Paint stylized strokes with the Art History Brush

Last updated on Oct 4, 2026

Learn how to create stylized paint strokes using the Art History Brush in Adobe Photoshop on desktop.

The Art History Brush uses a selected history state or snapshot to create stylized strokes with different colors and artistic styles. Unlike the History Brush, which recreates source image data, the Art History Brush interprets it using the settings you apply.

Note

For different visual effects, experiment with applying filters or filling an image with a solid color before painting with the Art History Brush. You can also increase the image size by a factor of four to soften details.

Three versions of an image showing the original and Art History Brush results with small and large brushes.
Original image compared with small and large Art History Brush strokes.

Set up the Art History Brush

Select Window > History to open the History panel.

In the History panel, select the left column next to the history state or snapshot you want to use as your source. A brush icon appears next to your selection.

Select the Art History Brush tool from the toolbar.

Select a brush from the Brush Presets picker and adjust its settings.

Select a blending mode from the Mode menu to control how the paint interacts with existing pixels.

Select a stroke style from the Style menu to control the shape of the strokes.

Enter an Area value to set the area covered by the strokes. Higher values increase both the covered area and the number of strokes.

Enter a value in the Tolerance field to control where strokes can be applied. Low values allow painting anywhere in the image. High values restrict strokes to areas that differ considerably in color from the source state or snapshot.

Drag across the image to paint with the selected brush settings.

Refine your brush selection with preset brushes, and explore blending modes to control how paint interacts with existing colors.