Achieve great effects by turning artwork into your own custom brushes. They are so easy! This tutorial features Paint Shop Pro 9, but at the end you will find links to tutorials in other graphics programs.
I'm using an image from my Snowflake PNGs for Brushes & Tubes element set, which you can find at the "Christmas Items" link in my shop at KayDesignZ.com. All items are just .99 cents through December 31, 2009!
To convert your image to a brush tip in PSP, choose File > Export > Custom Brush. The "Create Brush Tip" dialog will open (click on the image below to enlarge). Enter the "Name" for your brush (it's a good idea to include the designer's name for future reference and correct attribution). Then set the default "Step," which dictates the spacing between brush impressions when you move the brush (this can be changed later). If you don't select the "Save Variance" checkbox, no brush variance settings are saved with the brush. You can customize these each time you use the brush. If you choose to save variance settings, you can choose whether or not to load them when you use the brush. See the links at the end of this tutorial for variance settings.
Click "OK" to save your brush, and it will appear in the brush tip drop-list on the Tool Options palette of brush-type tools. Let's try it!
Open up a new file and fill it with color. I've chosen blue. Select "Paint Brush" and the brush that you just saved from the drop down menu of brushes. Now you can play around with sizes, colors, and layer properties. I chose the same blue as the background, but I chose to "Dodge" the layers to achieve this effect. Have fun!
For more information, check out some great tutorials at the Digital Scrapbook Place. They have several brush tutorials including: Brushes: Brushes (Beginner) [PS]; Brushes Palette [PS] [PSP]; Brushes, Installing [PS]; Circle Dot Brush [PSE 2 & 3]; Paths to Make a Dot Brush [PS]; PNGs to Brushes [PS]; Saving Brushes [PSP]. Also see Emma Powell's Tutorial: Paint Shop Pro Brush Variance Palette. A quick search of the internet will yield you many more results.
