Now that we have our new base image for our custom brush exported as a .png, we can turn it into a vector brush. We could place our new brush in to any of the existing categories. But we already created a new category for our custom brushes in the first part of the tutorial.

Let's start by setting the Brushes panel to receive our base image (see screenshot).

1. Open the Category menu and find our new category (see screenshot). Select the category, to make it the active category in the Brushes panel.

Note: When working with the Brushes panel, always set the category first.


2. Click the Panel Preferences icon to open the menu and choose New Textured Image Brush (see screenshot).


3. In the file window, choose the brush .png file that you exported.

You will see your new brush thumbnail listed in the Brushes panel. It probably looks a little skewed. We will keep most of the default settings, but let's take care of the brush shape (see screenshot).


4. Double-click on the new brush thumbnail to open the Edit window (see screenshot).


5. Set the Brush Width as you like, watching the changes in the Preview.


6. Keep the Size and Opacity Variance set to the default.


7. Keep the Pressure set to the default.


8. Change the Body option from Stretch to Repeat.

This will correct the skewed shape and repeat the paw prints along the vector path.


9. Keep the Corners option set to the default, which is Pull.

Now let's test our new brush with the Brush and Pen tools.


10. With the new brush selected in the Brushes panel, select the Vector Brush tool and draw a path on the canvas.

You will see the brush repeat along the path as you draw (see screenshot).


11. Switch to the Pen tool and draw a path.

You will see the path but the brush has not been applied automatically (see screenshot).


12. With the path still active, click on the brush thumbnail in the Brushes panel, to apply the brush.

Note: The Vector Brush Tool will apply the active brush to the path automatically. However, for the Pencil, Pen and Shape tools, you need to select the brush thumbnail from the Brushes panel.

Back

Screenshots used by permission of Serif (Europe) Ltd. This article is not endorsed by Serif Ltd.