I've been collecting digital art brushes for a while now, and I'm always on the lookout for new free art brushes downloads. There are so many sites out there, but some have better quality than others.
I'm particularly interested in brushes for Krita, Photoshop, and Clip Studio Paint. Does anyone have go-to websites for high-quality free brushes? I'm talking about everything from basic pencil brushes to more specialized ones like watercolor or oil painting effects.
Also, while we're on the topic of free art resources online, does anyone know of good free art asset libraries for things like textures, backgrounds, or premade elements? I'm building up my resource collection and would appreciate any recommendations.
Oh man, free art brushes downloads are my specialty! Here are my go-to sites:
1. DeviantArt - This is still the king for free brushes. The quality varies, but there are some amazing artists sharing their brush sets. Look for creators like fbrushes" or "obsidiandawn" - they have consistently good quality.
2. Brusheezy - Specifically for Photoshop brushes, but many work in other programs too. They have a rating system so you can see which ones are popular.
3. Krita Resources - If you use Krita, their official resource site has tons of free brushes made by the community and the developers.
For Clip Studio Paint, check the official asset store. They have a mix of free and paid brushes, but there are plenty of good free options if you filter by price.
One tip: always check the license! Some brushes are only free for personal use.
For free art resources online beyond just brushes, here are some of my favorites:
Textures:
- Texture Haven (completely free, no registration needed)
- CC0 Textures (huge library, all public domain)
- Poly Haven (mentioned earlier, but worth repeating)
Backgrounds and elements:
- Unsplash (free high-res photos, great for backgrounds)
- Pexels (similar to Unsplash)
- Pixabay (free vectors, illustrations, and photos)
For more specialized free art asset libraries:
- Kenney.nl has amazing free game assets
- OpenGameArt.org for game-specific resources
- Itch.io has a free assets" section with lots of indie game resources
The key is to build your own organized library. I use a folder system with subfolders for different types of resources so I can find things quickly when I need them.
For Photoshop brushes specifically, I've had good luck with these sites:
- Adobe's own brush exchange (surprisingly good free brushes from other users)
- MyPhotoshopBrushes.com (large collection, well-organized)
- BrushLovers.com (smaller but quality selection)
One thing I've learned about free art brushes downloads is that less is often more. When I started, I downloaded hundreds of brushes thinking it would make me better. Turns out, most professional artists use maybe 5-10 brushes regularly.
It's better to find a few versatile brushes and learn to use them well than to have thousands you never use. Start with a basic round brush, a flat brush, a texture brush, and maybe a special effect brush or two.
Also, many free layer-based art software options come with decent default brushes. Don't overlook those while you're hunting for downloads!
Don't forget about creating your own brushes! Most free layer-based art software has brush creation tools. Once you understand what makes a good brush, you can make your own that are tailored to your specific needs.
The basics of brush creation aren't that complicated:
1. Start with a simple shape (circle, square, texture)
2. Adjust spacing, scattering, and opacity
3. Add texture if you want
4. Save it as a custom brush
This is actually one of the best beginner digital painting techniques to learn early. When you make your own brushes, you understand how they work, which makes you better at using them.
As for free art resources online for brush making, there are tons of free textures you can use as brush tips. Just make sure they're licensed for modification if you plan to share your brushes.
I'll add a practical tip about organizing all these free art brushes downloads and other resources. Create a system from the beginning, or you'll end up with a messy folder full of files you can't find.
Here's my system:
- Main folder: Digital Art Resources
- Subfolders: Brushes, Textures, References, Tutorials, Assets
- Within Brushes: subfolders by program (Krita, Photoshop, etc.)
- Within each program folder: subfolders by type (Painting, Sketching, Effects)
Also, keep a simple text file or spreadsheet listing where you got each resource and any usage restrictions. This saves so much time later when you're trying to remember if you can use something commercially.
For finding new free art resources online, I follow specific hashtags on Twitter and Instagram. Artists often share their free brushes and assets there before they hit the bigger sites.