PI10-tut

PI Version: 10
Level: Intermediate
Featured tools: Paint Tool
Additional filters: None
Additional files: Some nice pictures you want to use some brushes.
Tutorial: Copyright © Inge Klement

DESCRIPTION: I want to show you, how you can install pictures into your PI, and use them some brushes afterwards.

Remember to save often!

By adding pictures to your Paint Tool in PI, you can use them as brushes - there are a lot of beautiful effects you can achieve that way. Open the picture you want to use ... for this tutorial I chose a picture from the Easy Palette/Fill Gallery in PI. (The pictures name is Autumn.) Save the picture to your hard drive. I prefer to save all the pictures I use for brushes inside a separate folder. This way I always know where to find my brushes in case I want to share one of them with others. (Be aware ... if you move this folder by any reason, PI will not find the brushes, and you will get an error message!) You can close the original picture now.
	Open a New image - for better showing you how brushes are working I chose a big size ... 800x600 Pixels, and the color: 192/192/192. Choose your Paint Tool/Paintbrush (white hand), and click the small arrow on the Texture button. Now you'll get 3 choices - Select Texture, Add Texture or Delete Texture (this one isn't available until you've installed at least one own texture). Choose Add Texture (red arrow). Find the picture file you've saved to your hard drive and click Open. This adds the picture to your brushes.

	Click the arrow on the Texture button one more time, but this time we choose Select Texture (white arrow).

	This opens a window with all the brushes PI has stored (the one from PI and yours). Find the brush you've installed (white hand) - here it's right after the brushes from PI, because I named the picture I've used for this tutorial a_test ... and PI stores the brushes alphabetical. I am going to use this brush now, but if you want to use another brush, just click on it, and you are ready to go!

	The Paintbrush (white hand) should be still activated. I used a Size of 300 (white arrow), Color: Black, Trans: 0 and Soft edge: 50. This settings are optional ... you just have to try out and find the ones, that fit you best. IMPORTANT: Set the Mode to Paint as object (red arrow). If you forget this step, you can't change your brush painting anymore.

	Paint on the background ... this one is very big, so you soon recognize, that the brush is smaller than the background itself. The brush picture repeats again and again (red ring and red arrows). I just use the Undo function to step back as long as I need. (Or I use the eraser later on, to make the brush fit.)

	When you're satisfied, click the Pick Tool (white hand) and a window with following text will appear - This operation will leave the Paint as object mode. Do you want to continue? - Click Yes (red arrow).

	All you've painted will seem a little bit "spooky" to you, but since we've used the paint Mode Paint as object, you can now make different changes to your brush painting. Still using the Pick Tool (white hand), you can change the Transparency (red arrow) as you wish. Changing the Soft edge will make your brush unclear ... but that might be good looking in some cases!

	You can also go to Edit/Fill and fill the brush with another color. Here I've used the option Gradients (white arrow). Fill type : 3. (white hand) Fill color: Two color (1) and I've set the Transparency to 68 (red arrow). Try also the Color/Texture, or even the Image settings ... just adjust the Transparency to fit your brush!

	Another option is the Transform Tool (white arrow). You can Rotate by degree (as I did here: 20.00 - white hand), rotate counterclockwise (red arrow); rotate freely, resize, or use any of the other possibilities for this tool.

	It's even possible to use the Edit/Fade Out option, as you can see on the screenshot. Fill type: 6. (white hand) Fill color: Two-color: 100% (red arrow) to 44% (white arrow). You can also use the eraser ... just try different tools and all the options they provide. It's also possible to use filters on the brushes .... 1000 more possibilities :)) I suppose you will be really surprised about all the amazing stuff you can make with brushes.

	This picture is made with two brushes (the train picture and the man), one mask and a texture. So you see ... there's a lot you can do with brushes :))

That's it! A beautiful picture, easily made with PI and some brushes. HAVE FUN!!!
If you need any help with this tutorial - or want to make suggestions to improve it - please email me!