Krita is a free drawing and painting application for desktop computers. For a first project, draw a simple cup on a table: the shape is manageable, and separate sketch, color and shadow layers teach a reusable workflow. You can begin with a mouse; a compatible pen tablet is useful for pressure-sensitive strokes. This guide follows the official Krita manual and download information checked on October 13, 2026. AltStack has not independently run every tablet and operating-system combination described by the provider.
1. Know what is free and what costs extra
The desktop download from krita.org is free and open source under GPL version 3. Painting, layers and ordinary image export do not require a paid subscription. Krita's license allows commercial artwork, and the software license does not require you to publish your drawings as open source.
Optional store editions are paid ways to obtain the app and support development, with automatic updates described by the project. Their prices vary by store and region; the free official download is sufficient for this exercise. A drawing tablet, purchased brush packs or training courses are separate costs. Krita suits illustration and painting; compare your specific editing needs before treating it as a replacement for every Photoshop feature.
2. Install a supported stable release
Open the official Download page and choose Windows Installer, macOS Installer or the Linux AppImage. On Windows, run the downloaded installer and follow its setup prompts. On macOS, open the downloaded disk image and follow the installation instructions. For Linux AppImage, use your file manager's permission controls to allow that downloaded application to run, then open it.
Check the current system requirements on the page before installation. Community-maintained Flatpak and Snap packages are also linked there, while nightly builds are intended for testing. Start with the stable edition so the manual and your workspace are easier to compare. If you use a pen tablet, obtain its driver from the tablet manufacturer and confirm it supports your operating system.
3. Create a manageable canvas
Launch Krita and choose File > New. Under Custom Document, enter a practice canvas of 1600 by 1200 pixels. In the color settings, choose RGB with 8-bit integer per channel and an sRGB profile. Create the document, then choose File > Save and store it as cup-study.kra in a folder you can find again.
These dimensions are a proposed exercise size rather than a print specification. A larger canvas needs more memory and makes it tempting to polish details before the drawing works. The native KRA file preserves your editable painting. Save at the start, after the sketch and after each substantial painting pass. A visible canvas on the screen is not a saved file.
4. Find one brush and make a few strokes
Select the Freehand Brush Tool and choose a straightforward brush from Brush Presets. Use the Advanced Color Selector to pick a dark color, then draw several short lines on your paint layer. Change the brush size in the toolbar and repeat until the marks are easy to control. Undo the practice marks before starting the cup.
The freehand brush shortcut is B. E toggles eraser mode for the current brush, so press it again to return to painting. Do not download a large brush collection before learning a few included presets. A mouse produces useful practice marks even without pen pressure. Focus on where your stroke begins and ends rather than expecting a new brush to solve a difficult shape.
5. Organize the layer stack
Use the Layers docker to keep the sketch, colors and later shading separate. The plus control adds a paint layer; rename layers so their purpose is clear. Keep an opaque background at the bottom, then a Sketch layer above it. Select Sketch before making the first drawing marks.
A layer is an editable part of the same picture. Higher layers can cover lower ones, and transparent areas reveal the contents underneath. This makes it possible to color below line work without repainting its edges. Use the visibility control to see what each layer contributes and the layer opacity control when you need a fainter sketch. Avoid merging layers during this exercise; their separation is what makes corrections straightforward.
6. Sketch the cup and its table
On Sketch, draw a light oval for the top of the cup, two sides and a curved bottom. Add a simple handle and a horizontal table edge behind it. Use several short strokes if one long line is difficult. Keep the whole object inside the canvas, leaving enough room for its shadow.
This is an original practice composition, so there is no requirement to match a copyrighted reference image. If using a real cup as reference, observe where its visible edges actually sit. Make the sketch faint by lowering that layer's opacity when it is ready. Add a new paint layer called Lines above it and redraw the clearest edges. The sketch can remain hidden underneath for later reference.
7. Paint the base colors below the lines
Create a Colors paint layer below Lines and above the background. Select a medium-sized opaque brush. Paint a flat color inside the cup, then a different color for the table and surrounding area. Start with a small palette: three or four colors make the relationships easier to judge.
Because the line work is above this layer, it stays visible while you fill the shape. If paint extends beyond the outline, use the eraser on Colors to repair it. If erasing removes the line work instead, stop and select the correct layer. View the drawing at a smaller zoom occasionally. A shape that reads well from a distance matters more than tiny detail that only appears when enlarged.
8. Add a shadow and a highlight
Add a paint layer above Colors and name it Shading. Imagine the light coming from the upper left. Paint a darker area on the cup's right side and a soft shadow on the table. Use a lighter color for a narrow highlight on the left. Keep the added marks separate so their strength can be adjusted with layer opacity.
You do not need a complicated blend mode for this first drawing; ordinary painted colors are enough. Compare the cup, its handle and the table shadow so they follow the same light direction. Turn Shading off and on to judge whether it adds depth. Save the KRA, then leave the picture briefly and return with fresh eyes before adding further detail.
9. Export a shareable image while retaining the KRA
Choose File > Save to update cup-study.kra. Then choose File > Export and create cup-study.png in the same folder or a separate Exports folder. Complete the PNG options and inspect the output in another image viewer. For a drawing with a transparent background, check that transparency is retained in the export.
Use KRA for continued painting and PNG for a flattened result people can view without Krita. Export leaves the working document under its existing name, while Save As switches the document to the new filename. Read any format warnings instead of dismissing them. A PNG cannot preserve the editable layer stack. Keep the KRA even when the exported image looks identical on screen.
10. Recover from brush, tablet and saving problems
If nothing appears when painting, confirm that a visible, unlocked paint layer is selected, eraser mode is off and the brush opacity is not zero. If lines lag, try a smaller canvas or a simpler brush and inspect the tool's smoothing setting. Strong stabilization can deliberately make the line trail behind the pointer.
For missing pen pressure, check the manufacturer's driver, restart Krita after driver changes and use the tablet tester documented under Tablet Settings. Windows has different supported tablet input APIs; follow the provider's instructions before switching them. AutoSave and backup files can help after a failure, but they do not replace ordinary saves or a separate backup. Never assume closing without saving preserves the current drawing.
11. Keep your artwork and add-ons under your control
Krita's official license page says registration is unnecessary and the core painting application can work offline. Optional news retrieval and store updates use the internet. Keep the project in a local folder if that is your preference, and remember that a cloud-synchronized folder follows its own provider's policies.
Downloaded plug-ins, scripts and external services need their own review. Start with built-in brushes and tools while learning. Keep incremental copies before a major redraw so an experiment is reversible. When sharing the final image, choose what you want others to receive: a PNG for viewing, or a KRA only when you intend to share editable layers. This makes the final file as deliberate as the painting itself.
Official instructions and sources
Official downloads, system requirements and store editionsOfficial GPL license, artwork ownership and privacyInstallation instructionsCreating a document and choosing brushesFreehand brush and smoothing settingsLayer conceptsLayers docker controlsSaving, AutoSave and backup behaviorFile menu and export commandsTablet settings and testerPreparing web imagesOriginal AltStack guide by Sushil Kumar Sah. Installation steps follow provider documentation; they do not imply testing on every supported device.