FAQ: How do I Create My Own Brushes in Manga Studio?

Didn't know you could do *this* in Manga Studio, did you? (Artwork by Ray Frenden)

Recently, Ray Frenden showcased his outside-the-box thinking when he released a series of natural media custom brushes that you can install and use in Manga Studio. You can download his brushes (and get instructions on how to install them) at his website.

So, how can you create your own brush?

1. Make a pattern of your own choosing. This can be whatever you want, but if you’re looking to create, say, an oil brush, you’ll need to create a more well-defined pattern. This can be a series of dots that represent the bristles of the brush.
2. Use the lasso or marquee tool, and select the pattern.
3. From the Edit menu, select Save Pattern to Brush Material.
4. In the Material Name text box, enter the name of your new brush
5. Select the Color Mode from the Color Mode dropdown box.
6. Leave the Create New Tool Option Settings From Brush Material checkbox selected.
7. Click Ok.

Once that’s done:

1. Select the Pattern Brush Tool.
2. If it’s not open, open the Tool Options Window (Window -> Tool Options from the Menu, or F3 on your keyboard)
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3. Click on the brush name, which should bring up a list of all the pattern brushes.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the list, where your new brush should be
5. Adjust the settings (size, interval, etc) til the brush behaves how you’d like them to. For further refinement, click on any of the red or green dots next to the setting name. This will bring up the Brush Control window.
   

The key is the interval you set. In the Manga Studio For Dummies book, I talk about how you can create what is essentially a rubber stamp that you can use for a background. However, if you decrease the interval (the space between each pattern laid down on the canvas), then the rubber stamp becomes more of a brush like what Ray has created with his natural brushes.

So, have fun, and see what you can create!