Free spray and splatter Photoshop brushes

Digital painting has come a long way, but it can be too perfect. Now you can make more of a mess if you want.

Tips:

Photoshop and Painter are both used for digital painting, but they are very expensive unless you buy the student versions (campus bookstores usually carry these).

Downloading random copies of Photoshop, etc. can be very dangerous for your computer security because pirated software is a popular vector for computer malware (viruses, trojans, back doors).

Photoshop brushes might work with software you already have.

ArtRage painting software

ArtRage is getting good reviews. It works on MacOS and Windows, and it has a free downloadable trial version. It's optimized to work with tablets, but you don't have to have a tablet.

Tablets are the way to go though if you're doing graphic design or digital painting. The good news there is that the Wacom Bamboo finally brings the price down to something comparable with new sneakers.

Plutonium G paint

New paint available in the US, UK, NL, AU, NZ. Have not seen it, but it's meant for art. If you try some, let us know how it works with your caps and projects, please.

Graffiti Practice Book - Free PDF

Download and print a free coloring book with dumpsters, trucks, and other familiar but boring surfaces to decorate.
- From Fakeproject Corporation.

Paint and sperm trouble

Some paint and solvent ingredients (some types of glycol ether) are reportedly responsible for low sperm quality (infertility) problems in men, according to a British study. Unfortunately the article doesn't seem to link to the study or name it, so it's hard to find out which glycol ethers are now known to be at fault. A quick search online for [MSDS spray paint glycol ether] seems to indicate that many spray paints also have forms of glycol ether in them, as apparently do the water-based paint (latex?) mentioned in the article. There's no indication whether the impairment is permanent or will wear off after exposure stops, so best to err on the side of safety. We've long known that spray paint is dangerous to the central nervous system over time, not to mention lungs of course, so the smart move is to wear good protection.

Definitely wear those respirators that can help protect you from paint. Dust masks are useless except for the largest droplets. They won't protect you from the solvents.

A British study suggests that men routinely exposed to chemicals found in paint may be more likely to experience fertility problems.

The research found that men, such as painters and decorators, who work with glycol solvents are two-and-a-half times more likely to produce lower levels of "normal" sperm.

The study, a joint research project between the Universities of Manchester and Sheffield, examined more than 2,000 men attending 14 fertility clinics. The research found identified a wide variety of other chemicals that did not impact fertility.

Estria's skinny cap (stencil tip) tutorial [updated]

Correct info, from the site: "In 1986 Crayone TWS and Razor KTD first introduced Estria to the Skinny Cap. Razor was the first to conceive of it." (San Francisco Bay Area)

This type of detail cap has spread to Europe and beyond over the decades.

Here's the first public tutorial on home made skinny caps.

Be forewarned: Using these can be incredibly messy. You will get paint all over yourself until you get the hang of it. Wear gloves and trashed shoes. On the upside, you'll have plenty of loose paint for those nice splatter effects.

Painting / Image software for Windows

This looks like it might be worth trying out if you don't have your own copy of Photoshop for Windows.

Wacom Cintiq 12WX: LCD Drawing Tablet

I hope this one will finally be reasonable enough to buy ... but if not, I can recommend the Wacoms without the screen on the tablets. I liked mine a lot and miss it every single time I have to draw a line with a mouse. Has been a while though, and I wouldn't buy the cheapest model these days.

NYC prohibits unlocked paint, markers for under-21

"The law, authored by City Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr., outlaws the possession of graffiti instruments in public places by people under the age 21. Under the new bill, it will be a criminal violation to carry spray paint, broad-tipped markers or etching acid unless it is enclosed in a locked container, or if the tools are needed for educational or professional purposes."

Noodler's inks