ArtBistro

i agree... it's almost becoming a thing of the past since so many new programs are constantly coming out!

I have used Illustrator and Freehand. Basically, Freehand is a hybrid of Quark and Illustrator. Once you keep that in mind it will not be that bad.

YES! FreeHand MXa RULEZ! Screw Illustrator - I don't care which version - they all suck. I got my version of FHMX thru eBay and and very glad I did. I upgraded it to the most recent (MXa) version, and I am now a happy little camper. I have tried (unsuccessfully) for years to master Illustrator, but the fact that it insists on breaking every goddamned step into its thirteen component sub-steps before it will allow you to complete a procedure you're trying to apply is simply ri-ducking-fickulous! FreeHand, however, is a LOT more intuitive and will also allow you to do things (especially with gradient blends on lines) that Illustrator simply can NOT do ... I also like FH's eraser capabilities used with .tif files or vector art ... I hoped (against hope) that Adobe WOULD incorporate some of FH's features into Illustrator, but NOOOOOO ... they just increased the 'suck' factor of their app and omitted things that SHOULD have been included - like the ability to bend a line just by Option+click+drag ... units of measure are also far easier to set in FH than in AI ... why should something so ostensibly simple be made into a task? Btw, I'm comparing FHMXa to AICS2, so they're comparable - even tho' I have yet to find ONE version of AI that doesn't suck ... Simply put, after approximately eight or so years of trying to master this seemingly 'user-friendly' (HA!) program, I hate and detest it more than any other application I've ever used - and that includes RageMaker ... hey. wait. THAT was Adobe, too ... go figure ...

Check out jimmimyers on artbistro (one of real friends) for really interesting desing created in Freehand. We worked together for years… really talented.

sunkissed2 said:

I love Freehand more than Illustrator, but I hate the fact that they don't include it in the Creative Suite sets. You have to buy a whole other different set of like multimedia stuff just to get it. I'm not sure i'm willing to pay all that money just yet for all those programs that I don't know how to use just to get to Freehand!!

I've never gotten used to Illustrator! I agree that FH is sooo much more intuitive. I flip from FH to Photoshop to get the job done.

I've been using Freehand since it was invented, but a few years ago, I succumbed to the all inclusive Adobe CS2 and made the switch to Illustrator. You can do all the same things--it's just a matter of retraining your brain and your hands to do things in a different way. After all these years it sometimes can be hard to do. But afterall, learning new things is what keeps the brain well exercised!

I usually use freehand for my vector art..

and I love it..^^

 I love freehand and will hopefully never have to use illustrator. freehand gives you so much more liberty and flow. 

too bad none of you are talking about ACTUAL freehand, which has nothing to do with a computer, no art can be produced thats as pure as what comes from your own two hands.