# Paint Tool Sai is confusing me!



## Valnyr (May 10, 2013)

Fow awhile now I have been using gimp, and it was nicely simplified, I was just able to draw the picture, do the lineart, then fill in the colors, simple as that. Now I have paint tool sai because this has tools that will help my pictures look nicer, like the line stabalizer, as well as the tapering lines. But now I cannot simply do what i have been doing. They have over complicated the coloring process to the point to where i get so frusterated that i want to punt my cat! 

I have Checked out tutorials and so far nothing has helped. Anything i could do? I need advice


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## Zenia (May 10, 2013)

When I switched to SAI it was quite confusing. I have never actually looked at a SAI tutorial... I just started playing around in it and experimenting to see what everything did. Personally, I think that is the best way to learn a new program... at least at first.

Are there any specific things that you want help figuring out? If you name some things, I may be able to help better.


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## Valnyr (May 10, 2013)

Coloring. I recently did some line art, and tried the old bucket fill method, and that just threw a wrench into things. It covered lines that were part of the drawing. And now I'm just confused as to how to do it. I tried looking up tutorials on how to do it, but they were not detailed enough instructions. I know about the select tool method, but I kinda do not get how to do that


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## QT Melon (May 10, 2013)

Hello Valnyr,

You need to set the lineart layer to multiply.
Use another layer and color under it. 
Please remember Multiply is making sure the darkest parts remain present, so if you want highlights over your lineart, you need to do them on a layer on top of it.

You can use selections, with the wand tool, but if your lines are not enclosed it will select outside the area.

As far as using the brushes, I did a youtube tutorial that may help?

[yt]-f62_jRHxYM[/yt]


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## Zenia (May 10, 2013)

Ok, so this is how I do it...

I have my lines on a layer (I draw with my tablet, I don't scan... but if you scan, set it to Multiply) then I make a layer under that. I select the fill tool and change its settings to:
-  Color Difference... and you need to use the slider under it. The lower it is, the more strict the fill is. The higher it is, the looser it is. You really have to play with it so you can fill without having 'ghost lines' around the lineart.
- All Image... this means that even though you are on a new layer, the fill tool acts like everything is on one layer. This is helpful.

You could also use the Magic Wand tool and select what you want to fill, then go to 'Selection' and 'Increment' (do increment once or twice) and then Layer>Fill. I prefer the above method though.


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## Taralack (May 11, 2013)

Are you using Magic Wand to select the areas for colouring? And are you creating the colour on a separate layer? It would be a lot easier to do so, especially if you need to change something in the lineart later on. 

The problem you're having with the Paint Bucket tool is probably due to the detection mode option in SAI. Play around with the Transparency difference slider and see if you get better results. However I strongly advise you still create your colours on a different layer, I am never an advocate of having everything on one layer, unless it's a painting.


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## mapdark (May 13, 2013)

Alternatively , SAI can save into PSD format so you can always use other programs to colour in stuff.

Though you shouldn't use the paint bucket on the same layer as your lineart.

You should create a leyer UNDER your lineart and colour from under it.

I agree that SAI can be a bit confusing when it comes to the fill bucket tool because it WILL recolour whole areas even if they're not the same colour.


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## Valnyr (May 14, 2013)

Well, I figured out the entire coloring process. Now I just need to figure out how to make my lines nicer, and how to avoid getting that white pixely border around the areas I color in.


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## mapdark (May 14, 2013)

Valnyr said:


> Well, I figured out the entire coloring process. Now I just need to figure out how to make my lines nicer, and how to avoid getting that white pixely border around the areas I color in.



Hmm..

What resolution do you draw in BTW?
If there is so much pixelisation around filled in shape that it appears as a white lin , you might be drawing in a very low res.


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## Valnyr (May 14, 2013)

I generally draw at 300 pixels per inch. What would you recommend?


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## Arshes Nei (May 14, 2013)

Sai isn't terribly great with selections I also noticed the halo problem uusing selections. I just set the lineart layer to multiply. I don't remember if Sai had "darken" as an option since I also use it depending on how I want to color. I use Gel in Painter too (just goes to show how many modes can be available)

I create a coloring layer below the lineart. I use a tablet to color so don't know if you are highly dependent on selections because you are using a mouse.


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## davuu (May 15, 2013)

To change the colour of my lineart, on my lineart layer I just clicked the box called *preserve opacity*  and then I can colour my lineart like photoshop..  

for the smooth lineart, I use the Inkpen tool, and set my stability to S-3 or S-4  have a fiddle and see what works best, for normal colouring i use the brush tool set to stability 3 

hope that helps?


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## hencao (Sep 12, 2019)

I would recommend watching artists use SAI tutorials on digital art and learning tips from them!

I've used PaintTool Sai with my XP-Pen Star 03 Drawing Pad for 3 years so I'm really comfortable and love the tool. Sai has Stabilizer for line smoothing.


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## RailRide (Sep 13, 2019)

SAI doesn't have an option to expand/shrink selections when they are made? (in reference to the halos around selection/fills)

I've never used the application, I went with Krita and Clip Studio, both of those have that ability.

---PCJ


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