Today, a huge number of different graphic editors on different platforms have been developed. Of course, Photoshop was and remains the most popular program. However, the developers did not forget about those who want to draw on the computer, but do not feel much desire to understand a huge number of functions and a rather complicated interface. For such users, editors have been created, which are essentially simplified versions of Photoshop. Among them is the recently released development of Japanese specialists from SYSTEMAX Paint Tool Sai. Its first version was released in 2006. About how to draw in the Paint Tool Sai, our article. But first, give a detailed description of the program itself.
Paint Tool Sai Editor. Opportunities
The main advantage of this editor can be called the fact that there is absolutely nothing superfluous in it. As in the Photoshop editor, working with images in this program is carried out using layers, which, of course, is extremely convenient. The possibilities of tinting and color correction are not as wide as in Photoshop, however, funds are enough to create sketches and rough drawings. A fairly large set of tools is also pleasing. Drawings in the Paint Tool Sai can be created using a graphics tablet. Support for these devices is implemented in the editor just brilliantly.
The selected tool follows the mouse as accurately as possible, and the strokes are even smoother than in Photoshop. This makes the program simply indispensable for artists creating comics.
The editor's interface is not very beautiful, but it is simple and accessible. For almost any function of the program, hot keys are provided, which can save the user a huge amount of time.
Basic Tools Paint Tool Sai
We'll talk about how to draw in the Paint Tool Sai below. To get started, check out the editor’s tools. It is not as wide as in Photoshop, however, for a quick creation of drawings and high-quality photo processing, it is quite sufficient. The main tools in the program are only eight:
- The magic wand tool. They can immediately highlight large areas of the picture, painted in the same color.
- Lasso tool. Using it, you can make the selection of the necessary area of complex shape.
- Rectangular Selection Tool. The tool is intended, as the name implies, to limit the rectangular areas.
- Scaling. For convenience, the image can be enlarged or reduced.
- Eyedropper tool.
- Moving the canvas.
- Rotate the canvas. If necessary, the image can be expanded.
- Moving layer.
If desired, you can switch to one of two layer editing modes - raster and vector.
Raster tools
Drawing in the Paint Tool Sai in raster mode is possible using the following tools:
- marker;
- airbrush;
- Water tool
- Acrylic tool;
- pens;
- watercolor tool;
- brushes;
- a pencil;
- fillings;
- Paper tool
- eraser.
In addition, there are various variations of these tools.
Vector tools
How to use Paint Tool Sai in vector mode? To create such images, this editor provides such tools as “Line”, “Curve”, “Polyline”, “Line modifier”, “Pen”, “Line thickness modifier”, editing, pressing and color of the line, selection and its removal .
Additional features of the program
If desired, you can set third-party brushes and canvas textures in the Paint Tool Sai. You can create them using the editor itself. The program opens not only the sketches made with its use, but also files of other formats (tga, jpeg, png, bmp). It is also possible to work with images created in the Photoshop editor and saved in psd format.
How to draw in Paint Tool Sai?
In that case, if you need to draw a soft, smooth line, you should take the Pen tool. Clear with visible pixels perform a pencil. To create a "shaggy" designed "Airbrush". Then, when you need to make a line with a smooth start and end, you should use a brush. Highlighting can be created not only using the Lasso and Rectangular Selection tools, but also using the Selection handle. If necessary, it is easy to remove it with a similar deselect tool. In order to color a large area, you should select it and use the "Fill" tool.
Now let's talk about how to draw in the Paint Tool Sai in vector mode. Unfortunately, vector lines created with the help of this program lose their sharpness when they increase clarity. However, you can bend them by moving the nodes, just like in vector editors. Draw them with the Pen tool, similar to a raster one. If desired, the line thickness can be changed in one click. The “Thickness” tool is intended for this. You can draw both smooth (Curve) and broken lines (Broken). The Line Modifier tool is designed to adjust the line itself or its nodes.
The colors necessary for coloring can be selected on the color palette located at the top of the program. You can select the desired shade using the Eyedropper tool.
How to set brushes and textures?
Now let's see how to set the brushes for the Paint Tool Sai. First of all, you need to unzip the archive with brushes and open the folder with the editor. Next, the brush shape (bmp format) is installed in the blotmap folder. Then you should open the brushform.conf file in any text editor (for example, in the Notepad program) and enter l.blotmap / name.bmp into it, where name is the name of the file with the brush. We save the file in the same folder. Now you can start using the downloaded brushes. Having drawn them yourself, you just need to save them in bmp format. Further, the procedure is the same.
Textures in this program are downloaded in much the same way. Unpack the archive and open the folder with the Paint Tool Sai. Next, copy the texture files to the clipboard and upload them to the brushtex folder. Open the brushtex.conf file in a text editor and write l.brushtex / name.bmp in it. Instead of name we put the name of the texture. We save the file and use it to create original images. You can draw a texture just like a brush in the Paint Tool Sai program itself. In this case, the file is also saved in bmp format.
We hope that in general terms you now understand how to use the Paint Tool Sai. The program is unusually simple, and to understand its functionality to a person familiar with other graphic raster or vector editors, it will not be difficult. And for a beginner to draw with it will be completely not difficult.