Pen and pencil

The Pen draws exact paths, a point at a time: click for a corner, drag for a curve. The Pencil draws freehand and smooths the line for you.

Step by step

1. Pick the Pen

   Press P. The Pen lives in the pen button of the tools: hold it for the Pencil and the tools that add, remove and convert points.

2. Click for corners

   Click on the canvas, then click again somewhere else: two corner points, joined by a straight line.

3. Drag for a curve

   Press where the next point goes and drag: the point gets two handles, and the line bends toward them. Alt while dragging breaks the handle in two, Shift snaps it to 45° steps.

4. Close the shape

   Click once more, then click the first point: the path closes and gets a fill. To leave a path open, press Enter or Esc instead: it gets a stroke.

5. Edit the points

   Press A for Edit path nodes and drag a point: the shape follows. Drag a handle to reshape a curve; double-click a point to switch it between smooth and corner.

6. Draw with the Pencil

   Press N and drag a line: it is simplified and smoothed when you let go. End near where you started to close it into a shape.

Keys