This is a tutorial to learn how to color a brush, like the picture above. You will need a brush that you want to color and plenty of time. We will be using layers and lots of them and the blend mode with your new layers. I try to write these tutorials so anyone can understand them. Lets get on with it now. 
First find a brush that you would like to color. I chose the one below and you can download it by clicking on the image.

To install your brush unzip it to your paintshop pro/Brushes folder. Once you have done that go into your psp. Click on the brush tool on the left toolbar.

Now go over to your tool options and click on the first tab that has the brush on it, then click on the brush with the arrow next to it. Example below.

Click custom. A new window is going to pop up. Make sure you are browsing in the C:\PROGRAM FILES\PAINT SHOP PRO 6\BRUSHES\ folder. Scroll through the list til you see the brush you want to use. Click it. Click okay and now your brush is that image.


Baby Brush

Open a new image with a transparent background. I like my images to be 300 x 300, it gives me room to work with. With the brush that you want to color selected and the foreground color set to black, go to the center of your blank image. Click once or twice. If you prefer you can click more, but make sure you do not move your mouse at all or you will end up with blurred outlines and not a good result.

Now go to your layer palette and add a new layer, you can do this by clicking the icon that looks like two sheets of paper. A window is going to pop up. Name this layer Skin and set the Blend mode to Colors and the rest can stay at default. Click Okay.

Now set the foreground color to a skin tone color. You will notice that when you click on the face and start painting, it is not the actual color you picked, you can play around with the opacity in the layer palette til you are happy with the coloring. Here is the color I used with my opacity set at 93.
Red=230
Green=210
Blue=178
Now this is what my image looks like so far.

Now add a new layer, name it hair and set the Blend Mode to Colors, the rest stay at default. Click okay. Now we are going to color the hair. I chose a light brown. Here are the settings.
Red=177
Green=151
Blue=111
I also set my opacity down to 91.
Now this is what it looks like now.

Create a new layer name this one Top and set the Blend Mode to Colors and the rest at default. Click okay. Now we are going to work on the baby's top. I picked a pinkish color, here are the settings I used.
Red=244
Green=198
Blue=243
Here is what mine looks like now.

Add a new layer, name this one Pants, set the Blend Mode to Colors, the rest at default. Click Okay. Now color the pants. I chose a purple. Red=170
Green=128
Blue=246
Do not worry if you go out of the lines or you go over onto another color. You have them in layers and you can go back and erase anything that doesn't look right.
Here is what mine is looking like now.

Add a new layer, name this one shoes, Set the Blend Mode to Colors, the rest at default settings, click okay. Choose a color for the shoes. I am going to do black. I slid my opacity down to 62 because the black was too harsh. You might notice that some of your checkers from the background are showing threw in alot of places that you have already colored. Don't worry about this, we will be taking care of that in a little bit.

Now we are going to work on the blocks. You can put the blocks in seperate layers if you would like or just one layer I am putting them in seperate ones just in case I mess up and go over the lines. Just remember to keep the Blend mode on all the block layers to Colors.

Here is mine with all the blocks colored.

Now you will want to add a new layer, call this one background. Leave all the setting as the default. Drag this layer all the way underneath the other layers. Your layer palette should look something like this.

Now with your background layer active, click on the floodfill tool and fill the background with whatever color you like. I am using sunburst gradient. Now if you would like you can make the background invisible (click the glasses) go to any other layer and make it active. Go up to layers, merge, merge all visible. Now with the merged layer active go to the Image up in the top tool bar and down to effects, drop shadow and add a drop shadow. The settings I am using are below.

Make your background visible again. Now sign your name to it, add a frame and wow you are finished.
Here is my finished painted brush.

Hope you enjoyed this.
Tutorial by Leigh

These tutorials are a ©copyright of Leigh.  They may not be reproduced or copied to any other website without written persmission of the author.  Please contact us if you have questions.  Tutorials @ Graphic Buds.