# Working with Colours and Pen Styles

The Pen Tab in the Tool Properties controls the size and style of the drawing tool you are using. You can use this tab to access properties that apply to Brush, shape, Eraser and Paint tools.

To change the pen style:

1. If the Tool Properties are not displayed, select View > Toggle Tool Properties.

2. Click the Pen Tab.

The current pen style is highlighted. Its colour and maximum width are displayed. The number in the lower left corner is the maximum pen size. The letter T is displayed if the pen is associated with a texture.

- If you are using a graphic tablet and pen, the width of the line you draw depends on the pressure you apply and the Minimum and Maximum Size settings in the Pen Style dialog box, which you can open by double-clicking the selected style.

You can also create a new pen style. See Adding a new pen.

- Select a pen colour from the swatches in the Pen Tab.

You can also create a new colour. See Adding a new colour.

- Select a texture pen style if you want to draw using a bitmap texture.

For more information on textures, see Adding a new pen.

#### Adding a new pen

You can add a new pen style to your pen list. The new pen style is based on the size and smoothness values of the pen that is currently selected in the Pen Tab. In addition to the maximum width and smoothness of your drawing tool, you can also specify minimum brush stroke width and pen texture properties.

Toon Boom Storyboard makes it possible for you to draw brush lines using a texture fill. Texture fills make it possible for you to emulate the effect of using different types of drawing tools, like charcoal or pastels, on different types of drawing paper, like canvas or burlap.

You can use texture pens to retouch drawings that were scanned in grayscale and vectorized to preserve the unique qualities of the hand-drawn line.

To add a new pen:

1. If the Tool Properties are not displayed, select View > Toggle Tool Properties.

2. In the Pen Tab, click the New Pen button.

The Pen Style dialog box opens.

3. Define a new pen style:

- Use the Maximum Width and Minimum Width sliders to select the thickness of lines you draw with the Brush. The maximum width also applies to the width of the shape tools and the Eraser.
- Use the Line Smoothness slider to select the amount of smoothness.
- Select the Textured Pen option if you want to adjust the characteristics of pen styles that use texture images, when the Brush tool is in use.
- Use the Alpha Max slider to set the opacity of the brush stroke.
- Use the Hardness tool to determine how the pen pressure is factored into the opacity of the brush stroke.
- Select the Noise Texture File option to create unique line textures by selecting a bitmap file (a TGA or PSD), which will add a masking layer of the image to the brush stroke. Use the browse feature to go to the location of the bitmap file.

4. Press OK to save your changes.

#### Adding a new texture

You can add a new texture to the palette and attach it to your pen or brush to change the look or get the textured look you require for your storyboard. Your texture file must be in TGA or PSD format.

To add a new texture:

1. In the pen tab, click on the Add texture button. An open dialog box appears.

2. Browse to the location where you have the texture file stored and click OK, the new texture is added into the palette.

#### Adding a new colour

You can add a new colour to the palette. You can then use the Colour Picker to specify the colour’s properties.

To add a new colour:

1. In the Pen Tab, click the Add Colour button. A new colour pot appears at the end of the list.

2. Double-click the colour to open the Colour Picker dialog box.

The Colour Picker is a window that you can position anywhere in your work space. You can choose from a number of Colour Picker options to create your colour palettes.

#### Working with the Colour Picker

The Colour Picker is a window where you can define the colour properties of a drawing tool, such as the Brush, Paint or Text tools.

To select a colour, you can enter the HSV (Hue Saturation Value) or RGB (Red, Green, Blue) values, or you can use the colour wheels or the sliders.

Below the current colour square on the Colour Picker are six Brightness Swatches that allow you to pick a colour slightly darker or brighter than the current colour. These shades represent slight variations in the brightness of a colour.

The Undo List can be used to return to a previously mixed colour. It stores a maximum of 16 colours and adds colours to the list each time you change a colour.

The Colour Picker has two displays: Single-wheel or Multi-wheel. By default, it is displayed in Single-wheel mode.

#### Mixing colours with the Colour Picker

When you are selecting a colour to use in your colour palette, you must define the RGB or HSV, and alpha values for the colour. A preview of the colour appears next to the current colour.

To use the Colour Picker to mix colours:

1. In the colour palette, double click any swatch to open the Colour Picker.

2. Click the swatch you want to modify.

3. Select a new colour using any of the following methods.

- Type the HSV or RGB value.
- Click in the colour wheel to select a colour.
- In Multi Wheel mode, use the sliders beneath the colour wheels to select the colour.
- Use the Dropper to sample colour values from any place on your monitor.

Notice that as you change the colour with the Colour Picker, the current colour changes in both the Colour Picker window and in the swatch.

4. Change the alpha value of the colour (this value determines a colour’s transparency) by entering the value directly in the Alpha field, or use the slider to select it.

Tip

You can use the Undo List in the Multi Wheel Colour Picker to revert to a previous colour.

#### Mixing colours in a gradient with the Colour Picker

You can define a colour swatch that will paint a zone with more than one colour and add this to your palette. The painted zone displays multiple colours that blend smoothly from one to another. This is called a gradient swatch.

You can define up to eight different transition points within one swatch. You can then adjust where the transitions take place by dragging transition markers to the appropriate place. You can create either a Linear gradient (the colours change in a straight line) or a Radial gradient (the colours change in a concentric pattern).

To create a gradient:

1. In the colour palette, double click any swatch to open the Colour Picker.

2. Click the swatch you want to modify.

3. Select the Gradient option.

4. You can select the type of gradient you want from the Gradient panel:

- Radial: the colours blend in a circular pattern
- Linear: the colours blend along a straight line

5. Define the transition colour for each marker by clicking a marker and selecting a colour from the colour wheel. A small square appears on the selected marker.

When you choose a colour for a transition marker, Toon Boom Storyboard adjusts the colours on either side of it based on the colours of the nearest transition markers.

6. Drag the transition markers to where you want the colour to be completely changed.

7. To add more colour transitions, click directly below the gradient bar. A transition marker appears (you can add a maximum of eight markers).

To remove a transition marker, drag it down until it disappears. To create a gradient, you must have at least two transition markers.