Krita is free, open source and built specifically for painting, which is why so many artists start their digital journey with it. It is also dense: dockers everywhere, hundreds of brush presets and shortcuts on nearly every key. The trick is to ignore most of it at first. A beginner needs perhaps a dozen tools and a handful of shortcuts to paint comfortably, and everything else can wait.
Quick answer: To use Krita as a beginner, install it from the official site, create a new document (File > New), select the brush tool (B), pick a preset from the Brush Presets docker and a color from the color selector, then paint on separate layers added with the Insert key. Learn a few shortcuts — [ and ] for brush size, E for eraser, Ctrl+Z to undo, Space-drag to pan, right-click for the pop-up palette — and save as .kra to keep layers, exporting to PNG or JPG for sharing.
This step-by-step guide covers how to use Krita for beginners: installation, the interface, brushes, color, layers, selections, text, a first painting, and the settings that make it more comfortable. When you are ready to extend Krita with community add-ons, our roundup of the best Krita plugins for digital painting highlights the most useful ones.
How to Install Krita
Krita runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and is free to download from the official Krita website. It is also available through some app stores for a fee; those versions have the same features but fund development and handle updates automatically.
How to download Krita on Windows
- Visit the official Krita website and open the download page.
- Choose the Windows installer (64-bit). A portable version that runs without installing is also usually offered.
- Run the downloaded installer and follow the prompts.
- Launch Krita from the Start menu.
On macOS, open the downloaded disk image and drag Krita into Applications. On Linux, the AppImage runs after you mark it executable, and many distributions also package Krita.
Connect your tablet first
Install your pen tablet’s driver before opening Krita and restart if prompted. If pressure does not work later, Krita’s tablet settings (Settings > Configure Krita > Tablet Settings) let you switch input APIs on Windows, which fixes many issues.
Creating a New Document
- Go to File > New (Ctrl+N).
- Choose Custom Document.
- Set width and height. For practice, 3000 x 2000 pixels is a good size. For print, calculate inches times resolution: an 8×10 inch print at 300 ppi is 2400 x 3000 pixels.
- Leave the color model at RGB/Alpha, 8-bit, with the default sRGB profile unless you have a specific reason to change it.
- Choose a background (white is fine) and click Create.
Understanding the Krita Interface
| Area | Location (default) | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Toolbox | Left side | All tools: brush, shapes, selection, transform, fill, text and more |
| Canvas | Center | Your painting |
| Tool Options docker | Right side | Settings for the currently selected tool |
| Layers docker | Right side | Create, order and manage layers |
| Brush Presets docker | Right side | Choose brushes by thumbnail |
| Advanced Color Selector | Right side | Pick colors |
| Top toolbar | Top | Brush editor, blending mode, opacity, size, mirror buttons |
| Workspace switcher | Top right | Preset layouts for painting, animation and more |
Dockers can be moved, stacked, closed and reopened. If you lose one, find it again under Settings > Dockers. If the whole layout gets messy, choose a default workspace from the workspace switcher. Press Tab to hide all panels and paint on a clean canvas; press it again to bring them back.
Essential Shortcuts for Beginners
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Brush tool | B |
| Toggle eraser mode | E |
| Smaller / larger brush | [ and ] (or Shift + drag on canvas) |
| Undo / redo | Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z |
| Pan | Space + drag |
| Zoom | Ctrl + Space + drag, or scroll |
| Rotate canvas | Shift + Space + drag; 4 and 6 to step; 5 to reset |
| Mirror view | M |
| Pop-up palette | Right-click on canvas |
| Color picker | Ctrl + click while using the brush |
| New paint layer | Insert |
| Transform | Ctrl+T |
| Fill tool | F |
| Deselect | Ctrl+Shift+A |
| Hide panels | Tab |
Shortcuts can be changed under Settings > Configure Krita > Keyboard Shortcuts. If a shortcut does not work, check that the canvas is focused by clicking it once.
Brushes: Choosing and Adjusting
Krita’s default presets are organized by tags in the Brush Presets docker: sketching, inking, painting, digital, textures and more.
- Select the brush tool (B).
- Choose a preset in the Brush Presets docker or the pop-up palette.
- Adjust size and opacity in the top toolbar.
- Open the brush editor (the brush icon in the toolbar, or F5) to tweak advanced settings like pressure curves, spacing and texture. Changes can be saved as a new preset.
Suggested starter set: a pencil preset for sketching, an ink pen for line art, a basic round or “basic-5 size” style brush for painting, a soft airbrush for gentle gradients and a textured brush for organic surfaces. The pop-up palette holds favorites — tag them so they appear there.
Smooth lines with brush stabilization
In the Tool Options docker, the brush tool has a smoothing setting with modes such as None, Basic, Weighted and Stabilizer. Weighted or Stabilizer smooths shaky lines, which is ideal for inking. Higher values give smoother but slightly lagging strokes.
Picking and Managing Color
- Advanced Color Selector: the main triangle or square selector. Its shape can be changed in its settings.
- Pop-up palette: right-click shows a ring of brushes and a color selector, plus recent colors.
- Color picker: Ctrl+click on the canvas samples a color.
- Palette docker: save swatches for consistent colors across a project.
- Foreground and background colors: shown in the toolbox; press X to swap them.
Working with Layers
Layers keep elements independent so you can change one without disturbing others.
- Add a layer: press Insert or click the plus button in the Layers docker.
- Reorder: drag layers up or down.
- Opacity and blending modes: at the top of the Layers docker. Multiply for shadows, Screen or Add for glows.
- Alpha lock: the checkerboard icon on a layer. Paint only where pixels already exist, perfect for shading inside a shape.
- Group layers: organize related layers (Ctrl+G).
- Merge down: Ctrl+E.
- Filter and fill layers: non-destructive adjustments and color fills.
A beginner-friendly structure: Sketch (top, low opacity), Line art, Shading (multiply), Flat colors, Background.
Selections and Transform
Selection tools (rectangle, ellipse, freehand, contiguous) limit painting to an area. Choose one from the toolbox, draw the selection, then paint inside. Deselect with Ctrl+Shift+A.
The transform tool (Ctrl+T) moves, scales, rotates and distorts the active layer or selection. Krita offers several modes, including free, perspective, warp, cage and liquify, in the Tool Options docker. Liquify is especially handy for nudging proportions in a face or figure. Press Enter to apply.
How to Use Krita Text Tool
The text tool lives in the toolbox, usually shown as a “T” icon.
- Select the text tool.
- Click-drag on the canvas to define a text box.
- Type your text. Depending on your Krita version, editing happens either directly on the canvas or in a text editor dialog with font, size and alignment controls.
- Confirm, and Krita creates a vector layer containing the text.
- Use the shape select tool to move or resize the text, and reopen the text tool to edit it.
Text handling in Krita has been reworked across recent releases, so menus differ between versions. For complex typography, many artists add lettering in a design program afterward. To paint over text with brushes, convert or rasterize the vector layer to a paint layer first.
Your First Painting in Krita: Step by Step
- New document: 3000 x 2000 pixels, white background.
- Sketch: add a layer, choose a pencil preset in a light blue, and rough out a simple subject such as a mug or an apple.
- Lower sketch opacity to about 30 percent.
- Flats: add a layer beneath the sketch. Use a hard brush or the fill tool to block in flat colors for the object and background.
- Shading: add a layer above the flats, enable alpha lock or clip it, set it to multiply and paint shadows with a soft brush in a muted purple or blue.
- Highlights: add another layer and paint light accents with a small hard brush.
- Mirror check: press M to flip the view and fix anything that looks off.
- Hide the sketch and refine edges.
- Save as .kra, then export a PNG.
Settings Worth Changing on Day One
- Autosave interval: shorten it under Settings > Configure Krita > General so a crash costs minutes, not hours.
- Cursor shape: in the same dialog, set the brush outline to show while painting so you always see the brush size.
- Undo stack: the default number of undo steps is generous, but you can raise it if you have plenty of memory.
- Pressure curve: under Tablet Settings, adjust the global curve if light strokes feel too faint or every line comes out heavy.
- Canvas acceleration: under Display, hardware acceleration generally improves smoothness; turn it off only if you see display glitches.
Saving and Exporting
- File > Save (Ctrl+S): saves as .kra, preserving layers, masks and settings.
- File > Export: PNG for lossless images, JPG for small sharing files, PSD for layered files to open elsewhere.
- Autosave: configure frequency under Settings > Configure Krita > General. Krita also keeps backup files.
Helpful Features to Explore Next
- Reference images tool: place reference photos directly on the canvas without them becoming part of the painting.
- Assistant tool: perspective, ellipse and vanishing point guides that brushes can snap to.
- Wrap-around mode (W): paint seamless tiles and patterns.
- Mirror painting: horizontal and vertical symmetry buttons in the toolbar.
- Animation workspace: frame-by-frame animation with onion skins.
- G’MIC filters: a large set of effects under Filter > Start G’MIC-Qt on supported builds.
- Python plugins: add community tools through Tools > Scripts.
How to Use Krita Like a Pro: Habits That Matter
- Keep your brush set small and personal. Learn each brush thoroughly.
- Use the pop-up palette constantly to minimize trips to the dockers.
- Paint zoomed out for most of the process; zoom in only for final details.
- Flip the canvas regularly to catch errors.
- Name and group layers on bigger projects.
- Save a custom workspace with your preferred docker layout.
- Assign shortcuts to tools you use often.
- Extend Krita selectively with plugins; our guide to Krita plugins worth installing helps you avoid clutter.
Troubleshooting Common Beginner Problems
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Brush paints nothing | Selection active elsewhere, layer locked or hidden, eraser mode on, or opacity at zero | Deselect (Ctrl+Shift+A), check layer, press E, check opacity |
| No pressure sensitivity | Tablet driver or input API | Reinstall driver; change tablet input API in settings |
| Canvas is rotated or mirrored | Accidental shortcut | Press 5 to reset rotation, M to unmirror |
| Dockers disappeared | Tab pressed, or closed | Press Tab; reopen via Settings > Dockers |
| Lag with big brushes | Large canvas or heavy brush | Smaller canvas, simpler brush, check performance settings |
| Painting only in one area | Alpha lock on | Toggle alpha lock off in the Layers docker |
FAQs
Is Krita good for beginners?
Yes. Krita is free, designed for painting and has excellent default brushes. The interface looks busy, but beginners only need a small set of tools to start.
How do I use Krita with a mouse?
It works, but without pressure sensitivity. Use brushes with smoothing enabled and rely on shapes, selections and the fill tool. A pen tablet greatly improves the experience.
How do I add text in Krita?
Select the text tool from the toolbox, drag a box on the canvas and type. The text is placed on a vector layer, which you can move with the shape select tool.
Why is my brush not working in Krita?
Common causes are an active selection elsewhere, a locked or hidden layer, eraser mode toggled on, alpha lock, or zero opacity.
What file format should I save in Krita?
Save working files as .kra to keep layers. Export PNG or JPG for sharing and PSD for layered files in other programs.
How long does it take to learn Krita?
Basic painting is possible within a session or two. Comfort with layers, selections and transforms usually comes within a few weeks of regular practice.
Final Thoughts
Learning Krita as a beginner comes down to a short list: brush tool and presets, color selection, layers, a handful of shortcuts, transform and saving. Paint a few simple studies with the workflow above and the rest of the interface will start to make sense. When you want to speed up your workflow further, explore our picks for the top Krita plugins for 2026.
