1. Digital Imaging
Unit 5: Using Painting Tools
Module 1: Learning about Brush Types and Properties
Painting Tools
Photoshop provides a variety of
brushes for use in your designs.
Free vector brushes can also be
downloaded from several sites
online.
You can also create your own
brushes and add them to the
brush palette.

2. Digital Imaging
Unit 5: Using Painting Tools
Module 1: Learning about Brush Types and Properties
Painting Tools
The Brush tool is a basic painting
tool. It works like a traditional
drawing tool by applying the
color using strokes.
You can change the size of the
brush, the opacity of the color
you are applying as well as the
brush tip shape.

3. Digital Imaging
Unit 5: Using Painting Tools
Module 1: Learning about Brush Types and Properties
Blending Brush Modes
A Blending Mode is a way to mix the colors with the items
beneath them.
The basic blending modes are:
• Normal Mode - paints the color as is with no
transformation.
• Dissolve – adds noise to the edges of the brush stroke.
• Opacity – adjusts the transparency of the stroke.
• Flow – the rate the color is applied.

4. Digital Imaging
Unit 5: Using Painting Tools
Module 1: Learning about Brush Types and Properties
Free vector brushes
If the default brushes do not
offer the variety of textures,
shapes and grunge effects you
are looking for, several sites
provide free brushes for
download. These are installed
and imported into the brush
palette for use.

5. Digital Imaging
Unit 5: Using Painting Tools
Module 1: Learning about Brush Types and Properties
Creating brushes
Create your own custom brush
using the following steps:
Open a new 200 pixel wide by
200 pixel high Photoshop
document with a white
background.

6. Digital Imaging
Unit 5: Using Painting Tools
Module 1: Learning about Brush Types and Properties
Creating brushes
Choose the brush tool.
Select a 10 pixel round brush in
the preset brushes window.
Make sure the foreground color
is black.
Paint some strokes using this
brush on the canvas.

7. Digital Imaging
Unit 5: Using Painting Tools
Module 1: Learning about Brush Types and Properties
Creating brushes
Reset the brush size and brush
opacity.
Paint more strokes on the
canvas.
These strokes will become your
new brush pattern.

8. Digital Imaging
Unit 5: Using Painting Tools
Module 1: Learning about Brush Types and Properties
Creating brushes
Under the Edit menu select
Define Brush Preset. Name your
brush in the window that pops
up. Hit OK.
Your new brush will appear at
the bottom of the preset
brushes window.