How to Add Brushes to Krita: Bundles, Presets and Tips

Krita’s default brushes are excellent, but most artists eventually want a specific watercolor bleed, a chalky texture or a pack built by a painter whose style they admire. Krita handles these through a resource system that is a little different from other painting apps, which is why people often get stuck on the first try.

This guide shows how to add brushes to Krita for every file type you are likely to find, where they appear after import, how to organize them and how to fix the common “my brushes are missing” problem. Steps follow Krita 5.x on Windows, macOS and Linux. Once you have the process down, our roundup of the best Krita brushes points to packs worth importing first.

Know Your Krita Brush File Types

The import method depends on what you downloaded. Check the file extension first.

A key distinction: a preset is a complete, ready-to-paint brush with all its settings. A brush tip is only the shape that gets stamped. Bundles and .kpp files give you presets. Tips need to be built into presets yourself.

How to Add Brushes to Krita Using a Bundle

Bundles are the most common format for shared Krita brush packs and the easiest to install.

1. Download the .bundle file. Save it somewhere permanent, such as a “Krita resources” folder, rather than your Downloads folder.
2. Open Krita. No document needs to be open, though it does no harm.
3. Go to Settings > Manage Resource Libraries. In Krita 4.x this was Settings > Manage Resources.
4. Click Import. Browse to your bundle and open it.
5. Confirm it is active. The bundle should appear in the list, marked as active. If it shows as inactive, select it and activate it.
6. Close the dialog and restart Krita if the brushes do not appear right away. A restart often refreshes the resource list.
7. Open the Brush Presets docker. Use Settings > Dockers > Brush Presets if it is hidden.
8. Filter by tag. Most bundles create a tag with the bundle’s name. Choose it in the tag dropdown at the top of the docker to see only those brushes.

Krita 5 copies imported bundles into its own resource folder, so moving or deleting the original file afterward should not break anything. Keeping a backup copy is still sensible.

Adding a Single Brush Preset (.kpp)

Some artists share individual presets rather than full bundles.

1. Open the Brush Presets docker.
2. Look for the import option, often an icon or a menu at the bottom of the docker. In some versions it is under the docker’s resource menu.
3. Select the .kpp file.
4. The preset appears in the docker, usually under “All” or “All Untagged”. Add it to a tag so you can find it.

You can also import .kpp files through Settings > Manage Resources, choosing the brush presets category.

Adding Brush Tips (.gbr, .gih, .png, .abr)

Tips need an extra step because they are not complete brushes on their own.

1. Select any brush preset similar to what you want, such as a basic pixel brush.
2. Open the brush editor with F5 or the toolbar’s Edit Brush Settings button.
3. In the left panel, click Brush Tip, then choose the Predefined tab.
4. Click Import and select your tip file. Several files can be selected at once.
5. Click the new tip, paint on the scratchpad to test it, and adjust spacing, size and pressure options.
6. Click Save New Brush Preset, give it a clear name, and optionally paint a thumbnail.

Photoshop .abr files import this way too, but only the tip images come through. Settings like scattering and texture must be rebuilt.

Where Are Krita Brushes Stored?

Knowing the resource folder location helps with backups and manual installs. Typical locations:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\krita
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/krita
• Linux: ~/.local/share/krita

The fastest way to open it on any system is Settings > Manage Resources > Open Resource Folder, or the resource folder path shown in Krita’s settings. In Krita 5, resources are tracked in a database, so dragging files into subfolders by hand is less reliable than using the Import buttons. If you do copy files manually, restart Krita so it rescans the folder.

How to Use Brush Stabilizer in Krita

New brushes often feel different from what you are used to, and smoothing can make a big difference, especially for line art.

1. Select the Freehand Brush tool (B).
2. Open the Tool Options docker (Settings > Dockers > Tool Options).
3. Find Brush Smoothing and choose a mode.

In Stabilizer mode, the Distance setting controls how much the line trails behind your pen. Start around 30 to 50 and adjust. “Delay” and “Finish line” options control whether the stroke catches up when you lift the pen.

Krita Dynamic Brush vs Freehand

Krita has two separate drawing tools that people often confuse after importing new brushes.

• Freehand Brush Tool: The standard tool. Strokes follow your pen directly, with optional smoothing. This is what nearly all brush packs are designed for.
• Dynamic Brush Tool: Simulates a brush with mass and drag, so strokes lag and swing as if the brush has weight. It can produce calligraphic, fluid lines but feels unusual for everyday painting.

If newly imported brushes feel sluggish or wobbly, check that you are on the Freehand Brush tool and not the Dynamic one.

Organizing Imported Brushes With Tags

After importing a few packs, the Brush Presets docker becomes crowded. Tags keep it manageable.

• Create workflow tags: “Sketch”, “Ink”, “Paint”, “Texture” and “Blend” are a practical starting set.
• Assign presets: Right-click a preset and add it to one or more tags.
• Use the Pop-up Palette: Right-click on the canvas to open it. You can set it to show a specific tag, giving quick access to your favorite brushes.
• Deactivate unused bundles: In Manage Resource Libraries, deactivate bundles you are not using rather than deleting them.

Can You Make Custom Brushes in Krita?

Yes, and once you understand presets and tips, making your own is a natural next step. Paint a shape on the canvas, select it and use the Clipboard or Stamp option in the Predefined tip panel to capture it as a tip. Then build a preset around it. You can even package your own presets into a bundle using the bundle creator in the resource manager, which is handy for backup or sharing.

Can You Use Photoshop or Procreate Brushes in Krita?

Photoshop brushes partly work: Krita imports the tip images from .abr files, but not the dynamics. Procreate brushes cannot be imported directly, though the shape and grain images inside the .brush archive can be extracted and used as tips and textures. For the best results with no conversion, native Krita bundles remain the cleanest choice.

Troubleshooting: Imported Brushes Not Showing

1. Restart Krita. This fixes most missing-brush issues.
2. Check the tag filter. The docker may still be filtering by a different tag. Switch to “All”.
3. Confirm the bundle is active in Manage Resource Libraries.
4. Check version compatibility. Bundles made for very old Krita versions may use brush engines or settings that have changed. Most still import, but some presets may behave differently.
5. Look for a missing tip warning. If a preset references a tip that did not import, it may paint as a plain round brush. Import the tip separately if the pack included it.
6. Reset the resource cache. As a last resort, Krita can be started with a fresh configuration, but back up your resource folder first.

Removing Brushes You Do Not Want

To remove a whole pack, open Manage Resource Libraries, select the bundle and deactivate or remove it. To delete individual presets, use the Brush Presets docker or the resource manager’s delete option. Deleting default Krita brushes is not recommended. Hide them by tag filtering instead.

Quick Checklist Before Importing a New Pack

• Check the Krita version it was made for. Packs labeled for Krita 4 generally import into Krita 5, but a few presets may need small adjustments.
• Read the included notes. Some packs require you to import additional patterns or tips separately, or recommend a specific canvas size.
• Check the license. Free packs may restrict commercial use or redistribution.
• Back up first. Before importing several large packs, copy your resource folder so you can roll back if something goes wrong.
• Import one pack at a time. Testing each pack before adding the next makes it easier to find which one caused any issue.

Setting Up the Pop-up Palette for New Brushes

Krita’s Pop-up Palette, opened with a right-click on the canvas, shows a ring of brush presets and a color selector. By default it displays a set number of presets from a chosen tag. After importing brushes, assign your favorites to a tag such as “Daily”, then choose that tag for the Pop-up Palette in its settings. You can increase the number of slots in Settings > Configure Krita > General. This keeps your new brushes one click away without opening the docker.

How to Create Your Own Bundle for Backup

Once you have imported and tweaked brushes, packaging them protects your work.

1. Open Settings > Manage Resource Libraries and choose the option to create a bundle.
2. Fill in a name, author and short description.
3. Add the brush presets you want. Krita usually includes the tips and patterns those presets depend on, but check the resource lists to confirm.
4. Save the bundle file to a backup location, such as cloud storage or an external drive.

Reinstalling Krita or moving to a new computer then becomes a single import step.

FAQs

Can you download brushes on Krita?

Krita has no built-in brush store, but you can download brush bundles and presets from artists and communities online, then import them through Settings > Manage Resource Libraries.

Why are my imported Krita brushes not showing?

The most common causes are an inactive bundle, a tag filter hiding them or Krita needing a restart. Check those three first.

How do I add brushes to Krita on Mac?

The process is the same as on Windows. Use Settings > Manage Resource Libraries > Import for bundles. The resource folder is under ~/Library/Application Support/krita.

What is the difference between a brush preset and a brush tip in Krita?

A preset is a complete brush with all its settings. A tip is only the shape image that a preset stamps. Tips must be built into a preset before you can paint with them easily.

How do I back up my Krita brushes?

Create your own bundle from your favorite presets using the resource manager’s bundle creator, or copy the whole Krita resource folder to another drive.

Do Krita brushes work on Android?

Krita’s Android and ChromeOS versions use the same resource system, so bundles can be imported there too, though menu layout may differ.

Next Step

Now that you know how to add brushes to Krita for every file type, the next decision is which packs deserve a spot in your Brush Presets docker. Start small, tag as you go and test each pack on a real piece. For curated sets covering sketching, inking, painting and texture, browse our guide to the top Krita brush packs for 2026 and import two or three that fit your style.