In this article, learn four steps to finding the perfect brush for YOUR digital illustrations, no matter what program you use to draw! :D
Intro!
Are you tired of downloading a whole LIBRARY of brushes, only to discover that NONE of the brushes you got suit the style that you’re going for?
Well, suffer no more! >:D
Hey, shooting stars! My name is Dreamer. And in this video, I’m gonna show you four steps to finding the perfect brush for your digital illustrations! Doesn’t matter what art program you’re using, either; these steps can be used for any software! ^^
Okay; without further ado, let’s get started! :D
Video!
Here is the video for your listening and viewing pleasure! If you want to read the article version, though, feel free to skip this bit and read on! :D
STEP ONE: Observation!
You’re gonna wanna kick this off with the first step, which is observation.
WAIT!! Don’t click off!
I PROMISE you this is not as hard or as boring as it may seem! In fact, you may have already been doing this step, even if you didn’t realize it! :D
See, each time you find a new artist that you admire, or look at an illustration from one of your current favorite artists, you’re subconsciously observing what you like about their work! What makes them “stick out” to you, if you will. And this same amount of observation can be used in their brushwork, which is why I made this the first step!
Try to find some images from your most favorite artists and examine their brushwork. For some of you, it may be that you like their ability to blend things cohesively. For others, it may be that you like how much their line art sticks out from the rest of the drawing!
Whatever the case may be, try to notice things the artist does with their linework and coloring that you would like to achieve in your own illustrations!
I recommend keeping it between a few artists, just so you don’t get too overwhelmed. Maybe, like, 3 to 6.
Through doing this, you may be surprised to see that a lot of the artists you admire share the same characteristics in their artwork! Or rather, you seem to gravitate towards a certain style more than others, and that’s why you admire those specific artists! :D
Anyway, whether you discover that you like more sketchy works or works with line art, more painterly styles or more, uh… cell… shady… styles… write those down and keep them in the back of your head!
And then, you’ll be ready for step two! Which is…
STEP TWO: Research!
Okay, I know what you’re thinking:
“Dreamer! You said we were gonna find our perfect brushes! D:<“
And, you are! But how can you expect to find your perfect brushes without a little bit of digging to find out names and programs? :)
If you’ve ever been to comments on places like Pinterest or some other social media platform wherever there’s man-made art involved, you’re always gonna have those few people who ask things like:
“Artist name?” or…
“Program?” or…
“Brushes?”
Look for the people who ask for the brushes. :D
Most times, there will be people who take a crack at answering the question for them; if the creator themselves don’t answer! Problem with Pinterest, though, is that a lot of the people don’t own the art that’s on there; it’s just reposted. So, take some of the answers with a grain of salt!
If you know your favorite artist answers those kind of questions, look in their comments to see if they’ve ever given credit for brushes they use, or if they’ve ever posted their own custom brushes! Write down the name of these brushes so that when you go to the store of your selected art program, you can find them relatively fast.
Clip Studio Paint also has the ability for you to look up the number ID that’s attached to the brush, so try to find that if it’s available! :D
“But Dreamer, what if the artist uses a program I don’t have?”
Well, some people are kind enough to make brushes that replicate their favorite artist’s brushes for the programs they’re using! Like, I KNOW I’ve seen duplicates of Photoshop brushes on CSP’s asset store. Try to see if you can find those, and you should be good! People also leave stuff like that in Pinterest comments. :D
Once you’ve compiled a list of brushes, we’re gonna move on to step three! Which is…
STEP THREE: Downloading + Experimentation!
This is probably the easiest, and yet the hardest step!
It’s all about self-control. -w-
You’ve gotta keep track of the brushes you’re getting, or else you’ll end up like me, who’s got a WHOLE LIBRARY of brushes that she doesn’t even use.
I recommend only downloading, like, four at first. Like, sift through the list of brushes you found—(hopefully, you made a list)—and try to single out the ones that you wanna use the most. Then, download those, or their replicas.
After that, I recommend experimenting with them RIGHT AWAY, so you can see if those brushes are really what you’re going for. If you found them in those select few, then CONGRATULATIONS!! You’ve successfully found your perfect brushes! YAAAAYY! :D
If not, DELETE those, and make your way down the brush list until you find your dream brush! I say to delete them right away, because if you don’t, you’ll end up like me, who’s too lazy to do it now. -w-
And don’t get discouraged if this takes a while. I promise it’ll be worth it when you find a brush that works for you. It took me a while to find a brush that I enjoyed. But once I did, I couldn’t have been happier with it, and to this day it’s STILL my number one brush to use on Clip Studio Paint! :D
Heavy painted Brush - CLIP STUDIO ASSETS
Okay, I really could have ended this in three steps. BUT, I really wanna tell you this final step, because I feel like it’s the most important one to have. And this is…
STEP FOUR: Patience!!
You’ve found your perfect brushes, and that’s amazing! Maybe you even struck gold and are using the same brushes as your favorite artist! That’s great, and I am so proud of you. :D
But even though you have the brush of your dreams, you need to realize that it’ll still take time to master that brush. I say this because, oftentimes, especially when we’re beginners or still getting the hang of digital art, we tend to think that having the brush our favorite artists use will give us the ability to make awesome art.
Trust me, I know.
95% of the reason I have so many brushes that I don’t use is because I saw the art attached to it and subconsciously thought that if I got that brush, I would be able to draw like that, too. And then, I would proceed to get discouraged, when things didn’t turn out how I’d hoped, because I failed to realize that the artist who made that brush, or at least my favorite artist who used it, had more experience than I did.
I’m telling you this to keep you grounded!
You need to keep realistic expectations about your craft! Sure, this brush may make things a bit easier for you, but it won’t automatically make you a legend. You still need to practice for that rank! :D
But, you’ll get there. We all will! We’ve just gotta keep learning and improving with each moment we pick up our brushes! ^^
… No pun intended. -w-
Outro!
Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of all the steps! Good on you! :D
Anyway, hopefully, these tips help you guys find your perfect brushes! Keep in mind that your brush preferences may change over time, and that’s perfectly fine! As your art changes, so will your style and tastes. That’s all a part of growing! :D
Shout out to all the artists I admire and learn from! :D
I don’t really have anything else to say, so go find that perfect brush, and happy creating! >:D
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