Documentation

Parameters of the Custom Brush tool

Once a brush is cut, you will automatically switch to the tool “Stroke”. The Tool panel will use the option “Custom Brush” (see below).



It is possible to use it as such. However numerous parameters are available.

* Modify the Wet Profile option.

This option is only working with the Alpha Stamp and Alpha Max Stamp mode. Before the current custom brush is applied in the current image, the Wet Profile modifies the original custom brush, and it is the result which is applied to the image.

Here are some examples of different Wet profile using the same brush :


Wet profile

Modify the shift and the Opacity options :

Shift = 100 / opacity = 100Shift = 100 / opacity = 0Shift = 100 / opacity = 15

* Modify the brush mode by clicking on Origin. A pop-up menu with eight options appears :



Here is the explanation for five of them :

Color : corresponds to the original colors of the brush
Alpha Stamp : only opacity is considered. The brush now use the A color
Luma Stamp : colors of the brush will change from A colors to B color, following the luma.
Luma Invert Stamp : works like Luma Stamp, but inverted (see opposite)
Hue Stamp : uses the A color but keeps the hue.

The example above uses colors A (R = 5, G = 255, B = 8 ) and B (R = 255, G = 183, B = 11).

Alpha Max Stamp : records the maximum opacity value of your brush pixels and uses it as a limit not to be exceeded during the drawing. An example with that brush :


Alpha Max modeAlpha mode

Smear stamp smears your brush (whose the color is defined by A color) with the current image :


Smear source is a little more complex, because it needs a source, that you can define in the Shape settings panel. Smear source allows you to smear the source you defined with the A color. This option is really great for people who want to make “painted rotoscopy”.

In the following examples, we used the forest photography (used to explain the drawing modes) and different custom brushes from the Tool bin (explained later in that lesson) :





You will also be able to :

* Modify the global Size of the brush.
* Use the Shift option. It allows you to distort the current image in the direction of your stroke. It is often used with the opacity parameter set to 0%. (see below)
When using the Shift option, the Alpha Stamp and Alpha Max Stamp modes are not available.
* Modify the Jitter of the brush.
* Modify the Opacity of the brush.
* Modify the Angle of the brush.
* Modify the Step between two applications of the brush on the screen. This option enables drawing in a discontinued manner.

* The Smooth option is used for more precision during drawing.
None : No smoothing during the drawing.
Medium : a standard smoothing.
Best : a best smoothing but requires more computer resources.
Smart : active by default. Between Average and Best

* Use the feature Warp : this option allows you to warp your custom brush automatically following your zoom value on the working space.


Zoom value : 100%


Zoom value : 200%


Zoom value : 50%

Do you see ? Whatever your zoom value, your brush will always warp itself and will always seems to keep the same size.
* Use the Projection feature, that allows you to turn a custom brush into a splatter brush.



Pay attention : the rendering of this feature depends a lot of the tilt sensitivity set in your graphic tablet's drivers.

* Use the Drying option (saw in lesson 10).
* Change the Handle of the brush: in other words, change the position of the cursor in relation to the brush which is centered by default.
* The Anim option will be discussed later.
* Optimize the brush: i.e. re-align the brush to conserve less transparent areas around the brush.


Normal brushNon-optimized brushOptimized brush


Centered handleHandle top rightHandle custom-placed

* Use the Stamp in place option which allows to apply the current custom brush on the current image at the same coordinates at which it was Cut in its original image.
* Reset the brush settings.
Traditional drawing modes are applied to the brushes and sometimes provide interesting results:


Original brush (the white pixels are opaque)Image on which the brush will be appliedApplication in Multiply modeApplication in Screen mode

Let's talk about the Edit button: it is used to display the panel shown opposite. The various buttons from left to right and top to bottom have the following functions:

* Double the size of the brush.
* Double its width or height.
* Turn the brush +90°.
* Flip brush on X axis.
* Optimize the brush.
* Cut brush size in half.
* Cut brush width, height in half.
* Turn the brush -90°.
* Flip brush on Y axis.
* Replace the transparent areas with B color.
* Lock the width/height aspect ratio.
* Modify the size of the brush numerically or in the project window.
* Rotate the brush to an angle of your choice.
* Add a border to the brush (you may choose the color and thickness of the border).
* Anti-aliase the brush when modifying size and angle.
* Use the opacity map (see lesson 02).
* Reset all settings and recover the original brush.
* Validate the modifications and use the new brush.

It is possible to obtain all the configurations shown below and many more !