Composing new brushes and using selection

1. This discussion is of a technical nature. It refers to a type of brush (file attached) that for some reason no longer loads when I ask for 'new brush' in the Paint Synthesizer. I have no idea why.

2. When working with selection, there are some paint synthesizer and paint action sequences that will work within segments (rather than the entire canvas), but whether they do or not is unpredictable, and I have found any guidelines for restricting paint and drawing actions to selections (which would be most helpful). Selection is a fabulous tool which makes possible entirely new compositions since by way of 'open source' (under File) can load any number of images (in sequence) from which to "borrow" for a new creation.

3. I have long missed a tutorial about to compose new brushes rather than mixing presets in the Help window. Is doing so possible, and if so, how? I would love to know.

Many thanks for engagement with these three questions

Otto Laske

https://www.saatchiart.com/account/collection/888704

HJ_Big05 (brush file)

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  • #1: I'm not sure i understand your question based on the paint preset you attached. It is using a Generative Brush Source. Can you explain some more what you think is not working or different about it. 

    #2: I agree that working with selection masking when painting opens up a whole new world of expression.

    We are aware that the path start regionization presets take over the selection buffer. So masking from the op toolbar Mask checkbox is not going to work with them because each region writes over the previous selection buffer contents as the preset does it's magic. 

    If you want to put some example presets that you feel don't mask properly in a folder and zip compress that and either attach it here or dropsend it to me directly i can take a look at it.

    #3: Ok, i'll put one together soon.

    • thank you so much for your answers. As to question (1), my issue is that the brush is not loading into the brush window when I ask for it, and I don't know why. These are brushes I have built myself and they have stopped working, and I miss them a lot.

      (2) yes indeed, Selection masking is a mind changer. I have found under 10 presets that mask properly, the majority doesn't. I will put together some I would like to work. If this can be made to work to many more presets it would be a small revolution and would unbury new artistic potentials.

      With appreciation,

      Otto

      • #1:

        Ok. So do you mean you want to use the File : Paint Synthesizer menu commands to load a new image or movie brush?

        I'm going to take a guess at what you are running into. It assumes you are experiencing this in the current V5 64 bit build.

        If you are running the 64 bit V5 build, that build does not read/write photoshop file format for images. We used quicktime api to do that, and apple in their infinite wisdom just killed that off in osx 10.15.

        So, if you had custom image brushes you used before that were stored in a psd file, then they would not work in the current V5 64 bit build.

        Same thing goes for movie brushes. That feature is currently based on the quicktime api, which apple in it's infinite wisdom killed off for no real reason in osx 10.15. So any old movie brushes you had would not load in V5 64 bit build.

        Solution. Don't use the psd file format for your image brushes (use png instead if you want high quality). And switch from using movie brushes to using image folder brushes. They essentially work the same.

      • Let's definitely figure this out.

        Maybe you and i are thinking something different when we are discussing how a mask should work? And if so i definitely want to understand that difference.

        Or it could be you are just pointing out some limitations about how we do it now that we should find solutions for.

        I'l take a stab at guessing what you might be referring to. Any of the ip op or ip op like effects will incorporate the mask feathering and partial transparency into how the masking into the canvas for that effects takes place.

        The big exception being paint effects from the paint synthesizer. Which works very differently than the various ip op things that all have the same Composite panel settings.

        The paint synthesizer path start masking is working off of the full on mask. Any partial transparency or edge feathering is not being taken into account.

        So are you saying you want the blend for the nibs to track that partial transparency. And the path starts to occur anywhere that is not full off selection?

        • I understand you making a stark difference between ip ops and painting presets, which makes total sense to me. I would include action sequences because some of them work in segments, others don't, for no reason I would know. So I am reduced to trial and error when building a work from segments, and I would love not to be. 

          In your note, 'paths' figure prominently; how do they figure into the question?

          The uploaded file is an example of

          Laske, Burden of Doubt 12x9.jpg

          • Ok, paths.

            The paint synthesizer gives you the option of masking the paint paths if you so desire. This can lead to much more natural looking paint effects than if you actually mask the individual paint nibs.

            Of course you can also mask the nibs if you want to.

            Take a look at the Paint Masking Option section of this tip.

            There is actually a 3rd paint masking option discussed in there, the litho one. So the dry part of the paint masks differently than the wet part of the paint. Again, a much more interesting and natural looking masking effect.

          • You can mask PASeq playback. So i'm not sure i understand what you are saying when you bring that up.

            You have the option to turn off internal masking in the PASeq (this is the default setting). With that set, whatever the current mask status of the canvas is how the PASeq output is going to be masked into the canvas.

            If you turn internal masking on for the PASeq, then the workspace masking status is going to be ignored and whatever is recorded inside of the PASeq for masking of each action step will be played back.

            Here's a tip that discusses how to adjust this. The settings are stored in each individual PASeq preset.

            • thank you, will digest.

              Is it true, though, that whether a paint preset will work in masking is a matter of trial and error, or are there paint presets (and also ip op presets) that just don't work in masking/selection? In other words: are there categories of paint and ip op presets that mask, and those that don't?

              Otto

              • All of the Ip OP presets should work with masking. If not, let me know.

                Paint preset should to, given the constraints of which masking option for the paint is currently on, and how that option works. If you run into weird cases, post them and we can take a look at them.

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