Welcome to Rebelle 6!
Rebelle is a one-of-a-kind painting and drawing software that lets you create realistic artwork for screens and for print. Along with powerful and intuitive tools, Rebelle offers stunning real-time simulations of paint and ink flows, color blending, diffusion, and drying. It reproduces the ways media naturally behave including interactions with the canvas and with themselves. Rebelle lets you paint, smear, re-wet, tilt and blow colors across the page, direct drops and runs, and create countless other effects with one or with a combination of several media together.
We designed Rebelle for digital creatives as well as for traditional artists. In fact, Rebelle is for anyone who wants to use the latest in groundbreaking technology to expand and enhance their art-making skills.
Rebelle is the first software in the world to implement state-of-the-art color mixing based on traditional pigments. Taking advantage of NanoPixel, Rebelle 6 Pro introduces Fractal Image Processing – the image recognition machine learning algorithm. It will keep the best image quality and sharp details while using the new Warp and Liquify tools, transforming and deforming layers or objects on the canvas. Powerfully upgraded Brush Creator comes with vast options to create new original brushes - grunge, textured, granulation, and others with great diversity.
The positioning of objects becomes much easier with the option to enable and adjust grids and guides on the canvas and reference image. Rebelle 6 comes with additional masking tools for controlling the visibility of the layers: Layer Masks and Clipping Masks. The option to save Favorite Brushes makes the painting process faster and even more personal.
The realistic feel of the software is enhanced by a new stroke length feature, which determines when the brush runs out of paint.
To ensure you can use all that’s new in Rebelle 6, we’ve expanded this manual. In it, you’ll find detailed instructions to support your full use of the software, along with technical explanations of key features and useful hints on their application.
Thank you for your purchase and welcome to Rebelle 6! I hope you have a great time painting!
Peter Blaškovič
Creator of Rebelle
Installing and Registering Rebelle 6
Understanding Tools, Brushes, and their Properties 15
Oil & Acrylic Tool Properties 19
Express Oil Tool Properties 25
Smudge & Liquify Tool Properties 44
Canvas Size Tool Properties 56
Brush Creator: Shape & Grain 75
Working with Ruler & Perspective Tools 145
Working with Masking Tools 148
Working with Grid & Guides 152
Escape Motions Connect - Photoshop Plug-in 161
Creating, Opening and Saving Paintings 163
Publish from Community website 167
Edit your Community profile and artworks in Gallery 167
Download & Install
After purchasing Rebelle, you will be asked to create a Community account. You will then receive a registration email with a download link for the full version of the software.
If you already have an active Community account on the Escape Motions website, log in to your account before purchasing - after the purchase, Rebelle 6 will be added to your account automatically.
Mac OS X Users
Click the link provided in the registration email to download a .dmg file.
Locate the Rebelle installer file named "Rebelle 6.dmg", double-click it and follow the instructions to complete the installation.
Drag&drop the Rebelle icon to the Applications folder or any other folder you run the software from.
Windows Users
Click the link provided in the registration email to download an .exe file.
Locate the Rebelle installer file named "Rebelle 6.exe", double-click it and follow the instructions to complete the installation.
Rebelle will be installed in the Program Files folder by default. You can select a different location during the installation.
License Type
During installation, you will be asked to choose a type of your license:
Standalone - Select this option if you purchased the Standalone software license for an individual user (private individual) or a single shared computer for multiple users (commercial enterprise).
Floating - Pool of licenses. Select this option if you purchased a Floating software license. The software can be installed on a network of computers allowing access to multiple users. License for the maximum number of simultaneous users works on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Registration
When you first launch Rebelle, you will be asked to register the software.
To register:
Ensure you are connected to the internet - this is required to validate your registration details.
Enter your Community account credentials (Email address/Username and Password) in the registration window.
Accept the license agreement and click the "OK" button.
Application Launch
When you launch Rebelle for the first time (or after updating to a newer version), you will see the Intro Tutorial describing Rebelle’s essential tools. You can re-open the Intro Tutorial anytime by choosing Help > Intro Tutorial.
System Requirements
Minimum: Intel i5 or equivalent AMD processor, 4 GB RAM, 200 MB hard disk space,
a graphics card with 1 GB RAM (OpenGL 3.3 required for Rebelle Pro), Windows 10 (64-bit) or Mac OS X 10.14.
Recommended: Intel i7 (6th gen or newer), equivalent AMD processor, or Apple M1 chip with Rosetta 2, 16 GB RAM, 1 GB hard disk space, a graphics card with 2 GB RAM, Nvidia gtx760 for FullHD, gtx1060 for 4K screen, or equivalent graphics card, Windows 10 (64-bit) or Mac OS X 10.15 and newer, Wacom or Windows Ink compatible tablet.
Rebelle 6 and Rebelle 6 Pro
Rebelle 6 Pro edition features a couple of advanced features for all artists wanting to try out the latest technology: Pigments, NanoPixel, Fractal Image Processing, Photoshop plug-in and Color Management. The upgrade from Rebelle 6 to Rebelle 6 Pro is possible anytime, either from your Community account or from the Rebelle 6 menu: Help > Upgrade to Pro.
After you purchase the Pro edition, restart your current Rebelle 6 with an internet connection - the additional Pro features will become available.
Tablet Support
When you first launch Rebelle 6 you will be asked to select your tablet device:
Wacom compatible (Wintab);
Xencelabs tablet;
Windows 8+ Pointer Input (for Windows users only); or
Windows Ink compatible (for Windows users only).
You can change the tablet type anytime by choosing Edit > Preferences > Tablet. Software restart will be required for the new setting to load.
Rebelle is fully tested on Wacom and Surface tablets. Wacom tablets can be plugged into PC as well as Macintosh, Surface tablets run under Windows OS. Rebelle also works on Huion, XP-Pen, or Monoprice tablets which could be a good alternative.
Languages
Rebelle 6 is available in many different languages. Select the interface language of your choice by choosing Help > Language. You must restart Rebelle to apply any language changes.
Getting Support for Rebelle
This manual is meant to be the primary reference for information about and for help using Rebelle 6. We have tried to make it easy to read with all the key details you need to know. You can also visit our Community forum on the Escape Motions website at escapemotions.com/community.
If you still have questions after you check this manual and the Community forum, please send an email to [email protected]. You can contact us at the same email if you would like to report technical issues (and also if you just want to say hello!).
When reporting an issue with Rebelle, please include details of your computer’s configuration (i.e., Windows / Mac OS, 32 / 64-bit OS, processor, graphics card, memory, etc.). This will help us to resolve issues and respond with answers much faster.
Community
We encourage you to visit the Escape Motions Community where you can join in discussions about the software, get tips and tricks, share your feedback, create your own portfolio, post to the public Gallery, and download software and assets. Just log in at escapemotions.com/community with your Community account.
Do keep in touch on our social channels as well - click on any icon below and visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, DeviantArt, Behance, and Instagram.
- Menu Bar
- Tools Panel
- Properties Panel
- Brushes Panel
- Navigator Panel
- Color Panel
- Color Set Panel
- Layers Panel
- Brush Creator Panel
- Preview Panel
- Reference Image Panel
- Volume Presets Panel
- Ruler Tool / Perspective Tool Panel
- Tilt Panel
- Stencils Panel
- Visual Settings Panel
- Mixing Palette Panel
- Record Time-lapse Panel
Working with Panels
Most of Rebelle’s functions and tools can be accessed from its panels. Each may be opened, closed, and resized, at any time. The full set can be found under the main menu > Window. Panels may float freely, or they can be docked at either side of the Rebelle application window. To dock a panel, drag it to your preferred side of the interface and release it there.
TIP: All panels are dockable on the left and right of the interface window - you can also change positions and adjust their width. Panels hide automatically while you are painting on the canvas behind them.
Two or more panels can be nested within the dock by dragging one panel onto another. Identifying tabs will appear above the combined title bar. To remove a nested panel, you can either close it or drag its back beyond the dock. To close a panel, click its ‘Close’ button or
choose Close under the panels' own menu identified by the icon.
TIP: You can also dock the Tools, Properties, Brushes and Navigator panels at the top or bottom of the user interface. Select this option in Preferences > General > Interface.
Find default keyboard shortcuts for opening/closing a panel in Edit menu > Keyboard Shortcuts > Window. You can customize these shortcuts anytime.
You can collapse every panel or open the panel’s menu via the buttons present in the top
left and right corner of each panel:
Collapse Panel - Click to collapse the panel.
Panel Menu - Click to open the panel menu.
Desktop and Tablet Mode
Rebelle interface can be switched from desktop to tablet mode using the ‘TAB’ shortcut. The tablet mode lets you focus on the canvas without any unnecessary distractions of the user interface. When you need a certain panel, you can open it by using the appropriate shortcut.
Set up how the desktop and tablet mode should work by going to Edit > Preferences > General. Here you can adjust the following:
When the interface is in Tablet mode, show panels:
Under the cursor - The panel will open under the cursor.
In the last position - The panel will open in the last position you used.
In the center of the screen - The panel will open in the center of your screen.
Show only one panel at once when in Tablet mode. - Check this option to see only one panel at once. The previously opened panel will automatically close when you open another panel.
Always undock the panel instead of hiding when Tablet mode is off. - Check this option to undock the panel from the user interface when you close it with a shortcut.
Interface Theme
You can select between the default dark interface or a light theme via Preferences > General
> Interface > Theme. Click OK to confirm - the theme of the interface will be changed immediately.
The light theme of the interface (on the left) vs. the default dark interface on the right.
You can customize Rebelle’s interface according to your needs. Below are a few layout examples:
1. Default interface arrangement with 2. Tools, Properties and Brushes panels in a floating Tilt panel. vertical mode on the left side with other panels
nested on the right.
4. Tools, Properties and Color Set panels in vertical mode with other panels nested on the left.
3. Tools, Properties and Brushes panel
in horizontal mode on the top, other panels merged on the left side.
TIP: You can save your panel layout by choosing Window > Export Layout. To open a previously saved layout, choose Window > Import Layout.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s user interface and how to customize it in this
video: User Interface and its Customization.
The Tools panel gives you quick access to the painting tools and other functions. Close & reopen the Tools panel from the Window menu or by tapping the ‘F3’ shortcut.
Collapse Panel - Click to collapse the panel.
This option is present on every panel.
Tools Panel Menu - Click to open the Tools panel menu. You can close the panel from this menu. You can re-open this and any panel by choosing it in the Window menu.
- Painting Tools - There are eight paint wet and dry media tools in Rebelle:
Oils & Acrylics, Express Oils, Watercolors, Inks, Pencils, Pastels, Markers, Airbrushes and Favorite brushes.
Tools can be selected from the Tools Panel and also by using a keyboard shortcut. By tapping or holding the appropriate key, a tool is selected for use. If you hold a key, the selection returns to the previously selected tool upon key release. If tap the appropriate key, the corresponding tool will be selected until you change it.
TIP: All keyboard shortcuts can be changed by choosing Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts. Further information on how to do so is provided under the Keyboard Shortcuts section of this manual.
- Tools:
Blend - Blends together colors and brush marks. (shortcut: tap or hold ‘N’)
Smudge & Liquify - Drags and distorts colors and brush marks without blending them or pushes, pulls, rotates, reflects, puckers, and bloats any area of an image.
(shortcut: tap or hold ‘S’)
Clone - Duplicates colors and brush marks in a new location on the same layer.
(shortcut: tap ‘Shift + C’ to activate the tool, tap and hold ‘Alt’ to select the clone source)
Eraser - Erases color and brush marks. (shortcut: tap or hold ‘E’ or use your stylus’
eraser)
TIP: You can also select the Eraser Tool by tapping or holding the button on your tablet’s stylus (i.e., the tablet pen). This is subject to the type of stylus you’re using and to its configuration in the operating system.
Fill - Fills in areas that are either blank or that have existing marks of a similar color.
(shortcut: tap ‘L’)
Pick Color - Selects a color from your canvas. (shortcut: tap or hold ‘I’, or hold ‘Alt’)
Water - Applies water or oil to a specific part of the canvas wetting any brush marks on it. (shortcut: tap or hold ‘W’)
Dry - Removes water or oil from a specific part of the canvas drying any brush marks on it. (shortcut: tap or hold ‘Y’)
Blow - Blows wet colors and drips across the canvas. (shortcut: tap or hold ‘O’)
Selection - Selects areas or marks on the canvas, typically to carry out operations on the selected areas. (shortcut: tap ‘M’)
Transform - Moves, scales, rotates, flips, or warps and deforms the proportions of selected areas or entire layers. (shortcut: tap ‘T’)
Canvas Size / Image Size - Resizes or crops the canvas across all layers.
Hit ‘Ctrl + Alt + C’ (on Windows) or ‘Cmd + Alt + C’ (on macOS) to activate the Canvas Size. Hit ‘Ctrl + Alt + I’ (on Windows) or ‘Cmd + Alt + I’ (on macOS) to activate the Image Size.
Undo - Undoes the last operation performed. (shortcut: ‘Ctrl + Z’ on Windows /
‘Cmd + Z’ on macOS)
Redo - Used after Undo, redoes any operation. (shortcut: ‘Ctrl + Shift + Z’ on Windows
/ ‘Cmd + Shift + Z’ on macOS)
NOTE: Undo and Redo do not have an impact on operations made to the interface
(e.g., moving a panel, adding a color to a Color Set, etc.). They also do not impact preference changes or options like selecting a Color Profile.
Before moving on to describe individual tool properties, let us take a moment to talk about brushes. ‘Brushes‘ in Rebelle refers to the defined shapes and behaviors of tools - those tools that apply or manipulate marks on the canvas.
Tools: All Rebelle tools that make or modify marks on the canvas can have one or several brushes.
Brushes: Each brush is defined by its shape, grain and a set of properties.
A brush’s properties include:
volumes (brush settings available in the Properties panel settings);
paint modes (modes available in the Properties panel settings); and
mechanics (brush settings available in the Brush Creator panel settings).
Volumes: Brushes can have up to 4 adjustable settings. For example, an Oil & Acrylic paint brush has the settings Size, Loading, Oiliness, and Pressure.
You can save custom volume presets via the Volume Presets panel – access it via the Window menu.
Paint Modes: A brush may have one or several modes. For example, a Watercolor brush has Paint, Paint & Mix, Paint & Blend, Blend and Erase modes.
- Mechanics: Each brush can be customized in the Brush Creator panel. Open this panel from the Window menu or click the button in the Properties panel.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s Properties and Volume Presets in this video: Properties Panel, Volume Presets.
Tools have various Properties (presented in the Properties panel) that can be adjusted to serve different methods or effects. Close & reopen the Properties panel from the Window menu or by tapping the ‘F4’ shortcut.
The Properties panel shows settings and options related to a selected tool. These basic properties are described below.
Any changes you make to a brush in the Properties panel, for instance, a change to its Size, or its Paint Mode, can be temporary or saved and applied every time you use the same brush.
Use the Save Volumes menu to set how each brush’s Properties are treated:
Save Volumes (Size, Opacity, and Water) into Brush Preset.
- Save Volumes and Paint Mode into Brush Preset.
Don’t Save Volumes and Paint Modes into Brush Preset.
Reset Brush Changes - Reset the selected brush preset to its default (or the last saved) state. (shortcut ‘Ctrl + Shift + H‘ on Windows / ‘Cmd + Shift + H‘ on macOS)
The Brush Panel can be set to show just the
names of brushes, or it can show icons that
include visual representations of each brush’s saved properties. For instance, icons can show a brush’s shape, stroke, and saved volumes.
Volumes appear as horizontal lines under the icon
representing the brush’s volume sliders.
To change the way brush icons are represented, choose the desired options under the
Brushes panel menu > Icon.
Line Smoothing Options - Rebelle can help to stabilize your stylus as you use it. You can choose from options to smooth the strokes you make and the pressure you apply. These Line Smoothing Options apply whatever tool you are using.
You can save the Line Smoothing Options to the currently
selected brush preset using the ‘Save to Brush Preset’
button:
Position Smoothing - There are two options for smoothing the strokes or lines drawn with a stylus: Moving Average or Pulled String. The strength of either can be set between minimum and maximum.
Moving Average - Calculates a smooth line by averaging the change in position of the stylus as you move it across the canvas. This option will enable you to create smoother lines when painting dynamic strokes with curves and soft corners.
Pulled String - Creates a virtual ‘string’ between the position of the stylus and the mark it draws on the canvas. This option creates smoother lines in your detailed work with sharp corners as it is more precise thanks to the string that pulls the cursor on a more controllable way.
No Position Smoothing - No stabilization for the drawings. The cursor follows your stylus or mouse movement without any line smoothing.
Pressure Smoothing - Between Min and Max, sets the level of smoothing applied to changes in the stylus pressure applied as you draw on the canvas.
Pressure Sensitivity - Between Soft and Firm, sets the sensitivity of the changes in pressure. When set to Soft less pressure is required for a greater change (e.g. in size or opacity of the brush stroke), when set to Firm more pressure is required.
You can adjust the Pressure Sensitivity also via the Curve Editor. Open the Curve Editor using the button .
When you adjust the curve, the Pressure Sensitivity slider will be grayed out as the setting from the curve will be used.
To reset the curve back to the default settings, use the Reset button:
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s Line Smoothing options in this video: Line Smoothing, Pressure Smoothing and Sensitivity.
Properties Panel Menu:
Reset Brush Changes - Reset the selected brush preset to its default (the last saved) state.
Save Changes as Default - Save any changes made to the selected brush as default.
Save as New Brush Preset - Save your brush settings as a new brush preset.
Show Sliders - Select which sliders appear in the Properties panel.
Use Preset Volumes - Select which volume properties are saved with a brush preset.
Close - Close the Properties panel. You can re-open the panel from the Window menu.
The Oils & Acrylics simulate thin or thick (impasto) painting with a wide variety of preset brushes.
Activate the tool by choosing it in the Tools panel
or by tapping the ‘Shift + O’ shortcut.
The Size, Loading, and Oiliness of the brushes are set in the Properties panel. The more complex mechanics that define an oil or acrylic brush are set in the Brush Creator panel.
Size - Determines the size of an oil or acrylic brush as a percentage (1 to 100) of the brush’s maximum size (set in the Brush Creator panel).
Loading - Determines the amount of color (i.e. oil paint) applied by the brush as a percentage (1 to 100) of the brush’s maximum opacity (set in the Brush Creator panel).
Oiliness - Determines the oiliness of the color applied by the brush (1 to 100). Lower settings define a drier brush, and higher settings a more oily, smudgy brush.
Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1 to 100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
Length - Determines the length of the stroke (1 to 100). At the lower settings, the brush
“runs out of” paint quickly, with the highest ‘100’ setting, the paint on the brush is infinite.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about the Length slider in this video: Stroke Length.
NOTE: The Pressure and Length sliders are hidden by default. You can view it anytime by selecting ‘Pressure’ and ‘Length’ in the Properties panel menu > Show Sliders.
Examples of brushstrokes with different 'Length' settings - the top stroke shows infinite loading, and the bottom stroke runs out of paint almost immediately.
You can also change the size or loading of oil or acrylic brushes without using the Properties panel. To do so, hold Ctrl (or Cmd) key on the keyboard while dragging the mouse or stylus:
Drag to the left to decrease brush size.
Drag to the right to increase brush size.
Drag down to decrease the loading of the brush.
Drag up to increase the loading of the brush.
When you engage in this process, the on-screen representation of the brush (the brush pointer) will first appear in its Resize Color along with the info window with the current volumes’ values. The brush pointer will then change in size or loading depending on which direction you drag it and the info window will update accordingly.
TIP: The brush Resize Color of the brush pointer can be changed in the Preferences panel > Tools.
Brush Creator - Opens the Brush Creator with many more settings for brush customization.
‘Oils & Acrylics’ Tool Modes
Oil and acrylic brushes have several different modes that determine how each brush applies, blends, or removes color from the canvas.
MultiColored Brush - Load two or more colors onto the brush tip and paint with multiple colors. The beginning of the multicolored brush stroke consists of all picked colors.
The colors are then mixed together into a color which is the average value of these colors. The MultiColored brush can be activated also by tapping the ‘Alt + M’ shortcut.
TIP: By using the shortcut ‘Alt’ (Pick Color) or ‘X’ (Mix color) you can load more than one color from the canvas or color set onto the brush tip using several clicks.
Example of various Oil & Acrylic Tool’s multicolored brushes.
Dirty Brush - Sets an oil or acrylic brush to retain traces of a previously picked color along with traces of any colors it encounters on the canvas. Dirty brush can be activated also by tapping the ‘Alt + D’ shortcut.
Example of various Oil & Acrylic Tool’s multicolored brushes.
TIP: Select the Blend mode and click on the canvas without making an additional mark. Colors under the brush will be 'loaded' into the brush and will be used in the next stroke.
NOTE: The MultiColored and Dirty Brush option can be used in combination with Paint, Paint & Mix, and Paint & Blend Modes.
When using Multicolored or Dirty Brush, you can easily mix the original, primary color back
into the wash by tapping the shortcut ‘C’.
When using Multicolored or Dirty Brush, you can easily clean the brush by tapping a shortcut which you can set via Preferences > Keyboard > Color > Clean Brush.
Dirty Brush colors can be saved into the color history by enabling the option “Save Dirty brush colors to Color history” in the Preferences > Tool.
Paint - Sets the brush to apply the selected color without mixing it into any other color it encounters on the canvas (previously called Permanent Brush in Rebelle 3). Paint Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘1’ on the keyboard.
Paint & Mix - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and to mix it into any colors it encounters on the canvas (previously called Normal Brush in Rebelle 3). It starts with painting. After you lower the pen pressure you start to mix the colors. With higher pressure, you paint again. Paint & Mix Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘2‘ on the keyboard.
Paint & Blend - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and to blend it into any colors it encounters on the canvas. With lower pen pressure you blend the colors and with higher pressure, you paint. Paint & Blend Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘3‘ on the keyboard.
Blend - Sets the brush to blend and smudge any colors it encounters on the canvas. In this paint mode the brush does not apply any color of its own. Blending decreases and smudging increases with stylus pressure. Blend Mode is engaged by tapping or holding ‘4‘ on the keyboard.
TIP: You can switch between Paint modes and Blend mode by tapping or holding the ‘V‘
shortcut.
TIP: You can make the brush automatically switch to Blend mode after using Paint, Paint & Mix, or Paint & Blend mode for wet media when the brush runs out of paint - enable this option in Preferences > Tools.
Examples of the behavior of Oil & Acrylic tool paint modes.
Erase Brush - Sets the brush to erase any colors it encounters on the canvas. Erase Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘5’ on the keyboard.
TIP: Each paint mode has a keyboard shortcut (as noted above). By tapping the shortcut, the paint mode is set until it is next changed. By holding the shortcut, the mode is engaged only until the key is released.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s Oils & Acrylics in this video:
Oils, Acrylics and Express Oils.
Oil and acrylic brushes apply color to the canvas with varying degrees of thickness. This
quality is often called “Impasto”.
Impasto Depth (0-10) - The overall impasto depth can be adjusted at any time using the Visual Settings panel (choose Window menu > Visual Settings or click the Visual Settings button on the Layers panel).
Gloss (0-10) - Oil and acrylic paints also have a characteristic glossiness - the result of light reflecting off its impasto surface. Paint Gloss can also be adjusted using the Visual Settings panel.
Example of oils with various Impasto and Gloss values.
Express Oils are based on oils but aimed for fast sketching. Use them to prepare underlying painting, concept design, or when you need to quickly cover large areas of the paint with one color.
Activate the tool by choosing it in the Tools panel
or by tapping the ‘Shift + A’ shortcut.
The Size, Loading, and Oiliness of the express oils brushes are set in the Properties panel. The detailed mechanics that define the brush are set in the Brush Creator panel.
Size - Determines the size of the brush as a
percentage (1 to 100) of the brush’s maximum
size (set in the Brush Creator panel).
Loading - Determines the amount of color (i.e., oil paint) applied by the brush as a
percentage (1 to 100) of the brush’s maximum opacity (set in the Brush Creator panel). Oiliness - Determines the oiliness of the color applied by the brush (1 to 100). Lower settings define a drier brush, and higher settings a more oily, smudgy brush.
Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1 to 100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
Length - Determines the length of the stroke (1 to 100). At the lower settings, the brush
“runs out of” paint quickly, with the highest ‘100’ setting, the paint on the brush is infinite.
NOTE: The Pressure and Length sliders are hidden by default. You can view it anytime by
selecting ‘Pressure’ and ‘Length’ in the Properties panel menu > Show Sliders.
You can also change the size or loading of the brushes without using the Properties panel. To do so, hold Ctrl (or Cmd) key on the keyboard while dragging the mouse or stylus:
Drag to the left to decrease brush size.
Drag to the right to increase brush size.
Drag down to decrease the loading of the brush.
Drag up to increase the loading of the brush.
When you engage in this process, the on-screen representation of the brush (the brush pointer) will first appear in its Resize Color along with the info window with the current volumes’ values. The brush pointer will then change in size or loading depending on which direction you drag it and the info window will update accordingly.
TIP: The brush Resize Color of the brush pointer can be changed in the Preferences panel > Tools.
Brush Creator - Opens the Brush Creator with many more settings for brush customization.
‘Express Oils’ Tool Modes
This tool has several different modes that determine how each brush applies, blends, or removes color from the canvas.
Paint - Sets the brush to apply the selected color without mixing it into any other color it encounters on the canvas (previously called Permanent Brush in Rebelle 3). Paint Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘1’ on the keyboard.
Paint & Mix - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and to mix it into any colors it encounters on the canvas (previously called Normal Brush in Rebelle 3). It starts with painting. After you lower the pen pressure you start to mix the colors. With higher pressure, you paint again. Paint & Mix Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘2‘ on the keyboard.
Paint & Blend - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and to blend it into any colors it encounters on the canvas. With lower pen pressure you blend the colors and with higher pressure, you paint. Paint & Blend Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘3‘ on the keyboard.
Blend - Sets the brush to blend and smudge any colors it encounters on the canvas. In this paint mode the brush does not apply any color of its own. Blending decreases and smudging increases with stylus pressure. Blend Mode is engaged by tapping or holding ‘4‘ on the keyboard.
Erase Brush - Sets the brush to erase any colors it encounters on the canvas. Erase Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘5’ on the keyboard.
TIP: Each paint mode has a keyboard shortcut (as noted above). By tapping the shortcut, the paint mode is set until it is next changed. By holding the shortcut, the mode is engaged only until the key is released.
TIP: You can switch between Paint modes and Blend mode by tapping or holding the ‘V‘
shortcut.
TIP: You can make the brush automatically switch to Blend mode after using Paint, Paint & Mix, or Paint & Blend mode for wet media when the brush runs out of paint - enable this option in Preferences > Tools.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s Express Oils in this video: Oils, Acrylics and Express Oils.
The Watercolor tool simulates painting with water-based pigments like watercolors or gouache. Activate the Watercolor tool by choosing it in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘Shift + W’ shortcut.
The basic settings for each watercolor brush, such as its Size, Opacity, and Water are set in the Properties panel while more complex brush mechanics are defined in the Brush Creator panel.
Size - Determines the size of a watercolor brush as a percentage (1 to 100) of the brush’s maximum size (set in the Brush Creator panel). Opacity - Determines the transparency of the color applied by the brush as a percentage (1 to 100) of the brush’s maximum opacity (set in the Brush Creator panel).
Water - Determines the amount of water applied by the brush. Lower numbers define a dry brush while higher numbers simulate color applications that readily spread and drip.
Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1 to 100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
Length - Determines the length of the stroke (1 to 100). At the lower settings, the brush
“runs out of” paint quickly, with the highest ‘100’ setting, the paint on the brush is infinite.
TIP: Set ‘Water’ to low values to slightly wet the layer, or set ‘Water’ to higher values to put more water to the specific part of the layer.
NOTE: The Pressure and Length sliders are hidden by default. You can view it anytime by
selecting ‘Pressure’ and ‘Length’ in the Properties panel menu > Show Sliders.
You can also change the size or opacity of watercolor brushes without using the Properties panel. To do so, hold Ctrl (or Cmd) key on the keyboard while dragging the mouse or stylus:
Drag to the left to decrease brush size.
Drag to the right to increase brush size.
Drag down to decrease the opacity of the brush.
Drag up to increase the opacity of the brush.
When you engage in this process, the on-screen representation of the brush (the brush pointer) will first appear in its Resize Color along with the info window with the current volumes’ values. The brush pointer will then change in size or loading depending on which direction you drag it and the info window will update accordingly.
TIP: The brush Resize Color of the brush pointer can be changed in the Preferences panel > Tools.
Brush Creator - Opens the Brush Creator with many more settings for brush customization.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s Watercolors in this video: Rebelle Watercolors.
Watercolor Tool Modes
Like Rebelle’s other painting tools, watercolor brushes can be set to different Paint Modes. In addition, watercolor brushes feature Mixing Color Modes that determine the density and transparency of the paint applied. Use the Mixing Color Mode menu to choose:
Transparent - sets colors to their most translucent, allowing previously painted areas to show clearly through subsequent layers. This setting is best for glazing techniques.
Semi-transparent - sets colors to a midpoint between transparent and opaque. Painting in this Mixing Color mode with lower opacity settings applies transparent color, higher opacity settings apply colors that appear increasingly solid.
Opaque - sets dense colors like painting with gouache (like watercolors in Rebelle 3).
Examples of different Watercolor Tool’s Mixing Modes.
Watercolor tool brushes have several different modes that determine how each brush applies, blends, or removes color from the canvas.
Paint - Sets the brush to apply the selected color without mixing it into any other color it encounters on the canvas (previously called Permanent Brush in Rebelle 3). Paint Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘1’ on the keyboard.
Paint & Mix - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and to mix it into any colors it encounters on the canvas (previously called Normal Brush in Rebelle 3). It starts with painting. After you lower the pen pressure you start to mix the colors. With higher pressure, you paint again. Paint & Mix Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘2‘ on the keyboard.
Paint & Blend - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and to blend it into any colors it encounters on the canvas. With lower pen pressure you blend the colors and with higher pressure, you paint. Paint & Blend Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘3‘ on the keyboard.
Blend - Sets the brush to blend and smudge any colors it encounters on the canvas. In this paint mode the brush does not apply any color of its own. Blending decreases and smudging increases with stylus pressure. Blend Mode is engaged by tapping or holding ‘4‘ on the keyboard.
Examples of various Watercolor Tool’s Modes.
Erase Brush - Sets the brush to erase any colors it encounters on the canvas. Erase Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘5’ on the keyboard.
TIP: Each paint mode has a keyboard shortcut (as noted above). By tapping the shortcut, the paint mode is set until it is next changed. By holding the shortcut, the mode is engaged only until the key is released.
TIP: You can switch between Paint modes and Blend mode by tapping or holding the ‘V‘
shortcut.
TIP: You can make the brush automatically switch to Blend mode after using Paint, Paint & Mix, or Paint & Blend mode for wet media when the brush runs out of paint - enable this option in Preferences > Tools.
The Inks simulate drawing with liquid pigments or dyes. Activate the Ink tool by choosing it in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘Shift + I’ shortcut.
While we often use various pens to apply ink in the real world, the saved shapes and qualities of this tool are called “brushes”. We use this terminology for all Rebelle tools whether they simulate paint, ink or pastel.
The basic ink brush settings, such as Size, Opacity, and Water, are set in the Properties panel while the more complex mechanics for these brushes are defined in the Brush Creator panel.
Size - Determines the size of an Ink brush as a percentage (1 to 100) of the brush’s maximum
size (set in the Brush Creator panel)
Opacity - Determines the transparency of the color applied by the brush as a percentage (1
to 100) of the brush’s maximum opacity (set in the Brush Creator panel).
Water - Determines the amount of water applied. Lower numbers define a dry brush or scratchy pen while higher numbers simulate color applications that readily spread and drip. Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1 to 100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
Length - Determines the length of the stroke (1 to 100). At the lower settings, the brush
“runs out of” paint quickly, with the highest ‘100’ setting, the paint on the brush is infinite.
NOTE: The Pressure and Length sliders are hidden by default. You can view it anytime by
selecting ‘Pressure’ and ‘Length’ in the Properties panel menu > Show Sliders.
You can also change the size or opacity of ink brushes without using the Properties panel. To do so, hold Ctrl (or Cmd) key on the keyboard while dragging the mouse or stylus:
Drag to the left to decrease brush size.
Drag to the right to increase brush size.
Drag down to decrease the opacity of the brush.
Drag up to increase the opacity of the brush.
When you engage in this process, the on-screen representation of the brush (the brush pointer) will first appear in its Resize Color along with the info window with the current volumes’ values. The brush pointer will then change in size or loading depending on which direction you drag it and the info window will update accordingly.
TIP: The brush Resize Color of the brush pointer can be changed in the Preferences panel > Tools.
Ink Tool Modes
Like Rebelle’s other tools, ink brushes can be set to different Modes. These determine how
each brush applies, blends, or removes color from the canvas.
Paint - Sets the brush to apply the selected color without mixing it into any other color it encounters on the canvas (previously called Permanent Brush in Rebelle 3). Paint Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘1’ on the keyboard.
Paint & Mix - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and to mix it into any colors it encounters on the canvas (previously called Normal Brush in Rebelle 3). It starts with painting. After you lower the pen pressure you start to mix the colors. With higher pressure, you paint again. Paint & Mix Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘2‘ on the keyboard.
Paint & Blend - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and to blend it into any colors it encounters on the canvas. With lower pen pressure you blend the colors and with higher pressure, you paint. Paint & Blend Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘3‘ on the keyboard.
Blend - Sets the brush to blend and smudge any colors it encounters on the canvas. In this paint mode the brush does not apply any color of its own. Blending decreases and smudging increases with stylus pressure. Blend Mode is engaged by tapping or holding ‘4‘ on the keyboard.
Erase Brush - Sets the brush to erase any colors it encounters on the canvas. Erase Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘5’ on the keyboard.
TIP: Each paint mode has a keyboard shortcut (as noted above). By tapping the shortcut, the paint mode is set until it is next changed. By holding the shortcut, the mode is engaged only until the key is released.
TIP: You can switch between Paint modes and Blend mode by tapping or holding the ‘V‘
shortcut.
TIP: You can make the brush automatically switch to Blend mode after using Paint, Paint & Mix, or Paint & Blend mode for wet media when the brush runs out of paint - enable this option in Preferences > Tools.
Colored pencil is an art medium constructed of a narrow, pigmented core encased in a wooden cylindrical case. Activate the Pencil tool by choosing it in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘Shift + N’ shortcut.
You can adjust its parameters according to your needs:
Size - Set the size of the pencil (1-100).
Opacity - Set the opacity of the pencil (1-100). Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1 to 100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
NOTE: The Pressure slider is hidden by default. You can view it anytime by selecting Pressure in the Properties panel menu > Show Sliders.
You can also change the size or opacity of pencil brushes without using the Properties panel. To do so, hold Ctrl (or Cmd) key on the keyboard while dragging the mouse or stylus:
Drag to the left to decrease brush size.
Drag to the right to increase brush size.
Drag down to decrease the opacity of the brush.
Drag up to increase the opacity of the brush.
When you engage in this process, the on-screen representation of the brush (the brush pointer) will first appear in its Resize Color along with the info window with the current volumes’ values. The brush pointer will then change in size or loading depending on which direction you drag it and the info window will update accordingly.
TIP: The brush Resize Color of the brush pointer can be changed in the Preferences panel > Tools.
Pencil Tool Modes
Like Rebelle’s other tools, pencil brushes can be set to different Modes. These determine
how each brush applies, blends, or removes color from the canvas.
Paint - Sets the brush to apply the selected color without mixing it into any other color it encounters on the canvas (previously called Permanent Brush in Rebelle 3). Paint Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘1’ on the keyboard.
Paint & Blend - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and blend it into any colors it encounters on the canvas. With lower pen pressure you blend the colors and with higher pressure, you paint. Paint & Blend Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘3‘ on the keyboard.
Blend - Sets the brush to blend and smudge any colors it encounters on the canvas. In this paint mode the brush does not apply any color of its own. Blending decreases and smudging increases with stylus pressure. Blend Mode is engaged by tapping or holding ‘4‘ on the keyboard.
Erase Brush - Sets the brush to erase any colors it encounters on the canvas. Erase Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘5’ on the keyboard.
TIP: Each paint mode has a keyboard shortcut (as noted above). By tapping the shortcut, the paint mode is set until it is next changed. By holding the shortcut, the mode is engaged only until the key is released.
TIP: You can switch between Paint modes and Blend mode by tapping or holding the ‘V‘
shortcut.
TIP: It is possible to tilt the stylus to achieve shading effects just like with a real-life pencil. If your stylus supports tilt, set the Tip Tilt parameter (0-100) in Rebelle’s Brush Creator panel.
Pastel is a dry art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. Activate the Pastel tool by choosing it in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘Shift + T’ shortcut.
You can adjust its parameters according to your needs:
Size - Set the size of the pastel (1-100).
Opacity - Set the opacity of the pastel (1-100). Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1 to 100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
NOTE: The Pressure slider is hidden by default. You can view it anytime by selecting Pressure in the Properties panel menu > Show Sliders.
You can also change the size or opacity of pastel brushes without using the Properties panel. To do so, hold Ctrl (or Cmd) key on the keyboard while dragging the mouse or stylus:
Drag to the left to decrease brush size.
Drag to the right to increase brush size.
Drag down to decrease the opacity of the brush.
Drag up to increase the opacity of the brush.
When you engage in this process, the on-screen representation of the brush (the brush pointer) will first appear in its Resize Color along with the info window with the current volumes’ values. The brush pointer will then change in size or loading depending on which direction you drag it and the info window will update accordingly.
TIP: The brush Resize Color of the brush pointer can be changed in the Preferences panel > Tools.
Pastel Tool Modes
Like Rebelle’s other tools, pastel brushes can be set to different Modes. These determine how each brush applies, blends, or removes color from the canvas.
Paint - Sets the brush to apply the selected color without mixing it into any other color it encounters on the canvas (previously called Permanent Brush in Rebelle 3). Paint Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘1’ on the keyboard.
Paint & Blend - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and blend it into any colors it encounters on the canvas. With lower pen pressure you blend the colors and with higher pressure, you paint. Paint & Blend Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘3‘ on the keyboard.
Blend - Sets the brush to blend and smudge any colors it encounters on the canvas. In this paint mode the brush does not apply any color of its own. Blending decreases and smudging increases with stylus pressure. Blend Mode is engaged by tapping or holding ‘4‘ on the keyboard.
Erase Brush - Sets the brush to erase any colors it encounters on the canvas. Erase Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘5’ on the keyboard.
TIP: Each paint mode has a keyboard shortcut (as noted above). By tapping the shortcut, the paint mode is set until it is next changed. By holding the shortcut, the mode is engaged only until the key is released.
TIP: You can switch between Paint modes and Blend mode by tapping or holding the ‘V‘
shortcut.
Marker is a pen that has its own ink source, and usually, a tip made of porous pressed fibers such as felt. Activate the Marker tool by choosing it in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘Shift + M’ shortcut.
You can adjust its parameters according to your needs:
Size - Set the size of the marker (1-100).
Opacity - Set the opacity of the marker (1-100). Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1 to 100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
NOTE: The Pressure slider is hidden by default. You can view it anytime by selecting Pressure in the Properties panel menu > Show Sliders.
You can also change the size or opacity of marker brushes without using the Properties panel. To do so, hold Ctrl (or Cmd) key on the keyboard while dragging the mouse or stylus:
Drag to the left to decrease brush size.
Drag to the right to increase brush size.
Drag down to decrease the opacity of the brush.
Drag up to increase the opacity of the brush.
When you engage in this process, the on-screen representation of the brush (the brush pointer) will first appear in its Resize Color along with the info window with the current volumes’ values. The brush pointer will then change in size or loading depending on which direction you drag it and the info window will update accordingly.
TIP: The brush Resize Color of the brush pointer can be changed in the Preferences panel > Tools.
Marker Tool Modes
Like Rebelle’s other tools, marker brushes can be set to different Modes. These determine
how each brush applies, blends, or removes color from the canvas.
Paint - Sets the brush to apply the selected color without mixing it into any other color it encounters on the canvas (previously called Permanent Brush in Rebelle 3). Paint Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘1’ on the keyboard.
Paint & Blend - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and to blend it into any colors it encounters on the canvas. With lower pen pressure you blend the colors and with higher pressure, you paint. Paint & Blend Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘3‘ on the keyboard.
Blend - Sets the brush to blend and smudge any colors it encounters on the canvas. In this paint mode, the brush does not apply any color of its own. Blending decreases and smudging increases with stylus pressure. Blend Mode is engaged by tapping or holding ‘4‘ on the keyboard.
Erase Brush - Sets the brush to erase any colors it encounters on the canvas. Erase Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘5’ on the keyboard.
TIP: Each paint mode has a keyboard shortcut (as noted above). By tapping the shortcut, the paint mode is set until it is next changed. By holding the shortcut, the mode is engaged only until the key is released.
TIP: You can switch between Paint modes and Blend mode by tapping or holding the ‘V‘
shortcut.
Airbrush is a small, air-operated that sprays various media including ink and dye. Activate the Airbrush tool by choosing it in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘Shift + H’ shortcut.
You can adjust its parameters according to your needs:
Size - Set the size of the airbrush (1-100).
Opacity - Set the opacity of the airbrush (1-100). Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1 to 100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
NOTE: The Pressure slider is hidden by default. You can view it anytime by selecting Pressure in the Properties panel menu > Show Sliders.
You can also change the size or opacity of airbrush brushes without using the Properties panel. To do so, hold Ctrl (or Cmd) key on the keyboard while dragging the mouse or stylus:
Drag to the left to decrease brush size.
Drag to the right to increase brush size.
Drag down to decrease the opacity of the brush.
Drag up to increase the opacity of the brush.
When you engage in this process, the on-screen representation of the brush (the brush pointer) will first appear in its Resize Color along with the info window with the current volumes’ values. The brush pointer will then change in size or loading depending on which direction you drag it and the info window will update accordingly.
TIP: The brush Resize Color of the brush pointer can be changed in the Preferences panel > Tools.
Airbrush Tool Modes
Like Rebelle’s other tools, airbrush brushes can be set to different Modes. These determine how each brush applies, blends, or removes color from the canvas.
Paint - Sets the brush to apply the selected color without mixing it into any other color it encounters on the canvas (previously called Permanent Brush in Rebelle 3). Paint Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘1’ on the keyboard.
Paint & Blend - Sets the brush to apply the selected color and to blend it into any colors it encounters on the canvas. With lower pen pressure you blend the colors and with higher pressure, you paint. Paint & Blend Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘3‘ on the keyboard.
Blend - Sets the brush to blend and smudge any colors it encounters on the canvas. In this paint mode the brush does not apply any color of its own. Blending decreases and smudging increases with stylus pressure. Blend Mode is engaged by tapping or holding ‘4‘ on the keyboard.
Erase Brush - Sets the brush to erase any colors it encounters on the canvas. Erase Mode can also be engaged by tapping or holding ‘5’ on the keyboard.
TIP: Each paint mode has a keyboard shortcut (as noted above). By tapping the shortcut, the paint mode is set until it is next changed. By holding the shortcut, the mode is engaged only until the key is released.
TIP: You can switch between Paint modes and Blend mode by tapping or holding the ‘V‘
shortcut.
‘Favorites‘ is a separate tool in the Tools panel where you can place your most used or favorite brushes.
When you open the tool, the brushes you have added as favorites will open in the Brushes panel.
The Properties panel will change according to which brush you select, e.g. if you select an Oil tool, Oils & Acrylics Tool Properties will appear.
Activate the Favorites tool by choosing it in the
Tools panel or by tapping the ‘Shift + B’ shortcut.
You can add a selected brush to the ‘Favorites’ tool by right-clicking the brush preset and selecting ‘Copy Brush Preset to Favorites’. A copy of the brush preset will be created in the Favorites tool. The change of the settings of the brush in the Favorites tool will not change the setting of the original brush preset.
TIP: Use keyboard shortcuts for switching between the first ten brushes in ‘Favorites’. The default shortcuts for the first four brushes are: ‘6’, ‘7’, ‘8’, and ‘9’. You can customize these shortcuts anytime via the menu: Edit > Preferences > Keyboard > Favorite Brushes.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about the Favorites in this video tutorial: Favorite Brushes.
This tool blends the colors and brushmarks together.
Activate the Blend tool by clicking the button in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘N‘ shortcut.
Size - Select the size of the blend tool (1-100). Opacity - Set the opacity of the blend tool (1-100).
Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1-100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
TIP: You can blend colors with a single touch on tablets with touch displays. Set the single touch for the Blend tool in the Preferences panel > Keyboard > Tools (hold). Select “Blend” and set it to “Single touch” at the bottom of the Preferences window.
This tool smudges the wet and dry parts of the painting or pushes, pulls, twirls, pinches or expands any area of an image.
Activate the Smudge & Liquify tool by clicking the button in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘S‘ shortcut.
Size - Select the size of the smudge or liquify tool (1-100).
Opacity - Set the opacity of the smudge or liquify tool (1-100).
Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1-100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
Smudge - A classic smudge tool which familiar from older Rebelle versions.
Liquify Push - This tool pushes pixels based on the movement of your brush stroke.
Liquify Expand - This tool pulls the pixels beneath the brush in an outward motion.
Liquify Pinch - This tool pulls the pixels beneath the brush in an inward motion.
Liquify Push Left - When using this tool, pulling the brush up will move pixels to the left. Pulling the brush down will move pixels to the right. Pulling left will move pixels down, and pulling right will move pixels up.
Liquify Twirl - This tool twirls pixels based on the movement of your brush stroke. Use the Alt shortcut to reverse the rotation.
Bake Changes - Protect the changes made using the liquify tool from unwanted edits.
Liquify Smooth - This tool smoothes the pixels beneath the brush.
Liquify Reconstruct - This tool is essentially a paint-on eraser. You can easily return pixels to their original state by brushing the Reconstruct tool over modified areas of an image.
NOTE: Unlike in other software, Rebelle’s Liquify tool is not a separate filter but is included as a tool in the workspace. This way you can work with the tool directly on the layer while seeing other content of your project.
TIP: Use Liquify with various default as well as user-made brushes to get extraordinary effects.
NOTE: Smudge & Liquify tool in Rebelle 6 Pro uses fractal image processing, which is a similar technology we use in NanoPixel image resizing. This is a huge step forward in image quality compared to other liquify tools.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about the Liquify tool in this video tutorial: Liquify Tool.
The Clone tool is useful for duplicating objects or removing an irregularity in the current layer.
Activate the Clone tool by clicking the button in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘Shift + C‘ shortcut.
To clone, hold the Alt (on Windows) or Option key (on macOS) and position the pointer on the source you wish to clone. Then click to set the starting point. Release the Alt (Option) key and move to another part of the layer to start cloning.
Size - Select the size of the clone tool (1-100). Opacity - Set the opacity of the clone tool (1-100). Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1 to 100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
Aligned - Enable this option if you want to paint with the most current sampling point whenever you stop and resume painting. Deselect the Aligned option to paint starting from the initial sampling point no matter how many times you stop and resume painting:
Erase color and brush marks from the current layer.
Activate the Eraser tool by clicking the button in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘E‘ shortcut.
TIP: You can set the tablet’s pen eraser tip to eraser in Rebelle via Preferences > Tools (hold). Select “Eraser” and set it to “Pen (Eraser)” at the bottom of the Preferences window.
Size - Select the size of the eraser (1-100). Opacity - Select the opacity of the eraser (1-100). Pressure - Determines the pressure applied to the brush (1 to 100). This slider is provided for those using a mouse or a stylus that is not pressure-sensitive.
Keep Layer Wet - Enable this option if you want the eraser to keep the erased area wet for further painting. By default, the eraser completely dries the erased area.
Fill a selection or layer with color. The Fill tool also fills adjacent pixels that are similar in color value to the pixels you click.
Activate the Fill tool by clicking the button in the
Tools panel or by tapping the ‘L‘ shortcut.
Opacity - Set the opacity of the fill color (1-100).
- Tolerance - Determines the color range of the filled pixels. Enter a value in pixels, ranging from 0 to 255. Value 0 means that only the pixels that are the same color as the specific pixel you clicked on will be filled. A value larger than 0 represents the shades of pixels darker and lighter that will be filled as well.
Antialiasing - When enabled, Antialiasing creates a smoother-edged filled selection.
Contiguous - To fill only pixels contiguous to the one you click, select Contiguous; leave Contiguous unselected to fill all similar pixels in the image.
Use Alpha - Determines the alpha channel of the filled pixels.
Wet the Layer - When enabled, the fill automatically wets the filled pixels.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s tools in this video: Blend, Smudge, Clone, Fill and Erase Tool.
This tool enables you to pick a color from layer and canvas and mix it with another color.
Activate the Pick Color tool by clicking the button in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘I‘ shortcut or by holding the ‘Alt‘ key.
Mix Color - Switch the ‘Mix Colors’ button on or hold the ‘X’ key to mix the picked color with the previous color. You can set the ‘Mix mode sensitivity’ in Preferences > Color.
Sample:
Current Layer - Color is picked only from an active layer.
All Layers - Color is picked from all layers except a background paper color.
All Layers and Canvas - Color is picked from all layers including a background paper.
Sample Size - Average sample size.
When the Pick Color tool has been selected the cursor changes to a circle with three different color areas:
New Color - The newly selected color.
Color Sample - The canvas color underneath the target.
Original Color - The old, originally used color.
TIP: You can pick colors only by hovering the cursor over - for this, enable the option “Don't need to confirm Color Picker with the mouse button” in Preferences > Color > Pick Color.
Add water strokes to the current layer.
Activate the Water tool by clicking the button in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘W‘ shortcut.
Size - Select the size of a water brush tool (1-100).
Water - Select the amount of water (1-100).
The more water is selected, the wetter the canvas gets.
Dry the water off the layer using dry brushes. Activate the Dry tool by clicking the button in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘Y‘ shortcut.
Size - Select the size of the dry tool (1-100). Absorbency - Select the power of the dry tool’s absorbency (1-100).
The higher the number selected, the faster the water is absorbed.
Keep Layer Wet - Enable this option if you want to keep the dried area on canvas wet for further painting. The dry tool completely dries the areas by default.
TIP: Water and Dry tools also have brushes to choose from - you can use them to create nice wet effects.
NOTE: Water and Dry tools automatically switch on the ‘Show wet’ mode. You can change this via the Edit menu: Preferences > Tools by disabling the option ‘Show wet layer when using Water or Dry tools’.
This tool blows a color that is wet in a direction of your stroke.
Activate the Blow tool by clicking the button in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘O‘ shortcut.
Size - Select the size of a blow tool (1-100).
TIP: Moving the blow tool over the wet painting blows the wet areas. In dry areas, it creates dripping effects.
Select a specific area of the canvas and perform operations on this selected area.
Activate the Selection tool by clicking the button in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘M‘ shortcut.
There are five types of Selection tools available:
Rectangle - Create rectangular selections by clicking and dragging on the canvas. Activate the rectangular selection by tapping ‘Ctrl + Alt + R‘ (on Windows) / ‘Cmd + Alt + R‘ (on macOS).
Ellipse - Create elliptical selections by clicking and dragging on the canvas.
Activate the elliptical selection by tapping ‘Ctrl + Alt + E‘ (on Windows) / ‘Cmd + Alt + E‘ (on macOS).
Use Shift to scale the rectangular or elliptical selection proportionally. Use Alt to scale the selection relative to its center.
Use Shift to enable lock rotation at a 15-degree angle. You can change the default angle in
Preferences > Tools > Transformation.
Polygon - Create polygonal selections. Click to place a corner point, release the mouse button and click to place the next point. To finish creating a polygonal selection either click on the first point again or hit Enter - the last point will be linked back to the first point automatically.
Activate the polygonal selection by tapping ‘Ctrl + Alt + P‘ (on Windows) / ‘Cmd + Alt + P‘ (on macOS).
NOTE: Confirm the rectangular, elliptical and polygonal selection by hitting Enter or by clicking on the viewport outside the selected area.
Freehand - Create freehand selections by drawing an outline around the area you want to select. When the mouse is released, the end of the line will be automatically connected to its start.
Activate the freehand selection by tapping ‘Ctrl + Alt + F‘ (on Windows) / ‘Cmd + Alt + F‘ (on macOS).
Magic Wand - Create selections based on the tone and color of the pixels.
Activate the Magic Wand selection by tapping ‘Ctrl + Alt + W‘ (on Windows) / ‘Cmd + Alt + W‘
(on macOS).
You can specify any of the following:
Tolerance - Determines the color range of selected pixels. Enter a value in pixels, ranging from 0 to 255. Value 0 means that only the pixels that are the same color as the specific pixel you clicked on will be selected. A value larger than 0 represents the shades of pixels darker and lighter that will be selected as well.
Antialiasing - When enabled, Antialiasing creates a smoother-edged selection.
Contiguous - Selects only adjacent areas using the same colors. Otherwise, all pixels in the entire image using the same colors are selected.
Use Alpha - Determines the alpha channel of selected pixels.
There are three modes of how a new selection can be added to any current selection on the canvas:
New Selection - Replace the current selection with the new one.
Add to Selection - Add a new selection to the current selection to create a new result. (shortcut: Shift)
Subtract from Selection - Subtract the area of the new selection from the current selection to create a new result. (shortcut: Alt)
Invert selection - Invert the current selection. You can invert the selection also with ‘Ctrl
+ Shift + I’ (on Windows) / ‘Cmd + Shift + I’ (on macOS) or via Edit menu > Invert Selection.
Select All - Select the content of the layer. You can ‘select all’ also with the ‘Ctrl + A‘ (on Windows) / ‘Cmd + A‘ (on macOS) shortcut or via Edit menu > Select All.
Deselect All - Deselect the current selection from the canvas. You can ‘deselect all’ also with the ‘Ctrl + D‘ (on Windows) / ‘Cmd + D‘ (on macOS) shortcut or via Edit menu > Deselect All.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s Selection tool in this video: Selection Tool. Transform Tool.
More information about how to use selections in Rebelle can be found in the Working with Selections section.
Transform the current layer or the selected layers and their position.
Activate the Transform tool by clicking the button in the Tools panel or by tapping the ‘T‘ shortcut.
X - Set the position X of the layer or layers.
Y - Set the position Y of the layer or layers. When both positions are set to 0, the layer is transformed to the left and upper canvas side.
Width - Set the width of the layer or layers in pixels, centimeters or inches.
Height - Set the height of the layer or layers in pixels, centimeters or inches.
Angle - Set the rotation angle.
Flip Vertically - Flip the layer or selected layers vertically.
Flip Horizontally - Flip the layer or selected layers horizontally.
In Rebelle 6 Pro, you can choose which image interpolation algorithm should be used when transforming the layer:
Nearest - Each pixel is calculated from 1 source pixel (1x1) after the transformation. The results give the most pixelated outcome.
Bilinear - Each pixel is calculated from 4 source pixels (2x2) after the transformation. The quality of the outcome is better than in ‘nearest’. The bilinear interpolation is used in Rebelle 6 standard edition by default.
Fractal - Upscale and enlarge your images in the most accurate way.
Confirm the transformation with the button:
or cancel with the button:
. To reset the changes, click the button: .
The following picture shows how to use the transform tool with the mouse, tablet pen, and touch:
Move - Move a transformed layer or selected layers.
Scale - Scale enlarges or reduces transformed or selected layers relative to its top-left corner. You can scale a layer horizontally, vertically, or both. Use the Shift shortcut to scale it proportionally. Use the Alt shortcut to scale selected layers relative to their center.
Rotate - Rotate turns the transformed selected layers around the center. Use the Shift shortcut to enable ‘lock rotation’ at 15-degree angles. You can change the default angle in Preferences > Tools > Transformation.
Move, scale and rotate using the mouse, tablet pen, or touch. Use two fingers to simultaneously move, rotate and scale the layer or selected layers. More information about touch support in Rebelle can be found in the Multi-touch Support section.
TIP: You can turn off the ability to ‘Use two fingers for canvas rotation’ in Preferences >
Tablet > Tablet options. You will still be able to move or scale using two fingers afterward.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s Transform tool in this video: Selection Tool. Transform Tool.
Warp
Use the Warp tool to deform objects and modify proportions to achieve desired shapes. First, select a layer or an object on the layer you want to warp. After making a selection, activate the Warp tool by clicking the button in the Tools panel.
When Warp is active, a grid with control points appears on the layer or the selected object. You can adjust the grid with the following options:
Split slider (1-10) - Set the layout of the grid with the slider. With the setting of ‘10’, the grid layout will be 10 x 10.
Split - Click the Split button to add additional grids to the existing grid layout.
Remove Split - Click the Remove Split button to remove grids from the existing grid layout.
Confirm the warping with the button:
or cancel with the button:
. To reset the changes, click the button: .
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about the Warp tool in this video tutorial: Warp Tool.
Resize the image, change the DPI, enlarge or crop the canvas.
Activate the Canvas Size by clicking the button in the Tools panel or by tapping ‘Ctrl + Alt + C‘ (on Windows) / ‘Cmd + Alt + C‘ (on macOS).
Activate the Image Size by clicking the button in the Tools panel and enabling the ‘Image Size‘ option or directly by using ‘Ctrl + Alt + I‘ (on Windows) / ‘Cmd + Alt + I‘ (on macOS).
To resize the image, set the width and height in pixels, centimeters or inches. Set the DPI of the new image by typing the values in the edit boxes. Confirm by hitting the OK button at the bottom of the canvas.
You can also resize the image interactively by clicking on one of the control points and dragging the image to the desired size.
Enable ‘Lock Ratio‘ or use the Shift shortcut to scale the image proportionally.
To enlarge or crop the canvas, deselect the ‘Image Size‘ checkbox, then click and drag one of the control points. Confirm by hitting the OK button at the bottom of the canvas.
In Rebelle 6 Pro you can choose which image interpolation algorithm should be used when changing the canvas size:
Nearest - Each pixel is calculated from 1 source pixel (1x1) after the resize. The results give the most pixelated outcome.
Bilinear - Each pixel is calculated from 4 source pixels (2x2) after the resize. The quality of the outcome is better than in ‘nearest’. The bilinear interpolation is used in Rebelle 6 standard edition by default.
Fractal - Upscale and enlarge your images in the most accurate way.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Fractal Image Processing in this video: Transform and Canvas Resize.
Confirm the canvas/image resizing with the button: or cancel with the button: . To reset the changes, click the button: .
NOTE: Papers with deckled edges will adapt to the new canvas size. You can show or hide the deckled edge from the ‘Select Canvas‘ window.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s Canvas & Image Size in this video: Canvas Size, Image Size, Crop Tool, Papers & Deckled Edges.
Open the Volume Presets panel to view the default presets or add custom presets for Size, Opacity, Oiliness / Water, Pressure and Length.
Close & reopen the Volume Presets panel from the Window menu or by tapping the ‘Ctrl+J’ shortcut on Windows or the ‘Cmd+J’ shortcut on macOS.
To save your custom preset, right-click in the appropriate group (Size, Opacity, Oiliness / Water, Pressure or Length) and choose ‘Add Preset‘. The current setting in the Properties panel will be added as a new custom preset to the Volume Presets panel.
To remove the selected preset, right-click in the appropriate group (Size, Opacity, Oiliness / Water, Pressure or Length) and choose ‘Remove Preset‘.
Volume Presets Panel Menu - Select which volumes appear in the Volume Presets panel or close the panel.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Get to know the Volume Presets panel in this video: Volume presets.
This panel contains brush presets and brush groups of the selected tool. Close & reopen the Brushes panel from the Window menu or by tapping the ‘F8’ shortcut.
Every brush, Favorites, Erase, Blend, Smudge, Clone, Water and Dry tools have various brush presets available. You can create your own brush presets using the Brush Creator panel. Show or hide the
Brush Creator panel using the button in the bottom left corner of the Properties panel or via the Window menu.
Click the button
to share the brushes and brush groups to the online Brushes library. Click the button
to duplicate the selected brush preset or the button
to remove the selected brush preset.
You can change the order of brushes and move brushes between brush groups with drag & drop.
You can rename the selected brush or brush group by double-clicking on it, typing a new name and hitting Enter.
You can add a selected brush to the ‘Favorites’ tool by right-clicking the brush preset and selecting ‘Copy Brush Preset to Favorites’. A copy of the brush preset will be created in the Favorites tool. The change of the settings of the brush in the Favorites tool will not change the setting of the original brush preset.
More about how to create custom brushes can be found in the Brush Creator Panel section.
Brush Groups - You can create new brush groups for the selected tool from the Brushes panel menu > Add Group or via the right mouse button click.
Rename the brush group by double-clicking its name, entering the new name of the brush group and hitting Enter.
Hide the brush group using one left mouse button click on the brush group title bar.
You can remove the selected brush group from the Brushes panel menu > Remove Group or via the right mouse button click.
NOTE: Groups can be created for brushes as well as for layers, stencils and canvas textures.
TIP: You can move the selected brush preset from one brush group to another using drag & drop.
Brushes Panel Menu:
Icon - Select which parameters should be displayed in the brush icon preview: Image, Stroke, Volumes or Name. See below the examples of various brush icons:
Image, stroke volumes, name Image, stroke, name Image and name Volumes and name
Copy Brush Preset to Favorites - Copy the selected brush preset to the ‘Favorites’ tool.
Copy Brush Preset - Copy the selected brush preset to the clipboard. (shortcut ‘Ctrl + Shift + C’ on Windows / ‘Cmd + Shift + C’ on macOS)
Paste Brush Preset - Paste the brush preset from the clipboard. (shortcut ‘Ctrl + Shift + V’ on Windows / ‘Cmd + Shift + V’ on macOS)
Duplicate Brush Preset - Duplicate the selected brush preset. (shortcut ‘Ctrl + Shift + P’ on Windows / ‘Cmd + Shift + P’ on macOS)
Remove Brush Preset - Remove the selected brush preset.
Import Brush Preset… - Import brush preset from the image file.
Export Brush Preset… - Export brush preset from Rebelle to another tool or save it to your computer.
Add Group - Add a new brush group to the current tool.
Remove Group - Remove the selected brush group from the current tool.
Share Brushes… - Share your custom brushes or brush groups with others. This option will open a new window where you enter the details for the brushes you would like to share.
Get More Brushes… - Visit Rebelle’s online brush library from where you can download more brushes.
Close - Close the Brushes panel. You can re-open the panel from the Window menu.
TIP: You can easily duplicate or remove the brush preset, copy & paste the brush preset or add & remove groups for the current tool also via the right mouse button click directly in the Brushes panel.
How to Import Brushes
Import default or user-made Rebelle brushes or groups from the online Brushes Library: escapemotions.com/products/rebelle/brushes
To import individual brushes:
Click on the brush you'd wish to download. Drag & Drop the brush detail from this webpage into Rebelle; or
Click on the Download icon below the brush picture, then import the downloaded brush via the File menu > Import Assets You can also drag & drop the downloaded
brush file to Rebelle's window; or
Click on the Download icon below the brush picture and save it to: on Windows:
C:\Users\you\AppData\Local\Escape Motions\Rebelle 6\Brushes\(corresponding tool)
on macOS:
user/Library/Application Support/Escape Motions/Rebelle 6/Brushes/(corresponding tool)
To import brush groups:
Download the brush group as a .zip file. Click on the Download icon below the brush group preview, then import the group via the File menu > Import Assets....
You can also drag & drop the downloaded .zip file to Rebelle's window.
How to share brushes
Share your brushes with others to the online Brushes Library: escapemotions.com/products/rebelle/brushes
…where you can share your custom brushes or the whole brush groups with other Rebelle users.
To share the selected brush or brush group, click the “Share brushes” button located at the bottom of the Brushes panel. This option is also available via the Brushes panel menu > Share Brushes…
A dialog window will open:
Here you can decide whether you would like to share the brushes as individual presets or as a brush group.
The name of your brush group in the Brushes panel will be the name of the shared brush group.
You can select which brushes of the brush group you would like to share by ticking the checkboxes.
The maximum number of brushes you can share within a brush group is 10. To share more brushes, please share them as a new group.
Add your description for your shared brushes. This will give other users an idea about the usability of your brushes.
Accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy at the bottom of the window.
Confirm by clicking the “Share” button. The selected brushes or a brush group will be automatically uploaded to the online Brushes Library for other Rebelle artists to use.
Each brush is defined by its shape, grain and a set of properties. A brush’s properties include:
volumes (brush settings available in the Properties panel settings);
paint modes (modes available in the Properties panel settings); and
mechanics (brush settings available in the Brush Creator panel settings).
The mechanics are additional settings you can set to create a custom brush preset. To edit these settings, open the Brush Creator panel using the button in the Properties panel or via the Window menu or by tapping the ‘F5’ shortcut.
At the top left side of the Brush Creator panel, you can find three buttons that work for the currently selected brush preset:
Reset Brush Changes - Reset the brush settings to default.
(shortcut ‘Ctrl + Shift + H‘ on Windows / ‘Cmd + Shift + H‘ on macOS)
Save Changes as Default - Save the changes you have made to the brush as default settings.
(shortcut ‘Ctrl + Shift + B‘ on Windows / ‘Cmd + Shift + B‘ on macOS)
Save as New Brush Preset - Save the brush as a new brush preset.
(shortcut ‘Ctrl + Shift + P‘ on Windows / ‘Cmd + Shift + P‘ on macOS)
Brush Name - The name of the brush is displayed at the top of the Brush Creator. To change the name of the brush, double-click on it in the Brushes panel.
Brush Stroke Preview - The brushstroke preview is displayed below the brush name and shows how the paint stroke will look with the current brush settings.
Please note that not every parameter is displayed in the brush stroke preview.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn about Brush Creator and how to work with brush presets in this video: Rebelle 6 Brush Creator: Overview, Save and Delete.
The Brush Creator is divided into three sections that define the settings:
Stroke - Contains the settings concerning the main characteristics of the brush stroke: Size, Opacity, and Spacing.
Shape & Grain - Contains the settings concerning the brush preset shapes and grains.
Paint - Contains the settings influencing the painting output: Mixing, Rendering, Impasto, and Canvas Texture Influence.
Redesigned Brush Creator: Stroke, Shape & Grain and Paint sections and their settings.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Get to know the Brush Creator and learn a few tips in this video: Rebelle 6 Brush Creator: Best Practices.
Size
Max Size (px) - Set the maximum size per brush in pixels (10-700).
Size Jitter - Specify how the size of brush marks varies in a stroke up to (but not exceeding) the size value specified in the Properties panel (0-100):
Pen Pressure - Set how the size of the brush should be influenced by the pressure of the tablet pen (-100 - 100). Negative values will invert the pressure results:
Size 100 Size -100
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn about Rebelle’s Pressure settings in this video: Rebelle 6 Brush Creator: Pressure Settings.
Open Curve Editor - Open the Curve Editor to adjust how the pressure of the stylus influences various settings of the brush.
NOTE: When a change has been made in the Curve Editor, the slider for the setting will be grayed out and the curve settings will be used.
Curve Editor: Size - Edit the Pen Pressure curve for the size of the brush. If you make a linear curve, the size of the stroke will grow linearly with the pressure of your tablet pen.
With the curve on the left, the size of the stroke will tend to be closer to the minimum size of your drawing tool, unless you apply a lot of pressure on your tablet pen.
The curve on the left will make the size of the stroke be closer to the maximum size of your drawing tool unless you apply very little pressure on your tablet pen.
Example of various strokes using different curve settings:
linear pressure (upper), hard pressure (middle) and soft pressure (bottom).
Tip Tilt - Set the tilt sensitivity of the brush (0-100). Tilt allows shading just like a real pencil when the stylus is tilted at an angle. Click the button to open the Tip Tilt Curve Editor –
where you can adjust the curve for the width and height of the brush stroke when using the
tilt of the stylus. Below are examples of various tip tilt curves:
Tip Tilt Disabled - The curve below shows the inactive tip tilt, the height of the brush stroke does not change with the tilt of the stylus:
Large Height - The more you tilt your stylus, the larger the height of the brush stroke will be. It works the same way as if you used a pencil in the traditional painting, the more you tilt it, the larger the area you are going to paint with:
Small Height - The more you tilt your stylus, the smaller the height of the brush stroke:
Large Width - When the stylus is in the perpendicular position to the trajectory of the stroke (in the example below it is the stroke going from the bottom left to the upper right),
there is no change in size. When the stylus is in line (parallel) to the trajectory of the stroke (the stroke going from upper left to bottom right), the size of the stroke is going to increase:
Small Width - When the stylus is in the perpendicular position to the trajectory of the stroke (in the example below it is the stroke going from the bottom left to the upper right), there is no change in size. When the stylus is in line (parallel) to the trajectory of the stroke (the stroke going from upper left to bottom right), the size of the stroke is going to decrease:
Opacity
Use precise Tip Tilt - Activate this option to eliminate issues with brush stepping when Tip Tilt brush feature is used at a cost of performance.
The picture on the left shows an example of the precise tip tilt setting. The ‘Use precise Tip Tilt’ is activated on the stroke on the left and deactivated on the stroke on the right.
Opacity - Set the multiple for the opacity (1-10x). Set the opacity of the custom brush (1-100). Overlapping parts of the brush marks will build up additional opacity.
Opacity 25
Opacity Jitter - Specify how the opacity of paint varies in a brushstroke, up to (but not exceeding) the opacity value specified on the Opacity slider (0-100):
Pen Pressure - Set how the opacity of the brush should be influenced by the pressure of the tablet pen (-100 - 100). Negative values will invert the pressure results:
Opacity 100 Opacity -100
Open Curve Editor - Open the Curve Editor to adjust how the pressure of the stylus influences various settings of the brush.
Curve Editor: Opacity - Edit the Pen Pressure curve for the opacity of the brush. It works similarly to the curve editor for the size of the brush, only the opacity is influenced. If you make a linear curve, the opacity of the stroke will grow linearly with the pressure of your tablet pen.
Example of strokes made with curves from the example above, but used for controlling the opacity instead of the size:
linear pressure (upper), hard pressure (middle) and soft pressure (bottom).
Spacing
Spacing - Control the distance between the brush marks (1-200). Each brush mark is spaced apart along the stroke by a set value. Value 100 is equal to the actual full size of the brush mark:
Spacing 1 Spacing 50 Spacing 100
Spacing Jitter - Randomized spacing (0-100):
Scatter - Brush scattering randomizes the placement of brush marks in a stroke up or down relative to the baseline of the stroke (0-100):
Smudge Scatter Mode - Choose between Parallel and Perpendicular scatter modes.
Parallel - Scattering randomizes the placement of the brush marks parallel to the direction of the brush stroke.
Perpendicular - Scattering randomizes the placement of the brush marks perpendicular to the direction of the brush stroke.
Smudge - Select whether the brush mark of the wet media (oil, acrylic, watercolor, ink pen) should be smudged or not. When the smudge tool is active, the brush marks are smudged together to reduce the appearance of the individual marks.
Smudge Quick Strokes - Enable this option to smudge the lines in the stroke when painting quickly:
Smudge quick strokes off (top) vs. Smudge quick strokes on (bottom).
Smudge Density - Control the brush stroke density detail when the Smudge is used. The higher the value, the more detailed the brush stroke is but painting becomes slower for larger brushes:
The default value is set to ‘60’. When Smudge Density is set to ‘90’, the splats are rendered on canvas with a distance of a maximum of 1 pixel, which is the recommended high-quality detail. When Smudge Density is set over ‘90’, the splats are rendered on canvas with a distance of less than 1 pixel.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s Stroke settings in this video: Rebelle 6 Brush Creator: Stroke - Size, Opacity, Spacing.
A Rebelle brush consists of a combination of a Shape and a Grain:
Brush Shape - Choose the shape of your custom brush. Click the shape thumbnail to open the image library of shapes.
Brush Grain - Choose the grain of your brush. Click the grain thumbnail to open the image library of grains.
Texture Properties - Scale or change the brightness and contrast of the shape/grain.
Rotate - Rotate the shape/grain clockwise.
Flip Horizontally - Flip the shape/grain horizontally.
Invert - Invert the shape/grain.
NOTE: Shapes and Grains are accessible via the Help menu > Show Library folder, where you can paste any custom shape or grain to their respective folder in PNG, JPG or BMP format.
Rebelle lets you add up to four (4) shapes and up to four (4) grains into one brush preset.
(1/4) Number of Shapes / Grains - The first number indicates the currently displayed shape & grain combination. The second number indicates the total shape & grain combinations in the brush preset.
Add Image - Add a new shape and grain to the brush. Previous Image - Go to the previous shape and grain. Next Image - Go to the next shape and grain.
Remove Image - Remove the currently displayed shape and grain from the brush.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s shapes, grains and rotation settings in this video: Four Shapes and Grains, Rotation Settings.
Texture Order - Set the order of the brush shapes and grains in the stroke. The Texture order has four different modes:
Sequential - The images alternate regularly in the stroke.
Random - The images alternate randomly in the stroke.
Based on Pen Pressure - The images alternate based on the pressure of the stylus.
Based on Pen Tilt - The images alternate based on the tilt of the stylus.
Example of different types of texture orders using two brush shapes.
Image Sequence - Set how often the brush (consisting of a shape and grain) repeats in a brushstroke (1-100). The functionality of the Image Sequence slider changes based on your selected “Texture Order” mode:
Sequential Texture Order - The Image Sequence slider is disabled. The brush shapes and grains are used in a sequence (the first splat uses the first shape and grain, the second splat will use the second shape and grain, etc.).
After using the last shape and grain it cycles back to the beginning.
Random Texture Order - The Image Sequence slider is enabled and determines the probability with which a certain shape & grain combination appears in the brushstroke.
The slider set at “1” results in all shape & grain pairs having an equal chance to appear in the
brushstroke (but still in random order).
As you set higher values on the "Image Sequence" slider, the distribution changes - the first shape & grain pair will appear more likely than the second set of shape & grain.
Each following set will have a lower chance to appear in the brushstroke.
With the slider set at “100”, you should see approximately 100 splats using the first shape &
grain for every splat that uses the last shape & grain.
Texture Order based on Pen Pressure - The "Image Sequence" slider changes from an ordinary slider to a range slider. See below an example with 2 textures (two shapes and two grains in one brush preset):
The Image Sequence slider can be divided into more parts based on the number of shapes & grains in the brush.
In this mode, the shape & grain combinations are selected based on the pressure from the pen. The light parts in this slider are ranges where only one set of shape & grain is used. In this example from 0 pressure to 0.4 of maximum pen pressure, the first shape & grain is used for painting.
Starting from pressure 0.7 up to full pressure the second set is used. In the middle there is a darker area between pressures 0.4 and 0.7 - this is where the neighborly sets of shape & grain will be used, in this case, the first and second. They are blended together, at the start of the range (near 0.4 of maximum pen pressure) the first shape & grain will be more visible and as pressure increases the second set will become more dominant. This allows the creation of brushes that use different textures, based on the pressure level.
Texture Order based on Pen Tilt - Similar to Pen Pressure but this time which shape & grain combination will appear is selected based on the pen tilt. With no pen tilt (the pen is perpendicular to the surface of the drawing tablet) it picks shape(s) & grain(s) from the middle of the slider, in the example above it would result in a mix between the first pair of shapes & grains with the second ones.
When you tilt your pen more to the “left” it works as if you have increased the pen pressure and eventually you will get splats that use only the second set of shape & grain.
Similarly tilting the pen to the "right" works as if you have decreased the pen pressure. "Left" and "right" here refer to the direction in regard to the stroke trajectory.
Alpha Blending - Set how the brush texture (blend and grain) will be blended into the layer.
Example of alpha blending: the stroke on the left is without, and the stroke on the right is with alpha blending enabled.
EXAMPLE: Usually the alpha blending is set to ‘Normal‘. However you can set different blend modes to different Shape & Grain groups, one group can have ‘Normal‘ mode and another can use ‘Multiply‘ mode. The first group will paint on canvas and the second group will erase it with a different texture. This allows you to create unique brush types.
NOTE: Alpha blending is not available for the “Oils and Acrylic” tool.
Shape
Angle - Set the angle of the brush shape (0-100):
Angle 25
Angle Jitter - Each brush mark in the stroke is rotated randomly according to the actual angle (0-100):
Rotation - Select the rotation mode of the brush shape:
None - The brush shape does not rotate.
Follow Trajectory - The brush follows the stroke’s trajectory rotation.
Pen Tilt - The brush shape follows the pen tilt.
Pen Rotation - The brush shape follows pen rotation.
TIP: Brushes that follow a trajectory, pen tilt and pen rotation have a cursor displayed as a circle with direction. You can choose other cursor types in Preferences > Tools > Painting Cursor.
NOTE: You can select “Always use Pen Tilt / Rotation instead of Follow Trajectory in Brush Creator” option in Preferences > Tools. When selected, the brush shape follows the pen tilt or rotation if the pen supports them, even when “Follow Trajectory” is selected for brush rotation.
Force Rotation Mode - Lock the currently selected rotation setting for the particular brush so that no other settings override the rotation mode.
Shape Border - Add a custom border to your brush strokes via the Shape Border editor.
Click the Import button
to open the Image Library, from which you can choose a border texture that will appear on your strokes.
Enable ‘Preview with Shape’ to preview the border on the brush shapes in different angles and ‘Start’, ‘Mid’ and ‘End’ controls to fine-tune the border position.
These controls allow changing the width of the border. Borders take the trajectory of the stroke and the pen tilt into account to always appear at the outside edge(s) of the stroke.
The Curve editor controls the strength of the border based on the pressure from your stylus.
Shape Border example: The border appears on the top edge of the stroke (upper), on both edges (middle) and on the bottom edge (bottom) of the shape, based on the tilt of the stylus.
Grain
Set various options for the grain of the custom brush.
Here you can choose from three modes of how shape and grain can interact: Follow, Stretched, and Tiled.
Follow is known from Rebelle 5 where the grain texture simply follows the shape.
Stretched is the new mode where grain slowly follows the shape. You can set the speed of how the grain is following the shape with the ‘Stretch’ slider. With this mode, you can create new types of brushes.
Tiled is known from Rebelle 5 where the grain is locked to the canvas and the shape reveals the tiled grain beneath. This creates a brush with a tiled structure or halftone grain.
Examples of brushstrokes with 'Follow' (left), 'Stretched' (middle) and 'Tiled' (right) settings.
Stretch - Determines the speed at which the grain follows the shape (0-100).
Grain Smoothing - Enable this option to smoothen the grain in the brush.
DPI - Select whether the scale of the grain should use canvas DPI. When selected, the brush’s
grain will automatically resize when the canvas DPI is changed.
Random Start Offset - Randomize the position of the grain at the beginning of the stroke. Random Splat Offset - Randomize the position of the grain relative to the brush mark for each mark, so that each brush mark is different from the previous one.
Follow Shape Size - Select whether the grain should follow shape size or not. When active, the grain matches the size of the brush shape.
Random Start Angle - Randomize the angle of the grain at the beginning of the stroke.
Angle Jitter - Randomizes the angle of the grain’s rotation for each brush mark.
Follow Shape Rotation - Select whether the grain should follow shape rotation or not. When active, the grain rotates with the shape within the brush mark.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Learn more about Rebelle’s Shape & Grain settings in these videos: Rebelle 6 Brush Creator: Shape and Grain and Rebelle 6 Brush Creator: Shape and Grain - Part 2.
Mixing
Paint Mode Curve Editor: Paint & Mix - By default, this mode paints with certain pressure. If you use less pressure, from a certain point you start to mix the colors together. Adjust the pressure curve for the Paint & Mix mode of the brush using the curve editor:
Pressure curve for Paint Pressure curve for Mix
Below are three examples of different settings of the Pressure curve for the Mix mode:
High Mixing - The curve below shows the example of high mixing - it takes longer for the first color (red) to get mixed with the new color (green). The first color prevails on the brush for a longer period of time with these curve settings:
Low Mixing - The curve below shows the example of low mixing - it takes a very short period of time for the first color (red) to get mixed with the new color (green). The first color mixes with the new color almost immediately with these curve settings:
Medium Mixing - The curve below shows the example of a setting between high and low mixing:
Paint Pressure Threshold - Represents the % at which using less pressure activates the Mix
mode of Paint & Mix.
The value on the slider defines by how many percent you need to lower your pen pressure in order to start mixing. By default, if you never ease your pen pressure during a stroke you will not mix anything, lowering it by 10% of the maximum pressure reached during the current stroke is required. After that, the Mix curve will control the paint mixing.
Paint Mode Curve Editor: Paint & Blend - By default, this mode paints with certain pressure. If you use less pressure, from a certain point you start to blend the colors together. Adjust the pressure curve for the Paint & Blend mode of the brush using the curve editor:
Paint Mode Curve Editor: Blend -Adjust the pressure curve for the Blend mode of the brush using the curve editor.
Below are three examples of different settings of the Pressure curve for the Blend mode:
High Blending - The curve below shows the example of high blending - it takes longer for the first color (red) to blend with the new color (green). The first color prevails on the brush for a longer period of time with these curve settings:
Low Blending - The curve below shows the example of low blending - it takes a very short period of time for the first color (red) to blend with the new color (green). The first color blends with the new color almost immediately with these curve settings:
Medium Blending - The curve below shows the example of a setting between high and low blending:
NOTE: You can set the default pressure curves settings for Paint, Mix and Blend by going to Preferences > Tools. This setting will apply to all brushes globally.
Rendering
Normal - Every brushmark of the stroke builds up the layers of pigment on the canvas until the full opacity is reached.
Glaze - Turn the glazing on to build up the transparent layers of pigment on the canvas, limited by the Opacity slider in the Properties panel. Glazed strokes are used on top of one another to build up depth and modify colors in a painting:
NOTE: For the “Oils and Acrylics” tool only Normal mode is available.
Paint Blending determines the color blend mode used to lay down the paint on the layer. Usually, brushes use ‘Default‘ mode (which for most of the tools is a ‘Normal‘ mode), but you can use e.g. Linear Dodge to lighten the painting or Saturation to saturate/desaturate the painting with the brush.
Original image on the left and image with Paint blending using Dodge mode on the right.
NOTE: These blend modes are not available for the “Oils and Acrylic” tool.
Impasto
Max. Impasto Height - Set the maximum loading of color on the oil and acrylic brushes (0-200).
Max. Impasto Smudge - Set the maximum smudge for the oil and acrylic brushes (0-200) and influences their impasto effect:
Canvas Texture Influence
Paper Texture Strength - Set how much the paper texture should influence the brush stroke (0-100).
Texture Strength Curve Editor - Adjust the pressure curve for the Texture Strength influence using the curve editor:
Paper Texture Contrast - Set how the texture contrast should be visible on the brush grain based on the pressure of the pen (0-100):
Paper Texture Scratch - Open the settings to influence how the brush strokes should scratch over the paper texture:
-
Auto - The default setting for each paper texture is used.
Light Texture - The brush strokes scratch over the light parts of the paper texture.