You’re allowed to use artist brushes as makeup brushes, as long as you wash them first! They don’t tend to look as elegant as traditional makeup brushes, but they can work beautifully. One of my favorite blending brushes was a super soft and very yielding squirrel hair brush that I bought at an art store, for example! When it comes to powders, even firmer brushes will deposit less product on the skin than a damp sponge will. Since I prefer a more luminous finish I definitely prefer applying setting powders with a soft brush, though on rainy days and when I’m feeling a little oily I will use a firm brush instead. The motions you use when applying makeup matter just as much as the makeup brush. Remember that tapping will deposit product, while brushing will move it around. Circular brushing will help blend and sheer out makeup.

Medialoot's Diego Sanchez has crafted the most gorgeous set of pencil brushes to be used in Photoshop. His selection of 12 brushes represent a wide range of drawing pencils, from F to 6B. And, to make the selections even more authentic, each one was made using real pencil textures, so every line will look genuine. To use: For powder products, use the firm medium-sized brush the same way you would a softer one. For cream products, it is better to do the application either before or after applying foundation but definitely before setting the foundation with powder. Use a tapping or gentle brushing motion to dispense more product and follow it up with a circular motion to buff out and blend. • Angled Powder Brush Once you understand the basics of the shape of each brush and which materials it works best with, you will find it easier to break these rules to achieve a makeup technique that works best for you. Foundation Brushes • Flat-Top Foundation Brush Here's a great set of grungy vector brushes for every Illustrator lover. Enjoy broad vector brush strokes and abstract designs for print, web, and so much more. Free Grunge Brush for Illustrator

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Remember to control your pressure, and to start off gentle. Using more pressure when applying products will deposit more on your skin while using more pressure while blending will take more product off, so remember to adjust your pressure slowly and gently until you achieve the effect you want. Your highlighter should go on the top of the apples of the cheeks and dragged up towards the temple (you can also lightly diffuse it over the center of the forehead and above the lip), blush should go slightly below the highlight on the apple of the cheeks and towards the temples, and a contour should be applied below the cheekbone from the center of the ear to just below the apple of the cheek.

You can now set any Foreground color you want and start drawing with your new Pencil Brush. A Final Tip:Tip: Medium brushes are also better for applying mineral powder foundations, since they allow a bit more control than their larger counterparts but still don’t dispense as much product as a firm brush. • Fan Brush Tip: You can also use the slightly domed/ pointed tip of this brush to get a fine line of contour cream under your cheekbone or along the side of your nose. • Dual-Fiber Stippling Brush If you’ve just cleaned your makeup brushes, don’t leave them side up when they are damp or the water will get into the ferrule and loosen the glue holding the bristles together. KoiFishSushi created this drawing brush to sketch without having to worry about the smudges that happen when using actual pencil and paper, utilizing the ease of use that comes with Photoshop. The brush still allows for darker shading, but keeps the authenticity of light sketching lines.

The bristles themselves tend to be straighter and firmer than the bristles of a powder brush. This kind of brush applies cream and liquid foundations beautifully, with a seamless finish and without any lines or streaks.A huge set of Illustrator brushes. If you are looking to add a natural media feel to your vector illustrations, then this one is for you. Custom Set: Free Illustrator Brushes