Create a brush and set painting options

Last updated on Oct 27, 2025

Learn how to create a custom brush in Adobe Photoshop and manage its painting settings.

You can create custom brushes in Photoshop that fit your creative style. Custom brushes can enhance your digital painting, concept art, and retouching work with consistent strokes and textures.

Adobe Photoshop deeplink

Try it in the app
Use the Brush Settings panel to customize brushes in a few simple steps.  

Select Window > Brush Settings to open the Brush Settings panel.

In the Brush Settings panel, select a brush tip shape or Brush Presets to choose an existing preset.

Select your preferred settings under Brush Tip Shape to adjust size, angle, roundness, and spacing.

Select the unlock icon to retain brush tip shape settings when switching presets or select the lock icon to prevent changes.

From the Brush panel menu, select New Brush Preset.

Name your brush and choose whether to include tool settings or color. The brush is added to the Brush Preset Picker.

Tip

To share your custom brushes, right-click the brush or group in the Brushes panel, select Export Selected Brushes, and save the set as an .abr file.

Photoshop Brush Settings panel open with options to adjust brush tip shape, size, hardness, and spacing.
Customize brush settings to create unique strokes and textures tailored to your painting style.