SAI's all the rage now, don't you agree? I know very well that SAI is a very difficult software to find. There's only one 30 day trial I know of and it's sucks when you can't save after you're finished with it ;(
This tutorial won't land you with that sexy pen tool but I'll give you that awesome blending advantage when it comes to painting, which frankly is the only part I'm interested in anyway.
Step 1
Download this brush pack: http://adonihs.deviantart.com/art/My-Brush-Pack-118954791
The first two brushes here are awesome, they've got a similar blending feel to the brush tool on SAI
Step 2
Load the brushes on Photoshop, I won't explain; just google it if you don't know.
That's all ;)
I think faking SAI on PS is a lot better than getting the real SAI because SAI doesn't even have a friggin' SOFT LIGHT la
yer setting! You've be able you use filter settings and junk and also use blending options. That brush pack also comes with loads of textural brushes and it even includes a fur brush! One big advantage is that there are a ton more resources available for PS than SAI ('cause SAI, being Japanese; has all it's resources in Japan! Dx)
Woah the above paragraph makes me sound like a nerd Dx
SAI Paintings
Photoshop Paintings
(This one's incomplete, thus all of it's references are still there)
They look like they've been done on the same software yes? :)