Using the Painting Tools

Using the Painting Tools

Using the Painting Tools

Canvas X Draw provides a full range of painting tools, including the digital equivalents of markers, airbrushes, and paintbrushes, tools for creating effects like neon and blends, and tools for retouching, color-correction, and cloning images. To use the painting tools, you can begin in several ways. You can select a painting tool and begin painting with it, you can draw a blank paint object to use as a canvas, or you can import or place an image, and edit it using the painting tools.

Paint Brush

Blur

Pencil

Sharpen

Eraser

Rubber Stamp

Marker

Smudge

Airbrush

Dodge

Neon

Burn

Bucket

Sponge

Blend

Paint Object Creator

Painting

To Paint with a Painting Tool:

  1. Select a painting tool from the Toolbox, such as the Paint BrushPencil, or Airbrush tools.
  2. Begin painting with the tool.
  3. When you have finished with the paint object, press Esc to exit Edit mode.

To Create a Blank Paint Object:

  1. Select the Paint Object Creator tool from the Toolbox.
  2. Drag diagonally in the document to create a rectangular paint object.

    A blank paint object appears in Edit mode. You can now use the painting tools to paint on the paint object.

  3. When you have finished with the paint object, press Esc to exit Edit mode.

To Import an Image and Edit it with the Painting Tools:

  1. Choose File | Import Images.
  2. In the Select images to import dialog box, browse to the image you want to import, then click Open.
  3. Click on the image to enter Edit mode.
  4. Select a painting tool from the Toolbox to edit the image.
  5. When you have finished with the paint object, press Esc to exit Edit mode.

Selecting Colors for Painting

Painting tools use the foreground or background color, or both. In the Toolbox, instead of a pen ink icon for the foreground, a brush icon appears when you select a painting tool.

The brush icon shows the foreground color, and the bucket icon shows the background color.

You can use any solid color for painting, including multicolored inks, such as gradients, symbols, textures, pattern, or hatch inks. Alternatively, you can use the Color Dropper tool to select a color from the paint object you are editing.

To Select a Color for Painting:

  1. Click the foreground or background color icon in the Toolbox.
  2. In the Presets palette, on the Ink tab, click on an ink type and select a color.

To Select the Background Color from a Paint Object:

  1. Select the Color Dropper tool from the Toolbox. 
  2. Click a color in the paint object or image.

    The background color changes in the Toolbox.

To Select the Foreground Color from a Paint Object:

  1. Select the Color Dropper tool from the Toolbox.
  2. Right-click a color in the paint object or image.

    The foreground color changes in the Toolbox.

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