Paint with the Brush tool

The Brush tool  draws brush-like strokes, as if you were painting. It creates special effects, including calligraphic effects. Select a brush size and shape using the Brush tool modifiers.

Brush size for new strokes remains constant even when you change the magnification level for the Stage, so the same brush size appears larger when the Stage magnification is lower. For example, suppose you set the Stage magnification to 100% and paint with the Brush tool using the smallest brush size. Then, you change the magnification to 50% and paint again using the smallest brush size. The new stroke that you paint appears 50% thicker than the earlier stroke. (Changing the magnification of the Stage does not change the size of existing brush strokes.)

Use an imported bitmap as a fill when painting with the Brush tool. See Break apart groups and objects.

If you have a Wacom pressure-sensitive tablet connected to your computer, vary the width and angle of the brush stroke by using the Brush tool Pressure and Tilt modifiers, and varying pressure on the stylus.

The Pressure modifier varies the width of brush strokes when you vary the pressure on the stylus. The Tilt modifier varies the angle of brush strokes when you vary the angle of the stylus on the tablet. The Tilt modifier measures the angle between the top (eraser) end of the stylus and the top (north) edge of the tablet. For example, if you hold the pen vertically against the tablet, the Tilt is 90. The Pressure and Tilt modifiers are both fully supported for the eraser function of the stylus.

A variable-width brush stroke drawn with a stylus

  1. Select the Brush tool .
  2. Select Window > Properties > Properties and select a fill color.
  3. Click the Brush Mode modifier and select a painting mode:
    Paint Normal

    Paints over lines and fills on the same layer.
    Paint Fills

    Paints fills and empty areas, leaving lines unaffected.
    Paint Behind

    Paints in blank areas of the Stage on the same layer, leaving lines and fills unaffected.
    Paint Selection

    Applies a new fill to the selection when you select a fill in the Fill Color control or the Fill box of the Property inspector, the same as selecting a filled area and applying a new fill.
    Paint Inside

    Paints the fill in which you start a brush stroke and never paints lines. If you start painting in an empty area, the fill doesn’t affect any existing filled areas.
  4. Select a brush size and brush shape from the Brush tool modifiers.
  5. If a Wacom pressure-sensitive tablet is attached to your computer, select the Pressure modifier, the Tilt modifier, or both, to modify brush strokes.

    • Select the Pressure modifier to vary the width of your brush strokes by varying the pressure on your stylus.

    • To vary the angle of your brush strokes by varying the angle of the stylus on the Wacom pressure-sensitive tablet, select the Tilt modifier.

  6. Drag on the Stage. To constrain brush strokes to horizontal and vertical directions, Shift-drag.
Related Information

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