Paintstorm Studio — Intermediate: Texture Maps & Paper Grain

Texture is story

Texture tells viewers what a surface feels like. In Paintstorm, you can add texture at the brush level (paper grain) or across the canvas (patterns/overlays). Think of it like choosing the paper you draw on before you pick the pencil.

flowchart LR Import["Import Texture (PNG)"] --> Assign["Assign to Brush/Canvas"] Assign --> Tune["Tune Depth & Scale"] Tune --> Paint["Paint with Restraint"] Paint --> Save["Save Preset"]

Simple path: import → assign → tune → paint → save.

Depth vs. Scale

Depth is how strong the texture emboss feels; Scale is pattern size. Match scale to your zoom and canvas size.

<!-- Starting points -->
Depth: 10–35%
Scale: 80–120%
Blend: Normal (lower Flow for subtlety)

Comparative note

Krita: paper textures via brush tips & texture masks.
Photoshop: pattern/texture overlays and brush texture settings.
Corel Painter: “Paper” system with convincing natural grains.

Hands-on practice

Import and assign

Use a high-contrast grayscale PNG. Assign it to your brush texture slot or the canvas pattern slot.

<!-- Workflow (escaped) -->
1) Import PNG (grayscale)
2) Assign: Brush Texture > Select
3) Set Depth 20–30%, Scale 90–110%
4) Save brush preset with texture ON

Value safety

Texture is seasoning. Keep forms readable by using lower Flow and glazing texture in gently.

<!-- Readability tips -->
- Toggle texture off to compare
- Use larger brushes for broad forms, texture later
- Avoid 100% depth; aim for 20–35%

Subtle break-up pass

On a new layer, lightly add texture only in shadow-halftones and background to avoid stealing attention from focal points.

<!-- Layering idea -->
Separate "Texture Pass" layer (low opacity)
Mask out highlights
Feather mask edges 2–3px

Demos & visual aids

Match texture scale to viewing size — too large looks stamped, too small becomes noise.

Texture sanity flow

flowchart TB Start[Add texture] --> CheckValues[Toggle, check values] CheckValues --> Subtle[Lower depth/flow if needed] Subtle --> Mask[Mask & feather] Mask --> Save[Save preset]

Interactive — texture depth

Drag the slider to change texture depth. Click the canvas to add paint; the grain modulates the color.

Depth 18%

What you’ve learned

How to import and assign textures to brushes or canvas.
How to tune depth and scale to match zoom and canvas size.
How to preserve readability by glazing texture in lightly.

Next step: Continue to Blending & Smudge to merge edges and planes without losing structure.

⬅ Back to Dynamic Brushes Continue to Blending & Smudge ➡