The wait is over - Early Access to Rebelle 8 is here! Starting today, you can dive into the most advanced version of Rebelle we've ever created, packed with powerful new tools, smarter workflows, and creative possibilities that blur the line between traditional and digital art like never before.
This Early Access release gives you the unique opportunity to explore and experience Rebelle 8 features before the official launch in September. Rebelle 8 comes in two editions - Rebelle 8 standard, full of great new features and Rebelle 8 Pro, which in addition offers the extra experience of Bristle Brushes, RealShader with SoftShadows, improved NanoPixel 2, Smooth Scaling, advanced PSD import and export, and more. Of course, the Pro edition also includes the already-known Pigments, Metallics, Fractal Image Processing, Color Management, and Photoshop plug-in, which is now natively compatible with M-chips on macOS!
Let's dive into the groundbreaking features that make Rebelle 8 a true artistic powerhouse.
Watch the video introducing the new features:
Rebelle 8 Pro Key Features
Bristle Brushes - Powered by the new particle brush system, bristle brushes simulate the movement and behavior of each individual strand. Every stroke can now respond uniquely to color, smudging, pressure, and more, unlocking a whole new level of creative expression. Rebelle comes with predefined bristle brushes as part of the package, and you can customize them or create your own through the powerful Brush Creator.
We’ll continue refining this feature leading up to the official release.
RealShader - A new generation of realistic Rebelle materials that use environment maps. These maps simulate how light interacts with thick paint, making your brushstrokes look more lifelike. Choose from three built-in environment maps and achieve a much deeper, more realistic oil painting effect.
SoftShadows - Oil brushstrokes can now cast realistic shadows, reflect light based on their shape and color, and exhibit a sense of three-dimensional volume in a real-time painting environment. SoftShadows are deactivated by default. To get the best out of bristle brushes, activate them via Visual Settings > Rendering.
NanoPixel 2 - Export up to 20×20 (2000%) larger images through the improved NanoPixel export, providing dramatically higher resolution and precision. Enjoy the enhanced realism of the brushwork when zoomed in. The export size is capped at 32,000 x 32,000 pixels for all file formats, except TIFF, which has unlimited export size.
Smooth Scaling - A brand-new antialiasing technique that ensures strokes retain their smoothness and clarity no matter how far in or out you zoom, from 0% to 100% scale. This results in beautifully crisp and smooth strokes.
Advanced PSD Import & Export - Preserve layer arrangements, effects, and masks in PSD files more faithfully. As a result, working between Rebelle and other digital art tools will feel smoother and more intuitive.
Custom Reflectivity Textures - Upload your own reflectivity pattern for Metallic materials to bring variety to your metallic artworks.
Escape Motions Connect - Photoshop plugin is also getting an update and now runs natively with Photoshop on M-series chips, eliminating the need for Rosetta mode.
WebSocket Control Input - Enables remote operation of the software via external devices, offering exciting possibilities for interactive installations, live performances, projections, and custom hardware setups through command-line arguments.
"My enthusiasm for the new brush technology, combined with RealShader and Raytracing, has not waned, but grows with every new painting. The bristle brushes are now so well adjusted that I hardly ever have to go into the brush creator to make adjustments. The sliders in the properties panel are completely sufficient to create countless variations in the behavior of the brushes." ~ Georg Ireland, Digital Painter & Rebelle 8 Betatester
Rebelle 8 Key Features
Larger Brushes - Thanks to the new brush engine, you can now push brush sizes up to 3,000 pixels, which is 4.28× larger compared to the previous version. Whether you want to block in backgrounds quickly, create sweeping gestures, or add expressive textures with bold strokes, the new larger brushes give you the freedom to work on a grander scale.
Recent Brushes - Keep track of the brushes you’ve recently used within your current painting project. These brushes are conveniently collected and displayed in a new 'Recent' tab under the Favorites Brushes tool, making it easy to switch back to tools you’ve been using frequently without manually reselecting them.
Symmetry Tool - Create perfectly mirrored artwork with ease using symmetry. Now, whether you're sketching characters, creatures, or just exploring balance, you can paint and still feel like you're using a real brush.
We’ll continue refining this feature leading up to the official release.
"Rebelle 8 is the final piece of the paint simulation puzzle. The new bristle brushes and real shader system create the most organic and three-dimensional feel I’ve ever experienced in a painting software. Each brushstroke feels unique, forming tiny ridges and subtle hue shifts that mimic the texture and depth of real oil paint, allowing me to get that organic brushwork look. The impasto gets impressively thick, introducing a new level of depth to my digital work. This is by far my favorite version of Rebelle." ~ Ludovico Clovis, Painter & Rebelle 8 Betatester
Instant Paper Preview - Instantly try out all individual papers, canvases, and art surfaces in the software. Choose the perfect paper for your artwork, which can now be purchased separately; no more sets of three. We’ll continue refining this feature leading up to the official release.
Layer Settings - Assign settings per layer, including layer color for better visual organization, impasto settings per layer, adjusting the texture’s depth, and choosing how it blends with the layers beneath. Moreover, control metallic reflectivity individually, per layer, and get precise control over how metallic paints shine and catch light.
Custom Granulation Textures - Upload your own granulation pattern for Watercolor Granulation in the Visual Settings panel.
View at Print Size - Get an accurate preview of how your artwork will look when printed. This tool calculates the display size based on your screen’s resolution (PPI) and the artwork’s actual dimensions, allowing you to see your image at its true physical size.
Paint Selection & Selection Improvements - When in "Paint Selection" mode, you can use any brush preset to paint a selection.
Transform Anchor Point - Move the anchor point of the transformation area. This anchor point acts as the pivot or center for transforming a layer or selection, affecting how it is positioned, rotated, and scaled.
More Features - Besides these fantastic features, you will get even more, including color harmonies, RYB color wheel, improvements in the Filter Layers, faster loading of REB files, updates to the user interface and more.
Get Rebelle 8 in Early Access
To start using Rebelle 8 early, before the official release, log in to your Community account and visit our shop: https://www.escapemotions.com/shop
The pricing for Rebelle 8 remains the same both during Early Access and after the full version release. The standard edition is available for $89.99, while the more advanced Rebelle 8 Pro edition is priced at $149.99, both with 1-Year Free Updates included.
Upgrade from Rebelle 7
If you own Rebelle 7 or Rebelle 7 Pro, you’re eligible for a 50% discount. That means you can get Rebelle 8 standard for $44.99 or Rebelle 8 Pro for $74.99 - both include 1 year of free updates. Moreover, all Rebelle 8 users are eligible to upgrade to Rebelle 8 Pro for the price difference. Log in to your Community account before purchasing to see your upgrade options.
Upgrade from Rebelle 7 for free
Users who purchased Rebelle 7 standard (MSRP $89.99) or Pro (MSRP $149.99) from May 28th, 2025, until the start of Rebelle 8's Early Access are eligible for a free upgrade to the same edition of Rebelle 8, with 1-year free updates included. Log in to your Community account and go to the 'Purchases' tab - Rebelle 8 is impatiently waiting for you. :)
1-Year Free Updates
Starting from Rebelle 8, with 1-Year Free Updates, you’ll receive all new features, improvements, and fixes for a full 12 months from the day you purchase your Rebelle license. And here’s the best part: your license is still perpetual.
That means:
- You own Rebelle forever, no subscriptions.
- You can continue using the version you own even after your update period ends.
- You can renew your update access at any time to get another year of updates.
To ensure long-term stability and compliance, we're committed to offering a 2-year Long-Term Support (LTS) version of Rebelle. This aligns with consumer protection laws, including EU Directive 2019/770, which requires necessary updates to maintain software conformity. In simple terms: your license includes one year of new features and two years of maintenance updates and bug fixes of the version you purchased. You can find more details in our EULA, under 2. Software Updates.
If you decide not to extend the update period, you’ll still keep full access to the last version of Rebelle released during your update window. This is different from a subscription model, where access to the software ends if you stop paying. The price of the renewal of the update period is planned to be 50% off the full price of Rebelle.
You can learn about the new licensing 1-Year Free Updates model on our blog, see our FAQ's, or if you have any unanswered questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].
Refund Policy
As usual, you are eligible for a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, since we're running Early Access, if you purchase Rebelle 8 now, your refund period ends 30 days after the release of the full Rebelle 8 version, currently planned for September 2025.
Your Feedback Matters
We’re continuing to refine Rebelle to ensure a smooth and bug-free experience. Your feedback plays a crucial role in this process. Please share your thoughts via Help > Send Feedback in Rebelle 8, visit our forum, or reach out to us directly at [email protected].
Let's showcase your creative endeavors with Rebelle 8! Share your artwork in the online Gallery or use #madewithrebelle in your social media posts. We're eager to see what you create! :)
Happy painting!
Escape Motions Team
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Images by Rebelle Featured Artists Georg Ireland, Ludovico Clovis, Karen Bonaker, and Han Sang-sun
