Loish
patreon
STEP BY STEP // brushes I use
🕑 Added 2020-03-05 15:54:24 +0000 UTCI got a lot of questions about which brushes I use, so I decided to make a little overview of the ones I like to use most at the moment!
[minor edit: I was using the beta version of max's set with the wrong names, turns out 'gouache b' was actually called 'gouache clean'! updated the text & image.]
PHOTOSHOP BRUSHES
01 // HARD ROUND // from The Loish Brushset - https://loish.school/download/ (free, but please don't share this link with others)
This is the brush I use the most. I’ve used it for sketching, painting, detailing, coloring, you name it. I feel like it’s a super versatile brush because it’s very responsive to pressure. If you press softer, you can use it to blend; if you press harder, you can use it for sharp detail. I use this brush in almost all of my digital art.
02 // MACALABS HB PENCIL // from Macalabs Sketching Photoshop Brushes - http://cbr.sh/fg8up?ref=loish ($5)
This is my favorite sketching brush. It’s one of those brushes that totally chagned my process and way of working - my sketches are much more dynamic and flowing because of this brush. As you can see, it’s great for details and sharp lines but also soft, sweeping lines that give movement and gesture to the sketch. I really couldn’t do without this brush.
03 // FLAT TEXTURE BRUSH // from Viorie’s brush set - http://cbr.sh/u3c3pw?ref=loish ($5)
I recently discovered this one while making the cloud studies, and so far it’s been a great investment, especially for speedpainting environments. It adds a bit of texture and blends in a soft way, so it’s great for softer color gradations that could use a bit of texture. The brush set as a whole is kind of chaotic with a lot of repeating brushes, but there are some gems in there.
TYPICAL PHOTOSHOP PROCESS
In this step-by-step, you can see that I always sketch with the Macalabs HB pencil first, and then use hard round for nearly everything else. Keep in mind that I’m also using gradients and feathered lasso selections to modify the colors, but when it comes to painting with a brush, it’s almost always hard round once I get past the sketching phase.
PROCREATE BRUSHES
01 // MAXU GOUACHE CLEAN // from MaxPack’s Gouache set - https://gumroad.com/l/GouacheMaxPack ($25)
This brush pack has A LOT of stuff, but I personally don’t like to switch between brushes a lot. I prefer to just stick to a small handful of brushes, otherwise the process will get too chaotic for me. My favorite brush from this set is Gouache B, which is awesome for sketching and also works well for blending. It’s pretty versatile, so I’ve been able to create entire paintings with just this brush. The flat shape and texture is what makes this one work for me.
02 // MAXU GOUACHE BRISTLE // from MaxPack’s Gouache set - https://gumroad.com/l/GouacheMaxPack ($25)
Another one from the gouache pack - this time a bristly one. I’m usually not big on dry brush effects but this one works great for getting soft color blending. It’s a good substitute for the gradient and feathered lasso in photoshop since the belding is so soft, and it adds a bit of texture too.
03 // RAZUM PRO2 BUMPO // from Brush Pack Pro II by RazumInc - http://cbr.sh/ai2y9?ref=loish ($15)
This was the first brush set I downloaded for procreate and it was what I needed at that time. I was looking for a way to replicate the hard round blending effect from photoshop, and this brush does a pretty nice job, even though it is sometimes hard to control the size and pressure. It gives a creamy painting effect and a minimal amount of texture. There’s a lot of other nice concept-arty brushes in this pack too.
TYPICAL PROCREATE PROCESS
I almost always sketch with the MaxU Gouache B brush - it’s the closest I’ve found to the Macalabs HB photoshop brush in terms of mixing softer and harder lines. When I’m adding color, the MaxU Gouache Bristle helps me to create soft color gradations, like you can see on her hair and face. In the last step, I use a mix of brushes to detail (I haven’t really found the perfect detailing brush in procreate yet) but the bumpo brush comes in handy too.
Hope you guys find this useful! Let me know if you have any questions!
Comments
Loish
I basically use the same settings for every part of the sketch, but i might make the flow a bit higher for sharp details like the facial features! I definitely recommend checking out my tutorial on drawing expressions, because you can see my process explained there: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40374192?collection=96265
Ile
How do you set up macalabs hb pencil for hard lines and details like eyes and lips?
Loish
of course! I actually did adapt the brush set to a procreate version, you can find them here: https://loish.school/download/ . just download the brush set and you'll find the .brushset file in there!
Parth Agrawal
Your Brush Sets are epic but I would be really grateful if you could suggest some brushes which are native to procreate and photoshop as well, just to get started!
Loish
hey joselyn! what issue are you running into? have you downloaded the file and unzipped it?
Joselyn Baguley
I just started but can’t figure out how to get the Lois’s brushes on photoshop
mangoburn
I love the brushes so much. thanks a lot!
Loish
sorry about that! they're now only available through my site. I made that change a few days ago which is why I haven't updated it yet! Please don't spread the link around because it's technically only for those who signed up to the newsletter: https://loish.net/free-goodie-bag-for-digital-artists/
Rachel Berg
I recently joined Patreon just to support you and gain access to to your amazing library of resources. Looking into the brushes, I noticed that 01 // HARD ROUND // from The Loish Brushset has a faulty link (404 error). Any way you could refresh the link please?
Loish
it does although it has a slightly different feel to it!
Daniel buck
Does the macalabs hb not work in procreate?
Loish
thanks so much for joining! a few people have pointed this out but i'm not sure what the reason for this is. i did install the brush as "tool presets" rather than just plain brushes, and i access it from the tool presets panel. maybe this is the reason?
Ibelinn Cosplay
I'm so excited to go through all your tutorials now that I've finally bit the bullet and joined! One question, I see when you draw with the Macalabs brush that it behaves differently in that yours kinda moves in the direction your drawing in. I don't know if there's a setting I've missed, but just wondered about it! (not that it matters much since I need to nail my anatomy more and shape language but yeah, just curious! ^^)
Danny Knight
Bought them for procreate
Benjamin Klapper
oh wow i didnt realize u could search terms now xD how photoshop has advanced ty
Loish
i believe it's called 'texture2' in the set, have you tried searching through your brushes? (in photoshop you can type in a search term)
Benjamin Klapper
i got the viorie brush set but i cant find the flat textured brush anywhere could uhelp me? btw i adore ur work
Loish
hello! yes, you can import them into procreate! they might not work exactly the same, but for the most part they are the same.
salomon varela
Hi, how are you? I have a question. Can these you give away, can I use them for the procreate app? sorry, I use google traslante. XD
Loish
thanks for your support :)
Настя Колер
Thank you so much!
Jordi Scharp
Thanks! Those are the ones Loish! ♥
Loish
could that be the shiyoon kim brushes? https://gumroad.com/l/shiyoonink they're excellent for sketching!
Jordi Scharp
I recall there was a brush set you use a lot from I believe an Asian artist, which set was that?
Loish
I can try it for you! just send over an email to loishh@gmail.com with the brushes & how-to link included.
Dianella
I bought the sketching brushes but I can't use them. Anyone willing to convert a .tsp file to .abr? You just use photoshop to do it. I have an old version and can't do it. https://www.grutbrushes.com/how-to-convert-and-export-a-photoshop-tpl-tool-preset-to-an-abr/
Loish
ohh that's good to know, thanks for the update!
Gemma Varney
The last one is now $5 not $10 :) thanks so much for these links can't wait to see what else is here on your patreon ❤
Ramon Miranda
Awesome to see everything sorted. Thanks
Predayst
Oh wow, so your style is full on opacity layering, almost like it would be with felt i.e. copic in a way, nice. I'll have to appreciate your work in a new light now.
Loish
nope, i never use mixer brushes! I only blend with the brush itself. for some reason those kinds of tools never worked well for me, but i know that the technology is getting better and better!
Predayst
Heya. So is there a point you're using mixer brush in the process in Photoshop?
Oluwapelumi Aina-Badejo
Thank you so much for sharing!
Oluwapelumi Aina-Badejo
Thank you for sharing this, it will definitely come in handy
Loish
glad you like them! they made a huge difference for me too. I feel like procreate is impacted a lot by which brushes you use.
Joanna Marie
THANK YOU for this!! Those Procreate gouache brushes are so helpful. I just bought them yesterday and they've already had a massive impact on my current artwork!
Tara Kirkland
He has it on sale for $10 in his Etsy shop, I wonder why the price difference.
navy_illustrator
Thank you so much!
Loish
nice! thanks for the tips... does the macalabs brush work well in procreate?
Nick
For anyone wondering, you can use all of these photoshop brushes in procreate too! The newest procreate 5 update allows you to use photoshop brushes in the .abr format. I was even able to get the Macalabs pencil brush working in procreate after converting them from .tpl to .abr using this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTeBBtV9Bn0
Divi (Lovewin)
I'm sad I missed the sale since I just got an iPad (it felt impossible for me at one point and I'm so happy and also in disbelief). Coming back to this post to check out your reccomened stuff. Thanks again
Shane McCracken
For anyone that was sitting on the fence about picking up the MaxPack Gouache set... I just got an email with a discount code for 20% off ... use: WASHHANDS (Good until the end of March)
Giulia Cataldi
Thank you for sharing all of this with with us, you're the best!
Loish
haha. his brush set is amazing though, i really do recommend it to everyone.
Loish
i haven't done that yet but i will definitely try it out! procreate is indeed better for soft blending, although for me it's hard to keep a good balance of detail since i don't have a thumbnail view of the art.
Kamila
There is a difference in the way of blending in present artworks between Photoshop and Procreate for sure. Still I love all of them. Artwork made in Procreate seems to be much softer and more rendered. Did you tried your brush set imported to Procreate? I use it often (after small changes) for practicing 3d kind of rendering and I think it works very similar to Photoshop there.
Shane McCracken
I bet Max is wondering why his gouache maxpack brush sales are lighting up right now...
Loish
i have a few from other sets that i use from time to time, but for the most part, these three are the ones i use!
Loish
not sure, i contacted max to figure out what's going on there :)
Loish
not sure! it could be that he updated the names since the version that i downloaded. i'll check in with max!
Loish
sometimes I do! but not when painting/blending.
Amélie
Thank you Loish ! Don't you ever use the brushes on Procreate at 100% ?
Henrike Dijkstra
Thanks for sharing! Esp the images. I have so much trouble with blending colour and making softer transitions, it helps to see what I should think about when it comes to brush settings
SK
This is so helpful thank you so much lois!!😍😍❤️❤️❤️
dana_i_nana
Thank you Very much for sharing))))) I just downloaded MaxPack's Gouache set, and I cannot find MAXU GOUACHE B brush there, Is it a short name for "MAXU GOUACHE Bolt", "MAXU GOUACHE Bristle"? I just dont see this brush :(
Sleeping Pixels
Yay! Thanks so much! ❤️❤️
Anne
You can use her set in procreate as well! As you can load photoshop brushes into procreate if you have the newest (5th) version! :)
appleminte
Amazing! Would you consider releasing a set for Procreate?
Brittani Harris
Thank you! I really need to work on limiting how many brushes I use. It frustrates me to have to remember which brush I used for certain aspects of a painting.
sugarpoultry
Amazing resource! Thanks!!!
Ana Marija
Thank you so much for posting these! I was just looking through my Max Gouache Pack and I couldn't find a brush called Gouache B - does It have anything else in the name? Thank you again!
Kat Craig
LOVE Max's Gouache Brush pack! I love all of them, so I'm still trying to find my 'go to's'. I'll have to give these a shot! Thanks Lois!
Stella Rose
Wait really?! Does it go the other way around too?
Juliane
Hi Loish! Are you aware that since Procreate 5 you can import photoshop brushes into Procreate? :)
Loish
Thanks for letting me know, I’ll correct that!
DaMushroomCloud
Toooo epic
Atılay Sargın
i was waiting for this <3
Ramón Martín
Thanks for posting this :))
Divi (Lovewin)
Thanks for this. So cool
Iva Hian
Wow this is really awesome! Thank you for sharing your process in such detail with us ❤️
Hansel
Hello Lois ! Do you have any other favorite brushes on procreate ?
Scott Thigpen
03 // FLAT TEXTURE BRUSH // from Viorie’s brush set <-- your reference isn't working for the 5.00 price point, it's still at 10
