David Gell's Blog

Auto Dab World (Painter IX and Above) Part 3

2007-12-30T10:14:00Z

Directional Effect Painter Plug-in Brushes

As mentioned in part 1, apart from the Drip Method variants, there are five brushes in the Plug-in Method Subcategory Plug-in Method brush types whose dab characteristics can be directionally influenced, albeit in a different manner. These are the Comb Brush, Diffuse Motion Brush, Diffuse Pull Brush, Pinch Brush and Liquid Brush. Like the Drip Method variants, icon numbers 5 through 39 in the Auto Dab World custom palette key may be used to control both the number of individual dabs applied to the image, and also the directional orientation of distortion in relation to the directly underlying pixels.

I found it quite difficult to produce useful variants with both the Comb Brush and Relief Brush (demonstrated in part 2), as there was a strong tendency to burn into the underlying pixels producing an unsightly pixelated digital look. Using the variants in Auto Dab mode however gave a much softer effect, although one still has to limit the number of dabs applied.

The screenshot to the left demonstrates a custom Comb Brush variant whose dabs have been applied via the Round Trip scripts (shown in image).

A Van Goghian swirling effect is created over the existing imagery (shown within the selection boundary). This swirling effect is produced by the combing under the dabs being randomly orientated along four different axes by the respective script.

The 'thumb print like' imagery shown in the bottom of the image demonstrates the same variant applied manually to the canvas. This unwanted effect would also manifest itself in the image if too many Auto Dabs were applied.

Note that this is not Painter Impasto, or associated with the currently selected paper texture.

The above image demonstrates the directional diffusion properties of the Diffuse Motion and Diffuse Pull custom variants, when used in combination with several of the Auto Dab World scripts.

Image 1. Original photograph from a digital camera.

Image 2. As above with Diffuse Motion custom variant selected plus SE direction script (icon 12 in key) plus 500 Dabs script (icon 20 in key).

Image 3. Same as for image 2, except in this case, the Diffuse Pull custom variant was selected.

Image 4. Diffuse Pull custom variant selected plus Four Winds 400 combination script (icon 28 in key). It is interesting to see in this last example that the combination of both horizontal and vertical axis diffusion (made possible by the combination script), with the chance inclusion of the net curtain backdrop, this is starting to produce a painted canvas effect.

Note that with all the auto dab and combination scripts, individual dab applications are randomly placed in the image, so undoing the operations in image 4 for example, and reapplying the same script will produce a similar effect, but not an identical image (at least the chance of that happening is extremely unlikely).

For both the Diffuse Motion and Diffuse Pull variants, the level of diffusion can be significantly effected by changing the Brush Tool Strength value in the Property Bar.

Here, in both cases, 500 Dabs have been applied to the image in combination with the SW direction script. However, the Brush Strength value was first set to 5 percent for the image far left, and 100 percent for the right hand image.

Auto Dabs with the Drip Method Variants.

It is of relevance to mention that unlike the case with the Diffuse Motion and Diffuse Pull variants, where the Auto Dab direction scripts (icons 5 through 12 in the Auto Dab World custom palette key) effectively set the axis of diffusion which takes place in both directions along the axis, by comparison, in conjunction with the Drip Method variants, the actual direction of drip is set. This means that there should be no perceivable difference in effect obtained with the Diffuse Motion and Pull variants when diametrically opposing direction scripts are substituted, but there will be a difference with Drip Method variants.

The sheer diversity of imagery possible with the Drip variants in combination with the Dab World scripts is incredible. From the the ethereal tranquility which so inspired Valery Kritchallo, through fantasy crystal landscapes, passing over the modest but versatile sponge effects, rubbing with the Flemish Masters on its way to an impasto wonderland.

Auto Dab World (Painter IX and Above) Part 2

2007-12-27T18:35:00Z

In this second part, I am going to talk about several ways in which the scripts can be used with a selection of brush variants. These methods can be divided up into two basic categories, those employing Drip Method variants, and those using non-Drip Method variants. As I have already mentioned the former quite a bit in part 1, I will discuss the second category first.

Random Placement of Captured Dabs

Size = 160.0

Min Size = 20 percent

Size Step = 20 percent

The idea behind the above demonstration was for Painter to randomly place a previously created Captured dab (an airplane in this case) as an aid to quickly generate thumbnails exploring various positions of elements within the scene. Note that it is also possible to vary size and angle of the dabs. To vary size, the minimum size must be less than 100 percent. Provided that the Squeeze value is set to 99 percent or less in the Angle palette, both Angle and Angle Range values may be changed. Another very useful feature is that all the options in the Color Variability palette are also available to us. Variable opacity however, appears currently unavailable, although it is possible to manually change opacity between successive automated dab applications.

To create the imagery above, I first selected the custom Airplane variant. I then created a Rectangular Selection and pressed icon number 14 (5 Dabs) in the Auto Dab World custom palette (see part 1), before moving the original selection and repeating the process. The associated Expression controllers are ignored in Auto Dab (Auto Clone) mode, and in this case, a single undo will remove the previous five dabs from within the selection.

Other Dab Variables

In Auto Dab mode, for applicable variants we also have the options of both Cover and Buildup Method brush subcategories (Grainy Soft Cover for example), to give further interest to the dabs by the inclusion of paper texture. The Digital Wet Method and associated subcategories is also available in this mode, however the Diffusion and Wet Fringe settings are ignored. I was also excited to discover that Impasto can be applied with applicable variants in combination with the Auto Dab application presets (icons 13 through 26 in the Auto Dab custom palette key). An advantage over the Drip Method variants is that the automated dabs for applicable Cover, Buildup and Digital Wet method variants can also be directly applied to a transparent default layer.

Note to developers - it could be useful to have variability options for opacity, minimum spacing and cluster in Auto Dab mode (interesting possibilities for texture generation).

Creating Seamless Paper Textures

Whilst it is possible to select say one of the previous airplane scenes and use the Capture Paper option in the Papers palette to convert this into a paper texture, the tiled imagery would not be seamless. In airplane example, the mismatch would be evident where the wings of the planes are cut short at the selection boundary.

Left. Example of a paper texture created from an image where the individual tile edges do not align seamlessly.

In combination with the Define Pattern option and applicable Captured Dab variants, the Auto Dab scripts provide a great way to automatically generate seamless tiles in Painter which can then be captured and saved as paper textures. The Define Pattern option is available from the Patterns palette menu, or directly from a custom palette (if the menu item has been added via the Window menu> Custom Palette> Add Command dialogue); button 27 in the Auto Dab custom palette key. To create seamless paper textures using Auto Dab, do the following;

1. File> New and create a document at 72 ppi to the dimensions of your choice with a white canvas. The canvas size will depend largely on whether or not you want elements within the final texture to repeat when subsequently used with other grainy variants in a later painting session. I have scripted a workflow to produce tiles at only 8 x 8 pixels in size, using a 1-pixel variant to randomly generate the texture. At the same time, I have heard other users go as high as 1000 pixels square.

2. Select Define Pattern from either the Auto Dab custom palette or the Patterns palette menu. You should now observe that the imagery in the Pattern Preview Window in the Patterns palette has changed to solid white.

3. From the Brush Selector Bar, select a Captured Dab variant which is known to work in Auto Dab mode and choose a 'grayscale' value for the subsequent dads. Black will yield a high contrast texture, and it is also possible to randomize the value in the Color Variability palette, by selecting color variability in HSV, and increasing the V slider value.

4. Set the Size, Minimum Size and Angle limits for the variant before clicking any of the fixed dab number presets (icons 13 through 26 in the Auto Dab custom palette key). You may of course change the variant between successive dab applications to further vary the texture. We also have the option of selecting a grainy subcategory for the variant, thereby incorporating some of the current paper texture into the new one. The possibilities are endless, and If the overall texture becomes too dark, either select white in the Colors palette and apply more dabs, or use Effects menu> Tonal Control> Negative.

5. When you are happy with the texture created, choose Select menu> All (Command/Ctrl + A), then choose Capture Paper from the Papers palette menu. In the Save Paper dialogue, move the Crossfade slider all the way to the left (0.00) and give the paper a unique name before clicking O.K.

Automated Rain / Brushed Metal Textures

The thing I like most about using the Auto Dab system is that unlike the usual plugins, Painter brushes are employed, and particularly in the case of Captured Dab variants, their diversity can be almost infinite.

The custom palette icon key numbers 44 through 47 are used to set the Angle in the Angle palette to 0, 90, 135 and 45 degrees respectively. At the same time, the above scripts also ensure that the Angle Range is set to 0 degrees (these are fixed angle presets). You can of course manually adjust Angle Range in the Angle palette after clicking the desired fixed angle icon in the script palette.

For the scripts to orientate the captured dab correctly, it is important that the pre-capture orientation of the dab is horizontal along the length of the dab. The dabs in this image are slightly off vertical because this prerequisite was not observed.

If the Auto Dabs are to be applied using any of the four angle presets, then apart from the pre-capture long axis being horizontal, if one of the ends is to be oriented downwards (with the 90_deg script for example), that end needs to be to the left of the dab image prior to capture.

It is also important to ensure that Squeeze is set to a maximum of 99 percent in the Angle palette, as rotation will not take place at 100 percent Squeeze.

Another important thing to remember when capturing a new dab is that if an existing captured dab variant is first selected, the original dab jpg image is overwritten by the Capture Dab operation, even though the variant has not yet been saved. Because of this, I always start with a re-named copy of an existing captured dab variant and the associated jpg.

Sometimes the newly captured dab does not update in Painter, in which case I find that changing the brush size will force the update.

Hatching / Cross Hatching

Whilst it is possible to produce a general hatched or cross hatched effect in combination with a suitable captured dab variant with the fixed angle and auto dab presets, the problem is that there will be mismatched joining at the ends of the lines, and also the possibility of parallel lines touching or partially overlapping, effectively giving no control over line spacing. In Painter, I have found that multiple hatched lines are best applied with variants having a Rake stroke type. In the SGC brush library (available from this post), there are three 'X Hatch' variants included in the SGC Pen and Ink brush category. These variants can be used to manually apply multiple equidistant lines which follow the direction of the brush stroke. If you wish to use them in normal cover mode, first Restore Default Variant for each one selected (via the Brush Selector Bar menu), then in the Brush Controls> General palette, change the Method to Cover and the Subcategory to Soft Cover. They can then be saved with a new unique name if desired.

Custom palette icon key numbers 44 through 47 may also be used as presets to control the tip angle of the Driving Rain Cloner variant in the default Cloners brush category. Auto Dabs using the modified variant may then be applied, changing angles between auto dab preset applications if required.

Auto Dabs and Selections

It is evident from the previous 'Random Placement of Captured Dabs' image that dabs extending beyond the boundary of the selection are cropped in the Draw Inside (selection) mode. If you have not encountered the Draw modes before, click the icon to the left of the binoculars at the bottom left of the document window. Here you will find three options for use in relation to selections; Draw Anywhere, Draw Outside and Draw Inside (the default option). An interesting and unexpected result is apparent when the Draw Outside or Draw Anywhere options are selected, in combination with a selection and applied Auto Dabs via the custom palette. When Auto Clone is selected from the Effects> Esoterica menu, or via the key combination shortcut (Command/Ctrl + Shift + Z), the subsequent positioning of the applied dabs is as expected in relation to the selection. However, using the Auto Dab presets via the custom palette gives rise to a localized framing effect around the selection.

To obtain the imagery to the left, I first made a rectangular selection on a blank canvas, selected Draw Outside, then Select menu> Feather. In the Feather Selection dialogue, I chose 30.00 pixels (maximum allowed is 50.00 pixels). Next, I applied a small number of Auto Dabs via the custom palette presets.

What is not demonstrated in this screenshot is the localized 'picture frame' effect of the applied dabs to the area in close proximity to the selection. All remaining areas of the 1000 x 1000 pixel canvas remained blank.

A similar localization was noted when using the Draw Anywhere option in combination with the Auto Dab presets, although in this case the dabs were also prominent inside the selection. Note that the results obtained were in Painter IX.5, and I have yet to test this in Painter X.

I have included three additional scripts which can be added to the custom palette to quickly switch between Draw Inside, Draw Outside and Draw Anywhere.

Auto Dabs with Nozzle Imagery

To use Painter Nozzles with the Auto Dab presets (icons 13 through 26 in the Auto Dab custom palette key), first select any Image Hose Nozzle from the default (or custom) Image Hose brush category in the Brush Selector Bar. Next, select any Nozzle from the Nozzle Selector in the Toolbox palette, before clicking any of the dab number presets mentioned above.

My findings are that unlike the manually applied nozzle imagery (which may be applied with various size and angle options available in the Image Hose Brush Category), variability in Auto Dab mode appears to have no user control, and as far as I can ascertain has been predefined in Painter to yield dabs of 360 degree rotation variability, with size based on the original size of the individual elements making up the nozzle file with a size variability between original and something like 10 percent of original.

Dab placement in relation to selections and draw modes is the same as previously described with the exception that (in Painter IX.5 at least), there appears to be a document refresh bug. When auto dabs were applied in either the Draw Outside or Draw Anywhere modes, the applied dabs were initially offset around the selection. Double clicking on the Magnifier icon in the Toolbox palette forces a refresh and the remaining dabs display as expected.

Eureka Moment

The image to the left may not have any obvious relevance to anyone, but for me it represents something I have been attempting to do in Painter for some time...random computer generated imagery for concept art and design inspiration. The answer actually lay in the previous two sections of this article.

What I did to generate this image was to use a rectangular selection in combination with Draw Inside, Draw Outside and Draw All Over modes, coupled with random elements from a nozzle file applied with the Auto Dab presets.

At this stage, rather than experiment with custom shapes saved to a nozzle file, I used a default 'Koi' nozzle. In order to apply the image elements as predominantly black, I set the Additional Color in the Colors palette to black and changed the Grain value in the Property Bar to 0 percent. Small numbers of Auto Dabs were then applied, switching between the different draw modes between applications. If I felt the imagery was becoming too dense, I would select white as the Additional Color, then apply more Auto Dabs.

Auto Canvas Relief

Although I have intentionally exaggerated the effect by applying a larger than normal number of dabs, depending on the original painted texture (above left in image), the application of this custom variant via Auto Dab (above right) can yield a canvas texture show through effect. The variant employed is based on the Plug-in Method, Relief Brush. Note that this is not Painter impasto or dependent on the currently selected paper texture.

Just as a side note in case I forget to mention it elsewhere, the Auto Dab scripts operate independently of the currently selected tool in the Toolbox palette i.e. it is possible to have the Magnifier Tool selected whilst applying dabs via the Auto Dab World custom palette presets.

In Part 3 of Auto Dab World, we shall further explore variants whose dabs produce directional distortion of the underlying pixels in conjunction with the direction and auto dab preset scripts.

Auto Dab World (Painter IX and Above) Part 1

2007-12-24T11:52:00Z

Before I explain about the Auto Dab World custom palette and associated resources, I want to give a short background introduction into two less known or utilized Painter features.

Auto Clone

In Painter IX and X, Auto Clone may be accessed from the Effects menu> Esoterica> Auto Clone. As the name suggests, the feature provides a way to automatically paint in a new 'clone destination' image, based on the current variant and color information taken from the 'clone source' image. Unlike the more recent Auto-Painting palette feature (based on Record Stroke> Auto Playback), the resulting image is made up of individually placed brush dabs (think of a random pointalize technique) rather than pre-recorded brush strokes painted along paths.

There is a keyboard shortcut to access Auto Clone Shift + Command/Control + Z. In fact, prior Painter X, this was a shortcut with a twist, as dabs could also be applied with many non-cloning variants, meaning the main selected color (along with any associated Color Variability) could also be applied automatically. From this latter observation, I coined the term 'Auto Dab' to encompass both cloning/clone color and non-cloning applications. It must be noted however, that not all selected variants will work in the Auto Dab/Auto Clone modes.

The Auto Clone/Auto Dab technique lost popularity in recent years due to the fact that the speed of successive dab placement was based on the speed of the computer's processor, and although the process can be stopped by clicking in the image, users found that the buildup of strokes was often too rapid and difficulty arose in yielding a pleasing result (Painter X users will note the provision of a speed control slider in the Auto Painting Palette).

Automated Directional Drips

Circa 1998, a talented gentleman named Valery Kritchallo stumbled upon the technique of using Painter's Auto Clone feature in combination with a Drip Method variant. Some of the images he created (the Drip World image series) were posted on his website (archived), along with a mention of the technique employed. Unfortunately the associated image links appear to be broken, but I did find a couple of other links; 'Liquid Marble' (archived) and 'Dripworld posters at Zazzle'.

Mr. Kritchallo may have also stumbled upon the directional melting property of the Drip Method when used in conjunction with Auto Clone. Although (as far as I can ascertain), the movement of pixels in the underlying imagery takes place within the boundary of each applied drip method dab, the direction of drip (melting) can be predetermined prior to initiating Auto Clone. This is achieved by first making a single brush stroke of the desired direction within the image. As already mentioned, the Auto Clone process may be stopped at any point by clicking in the image.

One aspect I am not clear about is whether Valery was aware of the Auto Clone key combination shortcut (which I believe was not widely documented until later Painter versions). If that was the case, then he would not have been able to access 'Auto Dab', using color selected in the Colors palette to directionally auto-drip paint without cloning/Clone Color. Looking at the smoothness of the completed drips in Valery's images, it is also possible that he may not have experimented with the influence of paper texture in combination with variants employing the Grainy Drip and Grainy Hard Drip subcategories, as demonstrated in the background of the custom palette screen shot below.

Auto Dab World Interface for Painter IX and Above

Following the apparent success of the Suminagashi brushes, I wished to explore dab automation, particularly with respect to the Drip method (as used by 1 Suminagashi category variants) . After much experimentation and toil, I found that it was possible to build a macro scripted custom palette interface allowing me to rediscover these hidden secrets. The resources comprise of two parts, firstly a Painter script library (from which, after loading in the Scripts palette, the recipient can drag each script icon onto a new custom palette). The second part comprises of a Painter brush library to use in combination with the scripts (via the custom palette).

To relate to what each script does, I have included a numbered key to the right in the above image.

For use with Drip variants only, clicking on any of the script linked icons 1 through 4 changes the Drip method subcategory of the currently selected variant. For variants of the applicable Dab Type, the brush Method is also changed to Drip (if not already selected). Icon 1 = Drip, 2 = Hard Drip, 3 = Grainy Drip and 4 = Grainy Hard Drip.

Icons 5 through 12 are primarily* used in combination with Drip method variants as presets to define the direction of the subsequent Auto Clone/Auto Dab drips. It is possible to also perform this task manually by making a single stroke in the document image in the direction required. The presets allow for accurate repeatability however, and are also combined with an undo operation so that the image is not marked by the stroke.

* Along with the Drip Method variants, there are also five Plug-in Method brush types whose dab characteristics can be directionally influenced, albeit mainly with different results. These are the Comb Brush, Diffuse Motion Brush, Diffuse Pull Brush, Liquid Brush and the Pinch Brush. The Liquid Brush appears to produce the same or similar effect as some of the Drip Method variants.

Script linked icons 13 through 26 enable preset numbers of dabs to be automatically applied to the image (the total number of dabs is indicated on each icon). Any applicable variant (not just Drip types) may be used in combination with the Auto Dab/Auto Clone presets. Clicking the 'M' (number 26) icon in the custom palette will apply the maximum number a dabs in a single application (1000000000). The dab number presets can of course be applied repeatably in any number combination. Each dab preset application requires a single undo if necessary, and it is also very easy to change drip direction by clicking any one of the 5 through 12 icons between dab applications. For the larger number dab presets, clicking the icon again in the custom palette will stop the dab application before completion, or click in the image.

The Define Pattern command (added to the custom palette via the Window menu> Custom Palette> Add Command dialogue) can be used to prevent or minimize an unwanted elongated distortion effect which may occur on the trailing edge of the canvas when a large number of Drip dabs are applied in only one direction using a variant having an opacity set to zero (ie. one which distorts the underlying imagery without applying color). The Define Pattern function effectively allows colors dragged off one edge of an image to appear on the other side.

Combination scripts (providing preset numbers of dabs in several opposing drip directions as demonstrated in the image left) make up icons 28 through 39 and are for use with the Drip Method variants, along with the three Plug-in Method brushes previously mentioned. I found that in conjunction with Drip variants set at 0 percent opacity, by making the total number of dabs for each opposing direction the same, original imagery broke up with the possibility of yielding a painterly appearance, whilst generally maintaining the relative original positions of the respective objects within the image.

Creating the combination scripts is very simple; uncheck Record Initial State in the Script palette menu> Script Options dialogue, click the Record button in the Scripts palette, then press the desired drip direction and dab number preset combinations in the custom palette before clicking the Stop button and saving the script with a unique name.

Thinking more about Painter creativity, I know of at least one talented artist who may be interested in translating dance steps into the directional movement and numbers of dabs (steps) in each direction, then subsequently playing the recorded script over existing imagery using a drip only or drip with color variant. Stepping even further out of the box, take a look at this Honey Bee video.

You will notice that in my combination presets, the final drip direction is downwards. This was intentional as I wanted to create the appearance of vertical landscape structure in combination with Grainy Drip variants and custom paper textures.

It is important to note that Drip Method variants will only work directly on the canvas or already existing imagery (including a fill) on a default layer. It is also possible to create a new layer, fill with white, and after setting the layer composite method to Gel or Multiply, subsequently apply colored Drip method dabs to the layer. In this case, the drip applied pixels will be transparent to underlying imagery.

Unlike the fixed dab preset renderings which can be undone using only one level of undo, the combination presets require either 4 or 8 levels of undo, depending on the script. To facilitate this, icons 40 through 43 are multiple undo/redo presets. Clicking icon 40 will undo all dabs applied using any one of the 28 through 35 presets, and clicking this twice will undo all the dabs applied using any one of the 36 through 39 presets. The redo preset 41 will redo the applied dabs in a similar manner. Clicking on icons 42 or 43 will undo or redo all the applied dabs to the maximum level set in Preferences> Undo.

Last but not least, clicking on any of the custom palette icons 44 through 47 will change the angle of applicable pre-squeezed Circular Dab type variants or horizontal pre-capture, Captured Dab type variants to the angle indicated by the icons. Effects such as directional rain, brushed metal or cross-hatching can then be achieved using the fixed dab presets. These are not to be confused with the directional preset scripts (5 through 12), as they only control the brush tip orientation, not the directional effect within the dab.

Here is a link to a short demo movie (requires QuickTime 7) demonstrating the results of using some of the Dab World scripts in combination with a custom paper texture and Drip/Grainy Drip variants.

Download Resources for Painter IX and Above

The resources come in two parts, a Painter script library and a Painter brush library. The script library is platform specific, so download with the Mac or PC version, whereas the brush library is universal for both platforms.

Download A_DabWorld_PC.zip (117 KB) folder containing a Painter Script Library for the PC platform.

Download A_DabWorld_Mac.dmg.gz (92 KB) folder containing a Painter Script Library for the Mac platform.

Download Auto_Dab.zip (711 KB) complete Painter Brush Library for both Mac and PC platforms.

There are no restrictions on use, other than the resources are not to be offered for sale or redistributed without my prior consent.

Important Information for Installing the above Resources.

For Painter IX / IX.5

1. Unzip the brush library (Auto_Dab) and place it (with contents intact) at the top level of the main Painter Application Brushes folder. To load the custom brush library in Painter, choose Load Library from the Brush Selector Bar menu, select the brush library you wish to load in the Brush Libraries dialogue, before clicking Load.

2. Unpack/unzip the A_DabWorld_PC or A_DabWorld_Mac folder containing the associated Painter script library (Auto Dab World for the Mac version or Auto Dab World.ssd for the PC version). In order to ultimately run the scripts contained in the library from a custom palette, it is necessary to place it at the top level of the Painter IX User folder, which for the PC is located;

\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\Application Data\Corel\Painter IX\

On the Mac platform, this is;

Users/<USER NAME>/Library/Application Support/Corel/Painter IX/

3. If the Scripts palette is not already visible on the desktop when Painter is launched, choose Window menu> Show Scripts.

Although the above screenshot shows the Auto Dab World script library already loaded, in order to load the library in the first instance, click on the Script Selector window, top right in the Scripts palette, then click on the triangle top right of the flyout menu. Next select the Load Library option and in the Choose Scripts dialogue, navigate to the previously located Auto Dab World script library, select it and click Open.

The final stage is to create our custom palette. This is done exactly the same way as you would use to create a custom palette to access your favorite brushes. First ensure that the Scripts List is in the open position by clicking once on the Script Selector window if required. Next, drag the first icon (Drip) from the scripts list onto the desktop to create a new custom palette, then proceed to drag the remaining icons in order of occurrence onto the same custom palette as shown in the first screenshot. If you make a mistake in the order or positioning, hold down the shift key while dragging to reposition, or hold Shift key and drag of and release onto the desktop to remove an icon. The Define Pattern command button is added using Window menu> Custom Palette> Add Command.

Now this is the important bit. Do not let excitement get the better of you and be tempted to click any of the items in the custom palette to test them. In my experience, Painter will crash and you will probably have to build your custom palette again from scratch. Instead, Quit/Close Painter and Relaunch the application.

You should now be good to go, running the scripts via the custom palette, in combination with the brush variants in the Auto_Dab library. I will talk about the brushes in more detail later, but to make things easy for you, all variants in the brush library prefixed 'D_' can take advantage of the Direction scripts (5 through 12 in the custom palette key) and the combination scripts 28 through 39 in the key). Variants with 'GRN' in their name have resulting brush dabs which interact with the currently selected paper texture. The two variants named Manual Comb and Manual Canvas Relief are for manual use over existing canvas imagery. All the other variants have been created to function specifically in Auto Dab mode via the custom palette.

For Painter X

Install the resources as for Painter IX / IX.5 with the following exception;

The Auto Dab World script library with associated Auto Dab World custom palette are workspace specific. Therefore, to use the associated custom palette in the default workspace (Window menu> Workspace> Default);

1. The Auto Dab World (Auto Dab World.ssd) Script library file should be placed at the top level of the user Default workspace folder in Painter X user folder. For the PC, this is located at;

\Documents and Settings\<USER NAME>\Application Data\Corel\Painter X\Default\

On the Mac platform, this is;

Users/<USER NAME>/Library/Application Support/Corel/Painter X/Default/

2. The Auto Dab World script should be loaded in the same workspace corresponding to where the original library file is located (Default workspace in this example as the Auto Dab World script library is located in the user Default workspace folder).

3. After loading the Auto Dab World Script library, the associated custom palette should be created, again in the same workspace (Default in this example).

Again, don't forget to Quit/Close Painter and relaunch before running the scripts from the custom palette for the first time.

Static Pencils / Colored Pencils.

2007-12-09T15:10:00Z

The following custom variants are all based on the Static Bristle Dab type, and have been developed to supplement the default Painter Pencil and Colored Pencil brushes. Many of the variants in the library make use of Painter's Jitter feature which gives randomness in the brush stroke path, and in this case, a resulting diffuse texture.

In the demo image to the left, the brush strokes in the upper half of the image were made with the Cover variants, whereas the lower strokes employed the Buildup variants.

The letter 'P' visible in some of the strokes comes from a custom paper texture in association with the Grainy variants.

As already mentioned, the grainy appearance in many of the strokes comes from the Jitter setting, and not the current paper texture.

Resource Download

The download comprises of the following;

a complete zipped brush library for Painter 7 and upwards.

There are no restrictions on use, other than the resources are not to be offered for sale or redistributed without my prior consent.

Download Static Pencils.zip (24 KB) for both PC and Mac platforms.

Soft Grain Colorize

2007-11-26T14:05:00Z

In Painter, Soft Grain Colorize can be found in the Eraser method subcategory of the brush controls. In this article, we will be taking a closer look at this subcategory, and there is an associated brush library available for downloading at the end.

Before we go any further, I will recap on some of the properties of this algorithm mentioned and used in the previous two articles.

The Soft Grain Colorize (SGC) algorithm allows us to simultaneously apply both the main and additional colors selected in the Colors palette, which in turn are influenced by the luminosity of the currently selected paper texture.

When used with high contrast paper textures, and painting at 100 percent opacity on the canvas or default layer, the painted regions corresponding to white paper texture areas will be covered by the main selected color in the Colors palette (even if that color is white). However, by painting on a layer with the composite method set to Gel or Multiply, transparency corresponding to the white areas of the paper texture is again achieved (although tinted by selected main colors or values other than white).

If the additional color is set to black, and the main color to white in the Colors palette, there is a direct WYSIWYG relationship between the imagery viewed in the Paper Preview Window of the Papers palette and that rendered by the custom variant used. This means that the results of changing paper brightness and contrast settings in the papers palette may also be previewed before making the stroke.

A little known feature of the Soft Grain Colorize algorithm is that by setting the Paper Contrast to 0 percent (no grain visible), with the additional color set to black and main to white, the Paper Brightness slider can be used as a near linear 'grayscale' value picker. In this case, the value displayed in the Paper Preview Window will also correspond to that rendered by the variant at 100 percent opacity.

Using the Paper Brightness Slider as a Near Linear Saturation and Value Picker

I want to elaborate further on this, as many Painter users have expressed concern that due to the current size of the Saturation/Value triangle in the Colors palette, it is difficult to accurately pick sat/val points which are close together. Although it can only be used with SGC based variants, the method I'm going to demonstrate could be a useful workaround. The method involves setting the Paper contrast to 0 percent, and using the main and additional colors as the two extreme sat/value points required. The Paper Brightness slider is then used to select saturation and values between these two points.

In the example left, the paper brightness slider is being used as a 'grayscale' value picker, in this case using 25 percent paper brightness increments. The custom SGC Hard Basic Round variant was used to lay down the swatches, with brush opacity set to 100 percent.

Note that by setting the Additional color to black, and the Main color to white, the value in the Paper Preview Window closely corresponds to that laid down by the variant at any given paper brightness.

Moving the Paper Brightness slider to the right increasingly shifts towards the Main Color/value selected in the colors palette, whilst moving it to the right shifts towards the Additional Color/value.

In this second screenshot, using the same hue values for both additional and main color in the colors palette, I have selected two sat/val points fairly close together. The resulting swatches were then laid down at 10 percent paper brightness increments.

By holding down the Option/Alt key, I was then able to sample the HSV values of each swatch and read them in the Colors palette. The results were not perfectly linear (also incorporating a 1 percent hue shift), but were certainly more accurate than attempting to select them in the Saturation/Value triangle directly.

Color Mixing

When attempting to mix two differing hues, the findings were less satisfactory, with best results being obtained with adjacent hues selected from the Hue Ring in the Colors palette. For example, when blue and yellow (opposite hues) were selected as main and additional colors (both at full saturation), there is a strong tendency for desaturation towards neutral gray as mixing progresses to 50 percent paper brightness. However, mixing say red and yellow (close hues) at full saturation yields virtually no saturation loss as in this screenshot.

Using SGC Variants with a Rendered Dab Type

In the brush library download which accompanies this article, there are several variants (mostly in the Pen and Ink category) which include the word 'Ren' in their name, signifying a Rendered dab type. To use these specific rendered variants in the same way as outlined in the previous section, it is necessary to first select a totally black custom pattern. Creating such a pattern is quite simple;

1. File> New and create a new document 8 x 8 pixels at 72 ppi.

2. Fill the canvas with black (HSV 0,0,0 percent)

3. Choose Capture Pattern from the Patterns palette flyout menu.

4. Name the pattern Black in the Capture Pattern dialogue, before clicking O.K.

For the rendered dab type, it can be seen that although the Eraser Subcategory is still Soft Grain Colorize, the Source is set to Pattern As Opacity. In some ways, these are competing algorithms, which may explain why we need to first load a completely black pattern in order to have no occurrence or detrimental effect of pattern opacity in our brush stroke.

In actual fact, there are at least four different modes in which the custom rendered (Ren) SGC variants may be used in. The examples below will demonstrate that without adjusting any Colors palette or Brush controls settings, it is possible to render with the same variant;

1. Both currently selected pattern and paper texture.

2. The selected pattern without paper texture.

3. The selected paper texture without the current pattern.

4. Flat color based on the selected main and additional colors in relation to the Paper Brightness slider setting.

For example;

In the screenshot left, the resulting brush strokes were made in single passes with the custom SGC Ren Graphic Brush using firm stylus pressure. Multiple passes over the same area result in the stroke exhibiting the paper texture only, as this dominates over the pattern source by means of total cover.

Note how the color value changes by adjusting the paper brightness slider. The opacity in the stroke is governed by luminosity within the pattern.

For this second example, I have set the Paper Contrast to 0 percent in the Papers palette, which effectively removes the presence of paper texture to leave just the re-colored pattern imagery.

Here, I have loaded the custom Black pattern to effectively eliminate the occurrence of the pattern in the brush stroke. The paper contrast value has been increased to 100 percent in order to make the paper texture visible in the stroke.

Note how the luminosity of the new pattern has effected the saturation of the stroke and the effect of changing the Paper Brightness setting. The luminosity variations in the paper texture also effect the colors/values presented in the brush stroke.

Finally, by selecting the Black pattern and setting the Paper Contrast to 0 percent, both pattern and paper texture are excluded from the resulting brush stroke.

In this case, moving the Paper Brightness slider to the right shifts towards the selected main color, whilst moving it to the left shifts towards the additional color (value).

SGC Variants in Grainy Mode

As previously touched upon, the Soft Grain Colorize algorithm employs a cover method, so unlike say the default Square Chalk, there is no associated transparency corresponding to areas of white in a high contrast paper texture. Associated transparency can however be achieved by painting on a layer with the blending mode set to Gel or Multiply.

Note that the Main Color in the Colors palette has been set to white, in order to achieve colorless transparency corresponding to the white areas of the paper texture.

Because we are now in Gel blending mode, the color of the imagery on the Gel layer appears different over the underlying colored region on the Canvas.

In normal grainy mode, the resulting brush strokes can appear rather sterile and non-painterly. This is fine if you are looking for this effect (probably ideal for tone application), and although the SGC algorithm does not readily lend itself to yielding a painterly appearance in this mode, there are several things we can do to make the stroke visually more interesting.

For this demonstration (left) the custom SGC Hard Basic Round variant has been selected, and brush opacity reduced to 9 percent. By making the additional color slightly darker than the main color, a subtle grain soak-in effect is achieved, giving an overall watercolor appearance.

I imagine that in conjunction with one of the watercolor papers, the results could be quite pleasing.

Here, the size of the SGC Ren Pen 2.5 variant has been increased in combination with a contrasting black and green for the main and additional colors respectively.

Remember that as this is a rendered 'Ren' type variant, the custom Black pattern needs to be selected prior to making a brush stroke.

When used with my custom 'P' paper texture, the lower blocked in area looks too uniform, whereas using the same texture and color combination in line art or text format with contrasting white space appears more interesting and appealing.

In the Random section of the Brush Controls there is a check box to select the Random Brush Stroke Grain (RBSG) option. As the name suggests, the occurrence of paper texture in the brush stoke is randomized, resulting in a more organic appearance.

Several variants, denoted by the letters RBSG in their name are included in the SGC brush library download. These have been saved with the Random Brush Stroke Grain option checked.

The final demo image above shows the results of applying the normal SGC Hard Basic Round variant using the previous paper and color combination (far left), followed by the SGC Hard Basic RBSG variant (middle at default opacity and right at 100 percent opacity). Note that the Rendered 'Ren' variants do not support this feature.

Resource Download

The download comprises of the following;

a complete zipped brush library for Painter 7 and upwards.

There are no restrictions on use, other than the resources are not to be offered for sale or redistributed without my prior consent.

Download SGC.zip (152 KB) for both PC and Mac platforms.

Sharing Custom Paper Textures

2007-10-14T19:14:00Z

The problem with most Painter resources (paper textures libraries etc.) is that although they are traditionally forward compatible, they are seldom backward compatible with earlier Painter versions. Prior to Painter X, many of the resources were also not cross-platform compatible without some form of modification.

In this article I will demonstrate a method I have developed to extract paper textures from any Papers library in Painter 7 upwards. The texture tiles are then saved as individual images which can subsequently be shared and opened by the recipient in any version of Painter which allows paper capture, thus negating the need for Mac platform conversion. If you are still a little confused by the concept, here is a link to a texture by Roberto Campus which GoldCoin then captures as a Painter paper texture in this video.

Assuming you don't have the original texture as a stand alone image, the initial step is to create one from an existing Papers library texture. Firstly we will need the Papers library palette open on our desktop, which in Painter IX is achieved by selecting Window menu> Library Palettes> Show Papers.

Before extracting the texture tile, unless one wishes to create a different texture appearance at default settings when recaptured, it is important to ensure that both the Paper Scale and Paper Contrast settings are at 100 percent, with Paper Brightness set to 50 percent.

Once these values are set, we need to obtain the original texture selection size. By good fortune, this information is provided in the Papers palette by the number of Rows (pixel height) and number of Columns (pixel width). Armed with this valuable information, we now know that the original capture size for this tile was 100 x 100 pixels.

The next step is to create a new Painter document 100 pixels wide by 100 high at 72 ppi.

What we are going to do now is to select a specific custom variant (Paper Extractor) and paint the entire canvas in our new document. This specialized variant has the main color saved as white (RGB 255,255,255), and the additional color as black (RGB 0,0,0) by default, and to ensure extraction works correctly, these values must remain associated. This variant can be downloaded via a link at the end of this article, and can be used in any version of Painter from 7 upwards.

You can see from the screen shot below, that I have placed the above variant in the default Chalk brushes category, but this can be located in any brush category. The finished painted texture tile can also be seen to the right, and you will note that the imagery in the Papers palette preview window shows this tile offset. This is because the imagery in the preview window can be dragged with the cursor, and will only show a portion or tiled portion, depending on the original captured texture size and any subsequent scaling.

It is now time to save our texture image in a format which can be opened in any version of Painter, and on both Mac and PC platforms. My preference would be to save as a Photoshop psd file for DVD or CD distribution and a maximum quality jpg image for web distribution. Mac users will need to assure the appropriate Windows extension is added to the file name.

And here it is, the final texture image first saved as a psd in Painter, then as a maximum quality jpg file in Photoshop using a minus 3 adjustment to paper Brightness prior to selecting the Save for Web option.

Please feel free to download the image to the left and capture it as a paper texture in your Painter version.

Instructions for Paper Capture

1. With the opened image document to the front in the application, choose Select menu> All.

2. From the open Papers palette menu, choose Capture Paper, and in the resulting Save Paper dialogue, move the Crossfade slider all the way to the left (0.00) before naming the paper and clicking OK. The new texture should now be visible in the Paper Preview Window of the Papers palette.

3. Create a new custom papers library via the Paper Movers dialogue (Papers palette menu> Paper Mover), and drag the newly created texture icons from the left hand pane of the Paper Mover dialogue to the new library in the right hand pane before clicking Quit in the dialogue.

Restoring Paper Default Settings

Prior to Painter IX, irrespective of any adjustments made to the default settings in the Papers palette, these new settings would be lost whenever the application was closed or a new texture selected. In Painter IX through IX, any changes made to individual paper scale, contrast and brightness settings are automatically saved. However, unlike the brush variants, there is no option to automatically restore the default paper settings. I therefore recorded a macro script which will perform this task with a single click. This script is also available for download at the end of this article, along with a bonus script for automatically desaturating imagery (useful for viewing potential textures in 'grayscale' prior to initial capture).

The custom palette screen shot to the far left shows icons for the Desaturate and Reset Paper Default scripts. In this case, the scripts may be invoked by either clicking on their respective icon in the custom palette, or by selecting the script from the custom Texture Scripts library and clicking the Play button at the bottom of the Scripts palette.

Due to a bug in Painter, the image in the Preview window of the Papers palette does not automatically update when the Reset Paper Default script is run. However, subsequent dragging of the preview image forces a refresh.

If the scripts are to be run via. a custom palette, it is important to first locate the respective script library at the top level of the Painter IX / IX.5 users folder, or in the case of Painter X, at the top level of the User Workspace folder under which Workspace the respective custom palette will be created and used. Due to another Painter bug, immediately after creating the custom palette, I strongly recommend quitting and restarting Painter prior to running a script from a custom palette for the first time. I have experienced several application crashes after forgetting to do this. When scripts are to be run (played) directly from the Scripts palette, the script library location can be of your choosing.

Resource Downloads

The download folders contain the following;

a Painter script library (Texture Scripts or Texture Scripts.ssd for the PC version) . These should load successfully in Painter 7 and above via the Load Library option from the Scripts Selector sub menu in the Scripts palette. The Script library contains 2 custom scripts (Desaturate and Reset Paper Default).

a single variant xml file, Paper Extractor (again for Painter 7 and above). The variant file must be moved or copied from the containing folder and placed in an existing Brush Category folder (i.e one already containing xml brush variant files) in a library of your choice.

There are no restrictions on use, other than the resources are not to be offered for sale or redistributed without my prior consent.

Download Texture_Stuff_pc.zip (12 KB) for the PC platform

Download Texture_Stuff_mac.dmg.gz (8 KB) for the Mac platform

Kaleidoscope Revisited

2007-10-09T10:18:00Z

I have learned from experience not to take any Painter feature at face value. The Kaleidoscope Plugin is a classic example of a feature which may appear an interesting novelty, and after a few plays, is left in the bottom of the toy cupboard and forgotten about. In this article, we will resurrect this plugin as I demonstrate a technique encompassing the following;

Use Painter's Kaleidoscope plugin to obtain new symmetrical imagery from a photograph or existing artwork.

Capture the plugin produced imagery as a custom paper.

With the aid of a custom variant, use the above paper for design and inspiration in creating concept and fantasy artwork.

What I find interesting about this technique is that it is possible to begin with for example, a cute photograph of a puppy dog as the source image, and derive from this imagery which can be emotionally very dark and disturbing. The Kaleidoscope plugin can also produce tiles of great elegance and beauty.

Sorry for the poor image quality with this one, but can you see the four alien skeletal figures making up each corner of the central floret?

Each captured Kaleidoscope tile originated from the default 100 x 100 pixel size, selected via the kaleidoscope dialogue. You can of course choose a larger size. After capture as a paper texture, by means of the paper scale slider in the Papers palette, the tile can be enlarged up to 400 percent (albeit with some loss of resulting image quality). In this example, another custom kaleidoscopic texture was used to render the border.

Please click in image to view a slightly larger version.

The custom variant used to render all the images in this article employs the Soft Grain Colorize subcategory in Corel Painter. This allows us to simultaneously apply both the main and additional colors selected in the Colors palette, which in turn are influenced by the luminosity of the currently selected paper texture. For a more natural media appearance, any grain exhibiting variant such as the default Square Chalk may be substituted.

In the case of Soft Grain Colorize based variants, unlike the default Square Chalk variant, when painting at 100 percent opacity on the canvas or default layer in combination with a high contrast paper texture, the painted regions corresponding to the white paper texture areas will be covered by the main selected color in the Colors palette (even if that color is white). However, by painting on a layer with the composite method set to Gel or Multiply, transparency corresponding to the white areas of the paper texture is again achieved (although tinted by selected main colors or values other than white).

Experiment with adjusting the Paper Brightness and Paper Contrast settings in the Papers palette, as these can significantly effect the appearance of the rendered stroke.

In this case, when the additional color is set to black, and the main color to white in the Colors palette, there is a direct WYSIWYG relationship between the imagery viewed in the Paper Preview Window of the Papers palette and that rendered by the custom variant used. This means that the results of changing paper brightness and contrast settings in the papers palette may also be previewed before making the stroke.

Regarding the example on the left, the imagery was modified top centre by painting in black over some of the existing imagery to form what looks like the beak of an alien bird (viewed from the top). A little known feature of the Soft Grain Colorize algorithm is that by setting the Paper Contrast to 0 percent (no grain visible), with the additional color set to black and main to white, the Paper Brightness slider can be used as a near linear 'grayscale' value picker. In this case, the value displayed in the Paper Preview Window will also correspond to that rendered by the variant at 100 percent opacity.

Here I have modeled the form by using an eraser to cut away selected areas. Other than that, the custom kaleidoscope texture and selected main and additional colors make up the rendered stroke as depicted.

As a side note, I feel it is important to mention symmetry at this point. When symmetrical modeling by erasure or painting over the texture imagery, it may be better to proceed as follows;

1. After creating the desired profile, choose the best side of the imagery and using the Rectangular Selection tool, select that side, with one edge of the selection exactly (as near as possible) on the vertical axis (or horizontal axis, depending on the symmetry you require) of the shaped imagery.

2. Click inside the selection using the Layer Adjuster tool to float the selection to a new default layer. Reselect the Canvas in the Layers palette, Select menu> All followed by the Backspace/Delete key. You should now be able to see only one half of the original imagery.

3. Reselect the layer in the Layers palette and choose Duplicate Layer from the Layers menu. With either of the layers selected, choose Effects menu> Orientation> Flip Horizontal (or Flip Vertical if horizontal axis symmetry is required).

4. Using the Layer Adjuster tool, drag the imagery on the selected layer to align with the opposite side before selecting Drop All from the Layers palette menu.

Creating and Capturing Kaleidoscope Tiles as Paper Textures

The image above shows the five original Kaleidoscope tiles (actual size 100 x 100 pixels) used in creating the previous imagery in order of occurrence. Discovering suitable and interesting tiles is like embarking on a treasure hunt armed with a magnifying lens (although the Kaleidoscope window does not actually magnify the underlying imagery). I must also warn you that the process can become very addictive. The suggested steps are as follows;

1. In Painter, open an image over which the kaleidoscope lens will be used. The source imagery should ideally contain areas of contrast and detail. It may be preferable to work with a copy of your original source image, just in case it is accidentally saved after modification.

2. As the purpose in this case is to produce paper textures, we are not interested in color, so I suggest first desaturating the source image via Effects menu> Tonal Control> Adjust Colors, and in the Adjust Colors dialogue, move the Saturation slider all the way to the left before clicking OK. Depending on the image, you may also wish to make adjustments in the Equalize dialogue to improve contrast (Effects menu> Tonal Control> Equalize).

3. Invoke the kaleidoscope plugin dialogue, which in Painter IX is achieved via Layers menu> Dynamic Plugins> Kaleidoscope, or by clicking on the Dynamic Plugins icon at the bottom of the Layers palette and selecting Kaleidoscope from the drop down menu. If a tile size other than 100 x 100 pixels is required, enter the new size in the Kaleidoscope dialogue before clicking OK.

4. You will notice that a new Kaleidoscope plugin layer has been automatically created in the Layers palette. The Layer Adjuster tool has also been automatically selected and a Kaleidoscope lens window has appeared in the centre of the open image.

5. With the Kaleidoscope layer selected in the Layers palette, use the layer adjuster tool to slowly drag the Kaleidoscope lens over the underlying imagery. As you do this, you should notice that the imagery in the lens continually updates.

6. When an interesting tile is visible in the lens, cease dragging and then fine tune the lens position to obtain the best tile imagery.

7. Again, with the Kaleidoscope layer still selected in the Layers palette, choose Drop and Select from the Layers palette menu.

8. Choose Edit menu> Copy followed by Edit menu> Paste in New Image.

9. With the new image document to the front in the application, choose Select menu> All.

10. From the open Papers palette menu, choose Capture Paper, and in the resulting Save Paper dialogue, move the Crossfade slider all the way to the left (0.00) before naming the paper and clicking OK. The new texture should now be visible in the Paper Preview Window of the Papers palette.

11. Create a new custom papers library via the Paper Movers dialogue (Papers palette menu> Paper Mover), and drag the newly created texture icons from the left hand pane of the Paper Mover dialogue to the new library in the right hand pane before clicking Quit in the dialogue.

Resource Downloads

The following download folders contain the following;

a Paper library (Kaleidoscope1 or Kaleidoscope1.pap for the PC version) . These should load successfully in Painter 7 and above via the Load Library option from the Papers palette menu. The Paper library contains 9 custom papers (including the ones used to create all the images in this article). I recommend first copying or moving the library to your Painter application folder.

a folder containing 3 individual brush variant xml files (again for Painter 7 and above). These variants employ the Soft Grain Colorize (SGC) algorithm, and in combination with the above paper textures (after appropriate adjustments to Paper Scale, Brightness and Contrast settings), will produce imagery similar to the examples in this article. Each variant file must be moved or copied from the containing folder and individually placed in an existing Brush Category folder (i.e one already containing xml brush variant files) in a library of your choice.

There are no restrictions on use, other than the resources are not to be offered for sale or redistributed without my prior consent.

Download kaleidoscopy_pc.zip (74 KB) for the PC platform

Download Kaleidoscopy.dmg.gz (75 KB) for the Mac platform

Birth of a Sand Art Brush

2007-10-03T06:21:00Z

In my previous article on brush creation, I mentioned that the current project I am working on is to simulate sand art. Those who know Painter will generally agree that because of the broad and immense depth of the application, there is often more than one way to achieve the desired result. Referring again to my previous post, I had assumed that a special eraser would be required to build up the density of the 'sand' media at the edges adjacent to where in the analogue version, the hand or finger had dragged the sand off a selected area of the glass. In Painter, I was able to achieve this effect in the 'sand' brush stoke itself, rather than in a subsequent erasing process (although the Eraser tool was deployed selectively in Painter IX.5 to remove any unwanted sand particles).

The recipe for the sand brush employed the Watercolor Airbrush dab type, which I had experimented with previously whilst developing a spatter toothbrush variant. It was discovered that by using the Watercolor Profile tip from the Size palette in combination with the Wacom tablet's stylus tilt and bearing support, the effect I was looking for was achievable. Below is a doodle I did in Painter IX.5 to demonstrate the effect;

The Next Steps in the Brush Making Process

Although there is no reason why the Sand Art brush could not exist as a single variant in say the default Watercolor brush category, my ultimate aim will be to create a brush category of sand art related variants in order to be able to produce finished sand artwork with the minimum of brush library/category switching.

The next stage in the process involves making references to the analogue version combined with detailed exploration of the main parameters and settings which influence the brush characteristics I am interested in. In this case, providing the results in Painter are visually pleasing, I do not feel the need to replicate the analogue equivalent exactly.

As the brush creation process evolves, more unique variants will then be saved when differences in the strokes produced are deemed to be useful. Further refinements to the brush settings are made along the way, followed be a variant renaming session if required. I will also use custom BBEdit scripts to convert the variants xml files to Painter 7 format, or the lowest Painter version in which the brush strokes can be replicated (I no longer convert below version 7 of Painter).

If you would like to try a couple of the initial stage 'sand art' brush variants yourself, then I have created a zipped folder with 2 variant xml files which will work in Painter 7 and above. This is a 'no frills' download, so these are not in the usual brush library format with ReadMe instructions. To load the variants, the corresponding xml files must first be added individually to an existing brush category folder, prior to loading and selecting the respective brush library and category.

Download sandart.zip (4 KB)

A Few Pointers to Working with the Above Variants

Use stylus tilt and bearing to produce the darkened edge to the brush stroke.

The Feature value influences the size of the particles as well as the width of the darkened edge region.

A slower moving brush stroke produces a denser edge due to the pooling effect of the Watercolor Airbrush Dab Type.

Try varying the angle of tilt and also stylus pressure on the tablet whilst painting the strokes.

Due to the stylus tilt and bearing method of applying the media, it is advantageous to make full use of the Rotate Page Tool.

Experiment with varying the Diffuse Amt (diffuse amount) setting in the Water section of the Brush Controls.

Also experiment with the Flow setting in the Airbrush section of the Brush Controls.

...and most importantly, have fun :)

David Gell on Brush Creation

2007-09-23T20:15:00Z

More is Less or More is Best?

Looking at some of the posts on various forums from artists new to Painter, one of the comments made is related to there being so many brushes, where does one start. In the trial version of Painter X, dddo has reported 833 default brush variants in 36 categories. I just did a quick test which took me 32 seconds to select 10 consecutive variants, painting a single brush stoke with each before selecting the next. Allowing say another 2 seconds to switch between each brush category, then by my calculation we are looking at over 45 minutes to brush our way through the whole library.

Do we need such vast numbers of brushes at our disposal? On the face of it, there does appear to be an overwhelming quantity of variants. When we examine individual brush categories however, the picture does become a little different, and in some cases is probably at least comparable with the number of individual tools and materials accumulated over the years by the traditional artist. I would however question whether it is necessary to have what may be essentially the same variant in several different pre-saved sizes. I say 'may' because for some types of variant, there are instances where other brush settings have to be further modified when changing size in order to give the same uniform appearance.

I have read reports that some Painter savvy artists will generally use only a handful of trusted, sometimes customised variants, whilst others (like myself) love to experiment with a great diversity. There are even artists out there who don't use layers or erasers, so the user requirements are as diverse as the brushes themselves. As I see it though, having such a large collection of brush variants is necessary for the new Painter user, not only to demonstrate the great diversity of brush strokes possible, but who will probably find adjusting the brush settings (other than the basic size and opacity) a little daunting to begin with.

Recipe for Success

Apart from anything else, presumably an artist wants to devote most of his or her time to painting, not spending all day making brushes or fiddling with settings. Well, to be truthful, you may be relieved to hear that it is not essential to learn what each and every brush setting option does, but such knowledge comes into play when one desires a certain look or characteristic to a brush stoke which does not appear to be available in the default brush library, or obtainable by simply changing brush size or opacity. At some stage you may also wish to create your own custom captured dab brushes, so again, a familiarity with the associated brush controls will come in very useful, not to mention the added level of confidence that knowledge will bring.

A good analogy to variant settings, which in turn produce unique and distinctive brush strokes may be borrowed from the world of cookery in the form of a recipe. Each ingredient (Resaturation for example) has an associated quantity which in Painter's case is adjustable by a slider, and sometimes a controller (the method adopted to adjust the amount of the ingredient to taste). Once the user is happy with the recipe, the associated settings can be saved as a new custom variant in Painter, which in turn can be shared with other users across both Mac and PC platforms if desired. Such is the nature of the post Painter 6 brush variant file format.

To discover what each brush setting does, there is information in the Painter manual and help documentation, but personally I have made most progress by simply changing the various brush control slider values etc. and noted the effect each change had on the brush stroke subsequently produced.

Inspiration for Brush Collections

As I produce brush libraries for sharing with others, I tend to base the variants in the library or category on variations around a theme (Winter or Summer Meadow for example), or group together variants of a similar media type or style (like these). If possible, I try to avoid mixing say Watercolor or Liquid Ink variants with each other or with variants of other brush method types, due to the fact that special layers are required for the both Watercolor and Liquid Ink method variants, effecting the workflow of the more novice user as they attempt to try all the variants in that category. Other users may not like Impasto and non-impasto variants mixed in the same brush category.

Inspiration for a new brush library is often sparked by one or many of the characteristics of a single variant stroke (usually a custom variant). I then endeavor to focus on what it has about the stroke which interests me, and subsequently which control or controls influence this characteristic. The collection then develops around this base variant, which in turn may be further enhanced by tweaking the brush settings. Occasionally I will use the Randomizer in Painter, which as the name suggests, randomises the brush settings, in the hope that this will produce something interesting which can be further developed. Other times, I may maximise some of the existing parameters of a variant in an attempt to achieve unusual or exaggerated stroke characteristics.

Failures and frustrations are many, but these make the successes more rewarding. I guess the most frustrating is when one wants a specific look or characteristic which is impossible to achieve with the current brush algorithms or settings. What I'm working on at the moment is to try and achieve the look of backlit sand art renderings. To mimic the action of the hands or fingers moving the sand (erasing and building density at the edges), it looks like I need a special kind of eraser which probably does not exist yet in Painter.

A New Twist on Palette Knives (Painter IX/X)

2007-09-21T22:59:00Z

A while ago on my Brush Port Blog I posted a 2-part article on the subject of creativity and inspiration. Although aimed more at the concept artist, in part 2 of the article, there are links to a collection of custom Painter resources which you may care to download.

Of particular note is a technique I stumbled upon for controlling the twisting movement/ frequency of a custom loaded palette knife variant (Lumi Twist LP Knife) by changing the scale value of the current pattern (via the Patterns palette). This method in combination with the custom Pattern resources can also produce some very graceful flowing ribbons;

The image below demonstrates the effect of changing the Pattern scale value on the brush stroke produced. For the stroke on the left, the pattern scale of the custom Checkerspots pattern was set to 50%, whilst a value of 200% was used for the right hand brush stroke.

For the technically minded, the stroke Angle is set to Source for the Lumi Twist LP Knife, which means that as the luminosity of the source (defaults to current pattern) changes, then so does the angle of the brush stroke. Generally speaking, increasing the scale of the pattern has the effect of making the changes in luminosity further apart, therefore the twists in the brush stoke also become further apart.

Below are the links to my original blog posts (the custom resources can be downloaded from part 2);

Creativity and Inspiration Part 1

Creativity and Inspiration Part 2

Welcome to my Blog on Painter Factory

2007-09-21T21:10:00Z

For those of you who don't know me, I'll begin with a short introduction into how I became involved with Painter.

I originally purchased a copy of Painter 6 for my wife, who paints with traditional media as a hobby. Unfortunately Hazel did not express any interest in computers (even ones with Painter installed), so rather than let some quite expensive software and hardware collect dust in the corner, I decided to take the plunge myself. This entailed becoming self taught in both Painter and the Mac OS.

Having more of an inquisitive mind, I discovered that the great depth of Painter satisfied my needs not in creating finished artwork, but by exploring the interface, the tools and the amazing way Painter simulated natural media art materials. Soon after joining the In Depth Arts forums, I became very interested in building custom brush variants, and also gained a reputation for Painter file conversions between the Mac and PC platforms, allowing other members to more readily share resources. More recently I have been involved with beta testing for Corel, as well as posting on various Painter related forums and newsgroups.

Purpose and Direction

I believe Painter is as much about sharing and creating a community spirit as the artwork produced. With that in mind, through this blog I will be sharing custom Painter resources, tricks and tips with you along the way. If you find any of these resources useful, I'd love to see the artwork produced.