The Pencil tool creates freeform paths by drawing naturally with your mouse or stylus. Unlike the Pen tool which places individual points, the Pencil automatically creates smooth curves as you draw.
Using the Pencil Tool
Activate the Pencil tool
Press Shift + P or select it from the toolbar.
Draw on the canvas
Click and drag to draw a freeform path. The path follows your cursor movement.
Release to finish
Release the mouse button to complete the path. Azyrom automatically smooths and optimizes the path.
Pencil Settings
Smoothness
Controls how much the path is smoothed after drawing:
- 0% - No smoothing, exact trace of your movement
- 50% - Moderate smoothing (default)
- 100% - Maximum smoothing, very few anchor points
Adjust smoothness in the toolbar or Properties Panel before drawing.
Path Fidelity
Determines how closely the path follows your input:
- Accurate - More anchor points, closer to actual stroke
- Smooth - Fewer points, smoother curves
For sketching and rough work, use lower smoothness. For clean illustrations and icons, use higher smoothness to get smoother curves with fewer points to edit.
Pencil Tool Modifiers
| Modifier | Effect |
|---|---|
Shift |
Constrain to horizontal/vertical lines |
Alt/Option |
Draw a straight line from last point |
| Draw to start point | Closes the path automatically |
Extending Paths
Continue an existing pencil path:
- Select an open path
- With the Pencil tool active, hover over an endpoint
- The cursor shows a "+" to indicate you can extend
- Click and drag to add to the path
Closing Paths
Close an open path into a shape:
- While drawing, bring your cursor near the start point
- A small circle appears indicating the path will close
- Release to close the path
Or select an open path and choose Object → Close Path.
Pencil vs. Pen Tool
| Pencil Tool | Pen Tool |
|---|---|
| Freeform drawing | Point-by-point placement |
| Fast, natural feel | Precise control |
| Auto-generates points | Manual point placement |
| Best with stylus | Works well with mouse |
| Sketching, organic shapes | Logos, icons, precise curves |
Use the Pencil tool for initial sketching, then refine with the Pen tool. Select the pencil path and
use the Direct Selection tool (A) to fine-tune individual anchor points.
Editing Pencil Paths
After drawing, edit your path with:
- Direct Selection (A) - Move individual points and handles
- Smooth tool - Smooth out rough sections
- Simplify - Reduce anchor points (Object → Path → Simplify)
With Graphics Tablets
The Pencil tool works great with graphics tablets:
- Pressure sensitivity - Affects stroke width (when variable width is enabled)
- Tilt - Can affect stroke angle
- Natural feel - Drawing feels like using a real pencil