Exploring Krita
Origins and Early Development
The Spark of an Idea
Every big project starts with a small idea. For Krita, that idea sparked in 1998 at a Linux conference. Matthias Ettrich, the founder of the KDE project, wanted to show how a specific piece of software could be built using the Qt toolkit. He proposed creating an image manipulation program, something similar to GIMP, but deeply integrated into the KDE environment.
KDE
noun
An international free software community that develops a wide range of cross-platform applications, as well as the Plasma desktop environment for Linux systems.
The concept was to build an image editor as part of KOffice, KDE's integrated office suite. This would give users a powerful tool for working with graphics that felt right at home on their desktop. The initial name for this ambitious project was KImageShop.
What's in a Name?
The path from idea to application wasn't entirely smooth. Soon after development began, the KImageShop name ran into a legal hurdle. The "Shop" part was seen as a trademark infringement on Adobe Photoshop. The project needed a new identity.
The community brainstormed and settled on a new name: Krayon. It seemed perfect for a graphics application. Unfortunately, this name also belonged to someone else, creating another legal roadblock.
Finally, in 2002, the project was officially renamed Krita. The name comes from Swedish, where "krita" means "crayon" or "chalk," and "rita" means "to draw." It was a fitting choice that captured the artistic spirit the software was beginning to embrace, and this time, the name stuck.
crayon / to draw
Building the Foundation
From the very beginning, Krita was built on the KDE Frameworks and the Qt toolkit. This foundation ensured it would integrate seamlessly with the Plasma desktop and other KDE applications. While the initial vision was for a general-purpose image editor, the focus gradually shifted. The developers saw an opportunity to create something more specialized.
Instead of competing directly with GIMP as a photo manipulator, Krita began to pivot towards digital painting. The goal became to provide artists with a powerful, free, and open-source tool designed specifically for creating art from scratch. This decision shaped its development for years to come, leading to the creation of its acclaimed brush engines and artist-centric features.
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This early history of challenges, name changes, and a clarifying vision set the stage for Krita to become the beloved digital painting application it is today.