[1] What are stamp brushes?

Although decoration brushes can be used in various ways depending on their settings, here, a brush that draws a pattern image one by one will be called a stamp brush.

 

 

 

■ Basic settings to use decoration brushes as stamps

 

The [Spraying effect] and [Ribbon] settings are turned off while [Gaps] are fixed.

 

[2] Tips when creating stamp brushes

As stamp brushes take advantage of the pattern’s shape and draw one image at a time in a row, they can be used to draw something like the following.

Various materials can be made depending on your ideas. Here we will introduce some materials that make especially good use of the stamp brush's features.

 

■ Objects that are arranged in a row with set intervals such as trees.

 

■ Objects that are in a line with a perfect fit such as necklaces.

 

■ Simple patterns.

 

[3] Creating a tree brush (a brush that arranges a pattern in one line with an interval)

Trees and grass grow on the same ground. It is convenient to make these motifs as brush materials, as the pattern's intervals and size can be freely adjusted.

 

 

 

■ 1. Preparing the images

 

As natural objects like trees usually have random shapes, more realistic rows of trees can be created by preparing multiple images.

 

When creating the images, make sure that the directions are balanced. As you can see below, the images of trees with many branches mostly face to the right and thus feel unnatural. For asymmetrical objects, make sure to balance the numbers of left and right facing images.

 

Even if you did not prepare both right and left facing images, you can fix this by horizontally inverting the images.

 

 

 

■ 2. Setting images as a brush

 

On how to register images as materials and create sub tools, refer to the following.

 

Once the prepared images are registered as materials, set them as the brush tip image. Here, a total of 6 images, including 2 elements that were flipped horizontally have been registered.

 

· Considering the image order

· Images are drawn from the left in the order in which they were added in the [Sub Tool Details] palette. (When set to any repeat method other than random.) It is possible to rearrange the order according to the repeat setting.

When the repeat setting is set to “Repeat”, the images will be drawn in this order. As such, consideration is needed to prevent inverted images from appearing consecutively.

 

· Considering the number of appearances

Register items multiple times to have them appear more often.

 

 

 

■3. Option settings

 

Since an original sub tool has been created for the time being, each option will be adjusted next.

You can adjust each of the different options in the [Sub Tool Details] palette.

To make natural objects like trees look more natural, use “random” as the source of influence.

 

・Brush Size

Setting the source of influence and changing the size will change the size of the image based on the center of the image. As a result, the position of the trees will be random as well.

 

If it is okay for the position to vary, you can set the influence source of the size and change it. If it is better to have the lower side of the image at the same position, the size needs to be fixed.

If you decide to change the size, the trees look like they are going back and forth in perspective as you draw them in a row. Therefore this kind of material is good to use for things like trees.

Here it is set to random.

 

[POINT]

If you want to change the size of the image without moving the position of the image up and down, make sure to register the image for the material including the empty space.

 

・Thickness

It is also possible to change the size by setting the thickness. If you want to change the height, set the application direction to “vertical” and to change the width, set it to “horizontal”.

• However, by adjusting it vertically, the size will change based on the center of the image, hence the position of the image will be higher or lower, just like when adjusting the size.

 

In this example, it is to “Horizontal” so that the thickness of the trees varies.

 

・Intervals

Natural objects like trees usually do not grow at regular intervals, so using “random” for the source effect settings of the interval is a good way to portray that.

Since the brush size was set to random, the interval is a little wider, so here we set the base value to “60” and the minimum value to “20”.

 

・Repetition

Set the image order to random so that it approaches a more natural appearance.

When natural materials, like these, are used, setting the influence sources to random for each item, creates more variation and expresses a more natural state.

 

 

 

■4. Setting the tool properties

 

After finishing with the brush settings, decide on the item to be displayed in the [Tool Properties] palette.

Set the elements, that might be practical to change when drawing to “Display”.

 

 

 

■5. Registering to initial settings

 

Thereafter, set each option appropriately and register the adjusted settings for the initial settings. Make sure to register this, because the settings will be returned to their initial state, in case you initialize the application via [Revert to initial settings].

Right-click on the material created on the [Tool Properties] palette, select [Register to initial settings] and then click [OK] on the dialog box.

 

[4] Creating a necklace brush (using brush images to align perfectly aligned patterns)

Stamp brushes can also be created with the images snuggly attached to one another like a pearl necklace.

 

 

 

■ 1. Preparing the images

 

The image is registered as a material without any surrounding space.

 

 

 

■ 2. Setting images as a brush

 

Register the prepared image as a material.

 

· Considering the image order

Items, such as necklaces usually have a specific order, so leaving it as such is recommended here.

Also, registering multiple items to have them appear more often is an option.

 

 

 

■3. Option settings

 

・Intervals

Since the shape of a circle is the same as the shape of the image for the tip of a brush, set the interval to “100” as it is, to draw with the images aligning perfectly next to each other.

 

・Repetition

Set this to “Repeat” to display it in a regular order.

 

[POINT]

If you set an image with a gap between another image while the brush shape is that of a circle to the interval of “100”, a gap will be created between one image and the next.

 

Adjust the spacing of such images to make them fit perfectly.

However, if you register multiple images with different sizes for each image, the intervals will not be constant, so they cannot fit perfectly.

 

[POINT]

“Ribbon” is a brush setting that allows to draw images aligned firmly to one another. However, when a brush is set to “Ribbon”, the image will be deformed according to the curve of the line.

Rigid objects like necklaces do not fit the “Ribbon” settings, as the individual elements usually do not change their shape.

Once finished with adjusting the settings, set what to display in the [Tool Properties] palette and perform [Register to initial settings].

 

[5] Brushes to draw patterns

Simple patterns like hearts are often used, and come in handy for using them as patterns on clothes and such.

If you like these kinds of pattern brushes, the usage can expand further when adjusting the properties accordingly. Also, when creating a monochrome pattern (all black/1 color, black and white/2 colors), it is possible to change the color when using the brush on a color layer.

 

 

 

■1. Registering an image as a material

 

Set the expression color of the layer to “monochrome”, draw the image, and execute “register image as material”.

 

If you want to use 2 colors, set the expression color of the layer to “monochrome” and draw the image in black and white.

 

Change the color of the brush you created on a color layer.

• For the relationship between brush expression color and layer type, please refer to “Let’s create materials! Decoration Brush ① Basics”.

 

 

 

■ 2. Option settings

 

Set the options according to their use.

 

・Brushes with randomly changing images

By setting the options to “random”, you can use a single brush tip image that appears to be made of multiple different images.

 

① Set “Brush Size” to “Random”.

 

② Apply “Thickness” to “Vertical” and set it to “Random”. Further, “Direction” and “Brush density” are also set to “Random”.

 

③ Set the “Stroke” to “Random” as well.

 

④ Use a “Texture” to add various patterns.

Select “Texture” and set “Texture density” to 100 and set it to “Random”.

The minimum value is set to 0, which will allow a heart pattern with no texture to appear at random as well.

Turn on [Apply by each blot].

 

When drawing with the created brush, the following shades of color, changes of shapes and showing of pattern and textures become apparent.

 

· Gradually decreasing brushes

Here is how to create a brush that gradually decreases in size.

 

① Set the “Brush size” and “Gap” to be a fixed value.

 

② Set “Settings of effect source of starting and ending” for “Brush size” and set the minimum value to “15”.

Set “How to specify” to “By percentage”, the set “Starting” to OFF, “Ending” to ON at a value of “100”.

 

When drawing with these settings, you can draw the stamps with the pattern gradually becoming smaller towards the end.

 

Once finished with adjusting the settings, set what to display in the [Tool Properties] palette and perform [Register to initial settings].

Even these kinds of brushes, which use only a simple patterns can vary greatly depending on the settings applied to them.

 

[6] Adding depth to brush drawings

If you draw a pattern in a line using a brush, it is possible to add depth to it, by doing the following.

If you keep the further use of the brushes you create in mind, the possibilities become even wider.

 

① Draw with the “tree” brush created in [3] horizontally in a row with a constant size.

 

② In the [Edit] menu → choose [Transform] → [Free deformation] and deform the line to become smaller as you go further.

 

③ Once the shape is set, double-click within its range, or click [○] on the [Tool Properties] palette to confirm the transformation.

 

Use the same method to add depth to elements that look like a fence.