In this tutorial you will choose, customize, and save brushes for painting, cloning, and editing images. You will also use the Image Sprayer tool to paint using full-color bitmaps and experiment with the new Orbits and symmetry features.

Select a topic:

Choosing, applying, customizing, and saving a brush

Spraypainting with bitmaps

Cloning to repair, retouch, and paint images

Erasing and replacing colors

Experiencing Orbits and symmetry mode

Many of the tools included in Corel PHOTO-PAINT use brushes to create or edit an image. The following procedures explain how to choose, apply, customize, and save these brushes.

Select a topic:

Choosing a brush type and painting

Customizing and saving a brush

Adding transparency and texture to a brush

Creating a nib from a mask

You can choose a brush type from a wide variety of presets and apply paint to an image in a few simple steps.

Click here to open a sample image.

To choose a brush and apply paint

  1. Open the Paint Tools flyout and choose the Paint tool.
  2. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
  3. In the Tool Settings Roll-Up, click the Art Brush icon.
  4. Choose Quick Doodler from the Type list box. .
  5. Click and drag to apply paint to the image.

The sample image showing an example of a Paint tool brush stroke.

You can customize a preset brush by changing the brush nib and assigning a new name.

To customize and save a brush

  1. Open the Paint Tool flyout and choose a Paint tool.
  2. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
  3. Choose a brush from the Type list box.
  4. Do any of the following:
    Type a value in the Size box to adjust the size of the nib.
    Type a value in the Transparency box to adjust the transparency of the paint.
    Type a value in the Rotate box to rotate the nib.
    Click one of the default shape icons and type a value in the Flatten box to change the shape of the nib.
    Type a value in the Soft Edge box to cause the paint to fade out along the edges of the nib.
  5. Click the Save Brush button.
  6. Type a name for the custom brush in the Save New Brush Type As box.

You can add transparency and texture to any brush.

Click here to open a sample image.

To add transparency and texture

  1. Open the Paint Tool flyout and choose the Paint tool.
  2. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
  3. In the Tool Settings Roll-Up, click the Art Brush icon.
  4. Choose Quick Doodler from the Type list box.
  5. Type 75 in the Transparency box.
  6. Click the (second) Brush Texture tab.
  7. Type 20 in the Brush Texture box.
  8. Type 15 in the Edge Texture box.
  9. Click and drag to apply paint to the image.

The sample image showing an example of a Paint tool brush stroke with transparency and texture.

You can create your own custom brushes by creating a nib using the shape of a mask.

Click here to open a sample image.

To create a nib from a mask

  1. Open the Mask Tools flyout and click the Freehand Mask tool.
  2. Select an area on the image.
  3. Open the Paint Tool flyout and click the Paint tool.
  4. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
  5. Click the flyout button on the Tool Settings Roll-Up and click Create From Contents Of Mask.
  6. In the Create A Custom Brush dialog box, type a value in the Nib Size box. Custom nibs are saved in the nib list for use with the current brush tool.

Click here to learn more about painting and editing images.

The Image Sprayer tool lets you paint with full-color bitmaps instead of a paint color. You can choose from several program presets or create, customize, and use your own.

Select a topic:

Painting with the Image Sprayer tool

Changing bitmaps

Customizing the bitmap size, spraying sequence, and transparency

The Image Sprayer tool works just like any other paint tool but applies full-color bitmaps instead of paint.

Click here to open a sample image.

To paint with the Image Sprayer tool

  1. Open the Paint Tools flyout and click the Image Sprayer tool.
  2. Click and drag to spray the bitmaps on the image.

The sample image painted with the Image Sprayer tool using the Foliage preset.

Note

The bitmaps that are sprayed are those that are currently loaded. You can change these at any time in the Tool Settings Roll-Up.

You can change the bitmaps the Image Sprayer uses. The bitmaps applied by the tool are stored in a file called an Image List. Corel PHOTO-PAINT includes Image Lists to choose from.

To change the bitmap list

  1. Open the Paint Tools flyout and choose the Image Sprayer tool.
  2. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
  3. Choose a preset from the Presets list box.

Note

A thumbnail image displays the bitmaps in the selected Image List.

You can customize the size, spraying sequence, and transparency of the bitmaps that the Image Sprayer tool uses.

Click here to open a sample image.

To customize the bitmaps used by the Image Sprayer tool

  1. Open the Paint Tools flyout and choose the Image Sprayer tool.
  2. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
  3. Type a value in the Size box on the Property Bar. A higher value results in larger images.
  4. Type a value in the Transparency box to adjust the transparency of the images.
  5. Click the second tab on the Tool Settings Roll-Up and type a value in the Number Of Dabs box to adjust the number of images sprayed per dab of the brush.
  6. Choose a spraying order for the images from the Image Choice list box.

The sample image painted with the Image Sprayer tool using the Foliage preset with transparency and modified options.

Click here to learn more about painting and editing images.

The following procedures teach you to clone areas on an image.

Select a topic:

Cloning an area of an image

Cloning to restore an image

Cloning using the current fill

Cloning an image one object at a time

Use the Clone tool to clone an area of an image.

Click here to open a sample image.

To clone an area of an image

  1. Open the Paint Tool flyout and choose the Clone tool.
  2. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
  3. Choose a brush from the Type list box.
  4. Click the Dab Attributes tab, disable the Cumulative check box and enable the Merged Source check box.
  5. Click the image to set a source point for cloning.
  6. Move the cursor to the destination area.
  7. Click and drag to clone.

The sample image with showing the result of basic cloning functionality.

The Clone From Saved tool lets you restore parts of your image to the state they were in when the image was last saved.

Click here to open a sample image.

To restore using the Clone From Saved tool

  1. Open the Paint Tools flyout and choose the Paint tool.
  2. Click and drag to apply paint to the image.
  3. Re-open the Paint Tools flyout and click the Clone tool.
  4. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
  5. Click the Clone From Last Saved tool.
  6. Click and drag over the area that you want to restore.


You can clone using the Clone From Fill tool to paint using the current fill, just as you apply paint with a paint brush.

Click here to open a sample image.

To paint with the current fill

  1. Open the Paint Tools flyout and click the Clone tool.
  2. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
  3. Click the Clone From Fill tool.
  4. Click and drag to paint the fill color on the image.

The sample image modified using the Clone From Fill tool.

Tip

To change the current fill click Edit, Fill, and choose a new fill from the dialog box.

You can also clone an image using information taken from a single object included in an image.

Click here to open a sample image.

To clone an image one object at a time

  1. Open the Paint Tool flyout and choose the Clone tool.
  2. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
  3. Choose a brush from the Brush Type list box.
  4. Click the Dab Attributes tab and disable the Merged Source check box.
  5. Right-click the object that you want to clone to set the source point.
  6. Move the cursor to the destination area.
  7. Click and drag to clone.

The object in the sample image cloned.

Click here to learn more about painting and editing images.

In the following procedures you will learn to erase and replace colors using the tools in the Undo Tools flyout.

Select a topic:

Erasing changes just made to an image

Erasing the image with the paper color

Replacing the paint color with the paper color

The Local Undo tool lets you remove the last change that you made with the brush tool.

Click here to open a sample image.

To restore parts of your image

  1. Open the Paint Tools flyout and choose the Paint tool.
  2. Click and drag to apply paint to the image.
  3. Open the Undo Tools flyout and click the Local Undo tool.
  4. Click and drag over the parts of your image that were affected by your last brush stroke.

Tip

You can also reverse the last operation by clicking Edit, Undo.

Use the Eraser tool to color any area on your image using the paper color.

Click here to open a sample image.

To erase leaving the paper color

  1. Open the Undo Tools flyout and click the Eraser tool.
  2. Click and drag to erase.

The sample image partially erased with the Eraser tool.

Tip

Double-click the Paper swatch on the Status Bar to change the paper color.

The Color Replacer tool replaces the paint color with the paper color.

Click here to open a sample image.

To replace the paint color with the paper color

  1. Open the Undo Tools flyout and click the Color Replacer tool.
  2. Click and drag to replace.

The sample image with an area of the paint color replaced with the paper color.

Note

Double-click the Color Replacer tool to replace all the paint in your image with the paper color.

Click here to learn more about painting and editing images.

The following procedures explain how to use Orbits and symmetry to create wild and crazy brush strokes.

Select a topic:

Painting with Orbits

Discovering the Symmetry Roll-Up

Using Orbits and the symmetry mode together

Orbits let you create spectacular and bizarre paint effects using the Paint and Image Sprayer tools.

Click here to open a sample image.

To paint with Orbits

  1. Open the Paint Tools flyout and click the Paint tool.
  2. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
  3. Click the Orbits tab (fifth) on the Tool Settings Roll-Up.
  4. Enable the Enable Orbits check box.
  5. Choose an Orbit from the Presets list box.

The sample image showing a brush stroke using Orbits.

Note

The Image Sprayer tool does not include Orbit presets.

The Brush Symmetry Roll-Up radically changes the operating mode of all brush tools.

Click here to open a sample image.

To paint using symmetry

  1. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Symmetry.
  2. Click the Radial check box.
    Radial, adds points that circle the brush tool and move toward or away from the tool as the brush nib moves in the Image Window.
    Mirror, produces an identical stroke on the horizontal and vertical plane of the image.
  3. Type 7 in the # Points box.
  4. Choose a brush tool and paint.

The sample image with a symmetrical brush stroke.

Note

To disable symmetrical painting, click the None check box.

You can create dramatic effects using a combination of Orbits and symmetry.

Click here to open a sample image.

To use Orbits and symmetry together

  1. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Symmetry.
  2. Click the Radial check box.
    Radial, adds points that circle the brush tool and move toward or away from the tool as the brush nib moves in the Image Window.
    Mirror, produces an identical stroke on the horizontal and vertical plane of the image.
  3. Choose a Paint tool.
  4. Click the Orbits tab (fifth) on the Tool Settings Roll-Up.
  5. Enable the Enable Orbits check box.
  6. Choose an Orbit from the Presets list box

The sample image with a brush stroke using Orbits and symmetry.

Note

The Image Sprayer tool does not include Orbit presets.

Tip

Choosing a functional center point is important when painting in Symmetry mode, because this is the point around which the symmetry occurs. You can position the center point using the mouse or by typing values in the appropriate dialog box controls.

Click here for more Tutorials.