How to Use Brushes in Photoshop
By Leila · Creative Director · Game Designer
Brushes are the soul of digital painting in Photoshop — the same artist with a different brush feels like a different artist. This is the short setup tour: where the Brush Panel lives, why Brush Settings matter, and how to install custom .abr brush sets you’ve downloaded.
For the colour side of the same workflow, see How to Color in Corel Painter or the iPad alternative How to Color in Procreate.
Where can I find a Brush Panel?
To open the Brush Panel, navigate to Window → Brushes. For more advanced customization, press F5 to access the comprehensive Brush Settings Panel.
Why do I need Brush Settings?
The Brush Settings Panel lets you adjust texture, scattering, and noise. Other parameters you can customize:
- Size
- Angle
- Hardness
- Opacity
- Flow
- Smoothing
- Scattering
- Texture
- Noise
- Shape
- Dynamics
- Transfer
How can I download new brushes?
Artists frequently share custom brushes online in .abr format. To install a downloaded brush set, go to Edit → Presets → Preset Manager, click Load, and pick your .abr file.
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