The OpenGL integration (even on my sub-par tablet graphics card) makes navigation very fluid and the Pop-up palette is the absolute most indispensable tool I didn’t know I needed! Photoshop could learn a lot from the Pop-up palette. I also love navigating the canvas in Krita. Dynamic brushes, wet brushes, tone brushes and more are very fun to use and lead to all sorts of interesting effects. Something that is far superior to Photoshop’s (in my opinion). Krita has an extremely powerful and versatile brush engine. But to my surprise, the more I played with Krita, the more I fell in love with all sorts of unexpected features- especially the pop-up palette! What do you love about Krita? I immediately was drawn in by the familiar interface and the brush smoothing options- somewhat of a mixture of Photoshop and Sai. His channel is definitely worth checking out: I was shocked that I hadn’t heard of it sooner. How did you find out about Krita?Ī very talented Youtube artist named Sycra posted a short video review about Krita. I have always played around with many open source programs, but have done very little other than provide feedback and do some bug testing. Have you worked for any FOSS project or contributed in some way? I am a big proponent of open source development. The accessibility of such programs allows for a much larger and faster growth of talent within the industry. Programs such as Krita and Blender are at such a high quality that in some ways they can even trump their commercial competitors. And above all, I love that it is FREE! Over the years I have come in to contact with many people wanting to get started in digital art and animation, and many have always used cost of entry as an excuse, but nowadays that excuse is simply not valid. I love being able to be on the “bleeding edge” of technology through testing and playing with early builds. I love the openness of ideas, and how easy it is for users like me to play a role in shaping the development.
I have been aware of open source for a long time now- since the birth of popular programs such as Gimp and Blender. How did you first find out about open source communities? What is your opinion about them? At times I do miss the tactile messiness of getting your hands dirty with a traditional medium, but I am always drawn to the seemingly limitlessness of working digitally. In many ways it is cheaper, certainly more versatile, and provides an infinite canvas (if you will) of new and exciting ways of expression. I am very excited about the ways technology brings new opportunities and efficiencies to art and animation. What is it that makes you choose digital over traditional painting?Ĭomputers have always played a large role in my life and interests, and they are a natural fit for me in my art. I have been painting “tradigitally” ever since I can remember owning a wacom tablet. When and how did you end up trying digital painting for the first time? Painting is both a passion of mine, and something I am blessed enough to do for money. Do you paint professionally or as a hobby artist? You can also catch a small sampling of my work at Ĭoncurrently, I am also a husband, a father (2 boys), a musician, a DIY tinkerer, and a puppet-maker among other things. You can go check out the Animation Reel at for a taste of what I am talking about. I have been there for over 11 years doing all sorts of things involving art and animation, including 2D hand-drawn animation, 3D animated series, producing comic books, some stop motion, IP development, commercial work… the list goes on. I am the Animation Director for a post-production facility in the Midwest, Steelehouse Productions. Published 26th March, 2014 Would you like to tell us something about yourself?