Drawing with the Brush Tool
The Brush tool is pressure sensitive and can create a contour shape which gives a thick and thin line effect, as if the drawing was made with a paint brush.
With the Brush tool, you can draw as vector or bitmap, depending on your preference. When you add your drawing layer, you can simply select the vector or bitmap option. If you use vector, you will be able to enlarge your drawing and zoom into it without losing quality or resolution. You can also use the Contour Editor and Select tools to resize and modify lines. If you draw with bitmap, you will not be able to scale your drawing beyond 100% of its resolution without encountering pixelization issues.
You can create your own brush styles. A variety of brush styles are provided allowing you to create and save your own.This way you can create brushes with precise sizes and parameters and save them so you can draw and design. Renaming a brush can make it easier to identify and access the brushes you use most frequently.
A dynamic brush can be created for drawing using patterns created from your artwork. Create a new dynamic brush to copy a pattern you have drawn to reproduce it quickly. You can create dynamic brushes using a single or multiple patterns that will automatically switch through the patterns as you draw.
How to draw with the Brush tool
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1.
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In the Timeline view, click the Add Drawing Layer button. |
The Add Drawing Layer window opens.
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2.
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In the Name field, name your new layer. |
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3.
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Set the Line Art and Colour Art options to Vector to get a vector layer or to Bitmap to have a bitmap layer. |
A new drawing layer is added to the Timeline view.
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5.
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In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the cell on which you want to draw.
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6.
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In the Tools toolbar, select the Brush tool or press Alt + B. |
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7.
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In the Colour view, click a colour swatch to select a colour. |
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8.
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In the Drawing or Camera view, start drawing. |
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Hold Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (Mac OS X) to force a line to join the start and end of the shape while drawing. |
The last colour you select while using the Brush tool is recalled the next time you select the Brush tool.
How to modify the brush settings
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1.
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In the Tools toolbar, select the Brush tool or press Alt + B. |
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2.
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In the Tool Properties view, the preview area displays the stroke that will be produced after you customize the different parameters in the Tool Properties view. Click the arrow button. |
The Brush Properties window opens.
This is where you set the minimum and maximum sizes of your drawing tool which will produce the thick and thin effect on your stroke. This works with the pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.
Parameter
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Description
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Maximum Size
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Sets the maximum width of the line. |
Minimum Size |
Sets the minimum width of the line in relation to the maximum size. |
Smoothness |
Lets you modify the central line smoothness of the line. This parameter smooths the initial movement of your line. Increasing the value will result in a smoother line with fewer control points. |
Contour Smoothness |
Optimizes the contour line smoothness of the line. This parameter will smooth the contour of the line once it has been traced; the higher the value, the fewer control points will compose your line. |
Tip Shape |
Lets you select a tip shape from round and square ones to star shaped.
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Texture |
See How to draw with textured lines
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How to rename a brush
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1.
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In the Tool Properties view, select a brush to rename. |
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2.
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From the Brush menu, select Rename Brush. |
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3.
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Type in a new name for the brush. |
How to delete a brush preset
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1.
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Select the brush preset you want to delete. |
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2.
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Do one of the following: |
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In the Brush Preset view, click the Delete Brush button. |
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From the Brush Preset menu , select Delete Brush. |