Rebelle (software)
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| Developer(s) | Escape Motions |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 28 May 2015 |
| Stable release | 7.1.6
/ 16 May 2024 |
| Written in | C++, Qt |
| Operating system | Windows, macOS |
| Type | Raster graphics editor |
| License | Proprietary, Perpetual |
| Website | rebelle |
Rebelle is a raster graphics editor for digital painting and drawing, designed to simulate oils, acrylics, watercolors, pencils and other traditional paint media on a digital canvas. It is developed and published by the Slovak company Escape Motions. The software is intended to be used by everyone interested in digital painting, from children to professional digital painters, concept artists and illustrators. It was first released in 2015 and has since gained popularity among artists seeking to replicate the natural and organic feel of traditional tools in a digital environment.
Rebelle’s paint engine simulates various types of wet and dry media. The pigment color mixing, oil thickness, watercolor diffusion, and NanoPixel technology work together to realistically emulate how natural media interact with each other and with the canvas.
The first Rebelle version was released in 2015.[1] Escape Motions was accepted to present it at the SIGGRAPH’s 2016 Appy Hour where independent app developers introduce their apps to the attendees.[2]
The current version is Rebelle 7, released in December 2023.[3] Rebelle is currently available in two different editions: Standard and Pro which includes additional features: Pigment color mixing, NanoPixel technology, Metallic materials, Photoshop plugin, Color management, and Fractal image resizing.
Rebelle is compatible with Windows and MacOS and is designed to be used with a tablet PC or graphics tablet, but it can be used with a computer mouse as well.
Tools and Features
[edit]Rebelle includes wet media tools: oils, acrylics, watercolors, ink pens, and dry tools: pastels, pencils, charcoals, markers, and airbrushes. Other tools are blend, smudge, liquify, clone, fill, water, dry, blow, color picker, tilt, transform tools, selection tools, and more.
Rebelle includes different types of customizable brushes with various brush textures. It offers multiple paper surfaces, that serve as a background for the painting and dynamically interact with the painting tools. The software has a touch gesture system for touch and multitouch displays which supports simultaneous zooming, rotating, and panning.
List of main features
[edit]| Painting tools | Other tools and features |
|---|---|
| Oils, Acrylics, Express Oils, Watercolors, Inks, Pencils, Markers, Pastels, Airbrushes | Smudge, Blend, Liquify, Clone, Eraser, Fill, Pick color, Water tool, Dry tool, Blow tool, Selection, Transform, Warp, Deform, Perspective, Canvas resize, Image resize, Crop image, Layers, Image tracing, Masking fluid, Layer masks, Clipping masks, Filter layers, Reference Images, Filters, Grids, Guides, Line, Ellipse and Perspective tools, Tilt with accelerometer, Stencils, Mixing Palette, Timelapse recording, Color management, Vector paths, Structures |
Technology
[edit]Watercolor and wet media simulation, DropEngine
[edit]Rebelle’s watercolor simulation is built upon real-world color mixing, blending, moistening, and drying. The fluid simulation is based on Navier-Stokes equations to simulate the realistic fluid flow occurring in nature. Watercolor simulation in Rebelle is an extensive sandbox that consists internally of multiple layers, used to calculate the water and paint simulation, wetting, drying, and re-wetting already dried colors. Users can paint, erase, blend, and smear the painting, tilt the canvas to create water drops, and various watercolor effects, which are calculated in real-time.[4] The simulation offers a realistic granulation effect as the paint dries into the paper.[5]
Thick paint and impasto
[edit]Rebelle supports laying down thick layers of paint and lets users control the impasto depth of oils and acrylics. Creating thick or thin layers is possible with the Impasto engine which uses a height map of the painting's structure.
Pigment color mixing
[edit]Rebelle 5 released in December 2021 introduced physical color mixing based on traditional pigments. It produces saturated gradients with hue shifts and natural secondary colors during blending. As a result of this colors mixing model, colors mix realistically, e.g. yellow and blue colors make green color. The implementation is based on the Mixbox model developed by Secret Weapons.[6] Their paper Practical Pigment Mixing for Digital Painting developed a mixing approach that rectifies the behavior of colors by leveraging the Kubelka–Munk model[7] and was accepted for Siggraph talk in 2021.[8]
NanoPixel
[edit]Rebelle 5 Pro introduced technology for resizing paintings and canvases in real time called NanoPixel. The technology is based on machine-learning algorithms, especially deep learning and it allows exporting 16x larger paintings. NanoPixel depends on GPU power and OpenGL for rendering the painting.[9]
Fractal image processing
[edit]Rebelle 6 Pro released in December 2022 brings the image recognition machine learning algorithm for keeping the image quality and sharp details when using the Warp and Liquify tools, transforming and deforming layers or objects on the canvas.[10]
Metallic materials
[edit]Rebelle 7 Pro features Metallic materials.[11] They work with the Oil & Acrylics tool, making it possible to mimic the look of real-world metallic paints. Users can control the look of materials with various settings.[12]
Photoshop plugin
[edit]Rebelle Pro offers a Photoshop plugin called Escape Motions Connect. It is a JSX file that can be installed into Photoshop as a panel and allows the exporting of layers between Rebelle and Photoshop. The plugin is compatible with Photoshop CC 2015 and newer.[13]
Papers and art surfaces
[edit]Rebelle introduced a new approach to how the background in digital painting software reacts to the paint by developing art surfaces based on real-world papers. This includes hot-pressed, cold-pressed, rough papers, canvases, washi, handmade, and watercolor papers of all kinds that can influence how the paint reacts to the surface.[14] Version 7 featured rendering based on ray tracing which made it possible for the paint to react to the actual bumps and irregular heights of the paper textures.[15]
Versions
[edit]The current version is Rebelle 7 and is available in two editions: Rebelle standard and Rebelle Pro which includes everything from standard edition plus additional Pro features: Pigments color mixing, NanoPixel technology, Metallic materials, Photoshop plugin, Color management and Fractal image resizing.[16]
Free trial version
[edit]You can test a 30-day free trial version which is available on the developer’s website.
Version history
[edit]Rebelle has undergone several iterations since its initial release, with each version introducing new features and improvements.
Rebelle beta 0.5.0–0.8.6
[edit]Rebelle desktop application was released for pre-purchase as a public beta in April 2015 for Windows and macOS and included notable features: watercolor simulation, painting tools (paint brush, wet brush, dry brush, smear brush, blend brush, tilt canvas), color palettes with custom colors and color picker, various paper textures, 23 layer blending modes, and tablet support.[17]
Rebelle 1.0
[edit]The first version was released in May 2015 and expanded on its beta predecessors with image import, transform layer tool, and image tracing.[18]
Rebelle 2.0
[edit]The second major release was launched on April 25th, 2017 and introduced a new brush engine, custom brushes, stencils and masking fluid, selection tools, layered PSD support, and support for multi-touch gestures.[19]
Rebelle 3.0
[edit]Rebelle 3 was released on May 1st, 2018 and featured realistic papers, redesign of the watercolor simulation code, DropEngine, "Masking Fluid" layer, Straight line, Ruler, Perspective tools, "Reference Image", and "Preview" panel.[20]
Rebelle 4.0
[edit]Rebelle 4 version was released on December 16th, 2020 and introduced Oils, revised Watercolors and watercolor simulation, wet & dry media mixing, performance optimizations, color management, layer groups, clone and fill tool, support for pen tilt, brush line stabilization and improved Brush Creator.[21]
Rebelle 5.0
[edit]Rebelle 5 was released on December 16th, 2021 and introduced two editions - the standard which brought tools like multicolored & dirty brush, express oils, volume presets & curve editors, color Mixing Palette, time-lapse recording and full-color papers and Pro edition that in addition offered Pigments color mixing, NanoPixel technology and Photoshop plug-in.[22]
Rebelle 6.0
[edit]Rebelle 6 was launched on December 15th, 2022 and included a lot of new tools such as liquify and warp tools, clipping and layer masks, grid & guides, reference image guides, favorite brushes, stroke length slider, upgraded brush creator, improved pencils and pastels, new image filters and color range, light and dark interface theme.[23] The Pro edition featured Fractal Image Processing for Transform, Liquify and Canvas Size tools for keeping the best quality for image transformations and deformations using a machine-learning algorithm.[24]
Rebelle 7.0
[edit]Rebelle 7 was released on December 14th, 2023. It included new features: Metallic materials, improved paper and art surfaces, structures, paths, gradients, or Filter layers. Rebelle 7 becomes natively compatible with Apple M chips.[25]
System requirements
[edit]Rebelle has full 64-bit support on Windows and MacOS.
Minimum system requirements are Intel i5 or equivalent AMD processor, 4 GB RAM, 1,5 GB hard disk space, a graphics card with 1 GB RAM (OpenGL 3.3 required for Rebelle Pro), Windows 10 (64-bit) or Mac OS X 10.15.
Recommended system requirements are Intel i7 (6th gen or newer), equivalent AMD processor, or Apple Silicon (M-series) chip, 16 GB RAM, 1,5 GB hard disk space, a graphics card with 2 GB RAM: NVIDIA gtx760 for FullHD, NVIDIA gtx1060 for 4K screen, or equivalent graphics card, Windows 10 (64-bit) or Mac OS 11 and newer.[26]
Supported file types
[edit]The native format is .REB which keeps all information about the layers and settings. Images can be exported to the following formats: PNG, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, WebP and Adobe Photoshop's PSD format.
| Exported File Type | Layers | Transparency |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG | No | No |
| PNG | No | Yes |
| BMP | No | No |
| TIFF | No | Yes |
| WebP | No | Yes |
| PSD | Yes | Yes |
| REB (native) | Yes | Yes |
Reception
[edit]Rebelle has garnered praise from artists and critics alike for its realistic simulation of traditional painting techniques. Its ability to mimic the behavior of oil, watercolor and other media has earned it a reputation as one of the leading digital painting software options for artists. Creative Bloq named Rebelle as the best affordable painting software.[27] TechRadar included Rebelle on the list of the best digital art and drawing software of 2024.[28] The software has been used by professional artists and hobbyists alike to create a wide range of artwork, from illustrations and concept art to fine art pieces.
Escape Motions
[edit]Escape Motions is a Slovak-based software development company specializing in graphics software for artists of all levels.
Escape Motions developed other graphics software: Flame Painter for painting with particle brushes, Amberlight for creating abstract art and animations, and Inspirit for creating mandalas. The software is compatible with Windows and macOS, Flame Painter and Inspirit were also developed as standalone apps for the iOS platform.
See also
[edit]- Digital art
- Digital painting
- Graphic art software
- Computer graphics
- Comparison of raster graphics editors
- Krita
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Escape Motions (28 May 2015). "Rebelle Released Today". Escape Motions. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ SIGGRAPH 2016 (28 June 2016). "Enjoy the Appiest of Hours at SIGGRAPH 2016". Siggraph. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Escape Motions (14 December 2023). "Introducing Rebelle 7: The Latest and Greatest in Digital Painting". Escape Motions. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Blaškovič, Peter (24 July 2016) (24 July 2016). Rebelle: real watercolor and acrylic painting software. pp. 1–2. doi:10.1145/2936744.2936747. ISBN 978-1-4503-4376-3. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Dean, Ian (6 September 2022) (7 January 2022). "Rebelle 5 review". Creative Bloq. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Secret Weapons. "Mixbox". Secret Weapons. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ Secret Weapons. "Mixbox: Pigment-Based Color Mixing" (PDF). github. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ Sochorová, Jamriška (2021). "Practical pigment mixing for digital painting". ACM Transactions on Graphics. 40 (6): 1–11. doi:10.1145/3478513.3480549. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ Escape Motions (02 December 2021). "Rebelle 5 NanoPixel: Export High-Res Canvases Thanks to Machine-Learning". Escape Motions. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Escape Motions (07 December 2022). "Rebelle 6 Coming Soon: Liquify, Warp, Fractal Resize, and More". Escape Motions. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Escape Motions (04 December 2023). "Rebelle 7 Coming Soon: Metallics, Improved Papers, Structures and Filter Layers". Escape Motions. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Thacker, Jim (21 December 2023). "Escape Motions ships Rebelle 7". CG Channel. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Escape Motions (07 March 2024). "How do I install the Escape Motions Connect to Photoshop?". Escape Motions Community. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Escape Motions. "Rebelle Papers". Escape Motions. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ Dean, Ian (15 November 2023) (15 November 2023). "Rebelle 7 announced, and it's got some bling - new features revealed". Creative Bloq. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Escape Motions (21 August 2023). "What is the difference between Rebelle 7 and Rebelle 7 Pro?". Escape Motions Community. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Escape Motions (09 April 2015). "Discover Rebelle's Tools and Features". Escape Motions. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Escape Motions (28 May 2015). "Rebelle: Released Today". Escape Motions. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Blanchard, Curt (15 May 2017) (15 May 2017). "Rebelle 2 – Review". MyMac. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Bunda, Harvey (21 November 2018) (21 November 2018). "Rebelle 3 review". Creative Bloq. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Fenech, Peter (29 June 2021) (29 June 2021). "Rebelle 4 review". Digital Camera World. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Thacker, Jim (20 December 2021). "Escape Motions releases Rebelle 5". CG Channel. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Thacker, Jim (16 December 2022). "Escape Motions releases Rebelle 6". CG Channel. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ befores & afters (20 September 2023) (20 September 2023). "Discover the artistic power of Rebelle – bridging the gap between traditional and digital painting". befores & afters. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Escape Motions (12 December 2023). "Rebelle 7 Coming Soon: Authentic Brushes and Advanced Brush Creator". Escape Motions. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Escape Motions (22 November 2023). "What are the system specifications of Rebelle 7?". Escape Motions Community. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Dean, Ian (15 January 2024) (16 December 2022). "The best digital art software". Creative Bloq. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Fearn, Nicholas (12 February 12 2024) (14 July 2021). "Best digital art and drawing software of 2024". Techradar. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)