So, let's go to our File drop-down, and go to Import, Import Images as Shots. We can do that very quickly, and we can have it set up so that each drawing imports as its own scene, or own shot. So, let's say that we have some scanned images from paper, a lot of people still like drawing boards on paper, or maybe you've done roughs and you want to do the cleanup in the software. I can actually just keep it there and use the image, as well, if I want. Now, I do have an option here, if I select it with my selection tool, I can re-scale it, and I'll hold down the shift key so it stays the proper proportions, I can move that around, and I can trace over that. For right now, we want to import it as a layer, same thing, I can go and let's select a different horse this time, click Open, and it's going to open it again as my top layer.

Another way that I can import an image is under File drop-down, and go down to Import, and I have options, import images as shots or layers. And, let's say, for right now, that I want to use this one, and I'm just going to drag that over and release, and it pops up inside as the top layer, well, I'm going to move that down to a lower layer, and I'm going to reduce the opacity very quickly, down to about 40 percent, it could be whatever you like, and then I'm going to select my ink layer, grab my brush, and I can just very quickly start tracing over the horse, because this is the look that I want, and then I can simply turn off that image, and I've got a quick horse sketch. Reference Images opens here, in our list of libraries, I'll click on it, and here's a bunch of horses. And within your Great Grain Robbery folder, you'll see Reference Images, select that, and then click on Select Folder. So, if you right-click in this area here, right-click, and we're going to open a library. I don't know about you, but it's faster for me to trace a horse than to draw one from memory.

Now, we have set up in here a couple reference images of horses, so let's say that we want to, in this empty panel here, we want to draw a horse. So let's go over to the right, and we see, we have these four tabs here, in your panel view, and the fourth one over is our library. Now, the fastest way to bring a photo or scan into your project as a layer is to use the library. Or maybe production gave you photos of backgrounds for the project you're working on that you want to work over. In other words, tracing, and yes, we do trace, it does save a lot of time. Maybe you want to add a sketch, or maybe you want to import a photo to sketch over it. Maybe you've boarded a scene on paper, and you want to import the panels into Storyboard Pro for editing or to help make an animatic, or maybe you want to include a logo or a photo into your boards. You may want to bring photos or scans into Storyboard Pro for any number of reasons.

Toon boom storyboard pro tutorials