Beginners Digital Illustration with Krita

There are some pretty big changes in version 4.0. This is the updated Quickstart video!

Krita has updated to version 4.0. It has some pretty cool new features, but also some big changes! Big changes which can be confusing, especially for a beginner. To clarify some of the changes I have created this video!

In this lesson we will be taking a closer look at some of my favorite brushes.

• Ignore most of the brushes: we will not jump straight into the deep end. Being familiar with the following brushes is more than enough!
  • Fill_circle - used for blocking
  • Ink_ballpen - I use this for sketching
  • Ink_gpen_10 - for line art
  • Bristles_hairy - for painting
  • Soft and hard edge erasers
  • Airbrush_pressure - subtle effects

This video summarizes which brushes in version 4.0 can be used to replace the brushes in version 3.3!

In this video we are going to create this wooden surface.

• Pick a color palette (base color, shading color, highlight color)
• Use the rectangle selection tool and brush to color in the base
• Use a transparent brush to add shade and highlight

In this video we are going to quickly run through Krita's basic tools. There's no need to memorize all of this stuff.

For now the goal is merely to have an understanding of how to use these tools  function. We will be getting some hands on experience in the next exercise.

In this video we are going to talk about:

• Basic shapes
• The selection tools
• The move tool
• The transform tool
• Zooming, Panning, and Rotating

In this lesson we are going to talk about layers:

• We can insert and remove layers
• We can change the order of the layers 
• You can set the opacity of the layers
• You can merge layers together

It's time to take what we've learned and make it a bit more concrete by getting some hands on experience. We will be applying the basic techniques we have learned to draw this simple face.

Broadly speaking we can split the drawing process into three parts:

• Construction - lay out the basic shapes and proportions
• Sketching - sketch in the drawing
• Colouring - Color in the drawing

In this video I'm going to throw 4 krita mini tips at you. These tips are helpful in improving workflow and increasing productivity:

1. Press E to convert the current brush into an eraser
2. Use the mirror functions
3. Put the canvas in fullscreen
4. Use the keyboard shortcuts

In this exercise we are going to draw this cactus. To get the most out

of this exercise I recommend that you try the exercise first, before
looking at the solution.

In this example we are going learn a technique to draw a cloud like this.

• Draw the background gradient
• Using the line tool and the ellipse tool to put in the basic shapes
• Ink in the lines
• Use the selection tool to select the cloud
• Add a gradient to the cloud
• Use the airbrush to dab in some circles
• 'Blur' it out a bit using a low opacity airbrush

For today's exercise we are going back to our wood example. We are going
to add some highlighting, shading and some details. I recommend you try
this exercise yourself before looking at the solution.

Digital painting is in fact quite hard! Keeping up the motivation is not always easy, especially when you are just starting out. Here are some tips which I found useful in helping me through.

1. Make practicing accessible
2. Be terrible and be sloppy!
3. Keep all your work
4. Start work on a personal project
5. Don't compare yourself to others
6. Learn more techniques

A brief step-by-step guide on how to import the old Krita 3.3 brush set.