Drawing with the Tools

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Paint Shop Pro is a wonderful program for working with preexisting graphics images, but it is even better when you need to draw or paint your own images. For the samples in this chapter, start with a new image 300 pixels wide by 300 pixels high and with a white background. Select the highest available color depth.

NOTE

Refer to "Creating a New File" in Chapter 2, "Working with Paint Shop Pro Files," for instructions on creating a new image.

Painting with the Paint Brush

The Paint Brush is the tool you'll probably use most often to draw basic shapes. Most images are simple combinations of basic shapes . You can draw and paint freehand style using the Paint Brush by using the mouse pointer as the brush tip.

Drawing with the Paint Brush

Begin by using the Paint Brush tool to draw on your canvas. Don't worry if it doesn't look like much to begin with. With just a little practice, you'll learn how to control your mouse to control the brush.

NOTE

You'll learn lots more about the Materials palette in Chapter 5, "Understanding the Materials Palette."

Selecting Brush Options

Combining different brush options can provide a variety of different effects. Try changing other paintbrush options and redrawing a line to see what happens.

The table that follows describes some of the brush options and their uses.

#	Tool	Use
1	Shape	Identifies whether the brush tip is rounded or squared. Rounded tip brushes create a smoother edge, whereas squared tips create a firmer edge.
2	Hardness	Defines how the painted item edges blend into the background or other items. A higher value or "harder" brush stroke produces a crisper edge, whereas a lower value produces a softer edge. Hardness ranges are from 0 to 100.
3	Step	Labels the distance between brush strokes. A higher value decreases the frequency of the drops of paint as the brush tip touches the image, whereas a lower value produces a smoother and denser effect. Step ranges are from 1 to 200.
4	Density	Designates the number of pixels that the brush paints. A higher value paints a more solid line, whereas a lower value produces a speckled stroke effect. Density values are from 1 to 100.
5	Thickness	Selects the thickness of the brush stroke. A lower value draws a thinner stroke, whereas a higher value creates a heavier, thicker stroke. Thickness values range from 1 to 100.
6	Rotation	Turns the angle of the brush stroke. Rotation is measured in degrees from 0 to 359.
7	Opacity	Displays the density of a brush stroke. A higher value applies a more solid color effect, whereas a lower value results in softer, more transparent color. Opacity is measured from 1 to 100.

Selecting Preset Options

If you don't want to select all those options each time you want to use the brush tools, you can select from a variety of preset brushes and options included with Paint Shop Pro. You can also select from presets that simulate other drawing utensils, such as crayon, chalk, or charcoal.

Going Backward with Undo

Paint Shop Pro includes an Undo command that reverses the command made to the current image. It can remove painting or drawing operations, color alterations, filter effects, and so on. It cannot undo a modification that has been closed or changes to the filename or file format.

NOTE

The number of operations you can undo depends on the settings in the Undo tab in the File, Preferences, General Program Preferences menu. The maximum is limited only by that setting and the disk space in your computer.

Each click of the Undo button will reverse another step.

NOTE

Optionally, use the Undo function by clicking on the Edit menu and choosing Undo or pressing Ctrl+Z.

Another method to correct errors or make changes is by using the Eraser tools. You'll learn about using those tools to edit your drawings in Chapter 6, "Editing Images and Drawings."

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