MY CARTThe Brush Tool in Photoshop CS6: Video
This video shows you how to use the Brush Tool in Photoshop CS6.
Using the Brush Tool: Overview
To use the Brush Tool in Photoshop CS6, first select it from the Toolbox. Then make sure to select the color to apply to the image as the foreground color. Then make sure you select the appropriate layer to which to add the brush strokes in the “Layers” panel. The highlighted layer is the one to which to add the brush strokes. Oftentimes, if you are trying to apply an effect and it doesn’t appear in the image, you selected the wrong layer in the image.
To use the Brush Tool, then click and drag with the circle that appears in the image to paint. The circle represents the width of your brush. If the lines aren’t appearing as you wish, remember that you can reverse your steps in the “History” panel and try again. Look into the Options bar with the Brush Tool selected. Here you can set different options that affect how the Brush Tool will interact with the underlying layer of the image.
After creating a brush you use frequently, you can save it as a preset tool you can then access in the future with all of its brush options already set. To do this, click the “Brush Presets” button to view the preset tool settings in a drop-down menu. Then click the “Create new tool preset” button or click the panel option button and select “New Tool Preset…” from the drop-down menu that appears.
In the “New Tool Preset” dialog box, then enter a new name of the tool with its current settings or leave the default name, if desired. You can also check or uncheck the “Include Color” checkbox to include or exclude the current color choice with the tool’s settings. Then click “OK” to save the tool into the drop-down list. In the future, when you wish to use the brush with the current settings, then click the “Brush Presets” button and select its name from the drop-down list of brush preset tools.
The options that you can save as a preset appear to the right of the “Brush Presets” button. You can also set these options even if you only intend to use them for the current moment. Clicking the “Brush Options” button displays a drop-down of brush options that you can set. You use the “Size” (or “Master Diameter”) slider to set the width of the brush tip you’ll use to paint. Alternatively, you can also type in an exact measurement in pixels in the box provided. You can use the “Hardness” slider to set the rigidity of the edge of the brush tip you’ll use to paint. Alternatively, you can also type this in as a percentage in the box provided. You can use the list of brushes at the bottom of this drop-down to select a pre-created brush style to use to paint
In versions CS5 and later, you can click the “Brush Panel” toggle button to turn the Brush Panel (which we look at in the next chapter) on and off. You can use the “Mode” drop-down to determine how the brush will apply the color and interact with the color of the pixels it is painting over. There are several color modes that we will examine in the next section. You use the “Opacity” drop-down to set the transparency level of the paint that you are using in the slider that appears.
If you want to use the current Brush Tool as an airbrush, click the “Airbrush” button at the right end of the Options Bar. This will allow you to apply gradual tones to an image, simulating an airbrush technique The “Flow” drop-down allows you to set the airbrush flow of color, and can be disregarded if the airbrush effect isn’t enabled. If you are using a pressure-sensitive digitizing tablet, you also have selections that allow you to control the opacity and brush size through the tablet, overriding the brush panel settings.
