2D art is very important for conveying emotions, defining the visual identity, and telling the story in games. In the Espada project, we use 2D digital illustrations virtually everywhere. For that, we had several software options for illustration and chose one that reflects the project’s core values—accessibility, collaboration, and purpose. 

So we chose Krita. Why? Krita is a tool made by artists for artists. It has an intuitive interface, is free, and open-source, making it accessible for small teams like ours and for social projects. The program includes various tools for layered art, even frame-by-frame animation, and it supports formats used in game engines. 

In the Espada Project, we emphasize our commitment to democratic access to technology, and a free, professional-grade tool greatly helps us maintain a high level of production. Some time ago, Photoshop—the most used software for illustration and design—was boycotted by the artistic community. Adobe had openly admitted to collecting data from work created with their software to train their AI, which we consider outrageous! That was one of the reasons we chose not to use it—besides its already inaccessible pricing. 

In this production phase, our junior artist Ramon had the opportunity to be trained and mentored by the senior artist and leader of the Adas Team, following the game's style. This way, we applied everything we believe to be healthy for the game development industry and nurtured our ideals with a team that always supports one another—and Krita, with its simplicity, makes that possible. 

Throughout the planning and production stages, we realized we can strengthen the independent cultural production ecosystem not only by creating but also by talking about the tools and steps of the process. We make a point of promoting Krita, and that’s part of our mission. We encourage other developers and artists to explore powerful and accessible tools like this one. 

So, ready to give Krita a try?