Advanced_Photoshop_Issue_139_-_2015_UK_

CREATE YOUR OWN INK SWIRL BRUSHES ON FILESILO

CREATE YOUR OWN

INK SWIRL BRUSHES

MAGICAL INK SWIRLS IN WATER

DISCOVER HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH INK IN WATER TO CREATE MAGICAL SWIRLS

EDIT INK SWIRLS IN PHOTOSHOP

TURN YOUR INK SWIRL PHOTOS INTO PHOTOSHOP BRUSHES

brushes to be used in your Photoshop arsenal.

From the magic of swirling ink in water, to the

simplicity of an ink splash, to the mystery of the ink

blot test, these brushes are sure to be fun to both

make and use. The darkness of the black ink makes

it ideal for brushes, and because it’s readily available

02

PICK THE RIGHT SETTINGS

Ink in water is not particularly fast

moving, however the image needs to be perfectly

crisp to be usable, so use at least a shutter speed

of 1/400. The aperture can be at a mid-range of

f5.6-f8 depending on the light.

02

BRIGHTEN IT UP

Use the Levels dialogue to brighten the

white as much as possible. You can also adjust

the transparency of the ink here by adjusting the

Midtones slider. Remember what’s black will be

the solid part of the brush.

03

INITIATE DROP SEQUENCE

Once prepped, set up your camera and

frame the shot. If you don’t have an assistant,

use a shutter release button to capture shots.

You will need to get clean water every few drops

to keep the contrast.

03

BRUSH IT OFF

Under the Edit menu, select Define Brush

Preset. This will turn your image into a brush. Make

sure your images start out high enough quality to

deliver a sharp brush even at a large size.

01

GET SET UP

Setting up the scene correctly is very

important before you begin taking pictures. Be

sure you have white surrounding your tank of

water and have your camera at the correct

angle to avoid reflections.

01

CROP IT OUT

You may have multiple drops close together

in one frame, so crop to just the drop you want for a

brush. Remember, the less detail in the brush, the

easier it will be to apply without adjustments.

LEARN HOW TO MAKE INK SWIRL BRUSHES FOR TRADITIONAL ART EFFECTS

F

ew things are as unforgiving as ink; it stains

with a vengeance and is often more trouble

than it’s worth. However, like many dark,

seemingly destructive objects, it has its

beautiful and useful side. In this tutorial, you will learn

how to use black ink to create multiple types of

at craft stores, it can be used over and over for

multiple purposes. Ink has always had power in the

physical world, from books and printing, to drawing

and sketching. Now you can bring that same power

into the digital realm with only a few materials and

a little creativity.