Krita is a free, open-source digital painting application designed specifically for concept artists, illustrators, matte painters, and texture artists. With a comprehensive feature set rivaling commercial applications like Photoshop and Painter, Krita provides professional creative tools at no cost.
The brush engine forms the heart of Krita, offering over 100 professionally designed brush presets out of the box. Nine different brush engines enable creation of custom brushes including pixel brushes, shape brushes, particle brushes, and sketch brushes. Brush stabilizers smooth strokes for precise linework.
Layer management includes group layers, filter layers, clone layers, file layers, and vector layers. Blend modes, opacity, and masks provide complete compositing control. Non-destructive filter layers apply effects that can be adjusted anytime.
The color management system supports full ICC profile workflows, CMYK preview, and soft proofing for print work. Color selectors include advanced options, palettes, and color history. HDR painting enables work in extended brightness ranges.
Animation tools include onion skinning, timeline, and audio sync for frame-by-frame animation. The transform tool handles scaling, rotation, perspective, and mesh deformation. Vector tools create clean lines and shapes that integrate with raster workflow.
Krita includes texture and pattern creation tools perfect for game development. The wrap-around mode creates seamless tiles. Extensive tablet support handles pressure, tilt, and rotation. Python scripting enables automation and custom tools. Regular updates add features based on artist community feedback.