Different strokes

Learn how to make amazing artwork in minutes by discovering the hidden depths of the Photoshop Brush tool

- James Paterson

There’s so much more to the Photoshop Brush tool than first meets the eye. In this project, we’ll explore some of the features and settings that make it one of the most powerful tools available in Photoshop. Whether you simply want to make precise brush strokes or create all manner of special effects, the Brush tool is up to the task. With a few simple skills, it’s relatively easy to create a bold paint splatter effect like this, using a combination of brush settings and layer masking.

At the most basic level, the Brush tool lets us add colours to our image. But look under the hood and you’ll find a huge assortment of customisable settings that let you alter how the tool behaves. We can create random colours, mix two brushes into one or scatter our brush tip far and wide. Then there are options to blend colours using the Mixer Brush or experiment with erodible brush tips. We’ll explore some of the key features of the tool here, and you will also find a complete walkthrough of the technique in the accompanying video.

Make your own brushes