How to Draw

Adjusting Artwork

When you create a scene, your scene comes with a default Drawing layer in which you can immediately start drawing.

NOTE Depending on your drawing style and what you are comfortable with, you may prefer to draw with the Brush tool or the Pencil tool. For more information on the difference between those tools, see When you create a scene, your scene comes with a default Drawing layer in which you can immediately start drawing. .

  1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, click in the first cell of the drawing layer.

  1. If you want to try drawing with the Brush tool, do one of the following:

    • In the Tools toolbar, select the Brush tool.
    • In the top menu, select Tools > Brush.
    • Press Alt + B.

    If you want to try drawing with the Pencil too, do one of the following:

    • In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil tool.
    • In the top menu, select Tools > Pencil.
    • Press Alt + /.
  1. In the Presets list of the Tool Properties view, select a brush or pencil preset to use.
  1. Use the Maximum Size slider to select the desired size for your brush or pencil.
  1. To select a colour, click on the colour you wish to use in the Colour view. For more information on how to create and edit colours, see How to create or edit colour swatches.

  1. In the Drawing or Camera view, start drawing.

  1. If you are using the Brush tool and wish to makes changes to your brush, in the Tool Properties view, click on the arrow button to open the Brush Properties dialog. In this dialog, you can customize the size, shape and smoothing of your brush.

    Edit Brush To Add Texture

TIPS
  • You can quickly adjust the size of the selected drawing tool by pressing and holding the O key, then clicking and dragging in the drawing space. If you are using a tablet pen, doing this with the eraser tip of your pen will adjust the size of the Eraser tool, regardless of which drawing tool is selected.
  • If you press and hold the Shift key before or while drawing, you will draw a straight line.
  • If you press and hold the Spacebar key while drawing a straight line, the angle of your line will lock. If you are using a pressure-sensitive tablet, you can draw over your line to adjust its thickness.

  • If you press and hold the Shift and Alt keys before or while drawing, you will draw a straight horizontal or vertical line.

  • If you press and hold the Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) key while drawing, your drawing stroke will turn into a closed shape.

  • If you press and hold Alt before drawing a stroke, and start drawing near existing artwork, the start of your drawing stroke will connect to that artwork.

  • If you press and hold Alt while drawing a stroke, and end your drawing stroke near existing artwork, the end of that drawing stroke will connect to that artwork.

Adjusting Artwork

Harmony offers multiple ways to adjust drawings. You can undo your last drawing stroke, erase parts of a drawing, move, transform or delete drawing strokes, and tweak the points and curves of your drawing strokes.

  1. Do one of the following:

  • From the top menu, select Edit > Undo.
  • Press Ctrl + Z (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + Z (macOS).

  1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Eraser tool or press Alt + E.
  1. In the Drawing or Camera view, draw an eraser stroke over the parts of your drawing you want to erase.
  1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Select tool or press Alt + S.
  1. In the Camera view, select the drawing strokes you want to edit by doing one of the following:
  • Click on a drawing stroke to select it.
  • Hold Shift while clicking on a drawing stroke to add it to your selection.
  • Draw a lasso around drawing strokes to select them simultaneously.

  1. Do one of the following to edit your selection:

    • To reposition the selected artwork, click on it and drag where you want to position it.

      NOTE You can also nudge your selection using the arrow keys, and fast-nudge your selection by holding Shift and pressing the arrow keys.

    • To rotate the selected artwork, click and grab just outside one of the handles at the corners of the control box and rotate it.

    • To scale the selected artwork, click and drag on one of the control points at the corners or the middle of the edges of the control box.

      TIP While scaling artwork, you can preserve its proportions by pressing and holding the Shift key.

    • To skew, drag sideways or up and down the sides or top and bottom segments, between the control points.

    • To delete, press Del (Windows/Linux) or Backspace (macOS).
  1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter tool or press Alt + T.

  1. In the Camera or Drawing view, draw a lasso around the artwork you want to cut away.

    The artwork inside the lasso you drew will be cut from the rest of the artwork and will be selected.

    TIPS
    • You can add another part of your artwork to the selection by holding Shift and drawing another lasso.
    • By default, the Cutter tool will only work on the current layer. You can cut artwork from all visible layers by holding the Ctrl (Windows) or ⌘ (macOS) key.

  1. Once you've cut out artwork, you can manipulate it like with the Select tool. For example:

    • To move the selected artwork, click and drag it.
    • To delete the selected area, press Del.
    • To scale, rotate or skew the selection, use the controls around the selection's bounding box.

  1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter tool or press Alt + T.
  2. In the Tool Properties view, under the Cutter Tool Options, select the Lasso .

    3. The Line Cutter Gesture modes are enabled.

  3. Select the Single Line Cutting Gesture Mode .
  4. In the Stage or Camera view, sweep the Cutter tool across the end of a line you wish to trim.

The line end disappears.

Before

After

 

NOTE

Even if your mouse gesture touches other lines, only the first line that the Cutter tool makes contact with disappears.

  1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter tool or press Alt + T.
  2. In the Tool Properties view, under the Cutter Tool Options, select the Lasso.

    3. The Line Cutter Gesture modes are enabled.

  3. In the Tool Properties view, select the Multiple Lines Cutting Gesture Mode .

  4. In the Stage or Camera view, sweep the Cutter tool across the end of a lines you wish to trim.

    The line ends disappear.

    Before

    After