Creating Photoshop Cloud Brush

In this quick tutorial, I will show you how to create your own Photoshop cloud brush from photo.

Photo Source

Take a nice photo of clear blue sky and white cloud. This will make the brush creating process easier later.

Important! Use only public domain images or Creative Commons image with derivative rights. Do not use random photos from google!

Brush Tip

Converting the photo into Photoshop brush is a quick easy process.

1. Copy the photo into a new canvas. CTRL-T to scale transform. I usually create brush size less than 500 pixels.
2. CTRL-SHIFT-U to desaturate the image.
3. CTRL-I to invert the image.
4. CTRL-L to to bring up the Level Adjustment panel. Adjust it so the background is white. This is because white is transparent and black is opaque.

Define Brush Preset

Convert the image into brush by using, "Edit > Define Brush Preset".

Brush Settings

Select the new brush we just created. The brush currently is without any settings, so enable "Shape Dynamics", "Scattering" and "Other Dynamics". There is no one best settings for painting clouds, you will have to change the settings base on your needs.

Shape Dyamics

• Size Jitter - Randomise brush tip size. Enable "Pen Pressure" will scale brush tip base on pen pressure.
• Minimum Diameter - Minimum brush tip size.
• Angle Jitter - Randomise brush tip rotation. Enable "Rotation" or "Direction" will rotate brush tip base on pen angle.
• Roundness Jitter - Randomise brush tip shape roundness. It will squeeze the tip shape vertically.
• Minimum Roundness - Minimum brush shape roundness.

Scattering

• Scatter - Randomise brush tip location. Enable "Both Axes" will scatter on X and Y axis.
• Count - Number of brush tip scatter. Default 1 is good enough

Other Dynamics

• Opacity Jitter - Randomise brush tip opacity. Enable "Pen Pressure" will affect brush tip transparency base on pen pressure.
• Flow Jitter - Randomise brush tip flow. Enable "Pen Pressure" will affect brush tip transparency base on pen pressure.

Both "Opacity" and "Flow" affect transparency. But "Flow" will add up the value as you paint without lifting up your pen.

Reference

Youtube Creating Photoshop Cloud Brush
DeviantArt Photoshop Cloud Brush