Photoshop ® / PSP : Star Patterns

Star patterns tutorial - multiple layers to create new patterns for Photoshop

File menu followed by open.

Select the star patterns file (PAT format). You can also open the patterns via the patterns palette but the quickest way is probably the file menu and open command approach

Layer menu and New fill layer command and Pattern

This displays the pattern dialog - the pattern is created on a new layer. Select a pattern from the dropdown. The patterns added in the step 1 are available along with any previously stored patterns. You can also select the scaling for the pattern (sadly, there is no rotation or slant feature)

Layer menu and New fill layer command and Pattern

Select the same pattern or select a different one. One great feature of the pattern layer is that you can shift the pattern either while the pattern dialog is open or by using the move tool (when it is not) - select by using V on the keyboard. This can be repeated multiple times to create multiple layers but the more layers sometimes results in more of a mess (but that is perfectly reasonable if that is the desired artistic aim)

Layers palette - select the top most pattern in the layer palette and set the blending mode (this is normally set to 'normal') to 'darken'

You can also set it to 'difference' etc or set the opacity (the top most numeric field on the right of the layer palette) to less than 100%. This reveals the layer or layers below.

Select the move tool (V on keyboard)

Move the top most pattern. Sometimes the result will be elegant and just right, or not. You can also re-size the pattern to a different scaling by double clicking the pattern in the layer palette and setting the scale command. If you want to create a seamless pattern then a quick and easy way - don't move the pattern and also create the size of document to match the pattern tile (in the case of the star patterns, 500 x 500) and then use the edit menu and define pattern command

Image menu and adjustments sub menu followed by hue / saturation

You can also use the image hue command / dialog to modify the color of the generated pattern design. You do not need to leave the pattern 'as is'. Of course, effects can be applied as well as color changes. You can also use various commands such as image menu and adjustments sub menu and black and white to produce strong BW pattern imagery or apply threshold or grain to the pattern design.

Installing the star patterns in Photoshop

The star patterns are PAT format files and are loaded either via the file open command or the preset manager or via the right side menu of the patterns palette - as below.

Using star patterns with art history brush in Photoshop

Load the star patterns via the patterns palette. Once loaded.

Create a new fill layer pattern and select star pattern and then flatten on OK. Repeat this with multiple star pattern layers, always flatten on OK - shift the star patterns as required.

Flatten all the layers via the layer flatten command (as the brush cannot be applied to the pattern layers).

Set the brush design via the brush palette (in this example, just the default brush). Set the pattern brush type in the options to 'dab or curl'

Go to the history palette and set the source for the history brush (the left of the history palette) to different history points and apply the brush strokes. This then clones the current history state with the current impressionist style.

Below is the same approach but the pattern history source for the stars is applied for the entire layer set (the last flatten image command) - the impressionist brush / art history does have a tendency to wipe out the 'star' but it does create wonderful abstract backgrounds.