Textures?

[Jinbrown]

Hi,

I'm going to give you a reading list since there's far too much to say about ways to create and use textures in any Painter version than can be said here. In fact, I'm considering teaching a series of Painter classes focused on this very subject... Textures.


There are many ways to simulate texture in Painter. Assuming you're using Painter IX, read the following (if you're using an earlier version, look up the information using the same, or similar, terminology):

• Painter IX Help > Help Topics > Contents tab > Textures, Patterns, and Weaves

On the right panel, click the link named "Using Paper Texture".

Read the entire page that displays next.



• Painter IX Help > Help Topics > Contents tab > Painting

On the right panel, click the link named "Exploring Brushes" and read the entire page to get a very general idea of the brush categories and how their brush variants work. In some cases, the fact that brush variants interact with Paper texture is mentioned, though many more brush variants do this than are mentioned on that page. Again, this is a very general overview and you'll learn more by opening a large white Canvas and testing each brush category's variants from the top of the list to the bottom. It's time well spent, really!



• Painter IX Help > Help Topics > Contents tab > Customizing Brushes

On the right panel, click the link named "Managing Settings and Controls".

Read the entire page that displays next to understand more about brush control settings. Pay particular attention to the section named "General Controls" and its sub section named "Methods and Subcategories". Some Subcategory names indicate whether or not the brush variant will interact with Paper texture by using the word "Grainy" in the name.

On the Contents tab, click Customizing Brushes again.

On the right panel, click the link named "Managing Custom Brushes".

On the next page, scroll down to read the section named "Capturing Brush Dabs". This is helpful information since some illusion of "texture", though not "3D" with highlights and shadows as we see in Impasto brushstrokes, can be had by using a Captured Dab variant for which the brush dab is based on an image. The image can be anything, a photo, part of a painting or a single brushstroke, a drawing, etc. If the image has areas of grey or white, and has ragged edges, it can make the brushstrokes appear more "textured", or at least more interesting than a solid color brushstroke would be. In combination with varying Opacity and Size based on Pressure, and even Color Variability, all of this can add up to simulating some appearance of texture.



• Painter IX Help > Help Topics > Contents tab > Image Effects

On the right panel, click the link named "Working with Surface Texture".

Read the entire page that displays next.

On the Contents tab, click Image Effects again.

On the right panel, click the link named "Using Other Surface Effects".

Read the entire page that displays next.


Though you can create an endless variety of custom Paper textures yourself, you might enjoy these free textures too:

Mayang's Free Textures (http://www.mayang.com/textures/index.htm)

I do encourage you to create your own, however, as it's not only fun, it will give your work a unique touch and give you a lot of satisfaction as well.

Happy Texturing!

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.