STEP SIX: Save your new preset by going to the Brushes panel and clicking
the Create New Brush icon (it looks like a plus sign) at the bottom of the panel.
This opens the New Brush dialog. Keep the default name and ensure Capture
Brush Size in Preset and Include Tool Settings are checked. Deselect Include
Color since you’ll sample each time. Click OK.
Now start your next Mixer Brush. At this point you should only have to
change the Size and Spacing for each brush since you locked the Shape
Dynamics and Scattering settings. When you’re all done, delete the basic
brushes you created. Command-click (PC: Ctrl-Click) to select all your new
Mixer Brushes in the Brushes panel, click the Create a New Group icon (folder)
at the bottom of the panel, give the group a useful name, and click OK. You
can close this document if you like.PART 2: BUILD YOUR SAMPLE LIBRARY DOCUMENT
STEP ONE: Create another blank, square document as above and populate it
with the samples you want to use as source textures. Each image should be
on its own layer. These can be anything you want, focusing on the feel of the
texture along with colors. The images don’t have to fit perfectly into the area,
but you can transform them to fill if you like; just be aware that any distortions
will also show up in the samples you paint. This could be a good thing or not.
It’s up to you! Here are links to a few of the Adobe Stock images I used: Copper,
Rain, Scratched Metal, and Abstract Colorful Watercolor.STEP TWO: In my case, everything comes in as a smart object since I’m dragging
Adobe Stock images from my Libraries panel. There’s a little problem, though:
You can’t sample directly from a smart object layer. Further, if you want to make
changes to your sample images with adjustment layers, you won’t be able to
sample those changes directly. The solution is to place a blank layer at the
top of your stack, and in the Options Bar with the Mixer Brush active, enable
Sample All Layers. This will let you change the sample whenever you want!STEP THREE: When you’re done adding textures (you can start with just one),
make sure you have your Mixer Brush ready to go with one of your new presets.
Hide all of the texture layers except for the one from which you wish to sample,
and make sure the blank layer at the top of the layers stack is the active layer.
Adjust your brush size so that it’s sufficient to grab the color and texture you want,
hold Option (PC: Alt), and click an area you want to use as your painting sample.STEP FOUR: Pay attention to the sample preview in the Options Bar, though. If
there’s a transparent border on one or more sides (see example shown here),
it means the brush will show a hard edge there because the sample region is
bigger than the image. This happens because the Mixer Brush is sampling an
area sufficient for the rotation of the brush tip. Either adjust the location of your
sample or reduce the size of the brush a little and sample that same area again.
Keep this document open if you plan to create several backgrounds.Textures: ©Adobe Stock
New Mixer Brushes next to original
brushes before deleting the original
brushes and creating a groupLayer stack showing various texture
images, adjustment layers, and the
Blank Target layer at the topOptions Bar showing sample with blank edge PHOTOSHOP PROVING GROUNDKELBYONE.COM