How to Make Custom Paintbrushes in Adobe Illustrator

By eHow Computers Editor

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Making a custom paintbrush in Adobe Illustrator is simple. If you can draw a shape and navigate through Window menus, you can make a new custom paintbrush to use in Adobe Illustrator.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Adobe Illustrator

Step1

Draw a shape. You can choose a solid shape, or use the pen tool to create a custom shape that will become your brush.

Step2

Fill your shape with black by selecting the black swatch from the "Swatch Window." You may also double-click the swatches on the "Toolbox" to open the "Custom Color Picker." Make sure the border of your shape has no fill.

Step3

Customize your shape by distorting it. If you used the pen tool, use the "Modify Anchor Point" tool to change the slope of your lines. If you made a solid shape, use the "Warp" tool in the Toolbox.

Step4

Save your object as a custom Adobe Illustrator brush. Make sure your object is selected. Open the "Brushes" window, and click on the little arrow in the upper right corner. This will display a menu.

Step5

Select the "New Brush" option in the menu. Choose the type of brush and save the shape.

Step6

Learn the difference between the custom brush types. Calligraphic and scatter brushes are best controlled by a tablet screen and the pressure of a stylus. Scatter and pattern brushes act like stamps that repeat a brush shape. However a pattern brush must intersect a path you already made; a scatter brush does not have to do this. The art brush works the same a paintbrush, providing a sweeping connected line.