1. Using Brushes and Shapes to create Artwork in Photoshop
Photoshop Brushes
Using Brushes and Shapes to create Artwork in Photoshop

2. Overview The Brush and Shape Tools
Begin Exercise - Creating the Document
Working with the Brush Tool
Free Transform Tool
Using the Brush Panel for editing properties of Brushes
Shapes & Custom Shapes in Photoshop

3. The Brush Tool The basic painting tool (Yes, think Microsoft Paint)
Selecting this tool allows the designer to begin to draw/paint lines on a layer
Very often the first tool designers find to ‘doodle’ with
Can set different options to change thickness, opacity, flow and even blending modes
The Brush Tool in Photoshop has come a long way:
Can create/define your own brushes
Download Brush Libraries from the Internet
Use Drawing tablets where Photoshop will recognize the pressure being used as the designer paints.
Please review the following URL from TutsPlus for a more in-depth look at the Brush Tool and its capabilities:

4. The Shape Tool
Default displayed is the Rectangle Tool; however, numerous shapes options from the click + hold including:
Rounded Rectangle
Ellipse
Polygon
Line
Custom Shape
Shapes also have three formats that they can be drawn in – these are selected from the property panel:
Pixel Shapes
Shape Shapes
Path Shapes

5. The Shape Tool Continuing on the different drawing modes:
Shape: Also known as the ‘vector’ layer. This is the same as if we were working in Adobe Illustrator
Path: Outline drawn, does not fill with color and are independent of everything in PS.
Pixels: A solid filled area of pixels from our Shape Drawing Tool. Cannot be scaled or resized
If really working with Shapes and drawing them, think in terms of the Shape drawing mode.
Provides the most flexibility in Photoshop
Yes, adds more layers but allows for more control over each shape.
For More Info:

6. Practicing the Brush Tool & Shape Tool
Using Brushes & Shapes

7. Creating a New Document
Open Photoshop and File > New.
Create a new document with the dimensions in the image
Click OK

8. Brushes & Shapes
In the Layers Panel, Create a New Layer and name it ‘Tree’ (fig. 1)
Double-Click the Foreground Color Picker Tool to select a tree trunk color (fig. 2)
Click OK
Fig. 1
Fig. 2

9. Brush Tool & Brush Panel
Navigate to the Toolbox and select the Brush Tool (B). (fig. 1)
For additional controls and options – Open the Brush Panel
F5 on the keyboard or,
Under the Window drop-down menu on the main menu bar, select the Brush panel there (fig. 2)
Fig. 1
Fig. 2

10. Brush Panel Additional Options: Includes options for saving/exporting
brush sets, importing brush libraries,
etc.
Brush Shape Options:
Pre-created brushes for use
by selecting them from the library
Brush Tip Shapes:
Options that will alter how
the brush looks when painting
Brush Drawing Options:
Options for pre-created brushes
that alter how the brush draws.
Great for quick edits to a brush when
using it once or twice
Preview Window:
Shows edited results
prior to painting.

11. Brush Tool & Brush Panel
From the Brush Panel, Select the Grass Brush Tip
This will be used to make the tree.
In the Brush Panel, alter the size of the brush via the Size Slider (try 200 pixels (px))
Draw the Tree Trunk by clicking once on the canvas
Side Note: Also try holding down and dragging to notice the difference in the brush (Edit > Undo when done)

12. Free Transform Tool
For the size of our document – the previous trunk was drawn to small. Three options:
Could Edit > Undo till we delete the drawing
Delete the layer in the Layers Panel and remake it
Free Transform the Object on the Layer
Only one object/item can be on a layer for this to work:
Keep the Tree Layer Highlighted
Press CTRL + T on the keyboard, then notice the box around the tree trunk.
This is called a Bounding Box that has clickable boxes around the edges to resize/edit the item.

13. Free Transform Tool
If the object needs to be resized to be larger or smaller, click and hold on one of the corner boxes on the bounding box.
While doing this, also hold in this SHIFT key, it will constrain the aspect ratio of the object
Aka – it won’t squish or smoosh the item.
Once the tree trunk is resized – click the ‘commit transform’ checkmark in the control area above the canvas

14. Brush & Brush Panel Now to add leaves to the tree
Create a new layer called ‘leaves’
For the leaves, choose a new foreground and background color.
When needed, using the small double arrow above the foreground and background colors to switch between them.

15. Brush & Brush Panel In the brush panel, select a leaf brush
This example uses number 74, the maple leaf
Select the leaf then place your cursor over the canvas and note the size of the brush head
Little large for this example so using the panels it will be made smaller.
Resizing a brush can occur in two places:
The Control panel at the top of the workspace and,
The Brush Panel

16. Resizing a Brush
On the Control Panel at the top, click to open a drop down menu and you can see the sliders and brush options
On the Brush Panel, the size slider is located underneath the Brush Tip Shapes
Both areas do the same thing – It is personal preference which one is used most frequently.
Note – You will see me using the control panel drop down menu more
Choose a size you like best for your leaves and begin to pain them onto the tree.

17. Practice Break – 10 minutes
For this practice you will add more leaves to the tree:
Create another layer for the new leaves
Change the color of the leaves
Set the size and spacing of the leaves in the Brush Panel
Draw the second set of leaves
I will be watching and checking for questions

18. Brush & Brush Panel Next to add some grass
Practicing with the brush panel and options opens up many different formats and looks to brushes.
For this example – I’m using the 112 grass brush.
Notice in the screen shot the options selected for the grass
Scattering: 45% Scatter, 2 Count
Wet Edges
You are encouraged to try your own!

19. Brush & Brush Panel
Then you can see the results – The grass should look something like the following:

20. Shapes & Custom Shapes Now to add some shapes to the picture
Click and hold the shape tool to access the Custom Shape Tool
To add more shape options to the drop down window, select the cog in the upper right and choose all
NOTE: Photoshop will ask to replace or append. Replace will remove all previous items from the list, append will add the new shapes to the list
Choose to append the list

21. Shapes & Custom Shapes
Click on the drop-down arrow next to the Shapes and locate the bird shape.
Make sure to set the drawing mode to Vector and to select a color for the Foreground Color.
Go back to the canvas, Click and drag to create a bird shape.

22. Practice
See what type of drawings you can come up with!