Introduction: Beginner's Guide: Krita Setup for PC

This guide will help you set up the drawing software Krita on your Windows/PC device and introduce you to the following tools:

  1. Setting document size and background color
  2. Eraser
  3. Freehand Brush Tool
  4. Color Selector

Krita is a free painting and digital art program with a multitude of tools available. Drawing and animating are supported, and the community provides brushes and bundles to expand your experience.

Supplies

All you will need is a Windows/PC with the following system requirements:

  1. Operating System: Windows 8.1 or higher
  2. RAM: 4 GB at minimum required. 16 GB recommended.
  3. GPU: OpenGL 3.0 or higher / Direct3D 11
  4. (Optional) Graphics Tablet Brand: Any tablet compatible with your operating system
  5. Minimum Space Needed: 535 MB

Note: You can find this information in your system settings under "About"

Step 1: Go to Krita's Website

Type "Krita" into any search engine or click on this link: https://krita.org/en/

Step 2: Download Krita

  1. Click on the large blue "Download" button. The latest version of Krita for your operating system will pop up
  2. If your device is older or a 32-bit system, scroll down on this page until you see "Download Older Versions" and select your preferred version
  3. Once you click "Download" a ".exe" program will begin downloading on your device

Step 3: Run Krita's Setup

  1. Open the file you just downloaded
  2. A window will pop up to set up Krita
  3. Follow all of the prompts
  4. Check off your preferences
  5. (Optional) Create a shortcut for Krita on your desktop for ease of access

Step 4: Open Krita

  1. Locate Krita on your desktop or folder
  2. Click to open the application (this may take a minute)

Step 5: Create a New Document

Click "ctrl + N" or the "New Image" button at the top left of the screen

Step 6: Adjust Your Document Settings

There are many templates available, but for this guide we will be creating a simple blank canvas.

  1. Select "Custom Document"
  2. Choose either "Landscape" or "Portrait"
  3. Keep the default canvas size, choose a predefined size, or create a custom size
  4. (Optional) Change the background color:
  5. Select "Content" at the top next to "Dimensions"
  6. Click the horizontal bar next to "Background Color"
  7. Use the color wheel to select a color
  8. Click "Create" at the bottom

Step 7: Locate the Color Selector

  1. Find the color selector, it will be a triangle shape with a gradient of colors.
  2. Click anywhere on the color wheel to choose a color


If you cannot find you color selector:

  1. Go to "Settings" at the top
  2. Click "Dockers"
  3. Find "Advanced Color Selector"
  4. Make sure the box is checked

Step 8: Use the Freehand Brush Tool

  1. Find the tool bar on the left
  2. Click on the paintbrush icon
  3. Use your mouse or tablet pen to draw a line across the white canvas

Step 9: Locate the Eraser Tool

There are two ways to find the eraser tool:

  1. Click on the eraser icon next to the drawing tool icon and drop-down menu
  2. Click on the drawing icon next to the drop-down menu and select the eraser from the list of brush options

Use the eraser tool the same way as the freehand brush.

Step 10: Save Your Work

There are three ways to save your document:

  1. "Ctrl + S" on your keyboard
  2. Find "Save" under "File"
  3. Close your work and click "Save" in the prompt
  4. You will only be given the "Save" option upon closing if something is on the canvas

Note: The initial save will prompt you to name your document and choose a location to save it to on your device

Step 11: See Also

Congratulations! You've done the basics of downloading and using some of Krita's core tools.

To discover how to use more tools check out these guides:

  1. Krita's official page on "Tools"
  2. Visual of "Tools" menu

Find more tools and bundles from the Krita Community:

  1. Krita-artists.org

For help with issues check out these troubleshooting resources:

  1. Krita's FAQ
  2. Reddit Krita Page to search for specific issues