Photoshop Brush Presets

When you're using Brushes in Photoshop, there are two different sets of controls that you should be aware of: the Brush Presets and the Brush Panel. The screen shot above is the Brush Presets. You can use this menu to access a bunch of different Brush libraries (like Dry Media Brushes or the Rubber Ducky Brush under Special Effects). You can also access this menu by right-clicking with the Paint Brush as the active tool (then hit the top right hand corner fly-out menu arrow) or through the Brush Panel.

I.F. Transportation

I scanned a drawing that I had done with a Micron pen and decided to paint it digitally (using Photoshop and Painter) for this week's Illustration Friday. Click on the image for a larger view.

I.F. "Beneath"

This is a study that I recently did to try out some different effects in Photoshop and tools in Painter (with a scanned ink line).

I.F. "The Slacker Acrobat"

Ink, watercolor in a Moleskine book

I.F. "Proverb"

This is based on the proverb "The bird who wiggles his toes like a worm gets the fish." Never heard that one? That's cuz' I just made it up. I did this watercolor in my Moleskine book during a beach trip. Apparently, some egrets do wiggle their toes to attract fish, so feel free to use my proverb (just give me credit).

Pencil Lines in Photoshop (CS4)

This tutorial will show you how to draw pencil lines from a scan of your own pencil shading.

Step 1: Evenly shade in a dark rectangle with your usual pencil and paper (a square inch or so), then scan it at 100%. In Photoshop, use the Rectangular Marquee to make a selection within your shaded rectangle. See below.



Step 2: Edit (from the top Menu bar) > Define Pattern, and give it a name (in the example it's "My Pencil").

Step 3: Now choose the Pattern Stamp tool (it's nested with the Clone Stamp) from the Tool Panel. You'll notice that the Menu/Tool Options at the top of the window shows a thumbnail of the current Pattern. Click on the thumbnail and choose the Pattern that you just created.


Above: The Pattern Stamp (it's nested underneath the Clone Stamp) and the thumbnail for the Pattern Library

Now draw in your Photoshop image window, and you're drawing with a scan of your pencil line.

Step 4 (optional): You might try adding a little Scattering from your Brush Panel (F5). Scattering roughs up the edge of the stroke a little bit, which mimics drawing on a slightly textured surface.



Step 5 (optional): You could also set your Brush mode in Menu/Tool options to "Multiply" so that your line gets darker with each stroke (like an actual pencil). See below:



You can also check out the "Artist Surfaces" library (hit the drop-down menu in the Pattern Library; top right hand corner). I've found that some of the options in the "Artists Surfaces" library are just as good as my own scanned samples.

I.F. "Ahead"

"The elephant ran ahead ..."

Yep, I admit it: I just wanted to paint an elephant.
Done in ink and acrylic.