Brushes Galore !!!

For all my amigos out there who play in photoshop, there are lots of cool brushes for you to find at DeviantArt.
From the DeviantArt Home, on the left menu,
click: resources > application resources > photoshop brushes.

If you click on them, and then click download (on the left in the pages), you can use them in your artwork... they're really cool!

I used to use them a lot, but I haven't in almost a year... I forgot how cool they are.
Try doing a search for lightning, grass, fire, water, flowers, hearts, grunge, vector, stars, plants or trees, leaves, splashes, blood, clouds, smoke, fractals, abstract... the list goes on and on.

once you download them, extract the .zip file if it's in one, and put the ".abr" brush file in (assuming you're using CS2, if not, go to whatever alternative folder name):

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS2\Presets\Brushes

If you put it in this folder, when you right click while using the brush, and click the arrow in the top right of the popup menu, it will be under your list of brushes to use as you please!!!

As a Matter of Fract(al)

Today I found a program. A very special program. And I'm addicted. To it. Bad.
I've been looking for a method of generating fractals for my art in photoshop.

AND I FOUND IT !!!!!!

It's called ContextFree, and you can find it HERE.
You have to "learn" to use it, because it's like a programming engine.
It would only take someone a few days, though. it's rather simple.
I did it in a few hours -- I'm a programmer though, so it was easier for me. This is an image I made entirely in ContextFree. I invented a tree and grew a whole bunch of them.

If anyone expresses interest, I can post a few how-to tutorials. There's a lot of experimentation involved in learning it, so it's fun.
I have many friends that use photoshop, but I don't know how many visit here. I would be delighted to teach it (it'll do INCREDIBLE things), but I won't waste my breath if there's no need. I will be posting art that involves ContextFree, so if anyone has tried to imitate my works, they'll likely begin to need this now.

Differencing Gradients

I experimented with gradients recently, and discovered a neat way to mix them.
If you create a series gradients, each on its own layer, with blending mode set to difference, you'd see them combine with each other. They kinda inverse where they overlap, and experimenting with different ones you can make all kinds of neat things. This is one I
did in studying gradient. There are probably far more complicated and more interesting designs; I just gradually gained an aim with this one, so I didn't stray from what I had begun to envision.

Image>Adjustments> Levels... is a powerful tool if you practice using it. It can help you give cool colors to abstract art. Try changing the red, green, and blue values (from the RGB dropdown menu) in relation to each other. You get flame red,orange, and yellow if you give red 0-85, green 85-190, and 190-255, without moving the gray bias arrow.
I've previously talked about how levels can imrove quality; it can create something entirely new, too. I'll probably add some stuff to this pic later- you can always fine something neat to add; just don't limit yourself to a specific tool/technique or part of the image. Do random stuff; after a while, go back to old things and see if you have new ideas!