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Polka Dot brushes Creation in Photoshop Tutorial Beginner's Guide

By Andrew Buckle, Video Tutorial Creator / Designer

Updated : 2021

 

Learn how to create a quick polka dot brushes set for Adobe Photoshop tutorial ().

 

polka dot brushes for Adobe Photoshop and create tutorialPolka dot brushes and designs can be created in Photoshop (and of course other apps).

 

You can use the Photoshop guides and new guide layout to create cells for polka dot spots in Photoshop.

 

The spots for the polka dot brush can be added to the cells uniformly or in random sizes. You can also change the color of the polka dot brush spots for each cell as required. Quickest way is perhaps using custom shapes

  1. Create a document sized 600 x 600 or 1000 x 1000 etc.

  2. View menu and snap ON

  3. View menu and snap to guides ON

  4. View menu and new guide layout

  5. Columns 6 and rows 6 and both ON

  6. Go to the ellipse tool and create a circle (as a shape layer) that snaps to the guides in the first cell

  7. Alt / option and duplicate that circle and place in the third cell in the first row and then duplicate and add to the 5th cell in the first row

  8. Duplicate and go to the next row and add the circle to the 2nd cell (using the snap so it is in the center of the cell)

  9. Repeat with the 4th cell and then move to the third row and place in the first cell etc

Change the color of the circles in the polka dot cells for use as a Photoshop brush

different polka dot color cells for the brushes

You can change the color of the individual cell circles for the polka dot brushes in Photoshop.

  1. Click the circle shape

  2. Window menu and properties

  3. Change the fill color to different colors such as a pastel theme

  4. Change all the different cells

You can now use adjustment layers to re-color all the designs in one go or use adjustments via the image menu. You can also use the adjustment black and white to change the color to different black and whites for use with the brushes define

  1. Edit menu (now you have your brush stroke design)

  2. Define brush

 

Selecting polka dot brushes in Photoshop and changing color and applying to the document

polka dot brushes and applied in pink in Photoshop

You can now apply the polka dot brushes via the brush tool as well as many other tools via the brushes panel.

  1. Select a brush tool in the Photoshop toolbar

  2. Go to the brushes dropdown

  3. Select a polka dot brush

  4. Set the color for the polka dot brush via the Photoshop toolbar (such as pink in the right image)

  5. Set the size

  6. Go to the brush panel and set other settings such as spacing and scatter and hue dynamics

  7. Apply the brush strokes

You can also export the artwork as a PNG file and then use the polka dot brushes in other applications such as Clip Studio Paint and others. You can change the color of the polka dot brushes in countless ways as well as combine the brush strokes with effects such as camera raw filter and also adjustment layers such as hue / saturation and also invert and photo filter and many others (sadly the HDR toning is not an adjustment layer)

 

Save polka dot brush tool preset in the tool presets picker in Photoshop

  1. Select a polka dot brush

  2. Set the color

  3. Go to the brush panel

  4. Set the spacing

  5. Set hue dynamics

  6. Set scattering etc

  7. Go to the far left top of Photoshop to the tool preset picker

  8. Right side menu and create a new preset

You now have an instant polka dot brush that can be selected in seconds and used countless times in your projects

 

Variations of the polka dots for use in Photoshop such as re-coloring via adjustment layers, different spot sizes, different gaps and more

smaller polka dot patterns for Adobe Photoshop

You can also make different types of polka dot brushes such as smaller polka dots such there is a bigger gap between the dots, perhaps polka dots with two dots or perhaps polka dots made of different shapes such as squares or triangles or more fun designs.

 

You can also take the polka dot designs and turn them into a polka dot pattern by using the edit menu and define pattern command. On your right, you can see an example of the polka dots saved as a pattern via the edit menu define pattern and you can see the color of the artwork (you can also use the colorful designs as a layer as well and not as a brush stroke).

 

Or by using smaller dots or using the polka dot brushes with different colors of brush stroke (such as white on a black background). Adjustment layers can also be used to manipulate the color and brightness of the polka dot brush design or image. The polka dot brushes spots can be large or small. You can create a large document with many cells for the polka dots but the best approach is to use even cell numbers such as 6 x 6.

 

Once you have created the basic polka dot brushes then you can define them via the edit menu and define brush. The polka dot brush is then added to the Photoshop brushes panel. The polka dot brushes are only colored by the current foreground. If you wish to use the polka dot brush as an image or as a source for a colorful pattern, use the define pattern command instead of define brush. You can then fill any document with the polka dot brushes in Photoshop (as well as export the artwork for use in Affinity Photo etc).