The other day I mentioned Microsoft Expression Design, which is a vector drawing (as opposed to bitmap-based painting) app for Windows. It used to be a paid-for product, but was discontinued back in 2012 and became free.

There's also another strong contender in the search for a good free drawing package, and that's Draw Plus Starter Edition from Serif. The company also sells commercial versions of the program, but the Starter Edition is perfectly good as a basic illustration package, and unlike the Microsoft offering it's not "abandonware", meaning it's still being updated.  Read More