Photoshop Brushes (for Photoshop Elements etc + Tutorials)

Loading the Photoshop brushes (ABR files) in CS5 CS4 CS3 etc tutorial

example shows the load brushes command on the brushes palette

Use the right menu on the brushes palette to load / replace / save / reset the brushes (to the default set).

1) window > brush presets

2) right side of the brushes palette

3) select the load option to load all the brushes into the brushes palette

4) select the replace option to load all the brushes and remove the existing ones

You can also do the same operation via the edit > preset manager command

1) edit > preset manager (in Photoshop)

2) load button or use the menu and the replace (why is this different from the main brushes menu ? )

You can load many brushes though there are limits imposed by Photoshop itself, a limit that has changed from version to version of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements

Selecting a Photoshop brush tool tutorial

example shows the brush tool selected in Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements - same)

The easiest way to select a brush tool or one of the paint tools for use with the Photoshop brushes, is to use the keyboard i.e. press B for the brush tool, S for the clone stamp. This is slightly limited as all the tools in the same slot (brush tool, pencil tool etc) have the same keyboard letter shortcut by default. You can always go to the edit > keyboard shortcuts and set a new keyboard shortcut say L for the pencil tool and B for the brush tool - but as you can only use A-Z the choice for the tool box is limited

You can also just go to the Photoshop toolbox and select the individual tool. By selecting one of the tools 'beneath' the original default tool, that tool icon will replace the default icon i.e. you can replace the brush tool with the pencil tool (or color replacement tool etc) and now with the latest version, mixer brush tool.

There are also many other paint tools and some use the current color and some will just modify the existing image without applying any color from the Photoshop toolbox foreground or background color (such as blur tool)

Most of the tools (brush, pencil etc) use the Photoshop brushes ABR files, some will not such as the color replacement tool.

Selecting a Photoshop brush tutorial

example shows a selection of the antique brush strokes from one of the type brush sets - displayed in the brushes palette of Photoshop with the current size setting

Select the brush via the options at the top of the screen. You can also select a brush preset by using the brush presets panel (window > brush presets).

You can only select one of the brushes at any one time.

There is a feature in the brush panel to allow for the mixing of an additional brush (sadly, only one brush and not a selection or randomly selected brushes - now that might make some very interesting brush strokes).

Selecting the brush via the top option 'brushes dropdown' will set the size of the brush to the default original size of the created brush. Selecting the brush via the brushes preset panel sets the brush size to the size stored in the preset and perhaps not the original size of the brush

Packaging - use of Photoshop brushes

Use the photoshop brush strokes to create stunning packaging designs.

Especially useful now with the addition of CS5 CS4 CS3 Extended and the new 3D features. Brush strokes can be applied to 3D layers (diffuse etc)

Use Photoshop brushes with styles / metallic effects

Add a style to a layer and apply a stroke to the layer, the stroke will now have the style such as blue gel / metallic etc

example shows a metallic style applied to a Photoshop brush stroke via the layer style palette

Photoshop Brushes testimonials

"Your brushes saved me loads of time and the end result was just what my wife wanted. If I need more custom brushes in the future, you will be the first stop", Paul

Trademarks

Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Corel and Paint Shop Pro are registered trademarks of Corel Corporation

Using realistic brushes to create sketched custom shapes in Photoshop

Select the custom shape tool and apply a shape (arrow shape from pack 164).

example shows the arrow before being sketched

Now fill the entire document with white by using the edit fill command. Once filled, go to window > history and set the source for the history brush to the arrow custom shape line. Now go to the history brush tool and select a brush stroke in the brush palette (example here is from the brushes collection gel brushes from graphicxtras) and apply the history brush stroke to the empty document - you will now see the arrow re-appear but sketched

example shows an arrow shape re-created using history brush and gel brush stroke in Photoshop.

As the history brush allows for no color, the only color comes from the original history state - so a quick and easy way to create a colorful sketched design would be to apply the initial custom shape multiple times with multiple different colors and then to apply the history brush multiple times with each of the different color history states

example shows arrow design now with multiple colors applied to using the gel brush stroke from the brushes collection for Photoshop

One issue with this is that you have to remember the visible states in the history palette is limited. Set the number of history states visible in the history palette via the performance preferences dialog.

example shows the preference palette where you can set the histort states setting, increasing or decreasing the number of items saved. Added: January 2nd 2012

Changing the size, scatter etc of the brush in Photoshop tutorial

example of the brush palette and the various settings - examples of brushes shown from the type section of Photoshop brushes

To change the brush apply settings such as scaling, rotation, color changes, scattering, opacity, pressure settings etc go to the brushes palette

1) window > brush

2) Either select a brush preset OR set the brush tip and set the size, angle, roundness of the brush and spacing

3) Go to the shape dynamic panel and set the size jitter, minimum diameter for the brush, angle jitter, roundness etc

There are also other panels and some brushes will have these fields or a whole panel enabled or disabled.

4) Set scattering, texture, dual brush, color dynamics and so on

5) Set the color (amazing how that comes at the end - one of the key things about a brush or at least most of the brushes) via the foreground (and perhaps the background if you are mixing the two)

Some of the tools such as the pattern stamp also allow for the input of pattern information. Some of the tools such as the art history and history tool requires some additional setup via the history palette.

What do I receive when I purchase the Photoshop brushes ?

You receive a link to the Photoshop brushes file set. The file set consists of the brushes (ABR file always though may also contain PNG and other formats) + brushes documentation + serial number for future updates + thumbnail gallery showing all the designs

ABR format - Photoshop brushes format

Brushes are stored in ABR format, all the sets include the files in that format.

Most of the packs also include the designs in PNG (or EPS) for use in PSP etc

The collection set only contains ABR files and only for version 7 upwards (if you have any doubts about any of the files included in the sets before you purchase, please request a sampler). Some of the earlier packs also only include ABR as well

The PNG files also can be used as layers in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.

example of type brushes in Photoshop applied with the color black using the brush tool

Brush textures and Photoshop / Photoshop Elements

Use the Photoshop brushes to create stunning texture designs. Apply the brush dabs in 1000s of ways, apply blurs and smears and other effects to create unique texture designs. If you wish to make the designs seamless, I would suggest using additional tools such as Terrazzo from Xaostools

Brushes and Photoshop Blending modes

Use them with different blending modes, they can be applied using difference / multiply / overlay etc to achieve different strokes, also set the opacity say to 10% or 20% to create subtle additions of stroke

1) To set the blending mode for the brush, select a brush and then go to the top bar of Photoshop and select the mode dropdown

2) Set to 'Darken' 'Difference' 'Lighten' etc (the blending modes vary from version to version of Photoshop or PS Elements).

3) Apply brush to document as normal. The actual result will depend on the blending mode, the current color of the brush as well as the background color of the document.

Another alternative way of applying the brush using blending modes is via the edit > fade command which can fade the brush and change the mode

Impressionist brush tool / art history tool and Photoshop tutorial

Use the art history or impressionist brush to create stunning painted / impressionistic paintings using the brush strokes, apply to any image via the history palette

1) Create a new document or use an existing image

2) Apply effects, apply gradients etc as required to modify the image

3) Select the art history tool

4) Select the brush to use with the art history tool

5) Select the history state by using the history palette - click on a left side box of one of the history states (could be the initial document state - first history row or perhaps one of the effects etc)

6) Set the style such as 'dab', 'tight long' etc

7) Set the area

8) Set the brush and brush size - small sometimes works best

9) Apply the brush to all of the document or a small part of the image

Use Photoshop brushes in different color modes

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

1) Image > mode > CMYK

2) Go to the brush tools

3) Apply brush stroke in CMYK color mode

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

Brushes in Paint Shop Pro ®

The brushes can be used in PaintShop Pro (PSP - the name has had a few changes over the last 10 years). Open the PNG and select a brush tool and then go to the brush palette and click the 'create brush tip from selection' button to save the brush to the PSP palette

Added: December 26th 2011

example of brush tip creation in Paint Shop Pro using one of the triangular brush strokes PNG files

Contour brush for Photoshop

Using a star brush from the pack 150, the brush is applied using the initial color of orange and is applied to a new layer

The new layer then has a layer style (layer menu) applied to the star design and the stroke setting is applied (outer) using a different color from the original star design. Go to the layer palette and then select the stroke setting and right click and use the create layer command

Repeat this a number of times with the newly created layer - adding a style and then creating a layer. The end result is a contour star brush stroke for Photoshop. Added January 3rd 2012

example star brush from pack 150 with star contour / stroke added. More complex designs can be created by varying the size and repeats of the stroke setting

Brush designs in Photoshop

The brush strokes can be applied as brush strokes but they can also be used as a basic design tool. The best approach is to apply the brush strokes to a new layer - one brush stroke per layer in Photoshop. That means the brush strokes can be removed at a later point (obviouisly if you are using the brushes as actual brushes that approach is not the most convenient way of using brushes)

The layers for the above design are below

You can, if you wish, apply shadows etc as well as hide or reveal brush strokes (as well as change colors etc) in Photoshop. Added January 3rd 2012