Photoshop ® / PSP : Ink / Distress Brushes

Ink Distress Blot Brush Strokes for Photoshop, Elements, PaintShop Pro and others

examples from pack 8

examples from pack 68

examples from pack 70

examples pack 5

brush examples pack 7

examples from pack 137

Create patterns using ink / distress brushes tutorial

Use the ink brushes to create patterns or displacement maps and use the patterns etc for textures / glass etc.

1) Select brush tool

2) Select color via toolbox / foreground color

3) Apply ink brushes dabs as required (avoiding the edges of the image)

4) Filter menu and Other sub menu and offset (set to 1/2 height and 1/2 width) to shift design for pattern

5) Apply more dabs (again avoiding the edges of the image)

6) edit menu and define pattern command

Use ink brushes in different Photoshop color modes tutorial

Use the ink distress brushes in CMYK LAB and other color modes as well as RGB

1) Image menu and mode command followed by CMYK

2) Go to the brush tools

3) Apply ink brush stroke in CMYK color mode

You can also apply the ink brush stroke to CMYK's color channels, select individual cyan, magenta etc channels via the channels palette

Ink brush strokes and 3D in Photoshop

The ink brush strokes can be applied to the background in Photoshop as well as a standard layer and with Photoshop extended, they can be applied to a 3D layer.

3D menu and new 3D postcard command

The background layer or the current layer is now turned into a 3D layer and can be rotated in 3D by using the camera rotate tool found in the Photoshop toolbox

Apply the ink brush strokes to the 3D layer - the brushes are now displayed correctly in 3D (instead of just squeezing the designs and using transformations to create a 3D design)

3D menu > new shape from layer command > cube, cone etc - a probably more useful 3D approach as you can now turn a layer into a cube design which can then be painted by the ink blot brush strokes

To apply the ink brush stroke to a particular side of the cube, rotate the cube so a good proportion of the face is in front and then apply the brush strokes - sometimes the brush stroke is applied to the main face as well as some of the side faces. If the cube face is not turned enough, sometimes the brush stroke will not be applied to that side- there does appear to be a certain angle for the application of the ink brush strokes.

Live effect brushes - ink blots

Ink blot brushes are, sadly, not live effects. Once you apply a brush stroke to the background design, that is it (unless you want to undo). To change the location of the ink blot brush stroke at a later point in the creative process, apply the ink blots to a layer. Does mean you have to remember to create a new layer (shift ctrl N is probably quicker). I really wish Photoshop didn't ask for the name of the layer - I really don't care for some work (if I was creating a complex diagram with different components then I can understand naming the layers but in some cases - just let me use the default layer name of 1, 2, etc) The ink blot brushes can then be added to a new layer. This does mean an image might end up with 100s of layers but it does mean you can move the brush strokes around and scale them or rotate them or even apply effects to the individual brush strokes. You can also then apply layer effects to the ink blot brushes.

Another useful feature of live effect brushes (layer brushes) is that you can then use the layers with the excellent layer comp palette where all the various brush strokes can be grouped in a particular comp - you can then setup different layer styles or different locations for different brush strokes - which can be compared via the layer comp tool. The visibility and location and appearance of the brushes can be stored and altered at any point in the creative process

As a layer, you can also turn the ink blot brush strokes into smart objects which can also be altered at any point in the creative process so a brush can be turned from stained glass to a blurry brush in seconds. This can be applied to all the brush strokes in the document.

Free sampler / demo

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Date modified: April 9th, 2012

Creating plugins and presets since 1995. Privacy - no details sent to third parties. After buying, you receive the download link. Unique items, commercial use, royalty-free.

Video tutorial: Installation of Photoshop brushes tutorial

The ABR files are installed via the preset manager or via the dropdown menu on the side of the brushes palette - this is a quick tutorial by graphicxtras on the subject

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WebjPNOS64w

Video tutorial: Saving a single Photoshop brush tutorial

If you want to save a single brush - this is one way of doing it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fb58Bz0fs4