Pencil line trouble

[malarkyarts]

Hi all

This is my first post so hello to you all and thanks in advance for any help you might be able to offer me.

I've attached a photo of my issue
93762

When i make tight curves with any pencil (which is not smoothed) I get weird marks/artifacts on the turn.

I'm using the latest version of AR5, but it's happened with the earlier versions too. I'm using a Surface Pro 4 i7, latest windows update. I'm using the new surface pen.

I've tried with or without Wintab, Precise tablet and the other options in Prefs but the issue is always the same. It also happens if I just draw with my finger on the touchscreen, or with a mouse.
It doesn't happen when I tick the 'Precise' box in the Pencil Settings and the tool draws clean lines at the curve. However, the precise pencil is pretty bland and I'd love to be able to draw using lifelike pencils as I can in all my other art apps.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Andy

[HannahRage]

This is due to no tilt - a pencil 'rounds' the corner when you change direction by tilting slightly, so without that live tilt it just crosses over and reverses. I'm not sure offhand if tilt is supported for the Surface Pen (I think we're still testing it); is it possible that you turned it off in the stylus properties (settings > little menu arrow up top right)?

If you definitely don't have live tilt working, try increasing Noise very slightly to 'fuzz out' the sharp lines.

[malarkyarts]

Thanks for your reply. Sorry for the delay but I've been without my Surface for a week due to it being flaky and needing replacing!

There's no tilt with Sp4, but it will be there with the Surface 5.

I've tried increasing the noise, but I have to really crank it up to even start to hide the effect. It's a real shame that such a basic tool as the Pencil is unusable unless you have a tilt enabled device.

Maybe I can fiddle with the brush designer and see what I can make as an alternative.

Thanks

Andy

[HannahRage]

You could also try the pencil pack Someonesane created for the sticker spray: https://forums.artrage.com/showthread.php?52661-Pencil-pack&p=516295#post516295

[nekomata]

It's a real shame that such a basic tool as the Pencil is unusable unless you have a tilt enabled device.

you can also, you know, buy a sketchpad and a real pencil and photograph/scan that as a start.

[malarkyarts]

Thanks Hannah. I'll give it a go.

[malarkyarts]

Great thanks. I'll google 'sketchpad' and 'real pencil' and see what I can find. Your advice is priceless.

[HannahRage]

Haha, well, if you do want to scan in any traditional sketches, use Edit > Filters > Remove Color Matte to clean up the white paper backgrounds ;)

If the Sticker Spray doesn't solve it for you, the Custom Brush should also allow you to make a fairly realistic pencil, or at least replicate any pencils from other programs with added canvas texture, but nobody has needed to make any presets for that yet, so I can't point you to a download. There is a guide to the Custom Brush and its designer here that may help: https://www.artrage.com/manuals/customizable-brushes/custom-brush/