As the end of the year is approaching and the next few days will belong to the festivities with our families, we would like to take a moment to reflect on 2025 and thank our creative community for your unwavering support.
A Year of Celebration
2025 was a truly special year for Escape Motions, marked by the celebration of Rebelle’s 10th anniversary. What started as a personal experiment of simulating watercolors has evolved into a powerful engine that authentically mimics the behavior of various media on a digital canvas.
To honor this milestone, we shared a series of anniversary features, including interviews with artists and the Rebelle development team, reflecting on the past decade of innovation while also looking ahead to the future of digital painting.
Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=TtgN-TeEMh0
Rebelle 8: Next-gen Painting Software
In late July, we introduced Rebelle 8 to the public in an Early Access release. After more than a year and a half of development and testing, artists were able to explore more than 40 new features and improvements, while providing valuable feedback to shape the final release.
“Digital oil painting in Rebelle 8 Pro is breathtaking. You feel like you're stirring with the brush in physically realistic paint; you seem to be able to feel the creamy consistency of the colours. I’m just thrilled!” - Georg Ireland, Digital Painter
Throughout the summer, we shared feature-by-feature previews, offering a deeper look into new tools (such as Bristle Brushes, RealShader, SoftShadows, NanoPixel 2, and more), workflow enhancements, and under-the-hood improvements. Rebelle 8 officially moved out of Early Access in early October, marking the first full public release of this next-generation version.
Alongside Rebelle 8, we also introduced a new licensing model, offering one year of free updates with each purchase. We plan to deliver meaningful improvements gradually throughout the year. The recent Rebelle 8.2 update brought a collection of practical new features designed to make your creative workflow smoother and more enjoyable.
180+ Papers, Canvases, and Art Surfaces
Rebelle´s paper library went through a major reorganization in 2025. With more than 180 art surfaces now available, we moved from fixed sets of three to individual surfaces, introduced new bundles, and added instant-preview in Rebelle 8, allowing artists to test each surface before committing to purchase.
Our focus was on expanding canvas selection while introducing 12 canvases named after legendary artists. We also shared a behind-the-scenes video offering a closer look at how Rebelle papers are created.
Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=ts3_TyGpjy8
Resources for Artists
Education and artistic growth remained a key focus for video content creation throughout the year. The continuation of the Rebelle Master Series by Daniel Ibanez brought a great deal of excitement and positive feedback. The series explored the techniques of Impressionist masters such as Degas and Monet, followed by studies of Sorolla, Fechin, and Wood.
In addition, we shared valuable tips and tutorials from featured artists, including the introduction of new features in Rebelle 8 by Justice Frangipane. All of these are available on our YouTube channel. Most of the tips can be found in written form on our blog as well.
A Growing Creative Community
We are delighted to see our artist community grow on our website as well as on social media platforms. From forum discussions and portfolio building in the Gallery to participation in our contests and art challenges, your engagement inspires us every day.
In 2025, we hosted multiple community challenges, including the Spring DTIYS Challenge, the Back to School Art Challenge, and the Haunted Atelier Challenge. We are also proud to have continued our sponsorship of international competitions such as the World Illustration Awards and the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, alongside various projects and collaborations with our tablet partners.
More Opportunities to Collaborate
As our community grows, we are always looking for new ways to collaborate. We would love to work even more closely with artists, educators, studios, content creators, and creative partners in the year ahead. Whether through tutorials, featured artist projects, events, or our affiliate partnership program, we are open to meaningful collaborations that support artists and creative education worldwide.
If you are interested in partnering with us or exploring collaboration opportunities, we would love to hear from you.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As we step into the holiday season, we hope this time brings you moments of rest, inspiration, and creativity. Whether that means putting the brush down for a while or finding joy in creating something new. We are heading into 2026 with gratitude, renewed energy, and a deep appreciation for this community that continues to inspire everything we do.
Thank you for being part of Escape Motions and for sharing this creative journey with us.
Happy Holidays,
The Escape Motions Team
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Cover image by Lergert
