"First, let's get it out of the way: ArtRage can't compare to Corel Painter. The latter is just in a different league. It has far more robust controls, much better tablet support, and brush tips and paint types that ArtRage will likely never match.."

It might be true, but in the hands of a real artist I find that I almost always prefer the ArtRage version. It has a roughness that is incomparable attractive IMO. Of course taste is always individual.