Krita is an open-source digital painting software gaining popularity among artists and animators. With its powerful tools and user-friendly interface, creating stunning animations in Krita is easy. But how can we use it? 

By default, Krita opens in paint mode. However, you have to access the animation tools to animate in Krita. Thereby, users must switch to the Animation Workspace. They can do it by clicking the Workspace Switcher button in the Krita window’s upper right-hand corner.

This article will discuss using Krita animation to create captivating and expressive animations.

Krita Workflows

The traditional animation workflow involves creating keyframes that depict essential poses and drawing the frames in between. To facilitate this technique, Krita provides four essential dockers.

Animation Timeline Docker

The Animation Timeline Docker is a crucial tool that allows you to view and manage the various frames that constitute your animation while enabling you to control your layers. Any new layers added to this docker will also appear in your standard Layer docker. 

You can use this docker to preview your animation, test the timing of each movement, and even add audio to your work.

Storyboard Docker

The Storyboard Docker is an additional feature that helps organize and keep track of your storyboards. It enables you to rearrange your artboards, add new ones, or delete existing ones as required.

Onion Skin Docker

The Onion Skin Docker is another essential tool that controls how you view the various frames superimposed on each other. It lets you get a complete overview of all the frames and how they fit together. 

You can use the Onion Skin Docker to adjust the appearance of the onion skin and view previous frames more clearly.

Animation Curves Docker

The Animation Curves Docker facilitates the addition of minor frames between the primary content, known as tweening. 

This docker lets you add detailed edits to your animation, producing a more polished and refined final product.

Getting Started With Krita Animation

Before getting started with Krita animation, it’s important to understand the basics of the software. Krita allows artists to create and manipulate digital images. One of the features of Krita is its ability to create animations. 

Creating A New Animation

You must open a new document to create a new animation in Krita. Follow these steps to do this:

1. Navigate to the “File” menu and select “New.”
2. In the “New Document” dialog box, you will need to specify the dimensions of your animation.
3. You can also set your animation’s resolution and frame rate in this dialog box.
4. Once you have created a new document, you must enable animation mode. Go to the “Animation” menu and select “Animation” to do this. It will allow the timeline and animation features in Krita.

Watch this helpful video tutorial if you are getting started with Krita animation:

Animating In Krita

Now that you have created a new animation and enabled animation mode in Krita, you can start animating. The timeline in Krita allows you to create and manage multiple animation frames. 

You can do this by following these simple steps:

1. Use the “Add Frame” button in the timeline to create a new frame.
2. A new frame will be created that you can then draw on.
3. You can also duplicate, delete, and move frames around in the timeline.

Drawing Tools In Krita Animation

Krita animation offers various drawing tools you can use to create your animations. These include the following:

• Brushes
• Pencils
• Erasers

You can select different drawing tools from the toolbar on the left side of the screen. One of the unique features of Krita animation is its ability to create vector-based animations.

Vector-based animations are created using mathematical equations instead of pixels. It means they can be scaled up or down without losing quality. You can use the vector tools in the toolbar to create a vector-based animation in Krita.

Animating Layers In Krita

In addition to drawing tools, Krita also offers layer-based animation. It allows you to create different animation elements on separate layers and animate them independently. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Use the “Layer” menu and select “New Layer” to create a new layer in Krita.
2. Use the “Transform Mask” tool to animate a layer in Krita. This tool allows you to move, rotate, and scale a layer over time.
3. Use the “Onion Skin” tool to see your animation’s previous and next frames while working on a specific frame.

Exporting Your Krita Animation

Once you complete your Krita animation, export it as a video file. Follow these steps to do this:

1. Use the “Render Animation” feature in the “Animation” menu.
2. Specify your animation’s output format and settings in the dialog box that will open in the application.

Adding Audio To Krita Animation

After mastering a few essential animation techniques in Krita, you may be wondering about the integration of audio. While silent films may have their charm, good audio is often necessary. 

Fortunately, adding audio to your animation in Krita is straightforward, as outlined in the software’s documentation”

1. Choose the appropriate audio format that aligns with your animation, such as WAV, MP3, or OGM.
2. Add the chosen audio file to your animation and place it in the desired location within the timeline.
3. Preview your animation with the audio
4. Ensure that the audio synchronizes appropriately with your frames.

Conclusion

Krita animation is a powerful and versatile tool for creating stunning animations. Whether you are an experienced animator or just starting, Krita’s user-friendly interface and powerful tools make creating expressive and captivating animations easy.

With its wide range of drawing tools, layer-based animation, and vector-based animation capabilities, Krita is an excellent choice for creating high-quality animations.