For almost every application software on Windows there is an alternative on Linux systems and Krita is one of them. Krita is a free and open source creative painting and sketching application for the Linux platform which is distributed under a GNU license.

Krita is developed by KDE project, which is a international free software community. If you ever used Photoshop for windows you will find a similar interface in the Krita image manipulation software.

Krita Features

User Interface

Krita’s user interface is very simple but easy to understand. If you have ever used Photoshop for Windows you will find a very similar interface. Just like Photoshop there are various tools like select, text, edit and paint on the left of main screen window. On the right there are palettes, layers and color selection tools while on the top there are options like Open, New, Menu, Toolbar and brush selector.

One of the coolest feature is the user can customize dockers and panels according to their needs. Once the setup is done the user can save it for future work. Users can also create their own shortcuts for preferred tools.

Pop-up Palette

The Pop-up Palette feature lets user quickly select color and brushes by right clicking on the canvas. Users can also select brush size, flow, spacing and zoom and rotate image by simple right click. The ring outside the color selector shows the most recently used colors. Users can configure these settings through preferences.

Brush Stabilizers

A brush stabilizer is a very useful tool for users with a shaky hand. Users can add stabilizers to any brush for a smoother painting and sketching experience. Krita offers 3 different ways to stabilize brush strokes.

Wrap-around Mode

Wrap-around mode helps users to create patterns and texture easily. Users just need to press ‘W’ while painting to toggle Wrap-around mode. Image repeats will be created automatically along the x and y axis.

Brush Engines

Krita lets users customize brushes with over 9 unique brush engines. Each engine has different customizable settings and each brush engine comes with Shape engine, Particle engine, Filter engine and Color Smudge.

Resource Manager

Users can import brush and texture packages from other artists into Krita. Users can also share their own textures and brushes with other artists on Krita.

How to Install Krita on Ubuntu

Krita 3.2.0 is the latest release from KDE.  Krita can be installed on Linux using Ubuntu Software Center or using “Terminal”.

Install Krita Using Terminal

Step01: Open Terminal by pressing CTRL+ALT+T or from Dashboard.

Step02: Now run following commands in a Terminal window one by one.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kritalime/ppa  sudo apt update  sudo apt install krita  

Step03: Wait for Krita to be installed and then Open Krita from the App menu on left.

Install Krita Using Software Center

Step01: Open Ubuntu Software from App menu on left.

Step02: Now type “Krita” in search bar and click Install button.

Step03: Now software center will download and install krita automatically.

Step04: Once the installation is finished users can open Krita from the App menu on the left.

How to Uninstall Krita from Ubuntu

Krita can be uninstalled from Ubuntu in very easy steps. Follow these steps to uninstall Krita.

Ubuntu Software Center -> Installed Software -> Krita -> Remove.

So this is everything you need to know about Krita digital painting for linux. Krita is very simple and very good image editing software for linux as compared to other competitors.

Don’t forget to tell us which image editing software you are using for Linux and share your experience in comments section below.