Colored Pencils present a dry medium that doesn't tend to break up but
does apply solidly to the canvas. As applied by the Colored Pencil tool
, its pigment has a very strong interaction between pressure
and the canvas. The tool size is small compared to other tools. Head-loading
is infinite, and viscosity is very high. Pencil
doesn't apply bump to the surface, and will only smear when pressure is
applied with a less smooth tipped tool. To smear colored pencil strokes,
you would use the Smear tool.
Pencil strokes tend to blend with a multiply mode when used lightly, but overlay when used with firm pressure. This can be used to simulate a wide range of color blends, using the tool softly to apply a hint of color, or firmly to cover over what’s underneath.
Colored Pencil tool options include:
Shape: Choices include Round or Square.
Size: Defines the size of the tool head in pixels. Note that you can also adjust the Size setting via the keyboard.
Thickness: Defines the aspect ratio of the tool head.
Rotation: Defines the angle of head rotation in degrees
Head Tracking: Controls whether the tool head bends around the path of the user’s stroke, or remains at a fixed angle.
Style: If you're using a stylus, you can choose Tilt to change the style through a linear progression based upon the stylus tilt. Choose Tip to mimic using the very tip of a pencil. Choose Edge to mimic using the pencil's edge.
Softness: Defines the softness of the pencil lead, controlling how easily pressure or velocity break up the lead and cause it to powder into the canvas dents, or to smudge when applied.
Trace check box: When marked, the Colored Pencil tool will select the pigment color by sampling the data below the center of the tool regardless of the layer type. (This feature works much the same way the Clone Brush's Sample Merged tool option works). When you hold down the mouse button to begin the stroke, note that a single sample is performed, and the resulting color is used for the duration of the stroke.
Like other Paint Shop Pro tools, the Colored Pencil tool comes with presets. To use a preset:
In the Tool Options palette, click the Presets button. This displays a list of preset styles.
From the list, choose the desired tool preset.