Krita

Krita is a painting program specifically meant for artistic creation. However, it can also be used by the general public, for photo retouching, mainly.

The application has a well-designed interface, which looks similar to those of other programs of the same type. Of course, there is always a working area, but it also has customizable docks and panels. Fortunately, this layout allows you adapt the workspace to your own needs and preferences.

One of the main advantages of the program is that you can start from a template, according to the type of project. Likewise, Krita has most of the painting tools that you can find in other analogous applications, even the most sophisticated ones. Thus, it comes with an extensive set of brushes, geometrical shapes and selection tools. Moreover, the program has some tools to make corrections or even hide elements. Luckily, it also supports working with layers.

Some features available in Krita deserve mentioning. For example, there are nine types of brushes, such as Color Smudge, Shape, Dynamic and Particle, available. One of the most prominent aspects of using a brush is that you can add a stabilizer to make your strokes smoother. One thing I especially loved was the color palette in the shape of a wheel, which really helps you find the exact hue. Additionally, there is the possibility of creating textures and patterns from your own painting. Finally, it is good news you do not need to do all the job yourself as you can also import somebody else’s work or share yours with others.

All in all, I think it is a blessing to be able to use such a powerful painting application as Krita at no cost. In my opinion, this product is among the best of its kind. Most of my experience using the tool was very satisfactory, except for an unfortunate crash when I tried to use one of the templates.