Brushstrokes

To paint with a preset brush
To paint with a color sample from an image
To paint with a fill
To change the merge mode

Paint tools let you imitate a variety of painting and drawing media. For example, you can apply brushstrokes that imitate watercolors, pastels, felt markers, and pens. By default, brushstrokes are added to the active object or background. Brushstrokes can also be rendered as separate objects. For information about objects, see Create objects.

 

Preset brush type
Painting an image

Airbrush

The Airbrush is used for shading.

Spray can

Colors are splattered to add texture.

Camel hair brush

A decorative effect is added by using a Camel hair brush.

Choosing preset brushes

The paint tool and brush type that you choose determine the appearance of the brushstroke on the image. When you paint with a preset brush, the brush attributes of the paint tool are predetermined. You can choose a preset brush from the Brush picker, which displays all the brush categories and preset brushes. In addition, the Brush picker provides a nib and brushstroke preview and shows you the last five most recently used brushes.

The Brush picker lets you preview and choose preset brushes, which are organized in brush categories.

After selecting a preset brush, you change its size, shape, transparency, and feathering to suit your needs. If you are using a pen or stylus, you can use its pressure, tilt, bearing, and rotation to vary the brushstroke appearance. For more information, see Pressure-sensitive pens and devices.

Painting with color and fills

The color of the brushstroke is determined by the current main color, which is displayed in the color control area. You can choose a main color by clicking a color swatch on a color palette. For more information about choosing colors, see Choose colors.

In addition to painting with color, you can apply images and textures by painting with a fill. You can also apply a brushstroke to a path. For more information, see Apply brushstrokes to paths.

Blending colors

Merge modes control the way the foreground colors blend with underlying colors. Merge modes let you combine these colors in various ways to create new colors and effects. For more information about merge modes, see Merge modes.

To paint with a preset brush

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1 In the toolbox, click the Paint tool .
2 Open the Brush picker on the property bar, choose a brush category, and then choose a brush.
To preview a brush, click it.
3 In the color control area of the toolbox, double-click the Main color swatch, and choose a color.
4 Drag in the image window.
If you want to constrain the brush to a straight horizontal or vertical line, hold down Command while you drag, and press Shift to change direction.

 

You can also
 
Choose the default preset brush in a brush category
Double-click a brush category.
Change the brush shape
Choose a brush shape from the Nib shape picker on the property bar.
Change the brush size
Type a value in the Nib size box on the property bar.
Change the transparency
Type a value in the Transparency box on the property bar.
To adjust the brushstroke transparency interactively, hold down Option, and click in the image window without releasing the mouse button to display a transparency slider.
Change the feathering
Type a value in the Feather box on the property bar.
To change the feathering interactively, hold down Command + Option, and click in the image window without releasing the mouse button to display a feathering slider.

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The property bar provides options for changing the attributes of a preset brush. After you change an attribute, the brush name changes to Custom art brush. For more information about custom brushes, see Custom brushes.

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You can also choose a preset brush by clicking a brushstroke sample in the Artistic Media inspector. If the Artistic Media inspector is not open, click Window Inspectors Artistic Media.

You can quickly choose a square or round brush shape by clicking the Round nib button or the Square nib button on the property bar.

To paint with a color sample from an image

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1 Click the Eyedropper tool .
2 Click a color in the image window.
3 In the toolbox, click the Clone tool .
4 Open the Brush picker on the property bar, choose the Clone from fill brush category, and then choose a brush.
5 Drag in the image window.

To paint with a fill

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1 In the toolbox, click the Fill tool .
2 On the property bar, choose a fill type.
3 In the toolbox, click the Clone tool .
4 Open the Brush picker on the property bar, choose a brush category, and then choose a brush.
5 Drag in the image window.

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You can paint with any type of fill.

To change the merge mode

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1 In the toolbox, click a paint tool.
2 Choose a merge mode from the Merge mode list box on the property bar.

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For more information on merge modes, see Merge modes.

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The features documented in the Help are available in the full version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2021. Some features may not be available in this version of the product.