Intro to Bitmap Drawing

Pencil tool

Pencil options (in Properties), other than color,

  • anti-alias 
    • checked - looks smoother,but can't fill in area with Paint Bucket.
    • not checked - can fill in completely with Paint Bucket,but edges not smooth (like drawing with Pencil in Paint).
  • preserve transparency: restricts the Pencil tool to drawing only in existing pixels, not in transparent areas of a graphic
  • hold SHIFT and drag while drawing to make it straight horizontally, vertically or diagonally (45 degrees).

Eraser tool

In the Property inspector:

  • Drag the size slider to set the size of the eraser.
  • Choose the round or square eraser shape.
  • Drag the edge slider to set the softness of the eraser’s edge.
Edge: 0 (no softness)
Edge: 0 (no softness)
Edge: 100 (soft)
Edge: 100 (soft)

More bitmap tools

You can change a photo or drawing more using the following bitmap tools:

  • Blur or Sharpen
  • Dodge or Burn -make an area lighter or darker
  • Smudge

Brushes

You can change the following:

  • Color
  • Size –drag slider up, or type in a number
  • Type – lots of options, have to experiment
  • Edge – soft to hard
  • Texture – different types, change amount %

To set the Brush type, click on the drop-down menu and you'll see a long list of categories...

Basic

Pencil

Airbrush

Calligraphy

Charcoal

Crayon

Felt Tip

Oil

Watercolor

Random

Unnatural