Symbol paint tool in Illustrator toolbox
The Illustrator brush tool uses symbols and symbols can be made of anything in Illustrator such as Photos, gradients and much more.
Make up many different complex symbols and then paint with the symbols.
The symbols brush comes with a massive range of different settings: painting in different tiling, sprays, pressure controls, different scattering, different types of brush shapes and much more

example: symbol paint plugin using text in the paint tool in Illustrator
Plug-in symbols for the paint tool
Symbols can be (all accessed via the symbols palette) - you can also make up symbols in combinations of the items below or multiple items or multiple pages of text and much more.
The symbol tool can use all these to create 1000s and 1000s of stunning designs
Use the symbol paint tool to create stunning backgrounds, paint strokes, frames designs and much. To use, the symbol paint tool appears in the Illustrator toolbox. To use, select and apply.
To change the settings, click the icon and a whole range of different settings as well as presets will appear.

example: showing the symbol paint brush strokes with close spacing
Symbols can be the following
3D designs,
Brushes,
Clipping masks,
Combinations of items,
Gradients,
Gradient meshes,
Images and images,
Multiple paths, Paragraph of text,
Single path,
Patterns,
Text,
Text on a path and more.

example: symbol paint illustrator plugin applying ink blot splatters
Easy to use
The plugin toolkit appears in the Illustrator plugin toolbox (it is not a filter) and it is very interactive and easy to use

example: symbol paint plugin applied in Illustrator using fluffy cloud symbols
Plug-in and brush options
The plugin tool comes with many different options, simply access by clicking the toolbox or pressing return
Different brush strokes styles
The plugin toolkit can be set to apply the symbols in many different brush styles from reflected brush strokes to splatters to spray effects or as a single line.
Symbols
Symbols are infinitely flexible, you can apply many types of imagery such as images and basic paths, also you can always change the entire brush stroke at a later stage using the replace symbols command via the symbols palette

example: furry symbol paint plugin effect using paint plugin in Illustrator
Random symbols or ordered symbols
You can apply the selected symbol or you can spray apply random symbols from the current symbols palette or apply ordered symbols. The symbols palette can also be modified, moved around, items added and deleted. |
Brush presets
The plugin is packed with many different preset settings and these are a great way of working out some of the plugin settings and features.

example: tentacles symbol paint nozzle in Illustrator
Artpad / pen
Use an artpad / pen pressure (can be used with a mouse as well) to modify the application of the number of brush dabs as well as the size of the brush strokes and twists

example: blots and splatter symbol paint plugin for Illustrator
Use brush output
You can also use the generated brush strokes with the symbol tools native with Illustrator, to further color and modify the size and placement of the symbols

example: the symbol paint brush strokes (using a circular ring symbol) and splattered strokes
Apply rate for brush
The brush strokes can be continuous but by changing the apply rate and jitter settings, sprays, splutters and splatters of symbols can be generated creating realistic brush strokes for Illustrator

example: spray ink blots using symbol paint plugin in Illustrator
Brush use
The paint toolkit can be used to create frame designs, superb background designs, packaging, spiral designs, distressed designs, text scattered designs, random messages, feathered designs, and more. A powerful creative toolkit.
Brushes across layers / animation
The paint toolkit can be applied across layers, creating animated brush strokes

example: The Illustrator plugin using the mirror feature to mirror the painting of objects
Dabs and bristles
Scaling of the dabs / bristles; shrinking or growing of the brush size; different brush templates such as a ring brush or diagonal brush; slanting of the brush stroke; random or ordered selection of the brush dabs and bristles and 100s of other great features.
Brush shapes - variety of
The toolkit comes with many different dab / bristle brush shapes such as squares (default), rings, diagonals, crosses, framed, and more. Apply as a 'subtle brush' stroke to create stunning designs; or apply in a continuous brush stroke
Repeats / tiling
The plugin toolbox comes with a selection of repeat / tiling features to create unusual and surreal brush stroke designs in Illustrator.
Randomization and symbol paint
Brush paint toolkit comes with a vast range of experiment / tryout / randomization features to create truly unique brush stroke designs.
Brushes for Illustrator
Use the toolkit to create hi-impact brush strokes for Illustrator, simply drag the symbols to the brush palette. |