Having a good collection of Photoshop brushes is essential for any designer. There is certainly no shortage on the Web these days. The problem isn’t in finding brushes, but in finding quality. Below you’ll find a collection of quality brushes that every designer should find handy.
These 50 sets are ones I find myself using over and over in a variety of projects. This collection is the result of years’ worth of downloads, trials and experiments. I hope this list helps you find some new Photoshop brushes that improve your collection. [Content completely changed Oct/30/2016]
Further Reading on SmashingMag:
- 50 Stunning Photoshop Text Effect Tutorials
- A-Z of Free Photoshop Plugins and Filters
- Useful Photoshop Techniques, Tutorials and Tools
- Hand-Picked Photoshop Tutorials
Paint Splatters
Paint splatters are an essential set of Photoshop brushes to have. Lord knows there are plenty of them out there, but they are not all created equal. I have a good number of splatter brushes in my arsenal, but these are the ones I find myself calling upon the most for a variety of effects. See also: Splatter and Watercolour Brushes For Photoshop
Watercolor Brushes (30) (affiliate link)
Watercolor Kit (92) (affiliate link)
WaterCool Kit (39) (affiliate link)
Kaos Brush Set (15)
Free Spray Splatter Photoshop brushes (12)
Watercolor and Ink Photoshop Brushes (25)
Free Spray Paint Photoshop Brushes (20)
Brush Strokes
These types of brushes are great to have on hand because they can achieve a variety of effects. They can do anything from helping you finish off an edge to grunging of a photo, and endless amount of other tasks. Brush stroke brushes are a commodity in Photoshop. These are some of my favorites.
Photoshopper Brushes (56)
(40)
Free Hi-Res Watercolor Photoshop Brushes (18)
Watercolor Texture Brushes (45)
Canvas Textured Photoshop Brushes (5)
Watercolor Photoshop Brushes (25)
Professional High-Res Photoshop Brush Collections (15)
Pencil Box (4)
Photoshop brushes for painting skin and hair (10)
Hand-Drawn Elements Photoshop Brushes
Ok, so these are only really essential if you are trying to create that hand-drawn effect in your design. That said, these are some essential collections that will help you create a design with a hand-drawn look. Most, if not all, of these sets were made from real drawings. You can’t get much more “hand-drawn” than that.
Floral Watercolor Stamp Brushes (358) (affiliate link)
Tropical Watercolor Brushes (15) (affiliate link)
Vintage Handwriting Photoshop Brushes (26)
Plant Brushes (130)
Free Suvtle Grunge Brushes (10)
Feathers and birds Brushes (12)
Doodle Monsters Photoshop Brushes (10)
Cute Arrows (16)
Brushes Text (6)
Emoji Brushes (6)
Brush Set Flower (5)
Beautiful brushes (19)
Tentacles (4)
Extreme Lashes (16)
Heart Brushes (4)
Textures & More
While actual texture photos come in handy for adding textures to your work, sometimes a Photoshop brush comes in more handy. For those times, you may want to look into some of the texture brushes I have picked out below. They are great for adding a touch of texture to your latest grunge design.
A Vintage Stamp & Seal Brush Set (56)
Large Bokeh Brushes (12)
Water Splash Photoshop Brushes (11)
Moon Brushes (21)
Brushpack - Lighting (12)
High-Resolution Shattered Glass Photoshop Brushes (12)
Doodle Swirls (6)
High Quality Cloud Photoshop Brushes (15)
Flower Brush (5)
Floral Brush (1)
Artistic Ink Brush Strokes (8)
Heart Bokeh Photoshop and GIMP Brushes
Plant Brushes (130)
Free Suvtle Grunge Brushes (10)
Feathers and birds Brushes (12)
Doodle Monsters Photoshop Brushes (10)
Cute Arrows (16)
Brushes Text (6)
Emoji Brushes (6)
Brush Set Flower (5)
Beautiful brushes (19)
Tentacles (4)
Extreme Lashes (16)
Heart Brushes (4)
Textures & More
While actual texture photos come in handy for adding textures to your work, sometimes a Photoshop brush comes in more handy. For those times, you may want to look into some of the texture brushes I have picked out below. They are great for adding a touch of texture to your latest grunge design.
A Vintage Stamp & Seal Brush Set (56)
Large Bokeh Brushes (12)
Water Splash Photoshop Brushes (11)
Moon Brushes (21)
Brushpack - Lighting (12)
High-Resolution Shattered Glass Photoshop Brushes (12)
Doodle Swirls (6)
High Quality Cloud Photoshop Brushes (15)
Flower Brush (5)
Floral Brush (1)
Artistic Ink Brush Strokes (8)
Heart Bokeh Photoshop and GIMP Brushes
Tech Photoshop and GIMP Brushes (23)
Free Photoshop Fire Brushes (12)
My Heart Brushes (18)
3D Halftone (16)
(al, dm, sl)