this is a tutorial on how to use the photoshop mixer brush tool to automate repetitive drawing ('_('_('_')_')_')
for example we can turn one diamond:
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/94/b8/aOvveVB3_o.png>
into a string of cursed diamonds!
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/07/67/NPUIJ9FG_o.png>
just imagine the illustration automation potential for making doom windows:
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/da/0d/jchBCcKJ_o.png>
[[>>>->page2]]in photoshop: the workspace here is set to 'painting.' the mixer brush is this corrupted brush symbol here:
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/df/94/KifjHmsF_o.jpg>
on a new layer so the background retains transparency, first draw something with your usual brush tool. the dread diamond, for example:
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/94/b8/aOvveVB3_o.png>
while ensuring the background remains transparent, make sure any solid parts of the object are filled (the white areas of the dread diamond, for example)
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/47/55/CbmjZ382_o.jpg>
now we're ready. this will only take 2 seconds
[[>>>->page3]]with mixer brush selected, clean the brush:
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/87/f5/XCjAvMk5_o.png>
then, making sure 'sample all layers' is deselected...
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/b3/36/SOKP0o4P_o.jpg>
[[but what if i tick 'sample all layers'?->page4]]
and using the hard, round brush tool (for optimal sampling)-
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/f4/d3/DVkU0hej_o.png>
- increase the brush size until it encompasses the object we are sampling - here, the diamond:
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/14/3c/TiP6GFbK_o.jpg>
& *option click* to sample!
[[>>->page 5]]hmm, here's how it looks if you tick 'sample all layers.' the sample is taken from all *visible* layers of the document, for example the background in the mixer brush created below:
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/21/0b/2OTcfNk6_o.png>
& a bit earlier, if you decided not to make all fills in your object solid, this is the mixer brush result:
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/e0/30/FFFdbS8v_o.png>
actually very interesting!
[[o well, onto aforepromised operations->page 5]] now, using the mixer brush, draw a stroke, to get a trail of dread diamonds
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/0e/5e/2nq3ZL4L_o.png>
to adjust the gap between diamonds, open up brush settings, and play around with the spacing slider:
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/77/e6/oXZRW2Cp_o.png>
sampling different information gives different effects.
for example, sampling gradients:
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/fc/7e/tzfL24Pu_o.jpg>
or decreasing the spacing to zero for a smoother look:
<img src=https://images2.imgbox.com/6f/e0/Buo4pPkl_o.jpg>
go forth & sample!
[[all the way back->p1]]