User Guide

Painting102
Using Computed Brushes
Corel Painter includes a batch of
Natural-Media brushes that use a
media application method called
“rendered dab types” to produce
“computed” brush strokes. These
brushes create wonderfully realistic,
continuous, smooth-edged strokes.
They are fast and more consistent
because the strokes are computed as
you draw, not created by applying dabs
of color. In fact, you can’t draw fast
enough to leave dabs or dots of color
in a stroke because they’re just not
there. These brushes allow for rich
features that are not possible with dab-
based media application. You can take
better advantage of tilt and angle, and
you can paint with patterns or
gradients. For information about
using rendered dab types when
customizing brushes, refer to “Dab
Types” on page148.
Using a Stylus or Mouse
When you reach for a wide, flat brush,
you expect the stroke you make with it
to be dependent on how you hold the
brush. A stroke using the face of the
brush comes out wide. A mark using
the edge is narrow.
Paint with the face of a flat brush for a wide
stroke; use the edge for a narrow stroke.
Corel Painter produces realistic brush
strokes that fade in and out; change
width, tilt and angle; or penetrate
based on the stylus input. Brush
variants that use computed brushes,
such as the Smeary Flat variant in the
Oils category, also react to stylus tilt
(how vertical the stylus is held) and
bearing (the compass direction in
which the stylus is pointing).
Tilt can significantly affect brush
strokes. If you get unexpected results,
especially with bristle-type brushes or
airbrushes, try reducing the tilt of
your stylus. Extreme tilt angles are
usually undesirable.
Many Corel Painter brushes also
respond to stylus pressure (how hard
you press with the stylus). Depending
on variant settings, greater stylus
pressure can increase the width of a
brush stroke, the penetration of color,
or the degree of other effects. The
Corel Painter airbrushes also respond
to the finger-wheel on the Wacom
Intuos airbrush, simulating a needle
control that adjusts how much ink is
sprayed.
You can link brush settings, like size,
opacity, and angle, to stylus input data
such as velocity, direction, pressure,
airbrush wheel, tilt, and bearing. Refer
to “Expression Settings” on page 164
for more information about linking
brush settings to stylus input controls.
In theory, a mouse has no pressure
information. A mouse button is either
“on” (button down), or “off” (button
up). Corel Painter introduces mouse
controls that let you simulate stylus
pressure, tilt, bearing, and wheel
settings.