Changing your brush in Adobe Illustrator can involve several actions, from selecting a different brush to modifying an existing one or even creating a brand new custom brush. Understanding these options allows you to achieve diverse artistic effects in your vector artwork.
## Creating a New Custom Brush (As Referenced)
One powerful way to "change" your brush is by creating a unique one from your own artwork or defined shapes. The process involves utilizing the Brushes panel:
* **Select your source material.** This could be a path, group, mesh, or other Illustrator object you want to turn into a brush stroke.
* Then **open the Brush Panel (Window > Brushes)**.
* In the Brushes panel, **choose New Brush...** from the flyout menu or click the "New Brush" icon at the bottom.
* Illustrator will ask you to choose a brush type. **For this watercolor brush, we're choosing Art Brush** (as mentioned in the reference, though other types are available).
* Configure the options in the dialog box that appears, such as direction, size, and colorization method, then click **OK**.
Your new custom brush will now appear in the Brushes panel, ready for use.
### Understanding Brush Types
Illustrator offers various brush types, each suited for different purposes:
| Brush Type | Description | Common Uses |
| :--------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------- |
| **Calligraphic** | Creates strokes that resemble those drawn with a calligraphic pen. | Hand-lettering, varying line weight. |
| **Scatter** | Disperses copies of an object along a path. | Creating borders, scattering elements like stars. |
| **Art** | Stretches an object along a path. | Applying textures, creating continuous patterns. |
| **Pattern** | Tiles a pattern along a path. | Borders, frames, decorative elements. |
| **Bristle** | Creates strokes that look like natural brush hairs. | Painting effects, textured strokes. |
## Selecting an Existing Brush
The most common way to change your brush is simply by picking one that already exists in your Brushes panel.
1. **Open the Brushes Panel:** Go to `Window > Brushes`.
2. **Select a Path:** Choose the path or object you want to apply the brush to using the Selection Tool (`V`). If you want to draw a *new* path with a specific brush, select the Brush Tool (`B`) first.
3. **Click a Brush:** In the Brushes panel, click on the thumbnail of the brush you want to use.
The selected brush will be applied to the path or set as the default brush for the Brush Tool.
## Editing an Existing Brush
You can modify the properties of brushes already in your panel.
1. **Open the Brushes Panel:** `Window > Brushes`.
2. **Double-Click the Brush:** Double-click the thumbnail of the brush you wish to edit in the Brushes panel.
3. **Adjust Options:** The Brush Options dialog box will open, allowing you to change settings like size, spacing, scatter, colorization, etc., depending on the brush type.
4. **Apply Changes:** Click **OK**. Illustrator will ask if you want to apply the changes to existing strokes that use this brush. Choose "Apply to Strokes" or "Leave Strokes".
## Loading Brush Libraries
Illustrator comes with numerous pre-made brush libraries you can load.
1. **Open the Brushes Panel:** `Window > Brushes`.
2. **Open the Libraries Menu:** Click the Brush Libraries Menu icon (a stack of books) at the bottom-left of the Brushes panel.
3. **Choose a Library:** Navigate through the categories (e.g., Arrows, Artistic, Borders) and select a library.
4. **Use Brushes:** A new panel will open containing the brushes from that library. Click on a brush in this library panel to add it to your main Brushes panel and use it.
By mastering these techniques – creating new brushes, selecting from existing ones, editing, and exploring libraries – you gain full control over your line work and illustrative style in Adobe Illustrator.
