MyPaint

MyPaint
Martin Renold and the MyPaint Development Team · GPL · source
Name	MyPaint
Caption	MyPaint workspace with brush settings
Developer	Community-driven project
Released	2004
Latest release	2.0+
Programming language	C, C++, Python, GTK
Operating system	Linux, Windows, macOS
Genre	Raster graphics editor, digital painting
License	GPL

MyPaint is a free and open-source raster graphics painting application oriented toward digital painting, illustration, and concept art. Initially created for pen-based artwork and pressure-sensitive tablets, the project emphasizes a distraction-free workspace, a large brushes library, and fast, responsive input handling. It has been used by hobbyists, independent illustrators, and contributors to projects in the open-source art and graphics communities.

History

The software originated in the mid-2000s as a personal project inspired by tools and trends in digital art such as GIMP, Krita (software), Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop, and the rise of tablet hardware like Wacom, Huion, and Xencelabs. Early development intersected with contributors from projects including GNOME, GTK+, and GIMP extensions, and was influenced by design discussions at events like Libre Graphics Meeting and conversations among communities around OpenOffice.org and SourceForge. Over time maintainers collaborated with organizations and individuals active in free software such as The Document Foundation contributors, participants from Ubuntu, and developers associated with Debian and Fedora packaging. Development milestones tracked integrations with libraries and standards originating at projects like Cairo (graphics) and GTK4 evolution, while releases were discussed on platforms tied to GitLab and earlier Gitorious hosting. The project attracted contributions from artists familiar with workflows used at studios and communities like Blender Foundation events and independent collectives attending LibrePlanet.

Features

MyPaint provides a set of painting-oriented features comparable to functionality found in tools by Adobe Systems, Corel Corporation, and open-source projects like Krita (software). It supports dynamic, pressure-sensitive brushes derived from algorithms related to OpenRaster concepts and brush engines similar in purpose to those in Corel Painter and Photoshop Brush (software). Features include an extensive brush library inspired by brushes used in Procreate (software), customizable brush dynamics influenced by research presented at conferences such as SIGGRAPH, and color management interoperability alongside profiles from International Color Consortium. Support for layers, layer blending modes paralleling those used by Adobe Photoshop, and a full-screen distraction-free mode echoing modes in GIMP rounds out the feature set. Integration with tablet input APIs implemented across Wacom, libinput, and Windows Ink enables high-fidelity stroke capture valued by illustrators familiar with workflows at studios like Pixar or independent creators associated with DeviantArt and ArtStation.

User Interface and Workflow

The application promotes a streamlined interface influenced by minimalist design discussions at GNOME and UI conventions used in Krita (software), GIMP, and tablet-centric apps such as SketchBook (software). The interface centers on a canvas with floating palettes for brush selection, color picking, and layer management, mirroring paradigms present in Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter. Keyboard and tablet shortcut integration aligns with common practices among professionals who have worked at studios like Weta Digital, Industrial Light & Magic, and independent illustrators on Behance. Workflow patterns support rapid gesture-driven painting, iterative sketch-to-finish pipelines akin to those taught at programs such as School of Visual Arts and workshops associated with College for Creative Studies, enabling artists to move from thumbnail sketch to high-resolution rendering.

File Formats and Compatibility

MyPaint implements support for native file formats and interoperability with standard raster and layered formats. The application uses an internal document format that preserves layers and brush metadata, while also supporting export and import for formats used by projects and products such as OpenRaster, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and layered exports compatible with PSD (Adobe Photoshop) conventions to ease interchange with Adobe Photoshop and GIMP. Compatibility with color profile workflows references specifications from the International Color Consortium, and import/export pipelines are adapted to integrate with asset workflows common to studios like Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and archives maintained by institutions such as Smithsonian Institution when high-fidelity raster assets are required.

Development and Community

Development has been community-driven, with contributions from volunteers, digital artists, and developers affiliated with distributions and projects like Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux. Source management and issue tracking migrated through services used by many free software projects such as GitLab and earlier hosts like SourceForge. Contributors participate in community spaces resembling those run by GNU Project and discussion channels familiar to developers from Mozilla Foundation projects. Outreach and coordination have occurred through channels modeled on those used by events like Libre Graphics Meeting and documentation efforts similar to Free Software Foundation guides. The contributor base includes people experienced with graphics libraries such as Cairo (graphics), Skia (software), and UI toolkits like GTK.

Reception and Usage

The program has been covered in tutorials and reviews by practitioners active on platforms such as YouTube, DeviantArt, ArtStation, Creative Bloq, and technical write-ups hosted by authors associated with O'Reilly Media and independent bloggers. It is recommended in lists of open-source creative tools alongside Krita (software), GIMP, and vector tools like Inkscape, and has been used by educators in curricula at institutions such as Rhode Island School of Design and hobbyist communities on forums like Reddit. Coverage in community magazines and conference talks by presenters from organizations like LibreOffice and Blender Foundation have highlighted its brush responsiveness and workflow focus.

Portability and System Requirements

Builds and packages target major desktop environments and platforms that package maintainers from Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch Linux, Windows, and macOS distributions maintain. System requirements are modest compared with high-end painting suites used in studios such as Industrial Light & Magic but expect multi-core CPUs and GPU-accelerated drawing stacks common on hardware from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA, as well as tablet input from vendors like Wacom and Huion. Community-maintained packages and Flatpak/Snap styles follow packaging precedents used by projects such as GNOME and KDE.

Category:Raster graphics editors