Drawing Paint Objects

The following sections describe how to draw Paint objects.

Freehand Tool

Use the Freehand tool to create filled and unfilled freehand strokes.

To create a freehand stroke:

1. On the Toolbar, click the Freehand tool .

The tool options update to show Freehand options.



2. For filled strokes, enable Make Curve to create a smooth curve with control points that you can edit.
3. If you are using a graphics tablet with combustion, use the Pen Pressure options to control the stroke. For example, you can vary the amount of paint applied by the airbrush depending on how hard you press the stylus.

Note: Pen Pressure options are disabled when Make Curve is enabled.

4. If you are drawing:
• An unfilled stroke, select a brush from the Brushes palette.
• A filled stroke, enable Anti-Alias in the modes controls to remove jagged edges.
5. Draw the stroke in the active viewport.

Line Tool

Use the Line tool to create straight lines.

To create a straight line:

1. On the Toolbar, click the Line tool .
2. Select a brush from the Brushes palette.
3. Draw the straight line in the active viewport.

The line is drawn with the active brush and draw mode.

Rectangle and Ellipse Tools

Use the Rectangle and Ellipse tools to create filled and stroked rectangles and ellipses.

To create a rectangle or an ellipse:

1. On the Toolbar, click the Rectangle tool or Ellipse tool .
2. Select a mode from the Mode list at the bottom of the Toolbar.



Use the Mode list to access the various Rectangle or Ellipse drawing modes.



Select:	To:
Normal	Use the default setting. In Normal mode, holding Shift while dragging is the same as using Constrained with a setting of 1 and 1.
Constrained	Set a specific width-to-height scale ratio. In this manner, you can make sure that any object you draw is scaled to the ratio H:W.
Fixed	Set specific rectangle or ellipse dimensions. This is useful for drawing exact shapes quickly. To do this, set the mode to Fixed, enter the object size in the X and Y fields, and click to set the center point of the fixed shape.





3. If you are creating a stroked object, select a brush from the Brushes palette.

Note: For filled objects, there is no need to select a brush.

4. Click and drag the cursor in the active viewport to draw the object.

Polygon Tool

Use the Polygon tool to create complex shapes. With Bezier curves, you have precise control over the curves in an object using control points and tangent handles.

To create a polygon:

1. On the Toolbar, click the Polygon tool .
2. If you are creating a stroked object, select a brush from the Brushes palette.

Note: For filled objects, there is no need to select a brush.

3. In the active viewport, click to draw control points that are joined by a straight line. Click and drag to draw Bezier control points that are joined to create a curved polygon.

Note: You can edit the Bezier control points to change the curve of the polygon. For details, see Editing Object Shapes with Control Points.

4. To close the polygon, do one of the following:
• To close a filled polygon, click the first control point or press Enter.
• To close a stroked polygon, click the first control point.
5. To create an open curve, press Esc to complete the stroke.