This is the splash art I created for Krita version 5.0. It was in use up to version 5.2.2. The picture was inspired by Claude Monet’s Woman with a Parasol.
Krita is a free and open source digital painting application. Kiki the Cyber Squirrel (the character in this picture) is the mascot I designed for Krita. I also provided, and has been maintaining, most of Krita’s simplified Chinese translations for the application, the documentation, websites, and everything.
Krita website: https://krita.org/
Other versions of Kiki
- Kiki the Cyber Squirrel: mascot of digital painting app Krita (this page)
- Kiki: support character in Electric Hearts, Sunset Era
- Kiki: support character in Spirit Animals in Disguise
- Kiki the Robot Squirrel: support character in Electric Hearts, Evernight Era
- Connections between Electric Hearts & Spirit Animals in Disguise
- Characters based on my FOSS mascots
Design
In 2020, I discovered that on a Hi-DPI display, Krita would show a high-resolution version of the splash art. The previous splash art featured a flat coloring style, which looked too simple in this context. The flat color was intentional as I was practicing shape and color relationships; advanced techniques with smooth gradients and excessive detail would hinder my observation. For the new splash, I opted for more advanced techniques to ensure sufficient detail under Hi-DPI displays.
In this version, I emphasized Kiki’s robotic nature for her “cyber squirrel” namesake. All her joints are mechanical, and some internal frameworks are exposed. Her hair, flower bud ears, tail, and dress use translucent synthetic materials to emphasize her artificial nature. Her costume design is also much more detailed than the previous versions.
I was generally satisfied with the outcome of this picture, but there was also a big issue I took from this picture. It was supposed to be a homage to Claude Monet’s Woman with a Parasol, but the original picture’s color relationship — the biggest point of the picture — was lost. I paid too much attention to enhance the details, I “saw only the leaves, but forgot about the forest”.
I was generally satisfied with the outcome of this picture, but with one exception. It was meant to pay homage to Claude Monet’s Woman with a Parasol, yet the original color relationship – the key point – was lost. I focused too much on enhancing details and “saw only the leaves, forgetting about the forest.”
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