Brushes Panel - 3

Brushes Panel - 3

Learn how to create and save your own custom brushes in Photoshop.

When to use

Use this anytime you would like to create your own custom brush. 

Instructions

Opening Your Image

• Go to the File Menu and choose 'Open' from the dropdown menu.
• Navigate to one of the texture photos from the Resources folder and click 'Open'.
• After opening the photo you'd like to use as the basis for your brush, create a New Document by pressing Command/Ctrl+N or by going to the File Menu and choosing 'New' from the list.
• Create a square document that is 2000 x 2000 and click 'Create' from the bottom right corner of the dialog box.
• Click and drag your photo into the newly created 2000 x 2000 document.
• Press Command/Ctrl+T to initiate a Free Transform, and then scale the photo down so that it fits nicely into the square.

Adding Adjustment Layers

• In your New Document, click on the Adjustment Layer Icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette and add a Black & White Adjustment Layer.
• After this, add a Levels Adjustment Layer and move the left and right sliders in towards the center to increase the contrast of your photo.
• Select the Levels Adjustment Layer at the top of your Layers Palette, and then hold the Shift Key and select the very bottom 'Background' layer so all of your layers are selected together.
• With all of your layers selected, press Command/Ctrl+E on the keyboard to merge them together.

Creating The Brush

• Grab the Magic Wand Tool (W) and sample any of the black or dark areas of your merged image.
• Go to the Select Menu and choose 'Similar' to select all of the similar colors in the photo.
• With your selection active, add a New Layer above your merged photo in the Layers Palette.
• Fill the selection with solid black by pressing Alt/Option+Delete on the keyboard when you have a solid black foreground color.
• Deselect your selection by pressing Command/Ctrl+D on the keyboard.
• If you turn off the visibility of your 'Background' layer, you will now see that you have a black texture with transparent pixels on your newly added layer.
• Press Command/Ctrl+A to select your entire new layer.
• Go to the Edit Menu and choose 'Define Brush Preset' from the dropdown.
• You can now give your brush a name such as 'Custom Texture Brush' or something similar.
• Click 'OK' to create your brush. 
• If you look at the bottom of the Brushes Panel, you should now see your newly added custom brush.
• Repeat this process to create a custom brush from each of the remaining photos.

Saving Your Presets

• Now that you have 3-4 custom brushes, select the first one, hold the Shift Key, and select your last brush so they are all selected together.
• Click on the small folder icon at the bottom of the Brushes Panel to create a New Group.
• Give your group a name such as 'Custom Grunge Brushes' and click 'OK' to save the folder. 
• You can now select the newly created folder and either right-click or hold the Control Key and click to reveal a dropdown menu.
• From the menu, choose 'Export Selected Brushes'.
• You can now navigate to where you'd like to save your brushes and click 'Save' to save the ABR file.

Importing Your Brush Presets

• Select the custom folder in your Brushes Panel and drag it to the Trash Bin to delete the folder.
• Create a New Document that is 1920 x 1080 and click 'Create'.
• Open the Brushes Panel via the Window Menu or by pressing 'F5' on the keyboard.
• Click on the hamburger menu in the upper right of the panel and choose 'Import Brushes'.
• Navigate to your ABR file and click 'Open'.
• Your custom brush set will now appear in the bottom of your Brushes Panel. 

Hints & tips

• Creating your own custom brushes from photos is a great way to create entire sets of brushes with similar properties.
• Remember that you can also save the settings for your custom brushes in case you want to adjust things like the Angle, Scatter, or Brush Dynamics.
• It's better to create your custom brushes at a larger size and scale them down as opposed to creating your brush at a small size and scaling it up so that you can make sure things will appear sharp and not blurry or distorted.