, (https://www.xda-developers.com/root/) and usually respond quickly to feedback and inquiries. 

Package Disabler / Shizuku

Since discovering Package Disablers a while back, I have chosen this method over rooting for its simplicity to save battery life and stop unwanted apps from running in the background and sharing your location, pics, and personal and banking information. While there are several different versions available on the Google Play Store I would suggest using this one: https://www.packagedisabler.com/ which costs around $5 a year. It’s been booted from the Play Store but changing ‘developer settings’ to allow for install of unknown APK’s will get around Google’s fence. This app allows for “Freezing” or removing bloatware and system applications. This is a massive battery booster since it stops processes from running at all. Does your battery die halfway through your day? Here’s your solution! It has a batch process called “Disable All Bloatware” that helps you to freeze any unessential system apps without the technical know-how of what each one does and without the worry of bricking your device.

Shizuku is a recent app that uses the ADB interface for modding. Shizuku uses a unique service that allows third-party apps access to system-level Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). It achieves this through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) interface. ADB commands are limited, but combining them with system APIs gives you a significant amount of control over sideloading apps, installing custom ROMs, taking screenshots in apps that forbid it, or accessing certain hidden features. This app might be a bit more advanced for casual users, but spending the time to get it running correctly on your device should definitely give you a boost in modding your Android. 

VPN / Ad Blockers  

I currently use NordVPN to hide my browsing history from nosey websites and IPs and to protect myself from nefarious hackers. A great trick for stopping ALL ads on your mobile device is to not download it from the Play Store. Instead, download the APK from NordVPN’s website. This version allows for “Threat Protection” across your phone just like the full desktop version. With the recent demise of YouTube clone Vanced, blocking ads on YouTube is easy in your mobile browser via extensions like AdBlock Plus, but not so simple anymore with the app version. While paying your pound of flesh to Google seems like the easier solution, running NordVPN’s Threat Protection is the cheaper and more useful option.  

I am Root! 

Hopefully, these relatively simple techniques allow you to get more granular with your Android device and bypass the restrictions and ads that plague current mobile platforms. Let us know in the comments if you have any workarounds that you are currently using that are not listed here.