Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Altering Pattern Scale and Spacing to create a very different look
to the brush
Bristle brushes emulate traditional paint brushes, showing both the texture of the
bristles and the tip shape, which can be round, flat, fan-shaped, etc. To create a
bristle brush, select it as the New brush type and, in the Bristle Brush Options dialog,
choose a tip shape. From there, modify the brush's bristle length, density, and
thickness; whether or not the bristles are stiff or soft; and how opaquely it applies the
paint. By default, these brushes use a Paint Opacity of less than 100%, so you'll see
some opacity in your strokes even when you have set Opacity in the Control panel to
100% opaque. Because calculating transparency for printing often takes a long time,
a dialog warns that if you have more than 30 bristle brushstrokes, you may want to
select some or all of the bristle brushstrokes and choose Object> Rasterize to set
raster settings for them before you attempt to print.
Draw inside and bristle brushes
Bristle brushes are a good candidate for the Draw Inside mode (see the
Rethinking
Construction
chapter). You can add the bristle texture to a vector shape while
retaining some or all of the original color; Draw Inside also constrains the strokes
inside the object, ensuring stray bristle marks are automatically masked.
