Particle brushes

Particle brushes are physics-inspired brushes that give a unique look and feel to your artwork. They emit particles from a central point, and in turn the particles draw a pattern of lines (paths) as they move across the canvas.

You can control the particle paths with precision or introduce randomness in the brushstroke movement by using the Particle brush controls. Particle brushes are capable of wide-ranging creative variation when you adjust the parameters of each brush variant.

In addition, you can streamline your workflow by choosing the New Brushes workspace layout, which displays the palettes of the Particle brushes.

Depending on the movement of the particles around the central point, there are three types of Particle brushes: Gravity, Flow, and Spring brushes. A dark background is ideal for most of these brushes.

You can use dynamic speckles with Particle brushes for brushstrokes with a different look and feel.

You can set some Particle controls on the property bar. For more information, see To choose a dab profile using the property bar.

For a list of sample brushstrokes created with Particle brushes, see Particles.

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Gravity, Flow, and Spring Particle brushes were used to create smoke and Aurora Borealis effects in this artwork, as well as to enhance the water reflections.