Apr.
27. Link to my guestbook spammer has been removed. I think she
got enough visitors and as far as I'm concerned this issue is mostly
over.
Note
to guests: If one doesn't read the FAQ, or one doesn't read
messages left in his/her GB because one didn't know what his/her
own GB private messages look like, does that mean the other side
is at fault? Just as a point of thought - say you violated a law
you weren't aware of, does this mean you are unaccountable for it?...
To
my spammer - I hadn't visited your site since the incident until
today - I admit I found the messages in your tagboard amusing...
I don't write curses in other people's GBs or Tag Boards so if you
were wondering: No, I didn't leave you any of the latest messages.
To
people who think I'm a horrid person... LOL... what can I say,
I had somebody copy from me, and then I got yelled at for being
annoyed at that... Yes, people think that copying links is OK cause
you can get them from a search engine - so by all means, go and
get all the links here from a search engine... I assure you you
won't be able to find them - there's a lot of work involved here
- especially with keeping the list current. Between each update
many sites change, move, shut down, add brushes, remove brushes
and so on... I try to make sure that with each update you will get
all the latest stuff. People who copy don't think about this. So
they come once and copy the list. They don't check for updates,
or what version of Photoshop the brushes are for, they don't delete
the dead links every now and then, or add new ones, and BTW, there
will be many new links here soon...
How
do I get these links? - from everywhere - a link in a forum
here, a new link in a site there, links that people add to brushmania,
links that people email to me or leave me in my guestbook and so
on. I check each site. I check what type of brushes each site has.
I make sure the brushes are original and not copied from somebody
else. There's a LOT of work and that's why each update with new
links takes me forever, and then to have people make fun of me...
well, it hurts.
All
I can say is that that girl who copied is young and hopefully she'll
grow up and realise what she'd done... but although she claims to
being in the dark about my FAQ, she was ... smart... enough to not
add vbrush's link to her list... makes you wonder why, eh? And it's
thanks to a friend, and you know who you are, that I learnt about
the copying. (Thanks Friend!!!).
It
annoys me that I have to waste my time on this silly issue but what
I read on that girl's site... the disregard for all my hard work,
made me realise that it's only fair that I defend myself, too.
Apr.
26. Fixed problem with the "messy curve" brushes. Anybody
with PS6 who couldn't get these two sets to work can re-download them
now. Apparently I didn't pay attention and I compiled them in PS7...
They are now re-compiled in PS6 for your pleasure.
Apr.
23.I have removed the guestbook due to spamming. The
following site copied my links list. I left a private message in
the site's guestbook requesting removal. Got no response ... After
three dyas I left a public message which must have offended the
site owner... as a result I got an abusive letter... links were
removed from her site after that. Then I was spammed with many kind
words in my guestbook. The link to that site is: REMOVED
and you are more than welcome to pay her a visit. I've been nicely
offended... thanks a lot. I have a lot of email to handle and a
lot of real life to handle and instead I have to deal with this.
I will add a new guestbook soon... and thanks to the lovely people
who wrote to me in it - and I mean the real lovely people who wrote
the good letters!
Apr.
21. I won't get you too tired with a long session here (cause
I'm tired...), Just a few mini-notes. Above you you will see a banner
to the flowchart which
is my little way of explaining some of the basics of this site,
based on some Q's I'd seen. I will hopefully get a few more Qs added
to the FAQ in one of the near future updates. Aside from that the
links will be updated in the next update, but I might make a mini
update in between ... for another surprise, so stay tuned. A BIG
ThankYou goes to Kris from qtone
who is in the process of helping me out with creating a download
counter... What a guy!
Well,
to business - 29 new brush sets for you - many new items,
some vintage, some swirls, some items created with the help of PS7,
all sorts of crazy ideas that came to my mind, some great scans
(my grandma's old radio, audio tapes and so on), some manipulated
fonts ... dutch swirls (and I can't remember the font name I own
credit to, but it's something like Dutch Swirl, and you can check
it out at typeoasis).
Note
to link thieves - DON'T
COPY MY LINKS... Why? Because it's a HUGE list
which I work hard to maintain, and update... and it's not worth
all my hard work if you just come and copy. You want to credit brush
artists? Link directly to sites who's brushes you used. You want
to direct people to brush links? Link to vbrush. Simple.
Note
to Chinese guy who is stealing brushes from everybody - I hope
that somehow somebody finds a way to shut down your site... And
Yes, I need help in this so please contact me if you know how to
shut down sites in China.
Addendum
to the above: to people who think I'm targetting Chinese people
- I'm not - but this particular point is important because China
has NO laws to protect us from copyright violations
and this guy is using this fact to his advantage, plus, when all
brush artists wrote to him and asked him to remove their brushes
from his site, he chose to rewrite his opening page in Chinese only.
I used a translator to figure out what he wrote, and what he said
there was that "the foriegners do not have the spirit of sharing"
and that was why he was now only going to distribute the items he
stole (BTW, not only brushes), he was going to offer them only to
"domestic" visitors which is what I gathered was only
local Chinese guests. I don't know about you, but this was insulting
and hurting, espcially when all the brush artists have put their
trust in their guests and this guy used it (and still is, BTW!).
I don't mean to say this reflects on all Chinese people, but certainly
the fact that he came from China and there's no laws there to protect
us from art theft, is IMO a great part of it. My apologies to people
who are offended, but this is why I am pointing this out. (and while
I was uploading this update, I found two more sites from China that
were distributing other people's brushes... sorry, but it's a fact...).
Note
to people who leave me messages in guestbook - if you are asking
for my comments, even if your question may be offensive, will you
please leave me your email address - I won't bite, but please
give me the chance to defend myself if you accuse me of something.
Note
to people who have JenR's
PSP Brush tutorial linked - Jen has reloacted her site,
so please update to the new link:
http://www.squidge.org/~jenepherre/jensoriginals/PSP7CustomBrushes.html
Take
care and I'll see you soon. Want to know when? Join the update list,
on the top right corner. TTFN. *grin*.
Mar.
24. Hey everybody - I hope you survived this long break... My
real-life took over big time, but if you ask me, the wait was worth
it... There's just so many new sites, it's beyond
thought! Anyway, I have a few things to say, and then you can go
check all the new goodies...
Brush
thief. A certain Chinese guy decided that there's nothing better
than using vbrush to get to all the brushes out there... well, don't
we all, right? Wrong! This person downloaded set after set from
many of the sites linked here and uploaded 450 sets to his site...
He did this without permission. He didn't credit anybody. He seemed
to think that people should all share their stuff... Well, for that
certain person's information... if those people hadn't shared their
brushes on their site, he would not have been able to steal them...
All I can say is that this guy is lazy... and can't create anything
on his own, and well, he stole not only brushes, but the recognition
and hits from the artists who made these brushes. Also, as a result,
quite a few artists have decided to either remove their brushes
from their sites, or just make it somewhat harder for people to
get them. So, if anybody thinks of grabbing brushes from somebody
and then providing them from his/her site... maybe you should think
again. Brushes are the personal property of the people who created
them, and thus protected by the copyright law... and if people wish
that the artists continue making new brushes and providing them,
well, they should think twice before stealing them...
On
this note, I would like to thank all the brush artists who wrote
to me and tried to help in this matter or just wrote to show support.
I know I didn't reply to all of you... I'm just too overwhelmed
with both my virtual life and my real one... But it was very good
to hear from you.
Photoshop
7. Well, basically old news now, but I had the chance to play
a bit with a beta version... and I made a little intro re all the
new brush options that this great new tool will provide... If you
thought brushes were fun up until now, well wait till you start
playing with scattering brushes, their shape size and jittering
them, not to mention multiple colours and dual brushes! Want to
see what I'm talking about? Click HERE.
Featured
brush artists. OK... I didn't mean to grab nocturna's idea...
but the thing is, I found myself having to play with brushes by
certain artists... You have to understand... I see so many sets,
if I find sets that excite me, it's quite rare... So here I was
playing with sets by roadkillart
and sfaustina
and these nice abstract images came out... and that's when I thought
I can use them to sort of pieque your interest... I'm not objective,
and I have my own taste, so of course, this might not be your cup
of tea, but maybe you never thought to check this stuff out, but
now you will... So go HERE to check'em
out!
New
Tutorial. In the how to section,
re how to add colours to images made out of brushes. Hope you find
this useful!
Brush
links. If I thought the last update was huge, this one seems
to outdo them all. Aside from a huge amount of new sites in general,
there's lotsa new brushes over at deviant art. You *HAVE*
to check the brushes there - if you don't, you'll be missing out
on the best sets in the world! Me? I'm beyond myself with excitement!
Don't know where the deviant brushes are? Go HERE
now! and anyway, I will now list all the changes... take a deep
breah!
Updated
sites: All sites that have added new brush sets since Feb. 17
have the button
next to them. I made this checkup between March 20 and March22...
If new sets were added since, I will mention the update in vbrush's
next update.
Changes:
ballistic.nu once again known as fiasco.nu.
roadkillart
was moved to the deviant brushes section. suzzettemcgrath is now
known as winggleam.
radio9x moved out of the deviant section and is now known as triberadio.
Thanks:Lilly the RedCelt,
all the lovely people writing to me and to those who have signed
my guestbook, and especially to all the talented brush artists!
(Hope I haven't forgotten anybody...).
OK,
this was a LOT of hard work, so I truly request that nobody copy
this list elsewhere because I've worked hard to get it to you and
to make sure it's up-to-date and that there no broken links. Also,
stay tuned for another related project coming up. Happy Holidays
everybody! From me!
Feb.
17. This is mostly a links update... There's a lot of new stuff
out there, and it's been extra hard to cope with the amount of it
all, but well worth your time.
Please
don't forget to go through the FAQ before
writing to me with any question. I am *very* much behind with my
mail... am just not coping with the high demands of this site while
also leading a busy real life (work, house, friends, family... also
having some fun and now studies too...). I ask your forgiveness
if I haven't replied to your recent letter. I try to do my best
but at times I cannot cope. Please write again and hopefully you'd
catch me at a better time and I'll get back to you.
Tiny
thingies... I'm happy to see that many of my X-Files friends have
begun creating their own brushes... there's at least four XF fan
links here and I know of at least one more on the way. Also, some
personal patriotism if you allow me - getting recognition in my
own home country from the Israeli
bloggers forums (site in Hebrew)! Not to mention discovering
a fellow Israeli brush artist (Daniel Adrian- Visual Dust).
Personal
request... To anybody who's thinking of copying all these
links to his/her personal site - I beg of you, please don't... There's
just so much work involved in updating these links... and I'm talking
of more than 100 links now... if somebody just comes and copies
the whole list, I'd just feel like all my efforts are for nothing...
It's great to be recognized for my work (and yes, collecting and
updating links is *hard* work... takes me a lot longer to do this
than to add my brushes... *gulp*)... Just recently a site that offered
brushes closed down. It's the very well-known "Blend Challenge"...
The creator shut her site down after people began copying her idea...
I guess I'm asking that you please not copy this site's original
idea...
Now, of course, if you use brushes, please link back to the site
you used the brushes from. Even furthermore - I'm happy to have
vbrush linked, but try to remember whose brushes you are using and
give proper credit. As a quick tip, download each artist's sets
into a seperate folder going by the name of the site... for instance,
if you got brushes from nocturna, create a folder called "nocturna.net"
and save her sets there... and so on - it will be a lot easier later
on to give the proper credit.
Ok,
I think I'm mostly done with the lecturing, so I'm moving on to
the good stuff - new links and updates:
New
category: Deviant Brushes. I have added a page dedicated
to brush artists who are hosted in deviantart
- many such artists do not have their own home page and their deviations
is where you'd look for some outstanding stuff.
All
sites that have added new brushes since January 30th have been marked
as .
Removed:
gear.suture.nu, the blend challenge (closed...) and citizen erased
(am waiting for the new link of that site). Had brushes: digitexturia (going through yet another
hiatus), elegance, smoldering hot, hydro47. Renamed: sixhours => januarygirl,
hooktonfonix => thugmentality. Changed status:entrancy,
moved to PS&PSP brushes. New tutorial: How to make spike brushes in PSP - go
to the how to section.
Thanks:Lily
Grace, Lilly
the RedCelt, Darian,
JenR,
Mels,
shiivva, j
and Daniel Joseph. Thanks to all the darling people who signed my
guestbook - keep that coming - you have no idea what feedback does
to an artist. Thanks to all the people who have linked vbrush, and
especially to those who have used the brushes - it's great to see
what you people come up with! and also thanks to my friends who
have been there supporting me all the way.
Join
- the brush fanlisting I created. This fanlisting is for people
who use brushes, people who make bruhses and those who just like
brushes, period. If you're a brush artist and your link is not listed
here, yet you want quick exposure, sign up to brushmania. If you're
looking for new links that haven't been listed here yet, check brushmania
out... Also thanks to all of those who have already signed up!
Join
the vbrush update list to find out when this site is next updated
with new links and/or new brushes.
Note
to JenR and J who gave me tips regarding PSP - I will be updating
all this info next and sorry this has taken me so long.
Addendum
a: I asked in the adobe photoshop forum if the next version
of photoshop will have backward compaibility options for brushes...
i.e., allow you to save brushes as older versions of photoshop...
one of the developers answered me that it's too complicatad for
it to be done... so that's that... (but I can't wait for photoshop
7 to come out!).
Addendum
b: If any of the brush artists listed here can write
to me and let me know what version of photoshop their brushes
are, I'd be very grateful and so would vbrush's visitors.
Feb.
10. This is a brush update! Yes, yes... it's been a month
of no new brushes, but for this you get a reward... 28 new sets!!!
Before
the brushes some essentials:
-
Please read the FAQ.
I'll repeat this again because people still write with questions
that are answered there... I am swamped with email, I also have
a job, a husband and a house to run, not to mention other activities...
if you want a quick answer, the FAQ is your first choice.
-
Please join BrushMania,
the fanlisting I created for fans of brushes (make them,
use them, love them) - we have 58 members as I write this update
and hey, I know that there's many more from just checking this
site's tracker, so come on - prove you're fans!
-
For my latest brush art, please visit my
bkaro - I'd love to hear your comments!
-
Want to be informed when vbrush is next updated? Join the vbrush
update list. Fill up the simple form up there on the right...
there's new links next time...
OK,
you read all the above - now the goodies!
I made...
"Inspired
Brushes" - based on a tip given to me by Jeff from JeffsDigital
- I created blotches that will add a lot ot your art - splash them
all over, use them to colour above... use them to create new blotches...
be creative... there's seven inspired sets - some are blotches I
created out of images.
"Orient
Blotch Brushes" - based on the inspired technique I created
a set with an oriental touch - old photos of Japanese women, and
more, all blotched up.
"Grandma
Brushes" - scans of documents and more that were left to my
family by my grandmother...
"Macro
Brushes" - made out of macro photos taken with my new digital
camera.
"Parcel
Brush" - photos slightly played with of torn pieces of parcel
paper.
And
that's just the tip of the iceberg - there's "Bad Photocopy",
"Ivy", "Old Ads", "Text Blotches",
"Dollar" and more.
I'd
love to see what you make of these brushes, please link back to
my site if you've used the brushes - if people come back here from
your site, I will see a link from my statmeter and I'm sure to take
a visit (I'm obsessed...).
That's
about it - I will have more links on my next update (yes, there's
more!). Oh, by the way... did I tell you I'm beat?... This took
me ages to complete... *sheesh*.
Feb.
7. This will be an informative update re a few little additions
and pleas.
Links and/or brushes will be added on the next update...
-
Read the FAQ before writing
to me with questions. There's a lot of answers there.
- I would like to invite you all to join the fanlisting I created
for fans of brushes called BrushMania.
This is a list for people who make brushes, use brushes or plain
like brushes. It's a great chance to add yourself and check other
links of fans like you, either for inspiration or maybe new brush
links!
- On the right side you will see the "vbrush update list".
It's there for people who would like to be informed when vbrush
is next updated with new brushes and/or new links.
- Also new, nocturna
has created a webring for creators of photoshop brushes - brush
makers, get listed! (link's on the right side up top).
- V-Brush has been added as a permanent link at JeffsDigital...
and well, Jeff has provided the inspiration for my upcoming brushes
so stay tuned...
- Please go and visit my
bkaro for my latest art using new brushes to come
out soon...
- Citizen Erased has found a new host... Thanks to everybody who
has offered help. I hope to have the new location soon.
Thanks
to everybody who has written to me with questions, comments and
new links. I'm working on replying so don't give up on me yet, and
see you soon!
Jan.
30. Before I begin - PLEASE READ THE FAQ
before writing to me with questions. I have updated it with a LOT
of information, including answers to many questions I'd gotten over
the passing months. If after you've gone through the FAQ you still
have questions, you are more than welcome to drop me a line. The
reason for my insistance is that I'm not coping with my email due
to real life demands and the fact that I get a LOT of it
(lots of email)... I try to answer as many people as possible, but
sometimes I just can't manage it... That's why the FAQ is there,
to help you out and to give you answers to your questions on an
immediate basis.
Apology:
To all the people I didn't reply to... There's quite a few letters
that I haven't replied to... If you're one of these people I would
like to apologize and urge you to write again. I've been away from
home a few times during this passing month and I just couldn't get
back to everybody. My deep sincere apology to all of you.
Apology
no.2: Recently you might have tried to access vbrush and found
it down. There's a problem involving mass spamming of my host's
server which is causing this downtime. My host, Gertie,
is doing all that's possible to resolve this matter and hopefully
things will soon be back to normal. Gertie, if you read this - be
strong, girl! You can beat this!
Announcement:
E.J. from .ABR has
opened a new
forum - it includes a forum
dedicated solely to brushes. Let's make .ABR's forum the
place to discuss brushes - i.e., how to make them, linkage and art
that employs brushes - and God knows what else... that's the place
to discuss everything brush!
Site
changes: I have alphabetized the links list... It makes things
easier for me... might make it also easier for you if you're coming
here to check on certain favourite links and don't want to start
wading through a disorganized list... Also, I added "new"
and "updated" signs next to links respectively, and at
the request of the lovely Lily
Grace I have now added signs stating with which version of Photoshop
the brushes on each site work.
Lily
has been extremely helpful - she has asked some of the artists in
person about the Photoshop versions. She has also tested brushes
for me. If no sign appears next to a site, this means that we couldn't
figure out which version of Photoshop these brushes were made for.
If you would like to help me with this information, I'd be more
than willing to accept your offer!
Also
changed - A much more informative FAQ, including
info on how to install brushes, make brushes, zip brushes, and lots
more. Added an about section and reorganized
the tips and tutorials into the how to
section.
Special
request: Fellow brush artist Citizen
Erased is searching for a new host - There's great art and great
brushes just waiting to be hosted - Please go over to her
site to check the full details.
Sites
updated with new brush sets now have the little "update"
sign next to them as I mentioned above - this refers to sites whose
owners have added new brush sets since my last update. I'd like
to especially mention nocturna
who now has 60 brush sets! Relique's
Brushy - new layout and new sets. Anna has removed some of her
old sets in order to promote a new look around the net since her
brushes have been used in numerous sites and zoorex
has added another great brush set to his brushfest by anti-girl.
Changes:
dc.fiasco is now known as dc
(he has also moved to a new address and has a nice new layout).
DigitalObscurity is now known as shift22
(grand new layout). WonderKid is now known as Plunk.
Fiasco's moved and is now known as ballistic.nu
- he's still in the process of moving in so no brushes are up yet,
but what a design!
Removed:
abr - site's gone... *poof* Had brushes: gear.suture.nu Reinstated:FullMoon Brush link count: 89
Jan.
10. As promised, I'm back and this time I bear gifts... New
brushes and plenty new links, but first a few things I'd like to
explain:
Quick
Immediate FAQ:
1.
Please don't copy all the links from
vbrush and post them to your site or forum. Why? Because
I'd appreciate it if vbrush remained the original resource
site, and because I'd worked a lot to collect this list and
bring it to you, and it's frustrating to see it so easily
copied, no effort whatsoever. If you want to promote these
brush sites, just link vbrush. If you want to link just a
few links - that's fine, just don't copy the entire list,
that's all I ask.
2.
How do I make brushes? In Photoshop 6 after creating an image
you want to turn into a brush, go to the "EDIT"
menu and then choose "Define Brush". For more info
check the FAQ.
3.
How can I use these brushes in PSP? Check out Jen's
Tutorial.
4.
Do I need to give you credit for your brushes? Yes, and thanks
for asking. All brush artists would appreciate a link back
to their site.
5.
How to I open .sit and .ace files? For .sit you need stuffit
and for .ace you winace.
I would
like to say thanks to the following people for sending me links
to brush sites: Analia, Sara,
Silverhawk,
Mike Retrum, Lucylle
and Brian.
Before
I mention the new links, here's a few things...
I want to explain things re the inicident in thr graphics-forum
- The guy who copied all the links did come up and state that he
did indeed copy all my links... unintentionally. He edited his post
and mentioned that the links came from vbrush. Still, I would really
like my guests to *NOT* copy the *entire*
list of links to any site. You can link vbrush for people who would
like the complete list (and updates to it). You can also link the
links you like most or the links you use... but don't copy the *entire*
list. That's all I ask.
I
would also
like to state that I do not view the Graphics
Forum negatively. It's actually a great place for every aspiring
artist or web-designer, well worth your time.
As
for new brushes - finally I've got
11 new sets... All of the stuff this
time is stuff I manipulted on my own with filters and other brushes
- I find the new brushes very useful - I hope you think so too...
and by popular demand I've made some more curved brushes, and I
hope they meet with your taste.
Lots'n'lots
of new links, please take a deep breath and follow my lead:
Removed:
volcano - the artist has stated she doesn't like brushes anymore...
can't find any on her site. Should she begin making brushes again
I will re-link her. Niklas Industries... R.I.P.... I knew it might
be gone eventually... Barely-sane's webmistress got fed up and the
site's gone...
Renamed:
explode is now knows as poetic-jester
and divine resource is now knows as mis-focus.
Had
brushes: fullmoon graphics- the site is going through some changes...
the brushes are currently unavailable. Will keep a link for now.
ABR... site's not online... no info why... will follow and see...
OK...
It's now almost half past two AM in the morning... I've been at
this for more than 4 hours... My right hand's frozen... brrrr...
but it's almost over...
Thanks
to all the lovely people who've signed my guestbook, thanks to those
who have linked vbrush or recommended it in some forum and thanks
to the brush artists out there! If you make brushes, have them uploaded
to a site and would like me to link you - please send me a note,
ok? Night all! (Brush link count: 72 links! Brush set count: 115
sets!).
Jan.
7. A new year has come, hopefully bringing us better times cause
this last year sure wasn't great. Anyway, I was thinking of having
the update a wee bit later, but I'm gonna just write a few things,
then add links on the next update in a day or two.
I'm
sorta annoyed... I'm working hard to make vbrush a place for
everybody to come and get great new brushes, and to find all the
latest brush links... There's lovely people out there who've linked
vbrush and given credit, and others offering me links to whom I'm
grateful (and more about this in next update)... But then there's
those who take brushes and don't give credit... and I don't
only mean give me credit, I'm referring to giving credit to other
brush artists. Please understand that no brush artist is asking
you for money - we just want a link back so others can come by and
visit our site... it's that simple...
Now
what truly annoyed me is that somebody
went and copied all the brush links from vbrush and posted them
in a forum, claiming s/he'd found them. Go check
it out here.
The person wasn't smart enough to realise that the link to "Die
Fabrik" was actually a link to a prologue page I made for that
site and thus s/he copied the link to my prologue page... thus making
sure I'd know where all those links came from.
Why
am I annoyed? cause vbrush is the first site to create such a directory
for brush sites. I've been searching for links and adding them here.
Nobody handed me a full list of links to copy... I may get a link
here and there from wonderful people and they all get credit for
this, but nobody did the leg work for me.
So
to people who think that copying links is OK, let me state it out
right - You did not find these links on your own, you did not search
for them, you were fed with a spoon... why not give credit where
credit's due? Why not link vbrush instead of copying all the links?
OK...
Now a few notes - to Analia from Argentina
- please contact me again - I've lost your email.
And to Sara from popgoddess.org
- I haven't forgotten you - will write!
Dec.
27. Another "links" update... Still haven't made that
many brush sets to feel like uploading right now (I've been making
fonts instead... HooBoy!).
New
category added - PS&PSP brushes for sites that offer both types
of brushes. Some of the current links will be moved there so don't
forget to check'em sites.
Come
back from the dead (i.e., they used to have brushes, or were gone...
now they're back with goodies!): bulletprone, now known as ok
(Thanks Amit for letting me know!) and xecution, now known as excise.
I just
did a quick count... There's 57 (!!!) sites with brushes linked
here (this count does not includ the sites in the "had brushes"
category)... I don't know about you, but I'm bloody impressed!
If
you make brushes and have them hosted on a site that isn't listed
her, and you'd like to be linked, just drop me a line via email
or the guestbook. And thanks!