Krita – Digital Painting and Illustration Software

Complete Guide to Krita: Professional Digital Art Creation

Krita has established itself as one of the premier digital painting applications available, competing directly with expensive commercial alternatives like Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint. This free and open-source software focuses specifically on the needs of digital artists, concept artists, illustrators, and comic creators. Its powerful brush engine, intuitive interface, and extensive customization options have attracted a dedicated community of professional and hobbyist artists worldwide.

Originally developed as part of the Calligra Suite, Krita has evolved into a standalone application with features tailored for creating artwork from scratch rather than photo editing. Whether painting landscapes, designing characters, or creating comic pages, Krita provides the tools artists need.

Installing Krita

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install krita

# Flatpak (recommended for latest)
flatpak install flathub org.kde.krita

# Fedora
sudo dnf install krita

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S krita

# macOS
brew install --cask krita

# Windows
winget install KDE.Krita

# Steam
# Available on Steam

# Verify
krita --version

Interface Overview

# Default workspace areas:

# Canvas (center)
- Main painting area
- Zoom with scroll wheel
- Pan with middle mouse
- Rotate with Shift+middle mouse

# Toolbox (left)
- Brush tools
- Selection tools
- Transform tools
- Shape tools

# Tool Options (right top)
- Context-sensitive settings
- Brush parameters

# Layers (right)
- Layer management
- Blend modes
- Opacity controls

# Brush Presets (right)
- Quick brush selection
- Favorites

# Color Selectors:
- Advanced Color Selector
- Artistic Color Selector
- Specific Color Selector

# Customize workspace:
Settings > Dockers
Drag and arrange panels
Save custom workspaces

Brush Engine

# Brush presets:
- Pencils
- Inks
- Paints
- Airbrushes
- Erasers
- Smudge tools
- Special effects

# Brush settings:
Edit brush: Click wrench icon
- Size
- Opacity
- Flow
- Spacing
- Dynamics

# Brush dynamics:
Pressure sensitivity
- Size
- Opacity
- Flow
- Rotation
- Scatter

# Create custom brush:
1. Open Brush Editor
2. Start from existing preset
3. Modify settings
4. Save as new preset

# Import brush packs:
Settings > Manage Resources
Import .bundle files
Many free bundles online

# Brush shortcuts:
[ / ]: Decrease/increase size
I: Color picker (hold)
E: Eraser mode
B: Brush tool

Layers

# Layer types:
- Paint Layer: Standard raster
- Vector Layer: Scalable shapes
- Group Layer: Organization
- Filter Layer: Non-destructive effects
- Fill Layer: Solid/pattern/gradient
- Clone Layer: Live copy
- File Layer: External reference

# Layer operations:
Add: Click + button
Delete: Click trash icon
Duplicate: Right-click > Duplicate
Merge: Ctrl+E

# Blend modes:
- Normal, Multiply, Screen
- Overlay, Soft Light
- Color, Luminosity
- Many more options

# Alpha lock:
Click checkerboard icon
Paint only on existing pixels

# Inherit Alpha:
Similar to clipping masks
Clips to layer below

# Layer visibility:
Click eye icon
Shift+click: Solo layer

# Organize:
Create groups
Color-code layers
Use descriptive names

Selection Tools

# Selection tools:
R: Rectangular selection
E: Elliptical selection
P: Polygonal selection
B: Freehand selection
C: Contiguous (magic wand)
Similar: Select by color

# Selection modes:
Replace
Add (Shift)
Subtract (Alt)
Intersect

# Selection operations:
Select > Grow
Select > Shrink
Select > Feather
Select > Border
Select > Invert

# Transform selection:
Select > Transform
Move, scale, rotate selection

# From layer:
Select > Select from Layer
Selects non-transparent pixels

# Save/Load:
Select > Save Selection as Channel
Local Selection masks

Transform Tools

# Transform (Ctrl+T):
Click and drag corners
Hold Shift for proportional

# Transform modes:
- Free Transform
- Perspective
- Warp
- Cage Transform
- Liquify
- Mesh Transform

# Move tool (T):
Move layers/selections
Arrow keys for nudge

# Rotate canvas (Shift+Space):
Not actual rotation
Comfortable drawing angle
4/6: Quick rotate

# Mirror view:
M: Flip canvas horizontally
Check symmetry/proportions

# Reset view:
1: Reset zoom to 100%
2: Fit to page
3: Fit width

Color Management

# Color selectors:
Advanced Color Selector
- Ring + triangle/square
- HSV/HSL/HSI modes

Specific Color Selector
- Enter exact values
- RGB, CMYK, HSV

# Color picker:
Ctrl+click on canvas
P key with brush active

# Color palettes:
Dockers > Palette
Create custom palettes
Import .gpl, .pal files

# Color mixing:
Dockers > Digital Color Mixer
Mix colors like real paint

# Gamut mask:
Limit color selection
Maintain color harmony

# Color spaces:
Image > Properties
RGB, CMYK, Grayscale, LAB
8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit float

Drawing Aids

# Assistants:
Tool Options > Add assistant
- Vanishing Point
- Parallel Ruler
- Concentric Ellipse
- Perspective
- Spline
- Ruler

# Multibrush:
Create symmetrical strokes
- Mirror
- Rotational
- Snowflake

# Stabilizer:
Tool Options > Smoothing
- Weighted
- Stabilizer
- Basic

# Reference Images:
Tools > Reference Images Tool
Import reference photos
Position on canvas

# Grid:
View > Show Grid
Configure in Settings

# Snap to:
- Grid
- Guides
- Assistants

Animation

# Animation workspace:
Window > Workspace > Animation

# Timeline:
Shows frames
Dockers > Animation > Timeline

# Onion skins:
See previous/next frames
Configure in Docker

# Create animation:
1. Add frames in timeline
2. Draw on each frame
3. Use onion skins for reference
4. Play to preview

# Frame operations:
Create new frame
Duplicate frame
Copy/paste frames

# Export:
File > Render Animation
- Image sequence
- Video (requires FFmpeg)
- GIF

# Frame rate:
24fps: Standard animation
12fps: Limited animation
Customize as needed

Filters and Effects

# Filter menu:
Filter > Adjust
Filter > Artistic
Filter > Blur
Filter > Colors
Filter > Distort
Filter > Edge Detection
Filter > Emboss
Filter > Enhance
Filter > Other

# Common adjustments:
- Brightness/Contrast
- Levels
- Curves
- Hue/Saturation
- Color Balance

# Filter layers:
Non-destructive filters
Can edit/remove later
Apply to layer below

# G'MIC integration:
Filter > G'MIC-Qt
Hundreds of additional filters
Free plugin

# Filter masks:
Apply filter selectively
Paint mask to control effect

Export and Formats

# Native format:
.kra (Krita Archive)
Preserves all features
Use for work files

# Export options:
File > Export
- PNG, JPEG, TIFF
- PSD (Photoshop)
- GIF
- WebP
- OpenEXR

# Export settings:
Configure quality
Color space options
Flatten layers option

# Batch export:
File > Export as
Export multiple layers

# For web:
PNG for transparency
JPEG for photos
WebP for modern browsers

# For print:
300+ DPI
CMYK color space
TIFF or high-quality PDF

Keyboard Shortcuts

# Tools:
B       Freehand Brush
E       Eraser
G       Gradient
T       Move
M       Mirror
Ctrl+T  Transform

# View:
1/2/3   Zoom presets
+/-     Zoom in/out
Space   Pan (hold)
Shift+Space Rotate
M       Mirror view

# Brushes:
[/]     Size decrease/increase
I       Color picker
/       Switch colors
X       Swap fg/bg

# Layers:
Ctrl+Shift+N New layer
Ctrl+E  Merge down
Ctrl+G  Group

# Selection:
Ctrl+A  Select all
Ctrl+D  Deselect
Ctrl+Shift+I Invert

# Edit:
Ctrl+Z  Undo
Ctrl+Shift+Z Redo
Ctrl+C  Copy
Ctrl+V  Paste

# Customize:
Settings > Configure Krita > Keyboard Shortcuts

Conclusion

Krita stands as a testament to what open-source software can achieve, providing professional digital painting tools without cost. Its powerful brush engine, extensive customization options, and focus on artists’ needs make it a genuine alternative to commercial software. Whether you’re a professional illustrator, concept artist, or hobbyist, Krita offers the tools needed to create stunning digital artwork.