Painter brush settings for leaves?

[Smeagol71]

Just wondering if anyone could give me any tips for a good brush setting to pull off some leaves in Painter. I'd like to be able to have a pressure sensitive brush that widens it's stroke with pressure and I know you can set those things. Just wondering if anyone has any specific advice.

Thanks!

[Jin]

Hi,

One way you can do his is to create a Captured Dab brush based on an image, in this case, a leaf image.

Here's a partial quote from a response I wrote to a member's question over at TutorAlley Forums. It explains how to create a Captured Dab variant:




Captured Dab Brush Variants:

One Dab Type for brush variants is Captured Dab. This means that the brush dab (or shape made when the brush variant is dabbed on the Canvas or Layer) is based on an image.

Painter stores a .JPG Captured Dab image file along with the brush variant file and both of these files have the same file name except that one has the .XML extension (brush variant file) and the other has the .JPG extension (image file).

Capture Dab Brush Variant Example:

http://www.tutoralley.com/ubb/jins_images/captrd_dab_variant_exmpl_01.jpg

Associated files for this Captured Dab custom brush variant:

J's ChlkyPntRosLf-randm.xml (Captured Dab custom brush variant file)
J's ChlkyPntRosLf-randm.jpg (Captured Dab image file for custom brush variant)

Creating a Captured Dab custom brush variant:

Any image can be used to create a Captured Dab variant. Once the image is created, drag a squarish rectangular selection around the image (do not hold down the Shift key while dragging the squarish selection around the image as it may cause the Capture Dab command to be greyed out. Then immediately use:

Brush controls palette > Brush menu > Capture Dab

If the Captured Dab option is greyed out, it may also be that you did something after making the selection and before choosing this option. In that case, use Ctrl/Command+D to deselect the selection, make another selection, and immediately choose the Capture Dab option to capture the image for your Captured Dab custom brush variant.

After the image is captured to be used as the brush variant's Captured Dab image, save the brush variant with a unique name not already used by Painter:

Brush controls palette > Variant menu > Save Variant

Now, if you want to make further adjustments to your Captured Dab custom brush variant you can do that, then either save the Captured Dab custom brush variant again with the same name (this will overwrite your original Captured Dab custom brush variant) or save it with a new name so you'll now have two Captured Dab custom brush variants using the same image as the brush dab.

Side Note:

The image used for my Captured Dab custom brush variant example above was originally a much larger drawing and inking I did of a rose leaf back in the '70's when I was hired to do a freelance job drawing and inking roses.

The rose leaf was something I did just for fun on my own time. Who'd have guessed I'd ever be using it more than 30 years later with Painter!

Sometimes it pays to be a pack rat. ;)


You can also create a Pattern and use one of the Pattern Pens variants to paint your leaves.

Pattern:

http://www.tutoralley.com/ubb/jins_images/5-4-02-leaf-pattern01.jpg

Canvas Painted with Pattern Pen Variant:

http://www.tutoralley.com/ubb/jins_images/5-5-02-leaf-pattern-painting-sat-add.jpg

© 1994-2004, Jinny Brown
Tutorials and demo images above may not be copied or distributed in any manner without prior written permission from the author/creator.

[Jin]

Hi again, but this time to forum Moderator:

Wouldn't this thread be more appropriate in the Painter 7/8 Feedback/Help forum?

Just a thought.