Type of device* : Laptop
Brand and version of the device: ASUS Vivobook Pro 16 GB RAM/1TB Memory/AMD Ryzen 9 chip/Radeon graphics
System** : Windows 11
* graphics tablet/display tablet/2-in-1 laptop/Android tablet
** Windows/Linux/Mac/Android, + version (you’ll find it in Help -> Show system information for bug reports)
Description of the issue (you can include screenshots): I’m a complete digital art novice and generally fairly ignorant with IT. First Krita project. I am using downloaded photos (my own and from online libraries) to produce a collage as a template for painting. I have been able to download some photos and to make unwanted parts of the images transparent using the transparency mask. However, I am now getting a message that MyPaint Brush Engine not available for use with transparency mask. This happens with my own photos and those from libraries. I have loads of storage and memory available. Any ideas? Thanks.
The error message is, “The MyPaint Brush Engine is not available for this colourspace”.
You get the same message if you try to use a MyPaint brush on a Greyscale/Alpha paint layer.
A transparency mask is a Greyscale layer and it seems that the MyPaint engine is not capable of painting on them for some technical reason that someone else may be able to explain.
The only way around it that I can think of is to use a MyPaint brush on a paint layer and then Convert that paint layer to a transparency mask.
However, you probably want to see a live update of the effect as you paint on a transparency mask.
Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I tried converting the imported image to a transparency layer, but then couldn’t find the image to work on. I suspect beginner’s misunderstanding of how the layers and masks work. But it’s odd because the process described below worked for the first few images I worked on. This process was to import images as paint layers and add a transparency mask underneath each image, using the paint brush with black to create transparent sections of the images. But then it stopped me doing this. I can’t think of anything I changed, but acknowledge that with my unfamiliarity with the system, user error is the most likely explanation.
It’s not a ‘transparancy layer’, it’s a ‘transparency mask’.
It can’t exist on its own as a layer, it has to be attached to a parent layer.
The image that you imported and converted to a transparency mask will have become attached to the nearest paint layer and will then have controlled the transparency of that paint layer.
If the image was RGB/A then it would have been converted to Greyscale for the purpose of becoming a transparency mask.
AhabGreybeard. Thanks again for the time and the advice. I’ll approach the project with this in mind. I imported the transparency mask as an attachment to the “parent” paint layer (right clicked on paint layer and selected Add, then Transparency Mask). The transparency mask is listed in Layers as a “child” of the “parent” paint layer. I then tried to use the paint tool (black from a monochrome palette which was the only one available) in the transparency mask. No joy. I’ll keep reading, absorbing, experimenting. I may be trying to walk before I can run.
A short answer of a layman – when it comes to color(spaces).
No, JPG/JPEG/JFIF can’t have Alpha-Channel, PNG, KRA, PSD, (can) have an Alpha-Channel.
Maybe someone with better understanding of the topic color and color-spaces can give a more detailed answer, or you take a look in our manual, which is very good, and especially this topic is superior (and important).
…and here comes a broadside of color
Hi Michelist. Thanks and wow! Who knew there was so much to colour? My cones and synapses were saturated. Anyway. I converted a JPG image to PNG and imported it as a paint layer. Then I added a transparency mask under the paint layer. But it still wouldn’t let me use a paint brush to make parts of the image transparent. Aaaagh! (Deep breaths). I’m sure it’s something obvious that I’m overlooking.
Hi. I opened the image in Paint (the basic programme that comes with Windows) and saved as a PNG picture. The other standard options for saving are JPEG, BMP, and GIF.
Hi. I’ll find out how to do that (I said I was IT illiterate). Another useful skill. Then I’ll find out how to use an imoji. Is there one with an old man throwing his laptop into a canal? Oh hang on…. This day has not been wasted.
You can do that in krita And you didn’t need to do that.
With krita running and showing the situation you want to show:
Press Ctrl+Shift+PrtSc (the Print Screen key).
That is a Windows system level function which will take a screenshot of the entire monitor and place the image on the system clipboard.
Then, in krita, do Edit → Paste into New Image
That will create a new image in a new tab and there is your screenshot as an image in krita.
(At this point, some people like to add red boxes around things, for highlighting, and maybe do hand written annotations as notes for whoever will be looking at it later, etc.)
Then do File → Export, select a suitable folder to send it to, the Desktop is good.
Type in a suitable File name: and select Files of type: to be .png, then press Save.
Leave all the many options as they are and press OK
The .png image file of your screenshot will then be on your Desktop and you can Upload it to a reply here.
Digital image applications (and computers in general) involve various concepts and many ‘tools and functions’. Most people on this forum have worked with those for many years and so they are second nature to them and almost taken for granted.
It does take time to learn them all and get used to them but take it easy and slowly and don’t stress yourself about it. You will get there .
Whatever you do, it must be fun and interesting for you so make sure that it is
@emessem why won’t you just use a different brush? Most brushes are not MyPaint brushes and should work for that purpose. For example Basic-5 Size Opacity brush should work fine.
Hi Chief. Make that Genius. I tried a few more paint brush types and one works! Thanks so much to you and the other forum friends who contributed to this fix I have learned something new from all your inputs.
. This day has not been wasted.