Corel Painter
Painter has a few ways of creating color palettes from images whether it be through color sets, the Match Color command or the stylistic coloring achieved through automatic processes such as in the Underpainting panel. Now, add one more: the Mixer panel. With MXSMaker, it is very easy to convert any JPG, PNG or GIF file, with transparency preserved, into a Mixer Pad file that can be loaded directly into the Mixer panel of Painter 8.1 through Painter 12.
Trying out Real Watercolor , which debuted in Painter 12. Complex layering makes for some really interesting textures and color combinations.
This koi painting is the result of more experimentation with the sumi-e style. It combines the watercolor brushes available in Corel® Painter™ with a texture created by floating calligraphy inks on paper.
The koi itself shows some of the texture effects that can be created by laying down a base coat of Painter’s watercolor and then manipulating it with clear water and wet erasers also available in Painter.
The watercolor brushes in Painter are somewhat difficult to use because color builds very quickly while painting with them. The difficulty is worth it though.
These brushes are unmatched in the way they move and spread with the underlying canvas.
Unlike traditional watercolor, Painter’s watercolor also stays wet until the user decides to dry it. The wet paint particles can be further manipulated, mixed and moved with various erasers and other brushes to create texture that would be difficult to achieve any other way.
This blossoming plum tree painting was created in Corel® Painter™ 11 while playing with a sumi-e style. It is often difficult to achieve the look of wet media digitally, but with my own technique and a custom brush, the effect comes close.
The method used depends on the natural (at least in the digital world) effect of image interpolation. In short, Painter must guess colors to include in the painting as areas of color are blurred and broken apart in a controlled manner. In a less technical sense, the color is broken into its main components like ink and moves it around the canvas as if it were floating on water. The soft, wet media is a great complement to the harsh black outlines of the ground and tree.
Studio|chris is happy to announce the newest release of the Studio|chris Brush Installer, completely refreshed and renamed as the Studio|chris Brush Manager – a dedicated solution to installing and maintaining Corel Painter brush libraries and categories. This release marks the first public release carrying the new Brush Manager name. This is an exciting release because it brings in a lot of features requested by the community and brings compatibility to every version of Painter, all the way back to version 7 and also into the foreseeable future. The preliminary versions of the Brush Installer were merely a proof-of-concept – it’s time to get serious. Here’s what’s new:
- Refreshed user interface – The interface has undergone a massive overhaul to allow a simplified brush installation process and also allow for future updates to bring more functionality.
- The Drop Box – The three installation boxes of the previous version are gone and replaced with a single drop box that just works, no matter your operating system.
- Settings & Utilities Panel – Yes, the Brush Manager now has user settings. This brings in support for the 64-bit versions of Windows, multiple versions of Corel Painter, and custom install locations.
- Application Updates – Located in the Settings panel, users with an active internet connection may choose to install updates to the Brush Manager with two clicks – one to check for updates and one to download and install.
The Brush Manager 0.6 is immediately available for download and installation. Hope you all enjoy it!
Install brushes to Corel Painter with no effort at all. Drop a ZIP file containing a brush category onto the drop box and watch the Brush Manager do all the work for you in seconds!
Also – many thanks to all the testers who have helped along the way. I couldn’t have put this out for everyone without your help.
