Masking Tools: Brush

In this article:

• How to create a surface with Magic Wand

The Brush Tool is a "painting" way to create a pixel mask.

How to create a surface with Magic Wand

1. To activate the Brush Tool, click on the Brush Icon on the Toolbar or press B.
2. In the options bar, specify any of the following:

   • Add & Subtract Mode: Choose between positive and negative strokes — ****the mask is continually updated based on new positive/negative strokes. Positive strokes provide information that we want to retain or add to the selection. Negative strokes provide information that we want to remove from the selection.

     Switch between positive and negative strokes by holding ALT.

   • Brush Size: Adjust the brush size with the Brush Size slider in the toolbar or by pressing [ and ].

3. Click and drag in the artboard to draw brush strokes.
4. Click the Create Surface button.
5. In the options bar, make any of the following adjustments:
   • Modify Edge: Grows or shrinks the selection by a set number of pixels (between 1px and 10px).
   • Accuracy: Adjust the allowed error between the mask and the generated curve. Higher values mean more vertices and a closer fit.
     • Note: When a surface is created, boolean operations are applied to allow for the creation of paths. When surfaces have too many points, too many paths are generated which can lead to slow rendering and processing times. Adjust the modify edge and accuracy settings to reduce the number of points on a surface. If you have too many points, we recommend creating a cleaner surface without as many holes, thereby reducing the number of paths.
6. Click the Done button when you are satisfied with your Brush selection. A final mask with adjustable vertices will be created based on the selection.