In your web searching for 'goodies' for your PSP ... You will run across some very pretty brushes.. If they'd made for PSP  8  or 9 , there will be 2 files for each brush. A script file and the brush file its self.. you have to have BOTH for the brush to work. Version PSP 7 only has one file for the brush.. You can't see PSP 7 brush in PSP 8 & 9 BUT you can IMPORT them into the newer versions of PSP... and it will make the needed file extention changes..and both files..

Drag and drop this arrow to help you keep up with where you're at in this tutorial

Later on in this tutorial I will show you how to IMPORT brushes..

When you click on any tool on the bottom tool bar.. you will notice the tool bar above it.. callled the
Tools Option BAR.. that it will change..attributes, depending on the tool that is selected.. my BRUSH tool is selected as you can see... so the Tool Options bar looks like ABOVE.

On the left you see the Brush preview window.. its drops down.. to preview all your brushes on your computer.

NOTE: When you save all your different 'goodies' for PSP on your computer.. like Brushes.. or Masks, Plugins, Textures etc.. you have to TELL your PSP where to look to 'SEE' them.. you will find that in your FILE/PREFERENCES/File Locations... all the different catagories are on the left.. and where you  browse to find where that particular type of file.. is on the right.. you have to ADD that location on the list.. where your storing your goodies.... so PSP will know to go there to look for that brush.. etc... so it will be on the drop down lists.. or in PSP's memory.

Below , when you click on your brush tool... it drops down revealing there are 3 different type of brushes available.. The regular paint brush... the airbrush tool.. and the warp brush.. each different in their own right... My suggestion is to try all of them... on a plain white canvas.. PLAY lots.. Hands on is best way to learn... if you ask me

Below is the Brush Preview Drop Down Box. This is where you look to view and choose what brush you want to use..

Below you can see the Brush used.. this particular brush only used one color.. the purple I had chosen.. Remember when working with brushes.. ALWAYS put them on their OWN layer.. that way you can move them around separately on the canvas.... Learned this the hard way.. hehe

Below is how you make your own brush.. can do it out of TEXT or a TUBE or a PRESET SHAPE or any thing you draw by hand.  Just so you go to SELECTIONS/Select ALL /FLOAT.. so that its selected with the marching 'ants' around it.. see below my kitty tube is like that.

Once its selected you have the Brush tool selected.. click on the Drop down preview window and you will see here above the

' CREATE brush tip from Selection'

Have the Load Variance on the bottom left checked this will keep all the tones, details.. shadows.. in the piece..

Name your new brush... click ok..

Now if you did it all right.. you will see it on the Preview drop down list.. ..See my lil kitty

Below I show you that you can use all kinds of colors for your brush... can even use a gradient...

Always get into the habit.. of putting EVERY thing on its own separate layer.. even tubes.. that way you can move each one around separately.. and NAME your layers.. that helps to keep organized!!!!!

Here is something FUNNN to play with.. select your new brush as I did..below..

then click your F11 key that toggles your Brush Variance palette on and off..

Play with the controls.. trying the brush.. once you get a cool setting and a look you like.. you go up to the drop down preset box and SAVE PRESET... it saves which brush you used for this effect.. to use another brush and make a variance preset.. you have to do it all over again for each brush used..

Adjusting the Brush Variance Palette.. getting different LOOKS

IMPORTING Brushes. Go to file/Import/Custom Brush  Navigate to where you put your brushes... and find the .jbr brush file...PSP 7 brushes are .jpr  Photoshop brushes are .abr... I have never been able to import a photoshop brush. Some say you can change the extension on it for it to work... BUT tried that. didn't work for me!!

After you navigate to your .jbr brush and they're loaded in the left window.. you can ADD ALL and they move over to the right window.. click OK.. PSP will make the added changes and you will have the 2 new files needed to make the Brush useable in PSP 8 or 9

Hope you enjoy this tutorial and it made using Brushes a lil clearer...

ENJOY.. your PSP!!!!

Toodles

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