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20 Stunning Photoshop Brushes

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Finding Photoshop brushes on the internet isn’t hard; there are loads and loads available. Finding ones that are good quality and suited to your needs is rather more difficult. Fear not! We’ve done the hard work for you by trawling through literally hundreds and hundreds of examples, to find the best brushes available today. What’s more, the vast majority of those outlined below are free to download and use (some for non-commercial purposes only).

We’ve attempted to cover all bases with this list. You’ll find grunge, splatter, nature, stain, retro brushes and even more. We’re confident that you’ll be able to find just the right one for you, and even if you can’t, you’ll certainly find some inspiration.

1. Paper Textures

This beautiful set of 25 brushes creates the effect of paper that’s been torn and crumpled in numerous ways.

paper-textures

2. Desert Cracks

A high quality brush set depicting cracks in parched and scorched earth.

desert-cracks

3. Cloud Brushes

Create realistic cloud formations with these stunning, soft-textured brushes.

cloud-brushes

4. Fractaldream

This dazzling fractal brush set will aid you in creating wonderfully irregular, shining images.

fractal-dream

5. Grungy Watercolour

This set of 10 large brushes was made from a combination of watercolour and India ink.

grungy-watercolor

6. Dumpster Brushes

The 8 brushes in this set were made from photos of old dumpsters, giving a weathered metallic effect.

dunmpster

7. Spray Paint Brushes

There are lots of spray paint brushes available to download, but this high-res set is the best around. It comes in vibrant colours and looks totally realistic.

spray-paint-brushes

8. Stamps

These high-res brushes of text stamps add an authentic feel to any project.

stamp-brushes

9. Defective Photo Prints

These 12 large brushes depict rolls of photographic film with overlaid calligraphy.

defective-photo-films

10. Random Splatters

This is a set of five great-looking splatter brushes, each with a unique splatter effect, from round splatters to subtle scratches.

random-splatter

11. Abstract Grunge Brushes

These abstract brushes have a monochrome, spiky aesthetic and are perfect for modifying any background.

abstract-grunge

12. Grungy Wings

The five pairs of wings (10 brushes in total) in this set were made with a can of spray-paint and a sponge, creating a highly textured effect.

grungy-wings

13. Dripping Ink

This drippy brush is simple, but very realistic. It’s perfect for adding another dimension to large text.

dripping-ink

14. Fireworks

Add a spark of creativity to your work with these firework brushes.

fireworks

15. Smoke

Made from photographs of candle smoke, this soft brush set can be used to subtle or more overt effect.

smoke

16. Dot Splatter

There are four sets of brushes in the brilliant Dot Splatter series, which was inspired by “pop art”. The dots used are reminiscent of Roy Lichtenstein’s artwork.

dot-splatter

17. SplatterisM

The 35 brushes in this set look a bloody mess, in the best possible way.

splatterism

18. Grunge Rust

This grungy set of brushes can be used to create seven different rusty effects.

rust

19. Coffee Stains

Much lighter in colour than other coffee/tea stain brushes available, these are the best around.

coffee-stains

20. Retro Funk

This great set includes forty four retro images with a funky theme. Some have been taken from the world of advertising.

retro-funk

About the Author

Tom is a writer and designer from the UK who works with a supplier of genuine Epson ink, toner, paper and printing accessories. You can read more of his writing on their blog, the CreativeCloud.

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24 responses thus far

  1. Tim Smith

    June 30, 2009

    Great list! I’ve got to say that my favorites are the “Dripping Ink” and “Coffee Stains”. Awesome brushes! Thanks.
    .-= Tim Smith´s last blog ..Interview with David Leggett =-.

  2. Sigurdur Armannsson

    June 30, 2009

    Thanks for bringing this list together. Good taste obviously. Saves everyone else a lot of time.
    .-= Sigurdur Armannsson´s last blog ..Improper kerning =-.

  3. Nicholas Z. Cardot

    June 30, 2009

    Some of those look really nice like fractal dream and stamps. Thanks for putting this list together.
    .-= Nicholas Z. Cardot´s last blog ..4 Useful Things You Could Do Tomorrow =-.

  4. Cole Thorsen

    June 30, 2009

    Thanks for the quality list, nice and short. Saves a lot of time searching for brushes.

  5. العاب

    July 1, 2009

    really nice like fractal dream and stamps.
    Thanks for putting this list together.

  6. Utopie - Website Design Liverpool

    July 1, 2009

    Seriously, SERIOUSLY nice collection. I really like the coffee mug stain one and the random splatter… and the fireworks… hell, I like them all..!!! Thank you.

  7. squareart

    July 1, 2009

    Thanks for compiling this collection – nice! Like the paper and stamps best. Cheers.
    .-= squareart´s last blog ..Fantastic Typeface Portrait of Steve Jobs by Dylan Roscover =-.

  8. Wasim

    July 1, 2009

    Really nice creative brush sets.. Liked the”coffee stains” and “grunge brush” you can checked my site for more niice looking brush sets http://www.studionelive.co.cc/2009/06/cool-photoshop-brush.html.
    .-= Wasim´s last blog ..Create a Gold Text-Effect Using Photoshop =-.

  9. gautam hans

    July 1, 2009

    great list! love the ‘grungy wings’ and ‘dripping ink’. dugg this as well
    .-= gautam hans´s last blog ..Analytics for Blogger Blogs =-.

  10. Yona

    July 6, 2009

    Love the ‘Dot Splatter’ ‘Random Splatters’ and ‘Paper Textures’. Thanks for sharing!!!
    .-= Yona´s last blog ..Shopping for an Eco-Mama? =-.

  11. paul

    July 8, 2009

    I like the popart dots, lots of inspiration here

    thanks
    .-= paul´s last blog ..WordPress widget : twitter update widget =-.

  12. olybop

    July 9, 2009

    that’s a really cool brushes… thx !
    .-= olybop´s last blog ..McDonald’s “Wake Up” – stop motion =-.

  13. Dan B. Lee

    July 13, 2009

    Great brushes. Can we please stop using “Stunning” to describe them, though? It’s a little cliche and doesn’t really do justice to the work. We can do better.

  14. göğüs estetiği

    July 29, 2009

    i like this site. i added on my bookmark i thanks

  15. Ashely Adams : Sticker Printing

    September 15, 2009

    Ah, brushes. The best thing to happen to Photoshop after layers and blending options. As a design enthusiast myself, I just can’t seem to get enough of Photoshop brushes. And this is a great little list. I’m already feeling giddy by just thinking about the countless possibilities of putting these stunning brushes to work. Thanks for sharing. God Bless.

  16. Simon Wells

    September 17, 2009

    I am with Ashley, brushes, brushes and more brushes, with a few layers and blends.
    Great selection, Thanks.

  17. Jengun

    September 19, 2009

    good!! good! good!!

  18. Teen Blogger

    November 7, 2009

    Great list.

    Thanks for compiling such buetiful brushes

  19. Thomas Craig Consulting

    March 7, 2010

    Brilliant collection, especially like the cloud and fireworks brushes.

  20. Tjene Penger

    March 19, 2010

    Just love Photoshop – and this is a awesome collection of brushes. I personally love those authentic stamp brushes. Photoshop is probably one software I personally cannot do without! seiously.

  21. Stickers

    May 13, 2010

    I think with CS5 coming out it this post will be revisited. Some of the new features I have seen are brilliant.

  22. Τorrents

    May 31, 2010

    Thanks for the brushes. Myinkblog bookmarked for future reference..:)

  23. Neus Gator

    June 29, 2010

    Thanks for the wonderful information and provide the list of photoshop brushes.

  24. Dennis

    April 10, 2011

    Thanks for compiling such buetiful brushes