Working with lines, outlines, and brush strokes

CorelDRAW lets you add lines and brush strokes using a variety of techniques and tools. After you draw lines or apply brush strokes to lines, you can format them. You can also format the outlines that surround objects.

CorelDRAW provides preset objects that you can spray along a line. You can also create flow and dimension lines in drawings.

You can draw lines using shape recognition. For more information, see “Drawing using shape recognition” on page 71.

In this section, you’ll learn about

•drawing lines

•formatting lines and outlines

•closing multiple line segments

•applying brush strokes

•spraying objects along a line

•drawing flow and dimension lines

Drawing lines

CorelDRAW lets you draw all kinds of different lines, from curved or straight lines to calligraphic lines. You can create a line that is drawn as you drag the mouse. You can create segments that are straight and curved in the same line. You can draw straight or curved segments and then add one node at a time. You can also draw a curve by specifying width and height.

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You can draw a curved line by specifying its width (left), specifying its height (center), and clicking the page (right).

Some lines have nodes and control points that you can manipulate to shape lines as you draw. For information about node types, see “Working with curve objects” on page 101.

You can draw multi-segment lines using the Bézier tool, by clicking each time you want the line to change direction.

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You can draw curves using the Bézier tool, by dragging the control points at the ends of the Bézier curve.

CorelDRAW also lets you simulate the effect of a calligraphic pen when you draw lines. Calligraphic lines vary in thickness according to the direction of the line and the angle of the pen nib. By default, calligraphic lines display as closed shapes drawn with a pencil. You can control the thickness of a calligraphic line by changing the angle of the line you draw in relation to the calligraphic angle you choose. For example, when the line you draw is perpendicular to the calligraphic angle, the line is at the maximum thickness specified by the pen width. Lines drawn at the calligraphic angle, however, have little or no thickness.

A calligraphic pen allows you to draw lines of various thicknesses.

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CorelDRAW lets you create pressure-sensitive lines which vary in thickness. You can create this effect using the mouse or a pressure-sensitive pen and graphics tablet. Both methods result in lines with curved edges and varying widths along a path. For information about using a pressure-sensitive pen on a graphics tablet, see the manufacturer’s instructions.

A flower drawn by using three different artistic media lines: calligraphic lines (left), pressure-sensitive lines (center), and the lineflat preset line (right).

CorelDRAW provides preset lines that let you create thick strokes in a variety of shapes. After you draw a calligraphic or preset line, you can apply a fill to it as you would to any other object. For information about applying fills, see “Filling objects” on page 141.

To draw a straight line

1Open the Curve flyout , and click the Freehand tool .

2Click where you want to start the line, and click where you want to end it.

You can also

Draw a straight line using the Polyline tool Open the Curve flyout, and click the

Polyline tool . Click where you want to start the line segment, and click where you want to end the line segment. Double-click to end the line.

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