Facts You Didn't Know About Krita

InspirationTuts 2D
11 Dec 202308:54

TLDRKrita, a powerful open-source digital painting and animation software, originated in 1998 and has evolved significantly over the years. It offers advanced tools, a powerful brush engine with over 100 brushes, and supports HDR painting. Krita's community-driven development and Python scripting capabilities make it a strong competitor to Photoshop, particularly for 2D animation and digital painting. Its free nature and the learning curve that is less steep than Photoshop's make it an increasingly popular choice among artists and art institutions.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 Krita originated in 1998 at the Linux Congress when Matas etri, founder of KDE, chose KIMP as a demo to show the potential of hacking a QT GUI around an existing app.
  • 🔄 The project underwent numerous name changes, finally settling on Krita in 2002, inspired by the Swedish words 'K' meaning crayon and 'did' meaning to draw.
  • 💡 Krita is a community-driven project with contributions from volunteers, and in 2012, the Krita Foundation was established to support its development.
  • 💰 In 2013, Krita had two versions: the free Krita Studio for desktop users and the paid Krita Gemini optimized for tablets, but Gemini was later discontinued.
  • 🖌️ Krita boasts over 100 brushes and 10 powerful brush engines, allowing users to create and customize brushes for sketching and painting.
  • 🌈 Krita was the first worldwide HDR painting app, introducing HDR painting in patch 4.2.0, which offers a wide range of colors similar to real-world colors.
  • 🔍 The software offers a variety of advanced filters for adjusting colors and tones in artwork, provided by both built-in filters and the GIMP Palette Library.
  • ✂️ Beyond painting, Krita also serves as a photo editor with features comparable to Photoshop, such as adjustment layers, masks, and the ability to handle RAW images.
  • 🎥 Krita is well-suited for animation, offering essential tools like layering, brush tools, and workflow management features including a timeline and storyboard Docker.
  • 💻 Users with programming interests can enhance their workflow with Python scripting, creating custom scripts and plugins, or even contribute to the open-source codebase.
  • 🏆 Krita's increasing popularity and features make it a strong competitor to Photoshop, especially for 2D animation and digital painting, with the added advantage of being free.

Q & A

  • What is the origin of Krita and when was it first conceived?

    -Krita's origin story begins in 1998 at the Linux Congress when Matas etri, founder of KDE, chose KIMP as a demo to show the possibility of hacking a QT GUI around an existing app.

  • Why did the KDE Community decide to create their own image manipulation software?

    -The KDE Community decided to create their own image manipulation software when Matas etri's patch for KIMP was never published and they weren't in a position to work together, leading them to start their own project similar to Photoshop.

  • What was the original name of Krita and why did it undergo several name changes?

    -The original name of Krita was K Image Shop. It underwent several name changes due to trademark law restrictions in Germany, eventually settling on Krita, which was inspired by two Swedish words 'K' meaning crayon and 'did' meaning to draw.

  • How is Krita funded and supported?

    -Krita is a community project maintained by a community of volunteers. In 2012, the Krita Foundation, an independent non-profit organization, was created to provide more support and further its development. Additionally, a paid Steam version was released, with all proceeds directly supporting Krita's development.

  • What was the difference between Krita Studio and Krita Gemini?

    -Krita Studio was the free version of Krita, designed for desktop and notebook users with a full-featured desktop user interface. Krita Gemini was a paid version optimized for tablets with a touch-friendly alternate UI. However, Krita Gemini was eventually cancelled due to programming issues, and the focus was shifted back to the regular desktop version of Krita.

  • What makes Krita's brush engine powerful?

    -Krita's brush engine is powerful due to its variety, offering over 100 brushes and more than 10 built-in powerful brush engines for sketching and painting, such as the color smudge engine, shape engine, particle engine, filler engine, and more. Users can also customize their brushes based on various effects, patterns, and designs.

  • Why did Krita become the first worldwide HDR painting app?

    -In 2019, with the launch of patch 4.2.0, Krita introduced HDR painting, making it the first painting application to support High Dynamic Range, which provides a wide range of colors very close to real-world colors and allows for much smoother gradients.

  • How does Krita's filter system enhance artwork?

    -Krita's filter system enhances artwork by offering a large set of advanced filters that can professionalize sketches with minimal effort. Filters can adjust tone and color, and when used wisely, they can significantly improve the quality of the artwork without overprocessing.

  • What photo editing features does Krita offer?

    -Despite being primarily a digital painting app, Krita offers advanced photo editing features similar to Photoshop, including adjustment layers, masks, RGB color modes, multi-layer selection for editing without file replacement, and the ability to open and handle raw images.

  • How does Krita support animation creation?

    -Krita supports animation creation with essential tools for frame-by-frame animation, including layering tools, brush tools, shaping tools, and advanced workflow management features like the timeline Docker, storyboard Docker, onion skin Docker, and animation curve stalker.

  • What opportunities does Krita offer for programmers?

    -Krita offers opportunities for programmers through Python scripting, which provides access to functions and objects for creating custom scripts and plugins. Additionally, as open-source software, Krita allows users to view, modify, and contribute to its source code, enabling manual fixes and additions.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to CR and Skillshare Animation Course

The paragraph introduces the audience to the topic of the video, which is about lesser-known facts related to CR (Krita). It begins by mentioning Skillshare, a platform offering various creative classes, including animation, drawing, and illustration. The video features a course led by a 2D animator, MAA, focusing on animation using CR as an alternative to expensive software like Photoshop. The course content includes mastering drawing tools, frame-by-frame animations, and the tweening animation feature. The video promotes a one-month free trial of Skillshare Premium membership for the first 1,000 people who click the link in the description. The video then transitions to discuss the origins of Krita, starting from its inception in 1998 at the Linux Congress by Matas Ettri, the founder of KDE, who aimed to create a hackable QT GUI for an existing application. The KDE community later developed their own image manipulation software, initially named K image shop, which was eventually renamed to Krita in 2004. The paragraph also highlights the community-driven nature of CR, with contributions from volunteers and the establishment of the CR Foundation in 2012 to support its development. Additionally, it mentions the release of a paid Steam version in 2013, with all proceeds going towards further development of CR.

05:03

🖌️ CR's Features, History, and Advantages Over Other Art Software

This paragraph delves into the history behind the name and mascot of CR, explaining the project's evolution and renaming process due to trademark law restrictions in Germany. It discusses the community's efforts in renaming the project to Krita, inspired by the Swedish words for 'crayon' and 'to draw.' The paragraph also covers the discontinuation of CR Gemini and the focus on the regular desktop version of CR. It highlights the reasons why CR is chosen over other art software, such as its advanced tools and features, including a powerful brush engine with over 100 brushes and 10 built-in brush engines for various sketching and painting needs. The paragraph emphasizes CR's unique tagging system for organizing and saving customized brushes. It also mentions CR being the first worldwide HDR painting app, introducing HDR painting in its 4.2.0 patch in 2019. The discussion extends to CR's advanced filters, both built-in and from the GIMP plug-in library, which can enhance the professional look of sketches with minimal effort. The paragraph acknowledges CR's capabilities beyond painting, including photo editing features similar to Photoshop, such as adjustment layers, color modes, multi-layer selection, and handling raw images. It also touches on CR's suitability for animation, offering essential tools for frame-by-frame animation, workflow management, and the timeline Docker. The paragraph concludes by highlighting CR's open-source nature, allowing users to contribute to its development and fix bugs through Python scripting. It positions CR as a strong competitor to Photoshop, especially for 2D animation and digital painting, and notes the increasing popularity and adoption of CR by artists, studios, and art schools.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Krita

Krita is an open-source digital painting and animation software that serves as a powerful alternative to commercial software like Photoshop. It offers a wide range of tools and features that cater to artists, illustrators, and animators. In the video, Krita's origin, development, and various functionalities are discussed, highlighting its evolution from an image manipulation software to a robust digital art platform.

💡Skillshare

Skillshare is an online learning platform that provides a vast array of classes covering various creative fields, such as animation, drawing, and illustration. The platform allows users to learn new skills and techniques from industry professionals. In the context of the video, Skillshare is mentioned as a place where one can join a course led by a 2D animator to learn animation using Krita, emphasizing its utility in creative education.

💡KDE Community

The KDE Community is a group of developers and volunteers who create and maintain open-source software projects, including Krita. The community's collaborative efforts have been instrumental in the development and continuous improvement of Krita, making it a powerful tool for digital artists worldwide. The KDE Community's involvement ensures that Krita remains a free and accessible option for creative professionals.

💡Open Source

Open source refers to a type of software whose source code is made available to the public, allowing anyone to view, modify, and contribute to its development. Krita, being an open-source software, encourages community involvement and collaboration, which leads to regular updates and improvements. This openness is a significant factor in Krita's ability to compete with proprietary software like Photoshop.

💡Digital Painting

Digital painting is the process of creating artwork using a computer and a digital medium, such as a drawing tablet or a touchscreen. Krita is specifically designed to facilitate digital painting with its array of brushes, layers, and other tools that mimic traditional painting techniques. The software's features enable artists to create detailed and vibrant artwork in a digital format.

💡Animation

Animation in the context of the video refers to the process of creating moving images through a sequence of drawings or frames. Krita provides tools and features that support both frame-by-frame and tweening animations, making it a versatile tool for animators. The software's animation capabilities enable the creation of dynamic and engaging visual content.

💡Photo Editing

Photo editing involves altering or enhancing digital images using various tools and techniques. Krita, despite being primarily a digital painting and animation software, also offers advanced photo editing features. These features allow users to adjust colors, apply filters, and manipulate images in ways similar to software like Photoshop.

💡Python Scripting

Python scripting in the context of Krita refers to the ability to write custom scripts and plugins using the Python programming language to automate repetitive tasks or extend the software's functionality. This feature allows users to tailor Krita to their specific needs and streamline their workflow.

💡HDR Painting

HDR painting, or High Dynamic Range painting, is a technique that allows artists to work with a wider range of colors and luminosity, resulting in more realistic and detailed artwork. Krita was the first painting application to support HDR, enabling users to create images with smoother gradients and greater color depth.

💡Filters

Filters in Krita are tools that can adjust and enhance the appearance of an image or artwork. They can be used to apply various effects, such as blurs, color adjustments, and edge detection, to achieve professional-looking results with minimal effort. Filters play a crucial role in both photo editing and digital painting, allowing artists to refine their work and create specific visual effects.

Highlights

The origin of Krita started in 1998 at the Linux Congress.

Krita was initially named K Image Shop and released in 2004.

The name Krita was inspired by two Swedish words 'K' meaning crayon and 'did' meaning to draw.

Krita is a community project maintained by volunteers and has a dozen generous contributors.

The Krita Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was created in 2012 to support Krita's development.

Krita had two variants, Krita Studio and Krita Gemini, up until 2018.

Krita Studio was free with a full-featured desktop user interface, while Krita Gemini was a paid version for tablets.

Krita has over 100 brushes and 10 built-in powerful brush engines for sketching and painting.

Krita was the first worldwide HDR painting app with the introduction of HDR painting in patch 4.2.0 in 2019.

Krita offers a large set of advanced filters for editing and adjusting colors in artwork.

Krita can also function as a photo editor with features similar to Photoshop.

Krita supports animation creation with essential tools like layering, brush, shaping tools, and workflow management features.

Krita allows for Python scripting, enabling users to create custom scripts and plugins and even fix bugs in the software.

Krita is an open-source software with source code available for viewing, modifying, and contributing.

Krita is increasingly becoming a strong competitor to Photoshop, especially for 2D animation and digital painting.

Some art schools, like the ATI Art and Technology of Image Department at the University of Paris, have switched to using Krita.

Krita offers a less steep learning curve and a free price point, which is an advantage over Photoshop's subscription model.

Krita's increasing popularity has led many artists and studios to switch to it for creating beautiful artworks.