After compiling a list of GIMP and Photoshop brushes, Lauren Marie and Pelf said they’d like some tips on choosing and using brushes. I linked to some instructions on installing brushes at the time. Now I’m going to give a run-down of how I use choose and use brushes.
If you’re already experienced in brushing in GIMP or Photoshop, I’d love for you to leave a comment. Link to some of your creations, or leave us your own tips on how to go about using brushes!
My suggestions here assume that you have some experience in using layers and tools. If you don’t: feel free to ask, or search Google and come back when you’re ready. 🙂
Take recommendations
Lists and websites
I’ve already put together a list of brushes that I’d vouch for!
I also recommend hawksmont Universe for some quality GIMP brushes. There are probably several great resource sites for Photoshop brushes; Brusheezy is a nice one.
You see, you likey
If someone has used brushes in an artwork/graphic that you like – download them. Others using brushes is a form of recommendation in my eyes.
For example, while searching for vine-themed images (for a project I had in mind) I came across Fly Free. Some of the elements in that are lovely; low and behold, there’s a Japanese Foliage brush set available for your download pleasure.
I compiled a Japanese Foliage brush set for GIMP using the PNGs available at Designfuit, but I’m yet to receive permission to release them.
I also got into cloud brushes because I’d seen a couple of other people use them. Also, I made a couple of my own silhouette-people brushes after inspiration from other’s work.
Follow tutorials
Following tutorials is a great way to get into the swing of using brushes. There’s a vector wallpaper tutorial that I think is particularly good. It uses a range of brushes, including sparkles, floral, and “vector” shapes.
While it’s a bit of an indirect recommendation – tutorials don’t usually tell you specific brushes to download – it can help to give you an idea of the types of brushes to search for and add to your repertoire.
A similar tutorial is the more advanced render. It is a bit more difficult, but you can skim through it as another example of how you can use brushes.
For these 3D render tutorials: you don’t have to be able to create 3D models; there are several places to download ready-made ones. I have used some from gish159 on deviantArt.
Start from the corner
Do you want to make an image from scratch, but you’re not sure where to start?
When I don’t have a particular scene in mind I start from the corner. Lots of brush sets provide brushes designed for corners.
A simple example:
Those flowers and bamboo are a corner brush. Once placed I can build around (and underneath) it.
Start from a central point
If you have something to start with (a 3D render, or a photograph), it gives you a centre point to brush from.
A quick example:
This was a stock photograph from stock.xchng. It was:
- Desaturated
- Colorised – to give a brownish hue
- Tree and grass duplicated into a new layer
- Brushed with some abstract brushes under the new tree layer – from behind the tree, which is the centre point
- Brushed on top of the grass with some abstract, sprouty brushes
- Brushed under the tree layer, but on top of the original layer with some clouds
It’s as simple as that! Of course, at first it may not seem simple, but the key is to just keep playing. Trust me – I’ve used Ctrl+Z plenty of times to get rid of some ugly or misplaced brushing!
This isn’t very user-friendly, Kristen. Either that, or I’m just way too stupid 😀
Whatever happened to those “What are brushes?” or “How to install a Photoshop Brush”? Whatever happened to step-by-step instructions?
🙁
Pelf – I’m very sorry you felt this wasn’t user friendly. 🙁
I introduced the post with:
Does that include you? I don’t know. I was sort of hoping that you would have looked at the links I gave you a couple of weeks ago. In case you missed them, the links were:
How to use brushes in Photoshop, which tells you how to install and load them.
Custom brushes in Photoshop – a complete guide, the first part of which goes into quite some detail on what brushes are and the various settings.
I don’t actually have Photoshop on my computer, so I couldn’t give you technical instruction – only conceptual. From what I can tell those resources should help.
I also just found Getting to know photoshop, another tutorial that might be useful. 🙂
I didn’t have any trouble with the user friendliness; I could have even survived with a tad less text. This is fascinating to me, actually, because it’s not something I’m really able to make use of, so it’s a mysterious corner of Photoshop to me.
Thanks for your comment Forrest. I’m glad someone could understand it. I was hoping for a few more comments to confirm whether it was my writing (very possible!) or just the level of assumed knowledge that pelf had a problem with.
I think you could make use of brushes Forrest; if you choose not to that’s fair enough. You have a lovely photography style. Exploring photomanipulation is an interesting world though. 🙂 This one springs to mind as an example. Or pixelnase does some incredible things with photographs. I’d be surprised if he didn’t use brushes for some of it.
Hi Kristarella! Sorry I’ve not been around lately 🙁 Missed ya!
This was an interesting article and I’m glad you showed what you have done with these brushes you’ve found. I think maybe the reason this seems “not very user-friendly” is because like pelf said, there are no step-by-step instructions. But do any really exist? It seems more like experimenting is the best way to figure all this out, no?
It looks like most of your experience comes from browsing around DeviantArt. Is that true? I haven’t poked around there very much. pixelnase’s work is incredible! I’ve always admired how some people can think outside of reality to create those surreal images. I’m not good at that 🙁
Yes, you’re right LaurenMarie. There isn’t really step-by-step instructions for using brushes, apart from steps like installing them and selecting them and resizing them, which I’ve linked to. The best solution is to experiment.
I stared using brushes before I got into deviantArt, but my usage has definitely expanded and gotten better with inspiration from dA. It’s a great community there. So many beautiful things.
p.s. Good to “see” you too 🙂