7 Free and Open-source Art Apps for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon)

1- Blender

Open-source free 3D modeling

Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline-modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, motion tracking and video editing.

Read about Blender 's features, license, platforms, and more.

2- Dust3D

3D modeling software to create low poly 3D models for video games, 3D printing

Dust3D is a cross-platform 3D modeling software that makes it easy to create low poly 3D models for video games, 3D printing, and more.

Read about Dust3D 's features, license, platforms, and more.

3- OpenSCAD

Solid 3D CAD Modeller for Programmers

OpenSCAD is a software for creating solid 3D CAD objects. It is free software and available for Linux/UNIX, MS Windows and macOS.

Unlike most free software for creating 3D models (such as the famous application Blender), OpenSCAD focuses on the CAD aspects rather than the artistic aspects of 3D modeling. Thus this might be the application you are looking for when you are planning to create 3D models of machine parts but probably not the tool for creating computer-animated movies.

OpenSCAD is not an interactive modeler. Instead it is more like a 3D-compiler that reads a script file that describes the object and renders the 3D model from this script file (see examples below). This gives you, the designer, complete control over the modeling process and enables you to easily change any step in the modeling process or make designs that are defined by configurable parameters.

OpenSCAD provides two main modeling techniques: First there is constructive solid geometry (aka CSG) and second there is extrusion of 2D outlines. As the data exchange format for these 2D outlines Autocad DXF files are used. In addition to 2D paths for extrusion it is also possible to read design parameters from DXF files. Besides DXF files OpenSCAD can read and create 3D models in the STL and OFF file formats.

Read about OpenSCAD 's features, license, platforms, and more.

4- 3dfier

The open-source tool for creating 3D models

Takes 2D GIS datasets (e.g. topographical datasets) and "3dfies" them (as in "making them three-dimensional") by lifting every polygon to 3D. The elevation is obtained from a point cloud (we support LAS/LAZ at this moment), and the semantics of every polygon is used to perform the lifting. That is, water polygons are extruded to horizontal polygons, buildings to LOD1 blocks, roads as smooth surfaces, etc.

Every polygon is triangulated (constrained Delaunay triangulation) and the lifted polygons are "stitched" together so that one digital surface model (DSM) is constructed. Our aim is to obtain one DSM that is error-free, i.e. no intersecting triangles, no holes (the surface is watertight), where buildings are integrated in the surface, etc. This surface will then be used as input in simulation software for instance.

Read about 3dfier 's features, license, platforms, and more.

5- GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Open-source free Photo Editor and Photoshop Alternative

GIMP is a free and open-source raster graphics editor used for image manipulation and image editing, free-form drawing, transcoding between different image file formats, and more specialized tasks. It is not designed to be used for drawing, though some artists and creators have used it in this way.

Read about GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) 's features, license, platforms, and more.

6- Inkscape

free open-source vector design software for macOS, Linux, and Windows

Inkscape is a Free and open source vector graphics editor for GNU/Linux, Windows and macOS. It offers a rich set of features and is widely used for both artistic and technical illustrations such as cartoons, clip art, logos, typography, diagramming and flowcharting. It uses vector graphics to allow for sharp printouts and renderings at unlimited resolution and is not bound to a fixed number of pixels like raster graphics. Inkscape uses the standardized SVG file format as its main format, which is supported by many other applications including web browsers.

Read about Inkscape 's features, license, platforms, and more.

7- Krita

Open-source digital painting software for concept artists, digital painters, and illustrators

Krita is a professional FREE and open source painting program. It is made by artists that want to see affordable art tools for everyone.

Krita is a free and open source digital painting application. It is for artists who want to create professional work from start to end. Krita is used by comic book artists, illustrators, concept artists, matte and texture painters and in the digital VFX industry.

Read about Krita 's features, license, platforms, and more.