Brush engine(s)

Question

Many years ago (in 2006) Adobe licenced the wonderful (watercolor and ink) brush engines of Nelson Chu, creator of the incredible paint app Expresii (expresii.com). But Adobe never put these algorithms, which are based on real physics maths, to use – not until Adobe Sketch, where they implemented the Yuibi brush engine. That's why Sketch's brushes were so dynamic and wonderful to work with. But they left out the amazing MoXi watercolor engine that Expresii uses, which renders Fresco's watercolor ridicolous in comparison. They also left out the great Youji rendering engine, which obliviates pixelation when zooming in. And then when ditching Sketch, they also ditched the single best thing about that app – the brush engine, in favour of the normal, boring, static brush technology we've already had for decades now.
One have to ask why? You have great tools at your disposal, but choose not to use it – I don't understand why. If someone from Adobe (or anyone else) reads this and is knowledgeable in this matter, please chime in!

jonk80455617 · Answer

Hi tobiask14441238,

Thank you so much for your post in regard to Fresco vs Sketch. So revealing to at least know that I’am not alone in the mourning of Sketch:)

Such a sad day when simple, intuitive, tactile and so water-color-friendly Sketch was shut down. Accidentally touching the Sketch screen with my fingers, it was so alike painting IRL that I intuitively stretched for a cloth to wipe the colors of my fingers - so far away from overloaded, technocratic and so heavily pixelated Fresco…

From the very day that Sketch was terminated I have tried to get an answer from Adobe about the reason for not using the technology from Sketch when it comes to rendering, but unfortunately without any response.

Instead, at least for me, an unwanted as well as depressing verfremdung effect is created in the form of magic-killing pixels - making water color painting in Fresco so joyless that I am presently in the process of selling my iPad and shift to Windows based tablet in order to access enchanted and Sketch-like (pixel-less) Expresii (https : // www. expresii . com).

The same with the brushes. The default Sketch water color brushes were just wonderful whereas the Fresco ones are not.

Why on earth downgrade when the intention with Fresco must have been to upgrade? Can't they just re-open Sketch as an integrated part of Fresco for the many of us who are not interested in limitless options - we who just want to paint - as they for instance has kept the old function ”Save for the web (old)” throughout all the updates of Photoshop…..

Can we do anything together? I have already asked Nelson Chu about the possibility of having an Expresii version for iPad, but unfortunately he has no funds for that. I have also mailed Kyle T. Webster. He wasn’t aware of the problem but said that he would address it to the Adobe team - but haven’t heard from since..

I am attaching an example of how it can look from my side. The lower large blue area is painted in Sketch and the upper two smaller brush strokes are from Fresco - all painted in water color and zoomed to the exact same extent.

With renewed hope:)

Best regards,

Jon

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