Photoshop SKETCHING WITH THE MIXER BRUSH

Daryl Mandryk shows the flexibility of Photoshop's versatile tool as he generates a character concept

- Daryl Mandryk

I’m always looking for new ways to create images, and recently I’ve been enamoured with the Mixer Brush in Photoshop. It has a number of advantages, and a few drawbacks, over the normal Photoshop brushes, but it is essentially a cross between the Stamp and Smudge tools.

It works by sampling part of an image and then using that as a brush tip to paint with. By playing with the settings you can achieve a host of different effects, similar to the Opacity and Flow settings used with normal brushes. This can create some interesting brushstrokes and add a bit of life to your work.

This sketch was made almost entirely using the Mixer Brush. I’ll give you a few tips and insights on the tool as I take you through the creation of my sketch.

How I create...

A REFINED ROBOT CHARACTER

1. Simple start I’m looking at a photograph for colour and lighting reference, but just as a starting point to find colours to work with. Once I have a palette I quickly knock in a background and a rough sketch. At this stage everything is very loose, I don’t feel the urge to commit to any particular design; it’s just loose and fun. No details!

2. Develop the character