Navigation:  Global NPR > Overview

Until now we tried to explain how to use Real-Draw to draw realistic looking images. If you read this manual from beginning you probably think that we are finally nearing the end of the many Real-Draw features.

Wrong! This chapter will put all the previously learned knowledge on its head.

 

NPR stands for Non-Photo Realistic styles or Natural Paint Rendering if you want.

 

Each NPR style change Real-Draw into a different tool: a chalk, paintbrush, pencil, watercolor, engraving tool and much more.

This is not just a simple output effect. The NPR styles go into the deep core of the Real-Draw objects and use their VectorBit information to change the whole character of it. When you set the NPR it doesn't just change the look of the objects, in fact you start drawing in that particular style.

 

Why to use NPR style

As any good illustrator knows a pleasing and consistent style makes the image look far more complete and polished even without any actual details. Consider creating the same illustration in realistic style and in a hand-painted style. Even smallest imperfection in the realistic style will stand out like a sore thumb while an hand-drawn illustration uses the imperfections to its advantage For example our brain will figure out the expression of the characters in the great Ernest Shepard illustrations even what we actually see are just very basic suggestions of the detail.
With the help of NPR Style you can craft a good looking illustration much faster than normally because the NPR will supply the consistent style across the whole image and make the image look more finished.

 

The following is a simple illustration created within two minutes, the left uses no style and the right uses one of the many NPR styles.

 

NPR's are normally applied Globally (However you can as easily apply them on per-object or Package basis)

 

This is usually used to make the drawing more unconventional by applying various techniques that mimic a hand-drawn process, like this sketch:

 

 

This doesn't of course end with sketches, the NPR Styles are extremely flexible to follow various types of Non-Photo Realistic techniques from Illustration styles to painting or engraving.

 

 

 

 

The Global NPR Style apply on top of all Object Styles, it doesn't replace them, in fact it uses them to further refine the style. It is completely Non-Destructive so you can at any time switch into different NPR Style or switch them off.

 

 

When you apply NPR Style to your document it applies to all current objects in the document and also to all the objects you will draw next (until you switch to another Style).

So you can start drawing by simply switching into the favorite style first and then start drawing the objects.

 

Styles have various options how to work with the effects and settings of an object. For Example Black and White style such as Ink Sketch will simply make all the objects in various styles of gray regarding of the set color. Some other Style may ignore the Texture applied to object etc.. Don't be surprised by this!