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Home/Categories/Design & Creative/MyPaint
icon of MyPaint

MyPaint

Open source alternative to Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter and Clip Studio Paint

image of MyPaint
Contents
  1. 01Who MyPaint is for

Repository

Stars
2.9K
Forks
448
License
GPL-2.0
Latest
v2.0.1
Last commit
140 days ago
Last verified
May 13, 2026
Repo
mypaint/mypaint ↗

Additional details

A free and open-source raster graphics editor designed for digital painting, with a focus on a natural media painting experience.

2.9K starsPythonGPL-2.0Updated this year
Visit websiteGitHub repo
  • 02The problem it solves
  • 03How it solves it
  • 04Strengths and trade-offs
  • 05Tech stack
  • 06FAQ
  • 07Similar open-source tools
    • TL;DR

    MyPaint is a desktop painting app built for freehand drawing with graphics tablets and a distraction-light canvas. It replaces paid digital painting apps for artists who want a local, focused sketching workflow. GPL-2.0 licensed.GPL-2.0 · Python · 2.9K stars · Updated this year

    who it's for

    Who MyPaint is for#

    Illustrators sketching with tablets

    Use MyPaint for freehand sketches, concept work, and painting practice with a pressure-sensitive tablet.

    Skip if:

    You need professional photo retouching or complex print production workflows.

    Linux artists avoiding paid suites

    Use MyPaint when you want a native-feeling open painting app on Linux without a subscription.

    Skip if:

    Your clients require Photoshop, Procreate, or Clip Studio project compatibility.

    the problem

    The problem it solves#

    how MyPaint solves it

    How it solves it#

    Tablet-first painting workflow

    MyPaint is designed for Wacom-style graphics tablets, which makes pressure-sensitive drawing and brush control central to the experience.

    Distraction-light canvas

    The app emphasizes drawing and painting rather than dense editing panels, helping artists stay focused during sketching sessions.

    Brush-focused creative tooling

    MyPaint includes painting-oriented brush behavior rather than treating brushes as a small part of a larger photo editor.

    strengths · trade-offs

    Strengths and trade-offs#

    Strengths

    • Focused alternative to large suitesMyPaint is useful when artists need a drawing app, not a subscription design suite with many unrelated tools.
    • Local creative workflowArtwork stays on the artist's machine, which fits private sketching, offline practice, and Linux-based creative setups.

    Trade-offs

    • -Not a full image production suiteMyPaint is strongest for drawing and painting. Teams needing advanced photo editing, layout, or design handoff tools should pair it with another app.
    tech stack · detected from GitHub

    What it's built on#

    Languages
    CC++Python
    frequently asked

    FAQ#

    Is MyPaint a Photoshop replacement?

    MyPaint replaces Photoshop only for drawing and painting workflows. It is not meant to cover the full photo editing and production design surface.

    Does MyPaint work with drawing tablets?

    Yes. MyPaint is designed around graphics-tablet painting and drawing workflows.

    Who is MyPaint best for?
    also worth a look

    Similar open-source tools#

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    Language
    Python
    Open issues
    224
    Contributors
    390
    First release
    2014

    Categories

    Design & Creative

    Tags

    Graphic DesignUI/UX DesignDeveloper ToolsOpen CoreDocumentation

    Many creative tools bundle painting, photo editing, vector design, cloud libraries, and asset management into one paid suite. Artists who mainly want a fast drawing surface can end up fighting the interface instead of sketching.

    Digital painting also depends on tablet feel, brush behavior, and low-friction canvas movement. A focused local app can be better than a broad commercial suite when the job is drawing rather than production design management.

    MyPaint is best for artists who want a focused local sketching and painting app, especially on Linux.