Around since 2005, and with its Kiki the Cyber Squirrel mascot since 2012, Krita is a free and open source raster graphics editor designed to be a digital painting application similar to Corel Painter.
The Video Screening Room
The popular Krita painting program keeps getting even better. This new beta release of 3.01 includes features added from Google Summer of Code programmers. This screencast does a very good job explaining the new features, including new animation tools.
Along with Inkscape and GIMP, open source has three powerhouse graphics programs. The value of these programs accrues when people in a geographic area adopt them and share tips and tricks. Ask around to see who is using Inkscape, GIMP and Krita in your area.
Is your public library teaching workshops on any of these? If not, this is the right time to help organize that. Are your public or private schools teaching any of these? The Los Altos public schools, in Silicon Valley, teach Inkscape. Share this PCWorld article with teachers and librarians in your area. If you know any schools teaching GIMP or Krita, please let me know, and I’ll write an article about them. pshapiro@his.com
For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.
