Use the Paintbrush tool
Use the Paintbrush .png "Cc294997.7e843b01-0c2a-4914-8464-206dd3c19ad3(en-us,Expression.10).png")
tool to draw a shape with a Bezier path.
When you draw a shape by using the Paintbrush tool, Microsoft Expression Design automatically fits a Bezier path to your freehand trail (or path).
To draw a path
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In the Toolbox, select the Paintbrush tool.
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Draw a freehand path. To create a closed path, position the pointer over the starting point of the path. When a small circle appears next to the pointer, release the mouse button.
Drawing a trail with the Paintbrush tool, and the resulting Bezier path with brush stroke applied
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To adjust how tightly you want the Bezier path to fit your freehand trail
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On the Edit menu, point to Options, and then click Stroke.
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On the Stroke panel, under Freehand Tools, adjust Tightness of fit. The tighter the fit, the closer together the points (or vertices) on the path.
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You can also use the Paintbrush tool as an object-selection tool. Just click (without dragging) any path to select it, or click an empty area of the page to undo the selection of all objects. |
You can also use the Paintbrush tool to extend an existing path.
To extend an existing path
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On the Edit menu, point to Options, and then click Stroke.
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On the Stroke panel, under Stroke, select Drawing tools append to path.
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Position the pointer over the start or finish point of the path, hold down the ALT key, and draw.
Alternatively, draw a new path with the Paintbrush tool and position the pointer over one of the open nodes of a path, and press the ALT key as you release the mouse button. In this case, the new path is joined to the old one.
If you use a pressure-sensitive device (such as a WACOM tablet), Expression Design can vary the appearance of the stroke according to the pressure applied at each point.
To enable pressure sensitivity
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On the Edit menu, point to Options, and then click Stroke.
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On the Stroke panel, under Freehand tool, select Enable pressure sensitivity.
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Adjust the Pressure scale by dragging the pointer up or to the right to increase the number, or down or to the left to reduce it. You can also double-click and type the pressure scale you prefer.
When pressure sensitivity is enabled, the stroke weight is determined by a combination of the pressure applied to the tablet, and the settings that you have made to the Pressure scale, and the Stroke Width field in the Properties panel.
