Kreska Review: A Powerful Free Online Drawing Tool for Any Device

I’ll be honest: drawing has never been one of my strongest talents — and that’s putting it mildly. 😅 I usually leave that to real artists. But recently I stumbled upon Kreska, a free online drawing tool, and I immediately thought some of you might want to hear about it.

Despite my questionable artistic skills, the tool genuinely surprised me. It works directly in your web browser on any device, and even though it’s simple to use, it offers an impressive range of features: layers, customizable brushes, PSD export, augmented-reality drawing, and even a quirky Auto Color system.

Whether you enjoy drawing or just need something to sketch on the go, Kreska is worth a look.

What Is Kreska?

Kreska is a browser-based drawing application launched in May 2025. It’s the brainchild of Michał Bednarczyk, a solo developer with a passion for both programming and art.

Getting started is effortless:

1. Open the website
2. Click the blue button “Start painting”
3. Begin drawing instantly

You’re not limited to a blank canvas. Kreska also lets you:

• Import images from your device
• Start from one of 89 built-in templates, mostly portraits (male and female), plus a few houses, cars, and animals

These models are perfect for beginners, practice sessions, or quick experiments without searching for reference images.

And the best part? It works everywhere:

• Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Brave
• Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux

No installation, no account — just open the page and go.

Kreska’s Main Features

Even though Kreska runs in a regular browser tab, it’s far from a basic doodling tool. It packs more than enough features for serious sketching and experimentation.

1. Full Layer Support

Kreska includes essential layer management options:

• Add, duplicate, or merge layers
• Adjust opacity
• Lock alpha
• Organize and reorder layers freely

2. Over 100 Customizable Brushes

You get a wide selection of tools:

• Pencil
• Ink pen
• Watercolor brush
• Pixel-art tools
• Blending brushes
• Eraser modes

Each brush can be customized — size, opacity, flow — and can even act as a mixer or eraser depending on your settings.

3. Auto Color Mode

This is one of Kreska’s standout features. Auto Color lets you paint using the correct colors extracted directly from a reference image.

How it works:

1. Load a reference model
2. Paint over it
3. Kreska automatically picks the appropriate colors based on your brush position

It’s incredibly useful for training, speed-painting, or understanding color placement without manually sampling tones.

4. Augmented Reality Drawing (Mobile/Tablet)

On smartphones and tablets, Kreska includes a fun AR mode. It displays your camera feed behind the canvas, so you can draw over real-world objects:

• A sheet of paper
• A book cover
• An object on your desk

It’s not essential, but it’s definitely enjoyable — ideal for creative exercises or just playing around.

Saving and Exporting Your Work

Kreska handles file management smoothly:

• Auto-save keeps your drawing stored locally in your browser
• Closing the tab accidentally won’t lose your work
• You can export in .kreska format or PSD for editing in apps like Photoshop

The PSD export doesn’t include every advanced feature, but it retains your layers, making it easy to continue your work elsewhere.

A Handy Tool Worth Bookmarking

Kreska isn’t meant to replace professional software or a full graphic-tablet setup. But for quick sketches, practice sessions, using a borrowed device, testing brushes, or drawing during downtime, it’s more than capable.

It’s fast, free, cross-platform, and surprisingly feature-rich — a great tool to keep in your digital toolbox.