How to make a distressed brush

-Photoshop

 

Step 01

 

First off you need an image with a lot of noise. You can for example Google “scratched metal”, or alternatively visit:

 

http://mayang.com/textures/Metal/html/Flat%20Metal%20Textures/index.html 

  

 

TIP: High resolution images are recommended to create hires brushes.

 

 

 

 

Step 02

 

Open up your source image in Photoshop.

 

Press Ctrl + L to open Levels [or press the “Create fill or adjustment layer” button]

 

Raise the contrasts in the levels until you’re happy [and click OK]

 

Make the image black and white. There are many ways of doing this, but you can for example go:

Image – Mode – Greyscale

 

 

 

 

Step 03

 

Go: Select – Color Range

 

Sample all the white in your image. [Keep Fuzzyness at 70, and click OK]

 

Select the Marquee tool [Press M]

 

Right click on the image, click “Select Inverse”

 

Press Ctrl + C to copy [or go: Edit - Copy]

 

 

 

 

Step 04

 

Press Ctrl + N to open a new Image document [or go: File - New]

 

Adjust the parameters so Width and Height are the same [in order to open up a square document]

 

Also, make sure “Background Contents” are set to “Transparent” [and click OK]

 

 

 

 

Step 05

 

Paste the image into your new document by pressing Ctrl + V [or go: Edit - Paste]

 

Go: Edit – Define Brush Preset [then name brush and click OK]

 

 

 

Step 06

 

Open whatever image you wish to grunge up. In my case, I made this little face:

 

[Just make sure it’s in its own Layer, separate from the background]

 

 

 

 

Step 07

 

Select the Eraser tool [or press E]

 

Erase bits off your art to give it a distressed look.

  

 

 

TIP: There are many ways of achieving a distressed/grungy/scratchy effect. The reason why I recommend using a brush and the Eraser tool is because it’s easy to make and it can be used multiple times.

 

More importantly, it allows bits of the background to show through your graphic. This means your graphic will work against any background you choose, as opposed to if you used white [or any color for that matter] to create the distressed look. See the example:

 

 

 

 

 

 

This guide was submitted by Daniel Nilsen [Artist, Headstrong Games]  

 

Many thanks to www.mayang.com