Submitted by “Pinta, a ‘lightweight’ open source raster image editor, turned 1.0 on April 27, offering Linux users another choice for simple image editing. Pinta is intended to be a clone of Paint.NET, the Windows-only raster editor written in .NET. As such, it uses Mono under the hood, but it gains the ability to run equally well on Linux, Mac OS X, or Windows. Is it a replacement for GIMP or Krita? That depends on what you need to do.” What I like about Pinta is that I actually caused its creation in the first place.
I’m sure this will get some flak from the “less than enthusiastic about Mono” crowd. Me on the other hand, I’m ecstatic to see this sort of tool on *nix. We’ve needed a good, simpler alternative to the Gimp for a long time now and if Pinta’s anywhere near as good as it’s inspiration it’ll fit the bill nicely.
We’ve had a very good, simple alternative to the GIMP for ages in Krita.
Someone needs to put Pinta on this chart:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_raster_graphics_editors#…
… because as of right now, Pinta doesn’t even get to the starting gate compared to Krita.
I tried Krita… slower than molasses. I liked the UI and features, but wow was it sluggish.
http://krita.org/component/content/frontpage
First beta release Krita 2.3 — users, here we come!
(Late last year)
http://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/425446-modern-art-a-look-at-kr…
(Review dated Tuesday, 29 March 2011)
Time to re-assess, perhaps.
Caveat: “The Krita project decided to focus on developing a painting application (as opposed to a general-purpose raster image editor or a photo-retouching tool, for example).”
So if you want to re-touch photographs, Krita is not the tool, use digikam or GIMP for that. Krita is for painting.
Edited 2011-05-12 07:08 UTC
BTW, on the topic of raster graphics software, if you do want to catalog and/or re-touch your digital photographs, it is perhaps interesting to note that a significant upgrade to digikam is due for release very soon:
http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/digiKam-2-0-0-approaches-wit…
http://www.digikam.org/drupal/node/599
Edited 2011-05-12 07:29 UTC
I’ll check it out again… I’ve been looking for a good painting program on Linux (GIMP definitely is not it).
I wish Autodesk ported Sketchbook Designer to Linux.
Autodesk Sketchbook Designer claims to have this primary feature:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=15793589&siteID=12…
“In addition to the sketching capabilities and quality results that professionals have come to expect from Autodesk SketchBook Pro software, SketchBook Designer enables professional designers and artists to use a hybrid paint and vector workflow for concept design illustration and graphic design.”
To get the equivalent functionality on a Linux desktop, use a good raster paint program in conjunction with a vector drawing program. It is better if you choose a pair that are designed to work with one another.
I would suggest Krita (for raster graphics) in conjunction with Calligra Karbon (for vector graphics).
http://www.calligra-suite.org/karbon/screenshots/
http://www.calligra-suite.org/karbon/features/
The Calligra suite uses a concept called “flake shapes” that allows each component of the suite to exchange elements with other component programs.
http://slangkamp.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/vector-file-import-for-kr…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flake_%28KDE%29
This concept of flake shapes gives Krita some vector drawing capability:
http://slangkamp.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/kritasvg.png
However, if you don’t like Karbon, then there are some other good choices that will work reasonably well in conjunction with Krita, although a little less well integrated.
http://inkscape.org/screenshots/index.php?lang=en
http://inkscape.org/showcase/index.php?lang=en
http://www.libreoffice.org/features/draw/
You don’t have to wait for Autodesk … they probably can’t compete on a Linux desktop now anyway.
Edited 2011-05-12 09:50 UTC
If you give Krita a try and find something missing or have a question or a comment, don’t hesitate to drop by on #krita on irc.freenode.net or on the Krita forums (http://forum.kde.org/viewforum.php?f=136). We’d be glad to hear from you!
Boudewijn, Krita maintainer.
I wanted to add that with Krita I have cropped images, resized them, modified them with the “duplicate brush”, etc. with good results, so if you are already using Krita you can do a lot of photo-retouching works with the same program.
And? If it aspires to be as comprehensive as Paint.Net is, well – that I applaud.
As per usual, your signal to noise ratio and off topic ranting is tiresome. This app supports three platforms – possibly more if Mono and GTK# are available. So, focusing on a very narrow Linux user base**, is not really helpful, is it? Honestly, Windows – I would use Paint.Net, Linux – I don’t ever find a reason to use, Mac OS X – Seahorse or Autodesk Sketchbook on 10.6 (Still use 10.5 because Wacom drivers seem more stable.) Having one common tool across all three would be really nice. And no, GiMP is NOT what I’m looking for. GiMP is okay, but the UI really doesn’t translate across Windows and Mac very well. TBH, as all my digital art creation revolves around finishing up using Manga Studio for screen toning, speed lines and speech bubbles, Linux isn’t even an option anyway***.
** Yes GiMP is multi platform as noted later above; I’ve never seen/used a Mac or Windows Port for the others, so can’t comment, but they seem Linux oriented to me.
*** If you do know of one – please tell me. I’m all ears. Must handle multiple grouped layers (Sketch, final etc), raster conversion to tone, comprehensive support of screentoning in a separate layer group, dynamic speech bubbles, speed lines… I could go on. Sometimes paying for software is actually the best option. Honestly. “Free/Libre” is not better.
(Oh shock – someone who actually produces digital content commented with a real opinion!! Lemur will explode shortly.)
Everybody is entitled to an opinion … my point is that the opinions of a lot of Windows users are quite often remarkably out-of-date.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krita#Version_2.3_release
However, in this particular, it transpires that you aren’t out-of-date. A stable version of Krita for Windows is not planned until version 2.4.
http://www.valdyas.org/fading/index.cgi/2007/09/18#kritawin%22~…
http://www.valdyas.org/~boud/images/kritawin.png
Edited 2011-05-12 10:11 UTC
And Mac OS X? Mac is more important to me, as my main machine is a Mac and generally I don’t boot Windows on it unless I need something specific (i.e. hardly ever.) I own Manga Studio on both Windows and Mac to enable me to be as flexible as possible though. Look at the specs – you find me a viable alternative and I will give it a trial and then explain where it fails/wins over my current set-up. But it must support Mac *and* Windows to be useful:
http://manga.smithmicro.com/about_debut.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manga_Studio
http://www.comicstudio.net/ (Sorry, Japanese)
Mac OSX is problematic. I don’t think there is a plan to support that any time soon.
But creation of comics? … this is almost the very definition of what Krita is designed to do.
http://krita.org/frequently-asked-questions
http://forum.kde.org/viewforum.php?f=138
http://krita.org/showcase/2-showcased/detail/52-wasted-mutants?tmpl…
http://animtim.wehost.be/blog/
This talk has been proposed for the Libre Graphics Meeting 2011:
http://create.freedesktop.org/wiki/Comic_book_drawing_with_Krita#Sl…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdihvnBxliE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfJTucE6pDw
Better support in Krita for facilitating the workflow of comic strips (e.g. storyboards) is a feature that is still in the early stages of design.
http://old.nabble.com/Comic-Book-Studio-td30358001.html
Note that this is all very, very far in advance of what Pinta is able to do.
Edited 2011-05-12 12:44 UTC
“Coming soon” features is of no use to him.
Neither is Pinta.
No, you’ve missed the point. Pinta is useful because it is a cross platform Image editor that broadly supports similar functionality to Paint.Net. This is a different issue really.
What I asked you for was different. Unless you understand the actual problem (and I urge you to trial Manga Studio if you really want to “understand” the issue, because you won’t get close otherwise), you can’t solve the problem.
I’ll look at the links and respond to the post directly rather than here.
Right… yes, if all that was involved with Comic Creation was drawing, Krita would be a useful tool. But that misses pretty much all of the functionality I use in Manga Studio. I draw by hand (usually pencil, sometimes also ink… how very last century of me!), Scan, digitally ink (if I didn’t already ink by hand) then Screentone (doesn’t do this – if you think it does, you don’t understand what that means), add any effects (doesn’t do this) and add speech bubbles (doesn’t do this either.) So, at best it does less than half of what I need, plus if I drew everything manually, it actually then does zero. This is then completely ignoring the other things it does, such as panelling and page management.
Screen toning aside, I don’t really see much of an argument as to why Manga Studio is SO superior to either GIMP or Paint.NET. And yes, I also produce digital content occasionally – used to draw on a daily basis a few years ago, not so much today – so I am not talking out of my ass.
Manga Studio is a very nice application, yes, whose interface is primarily directed to those that want to create comics that look like manga, hence the effects, speed lines, speech bubbles, etc. but unsurprisingly it is not as used on professional environments as you are seemingly implying to be.
Most professional comic books are usually drawn on paper and inked manually to be scanned and then colored/tweaked/etc on Photoshop (although many creators are increasingly doing the entire workflow digitally these days). Dialogs are usually put either directly on Photoshop or using a vector app such as Illustrator (which is much better at rearranging speech bubbles than any raster app anyway!). Speed lines and other effects can be created easily on Photoshop. Laying out a page is also easily done on these tools so I fail to see what Manga Studio has that put it a cut above most of those other tools.
Moreover, you sound like someone too dependent on his tools to produce his artwork. Tools will only take you so far. I’ve seen so much impressive artwork done with GIMP, MyPaint, Krita, Blender and Inkscape that blows a lot of art “professionally done with professional tools” out of the water. DeviantArt is shock full of examples if you don’t believe me and some of these artists show their workflow on time lapsed videos on YouTube as well.
I’ve done some good looking stuff on Blender, GIMP and Inkscape as well and I can attest that while not perfect – what is? – these tools are more than capable of assisting one to produce all kinds of digital artwork.
On the subject of Paint.NET, I think it is a very overrated application. It is a great application and its UI is well done (unsurprisingly as it takes cues from a lot of older photo retouching apps including Photoshop itself) but it left me wanting. I tried to use it exclusively for a little while when on Windows, but it doesn’t have a third of GIMP features so I asked myself what’s the point? Sure it looks nice, but I need something that works! The way I see it, Paint.NET is somewhere in the middle of KolourPaint and GIMP/Krita feature-wise. Not bad, but it cannot be compared to GIMP on any other grounds other than its UI.
Edited 2011-05-13 16:57 UTC
Firstly, this is all about MY workflow, not a general digital artish’s workflow, so you’re already missing the point. Yet, I’ll respond all the same.
It’s superior because it was designed to be used for the specific job. GIMP and Paint.Net are image editors. Image editing is part of the process. But there’s way, way more to it than that.
Cool. I’m glad you are more aware of the issues.
No, it’s a general comic editor. In fact, that it’s called “Manga Studio” is more marketing than anything else. In Japan it’s called “Comic Studio”. Up till version 4, it excelled at monotone and grey-scaled images, but version 4 added full colour. Indeed, Dave Gibbons uses it – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu1FBjCqxew
Which are not used as much in western comics, true….
which are pretty damn essential and universal when creating a comic book.
Depends who you are talking about really. It’s used extensively in Eastern style comicbooks (Manga, Manhwa, Man hua.) Outside of the eastern style, it’s used a lot more than GIMP and Paint.Net, but Photoshop and Illustrator and likely used more in the west.
You are talking to someone who has already told you that is they way they work too…. However, the latter is way, way more common these days. Mostly, pencils are digitally inked using a plug-ins that remove the manual digital inking process, but some still manually ink using tablets.
I can tell you haven’t used Manga Studio by that statement. Every speech bubble (what you call dialogue) is in its own little layer and moving it is absolutely just a care of dragging and they are NOT raster (as the product can have mixed layers that raster or non raster.) Bonus – the dialogue resizes as you type and the font is resized and styled. There’s no way that Illustrator beats that. I’ve done it that way and it was painful.
For me, project management. Each chapter opens as a project and I can see each of the facing pages in print layout ordering. Also, Panelling with full bleed areas that are auto masked:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwMC20UvM0k
There you go. That is one big reason “why” it is better for me. It just does everything you would use 2 or three other packages for in a single tool. That’s it really. It’s purely designed to make life easier, but everyone has their own “thing” and if you prefer a more manual process, cool.
No, and you are putting words in to my mouth. 90% of the time I draw and ink by hand (I Pencil approx 20 pages a week, then ink and finish in Manga Studio those pages every fortnight, how many do you complete these days?) These are all for a Doushinji, but even if I was a pro, I would have a similar toolset and work ethic (probably higher output too.) I use Manga Studio because the hardest part is “finishing” the pages. Drawing is easy. Given “simple and easy” vs “what the industry uses”, I know which way I lean.
Sure, but talent shines through no matter what. I tend to work on cheap copier paper rather than expensive “comic paper” and with HB pencils that cost ^Alb0.19 for 20 because really, the tools are only tools. However, when I manually Ink, I Ink with pro level dip pens and ink because I find that works best for me. Really you sound like a good guy picking a fight with the wrong person.
Honestly dude, you’ve gone off on a tangent. I was asking Lemur to offer his advice as he seems to have an opinion of pretty much everything. He offered Krita, I said, no – no good for >me<. You seem now to have taken that my workflow is one of general art. No. I’m a digital comic book artist. All I care about is making digital comic books. I don’t care about making general art. Not my bag. I don’t care if you have used other tools, the point was not that other tools are capable of creating general art, it was that I asked Lemur to find an alternative to a very, very specific use case. If you don’t understand that, you really shouldn’t reply to this thread.
Sigh. Missed the point.
I for one would like to thank Thom for the best news since Bush got bin Laden.
Now any clone of a shitty Windows software is news just because it runs on Linux / Os X / whatever? Or it’s news because it’s the first shitty painting software done with C# and GTK?
What’s the fcking news? Did Adobe port Photoshop on Linux, or what? And what’s wrong with Paint.net? It runs on Linux too, and is better than this.
I know, next important news on osnews will be when a guy will do a minesweeper clone for Linux using GTK and C#.
Wake up guys, this is 21st century, people do program serious shit nowadays, junk doesn’t matter.
Paint.NET does not run on Linux. Windows only.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint.NET
Having said that, your basic point is valid. Linux already has a number of significantly better raster graphics programs than Pinta. Even Photoshop functionality is largely, if not entirely, covered by a few programs.
So you are right … this is not an issue.
Edited 2011-05-12 15:50 UTC
Paint.NET is so user friendly that they use it in Primary Schools for kids to do artwork on.
I use it a lot when cutting up website designs I don’t get in PSD format. It is incredibly fast and easy to use and runs well on even modest hardware.
That is why Paint.NET is so damn good. Having something similar on nix would make my life a lot easier when developing PHP or Rails Websites.
Not really an argument. You could make primary school children use Corel Painter pretty easily, too, or any other painting-centric program…
I was just commenting about how straight forward the UI was …
http://mypaint.intilinux.com/
http://mypaint.intilinux.com/?page_id=9
Thanks I will look at this and Pinta … probably use Pinta since it is essentially the same app as Paint.NET … but it is worth trying out alternatives.
Actually Paint.NET is a pretty good program
Very easy to use and straight forward, low on system resources and it perfect for what it is meant for.
It isn’t junk.
My primary need for linux would be a replacement for Macromedia/Adobe fireworks (Inkscape partly covers my needa in that regards).