Paint Tool
The Paint Tool is Plinken’s built-in image editor with realistic color mixing powered by Mixbox. Unlike standard digital paint apps that blend colors in RGB, the Paint Tool simulates real pigment behavior using the Kubelka-Munk model — so yellow over blue makes green, just like real paint.
Opening the Paint Tool
Section titled “Opening the Paint Tool”- New painting: Create → Paint Tool, or use the Asset Manager context menu
- Edit existing image: Right-click an image asset → “Edit in Paint Tool”
When editing an existing image, the original file name is preserved for saving.
Pigment Color Mixing
Section titled “Pigment Color Mixing”Traditional digital color mixing uses linear RGB interpolation — mixing yellow (#FFFF00) and blue (#0000FF) gives gray. Real paint doesn’t work that way.
The Paint Tool uses Mixbox, which models how real pigments absorb and scatter light:
| Mix | RGB Result | Pigment Result |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow + Blue | Gray | Green |
| Red + Yellow | Orange-brown | Orange |
| Red + Blue | Dark purple | Violet |
| Red + White | Pink-gray | Pink |
| All colors | Gray | Dark brown |
Toggle pigment blending on/off in the toolbar to compare. When disabled, standard RGB blending is used.
| Tool | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Brush | B | Paint with current color and pigment mixing |
| Eraser | E | Erase to canvas background |
| Eyedropper | I | Pick a color from the canvas |
| Fill | G | Flood-fill an area with current color |
| Magic Wand | W | Select regions by color similarity |
Brush Settings
Section titled “Brush Settings”| Property | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 1–200 px | Brush diameter |
| Opacity | 0–100% | Stroke transparency — lower values create watercolor-like layering |
| Pigment Blend | On/Off | Toggle realistic pigment mixing vs RGB blending |
Pigment Palette
Section titled “Pigment Palette”The palette includes colors modeled after real artist paint tubes:
- Cadmium Yellow — warm, opaque yellow
- Cadmium Red — bright, strong red
- Ultramarine Blue — classic deep blue
- Phthalo Blue — intense, transparent blue
- Phthalo Green — deep, cool green
- Burnt Sienna — warm earth tone
- Raw Umber — natural brown
- Titanium White — opaque white for tints
- Mars Black — dense black
Plus extended colors (Cyan, Magenta, Coral, Lavender, Teal, Lime, Gold) and a custom color picker with hex input and color wheel.
Color Wheel
Section titled “Color Wheel”The built-in color wheel lets you pick any hue, saturation, and value. Selected colors mix with the pigment model when painting over existing strokes.
New Image Dialog
Section titled “New Image Dialog”When creating a new painting:
| Property | Options | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Width | Any px | 1920 |
| Height | Any px | 1080 |
| Background | White, Black, Transparent | White |
Presets: 1920×1080 (HD), 3840×2160 (4K), 1080×1080 (Square), 1080×1920 (Portrait).
Magic Wand
Section titled “Magic Wand”Select contiguous regions by color similarity:
| Property | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tolerance | 0–255 | How similar colors must be to be included in selection |
Selected regions can be deleted (cut to background) with the Delete key.
Undo / Redo
Section titled “Undo / Redo”Full undo/redo history for all operations including paint strokes, fill, and selection-delete. Each stroke creates a snapshot for precise step-back.
Saving
Section titled “Saving”Paintings save as PNG to the current project’s asset folder. The file name is editable in the toolbar. When editing an existing image, saving overwrites the original file.
Integration with Plinken
Section titled “Integration with Plinken”The Paint Tool runs as a webview inside Plinken, with full IPC to the DAW:
- Asset Manager: Right-click any image → Edit in Paint Tool
- Textures: Paint textures for 3D scenes, save directly to project assets
- Album Art: Create cover art with realistic paint effects
- Storyboards: Sketch visual ideas with natural color behavior
Why Pigment Mixing Matters
Section titled “Why Pigment Mixing Matters”For musicians and filmmakers working with visual content, color accuracy matters. Pigment mixing produces results that feel natural and intuitive — the same way colors work in the physical world. When you layer yellow over blue and get green, it just makes sense.
This is especially valuable for:
- Painting textures that feel organic
- Creating album artwork with natural color transitions
- Sketching storyboard frames with realistic shading
- Any visual work where “mix two colors” should behave like real paint