Part V: Painting, Paths, Shapes, and Text 534 FIGURE 16.27 Managing the preset brush list Brush panel Bristle Brush preview Preset Manager New Brush Delete Brush Painting with Non-Brush Painting Tools In addition to the brush style painting tools listed earlier, Photoshop also provides the Paint Bucket and Gradient tools, shown in Figure 16.28, that allow you to paint large areas of an image with a color, gradient fill, or pattern. These tools apply paint using a general filling method rather than individual brush strokes. 24_584743-ch16.indd 53424_584743-ch16.indd 534 5/3/10 10:37 AM5/3/10 10:37 AM Chapter 16: Painting and Brushes 535 FIGURE 16.28 The Paint Bucket and Gradient tools allow you to add paint to an image by filling an area rather than using individual brush strokes. Gradient pattern Gradient style Source Pattern Paint Bucket tool The Paint Bucket tool applies paint to the layer when you click a pixel. All pixels that match the pixel directly below the cursor are replaced by the foreground color or a pattern. The Paint Bucket tool paints only to the layer currently selected in the Layers panel. Also if a selection exists, the Paint Bucket tool paints inside that selection only. You can set the following options when using the Paint Bucket tool: l Source: This allows you to select either the foreground layer or pattern. l Pattern: You can use this option to select a pattern to fill the image from the drop-down list shown in Figure 16.29. You also can select from several pattern sets using the side menu to the pattern list, also shown in Figure 16.29. Using this menu, you can load and save the preset lists, open the preset manager, and add new patterns. l Mode: This allows you to select the blending mode to use when applying the paint to the image. l Opacity: This sets the opacity of the filling paint. l Tolerance: This sets the tolerance to use in determining whether a pixel matches the color of the selected pixel. l Anti-alias: This allows you to toggle anti-alias smoothing around the edges of the paint fill. When this option is enabled, the edges blend more with the surrounding pixels. l Contiguous: When this option is enabled, the fill occurs only in pixels of the same color that are also contiguous to the selected pixel. When this option is disabled, all the pixels in the image that match the selected pixel are painted. l All Layers: When this option is selected, Photoshop uses all layers to sample the selected pixel instead of just the selected layer. This helps if you want to paint in a layer based on a pixel color that exists in a different layer. 24_584743-ch16.indd 53524_584743-ch16.indd 535 5/3/10 10:37 AM5/3/10 10:37 AM Part V: Painting, Paths, Shapes, and Text 536 FIGURE 16.29 The Paint Bucket tool allows you to fill an area using a pattern from a list. The side menu of the patterns list allows you to load different sets of patterns, load and save pat- tern presets, and even create new patterns. Figure 16.30 shows some examples of applying paint with the Paint Bucket tool. The first fill is a solid foreground color. Notice that only the black portion of the image is painted. The second fill is a pattern fill with the Contiguous option selected. Notice that only the white pixels contiguous to the cursor are filled in. FIGURE 16.30 Using the Paint Bucket tool, you can quickly paint over a color in the image with another color or pattern. 24_584743-ch16.indd 53624_584743-ch16.indd 536 5/3/10 10:37 AM5/3/10 10:37 AM Chapter 16: Painting and Brushes 537 Gradient tool The Gradient tool applies a gradient fill by selecting start and end points in the image. The Gradient tool paints only to the layer currently selected in the Layers panel. Also if a selection exists, the Gradient tool paints only inside that selection. You can set the following options when using the Gradient tool: l Gradient pattern: This allows you to select a gradient pattern or launch the Gradient Editor. The Gradient Editor is discussed in the next section. l Gradient style: This allows you to set the gradient style. You can select from the linear, radial, angled, reflected, and diamond styles. l Mode: This allows you to select the blending mode to use when applying the gradient fill to the image. l Opacity: This sets the opacity of the filling paint. l Reverse: This reverses the direction of the gradient fill. l Dither: This adds a dithering effect as the gradient is applied that makes the transitions appear smoother. l Transparency: When this option is selected, the transparency in the gradient allows the pixels below to show through. When this option is not selected, the gradient has no transparency. Figure 16.31 shows some examples of applying paint with the Gradient tool. In one example, a lin- ear gradient is used to paint inside a rectangle. Notice that the angle of the gradient follows the angle between the two points. In the other example, a radial gradient is used to fill in a circle. Notice that with the radial, the gradient flows in all directions from the first selected point. FIGURE 16.31 Using the Gradient tool, you can add a linear gradient at an angle or a radial gradient that radiates out from the first selected point. 24_584743-ch16.indd 53724_584743-ch16.indd 537 5/3/10 10:37 AM5/3/10 10:37 AM Part V: Painting, Paths, Shapes, and Text 538 Gradient Editor The Gradient Editor allows you to define your own custom gradients. To define a new custom gra- dient click on the Gradient Pattern in the Gradient tool options menu to bring up the dialog box shown in Figure 16.32 and set the following options: l Name: This specifies the name of the gradient. This name appears in the gradient lists and when you hover the mouse above the icon. l Gradient Type: You can choose from two types of gradients: Solid and Noise. The Solid gradient is created from solid color points that blend into each other. The Noise gradients are created by setting specific color channel settings and then generating a gradient based on noise (randomly selected colors) in those channels. l Smoothness: This defines how smooth the transition between two colors appears. l Transparency Stops: This sets the value of transparency for a specific spot in the gradi- ent. For each transparency stop, you can set the opacity and a location value. The location value corresponds to the midpoint diamond shown between two stops. The closer the location is to the transparency stop, the less effect the stop value has in that direction. l Color Stops: This sets the value of color for a specific spot in the gradient. For each color stop, you can set the color and a location value. The location value corresponds to the midpoint diamond shown between two stops. The closer the location is to the color stop, the less effect the color stop value has in that direction. FIGURE 16.32 Using the Gradient Editor, you can create custom gradients that involve several colors and transparency levels. Gradient Preset Menu Transparency Stops Color Stops 24_584743-ch16.indd 53824_584743-ch16.indd 538 5/3/10 10:37 AM5/3/10 10:37 AM Chapter 16: Painting and Brushes 539 Clicking the Gradient Presets menu button shown in Figure 16.32 displays a menu that allows you to select, load, and save sets from the preset lists. Example Painting Techniques The tools discussed so far in this chapter provide an incredible arsenal for creative minds. They can be applied in limitless ways. So far we have discussed only the basic behavior of the tools. In this section, we show some examples and techniques to use the tools to paint creatively. Cross-Ref One technique not listed here is to add a stroke to a shape or path. Using paths to create shapes and then add- ing a fill and stroke to them is a great way to paint specific objects. To learn more about paths and shapes, see Chapter 17. n Painting from a blank canvas The most basic form of painting is to use a blank canvas and use painting tools to paint onto the canvas. You can paint onto a blank canvas in really countless methods, and this example simply gives you a few steps to try out some different techniques: 1. Open the blank image using the default Photshop size of 7 by 5 inches. 2. Select the Gradient tool, and set the foreground color to a good blue sky color and the background color to white. 3. Use the Gradient tool to create a linear gradient from the top of the canvas down. You can use the Shift key to help you draw the gradient in a perfect vertical line. The gra- dient shown in Figure 16.33 is drawn by dragging from the top of the image down to the center of the image. 4. Select the Rectangle Shape tool, and set the background color to a soft brown. 5. Use the rectangle shape tool to draw a rectangle that is brown on the bottom of the canvas, as shown in Figure 16.33. Notice that you now have a skyline. Note If you create the rectangle as a shape layer, you need to set the Style option to the default of None so that a gradient style is not applied to the gradient. n 6. Create and select a new layer. Although this step is optional, it is a good idea and shows how you can add to a painting on a separate layer without affecting the bottom. 7. Select the Brush tool, and from the Brush Presets list, select the grass brush, shown in Figure 16.34. Launch the Brush panel to configure a new brush. 24_584743-ch16.indd 53924_584743-ch16.indd 539 5/3/10 10:37 AM5/3/10 10:37 AM . Part V: Painting, Paths, Shapes, and Text 534 FIGURE 16.27 Managing the preset brush list Brush. Brush Painting with Non-Brush Painting Tools In addition to the brush style painting tools listed earlier, Photoshop also provides the Paint Bucket and Gradient tools, shown in Figure 16.28, that allow. Brushes 535 FIGURE 16.28 The Paint Bucket and Gradient tools allow you to add paint to an image by filling an area rather than using individual brush strokes. Gradient pattern Gradient style Source Pattern Paint