Setting up a Digital Scalpel Pattern

Once again there is the obvious method of applying a “digital scalpel” over painted lines, using the Eraser, except that using the Eraser tool to get this lighter effect takes a very long time. To speed up the process, one can set up a Scalpel Pattern and apply it over the inked lines the same way as he/she would do when modeling or drawing plaster. Although it acts like an eraser, we use a pattern based on white brush lines to accomplish our task:

Setting up a Digital Scalpel Pattern

Setting up a Digital Scalpel Pattern

(1)In a similar fashion to setting up all the previous patterns, open a new canvas, set the Resolution to 1200dpi, with Color Mode to grayscale.

Setting up a Digital Scalpel Pattern

(2)Draw a few Brush Strokes with the same orientation as your scalpel would have. Add some variety in length.

Setting up a Digital Scalpel Pattern

(3)Crop the area around your pattern in a way that no significant white space remains and the texture looks homogeneous.

Setting up a Digital Scalpel Pattern

(4)Go to Image/Adjustments/Invert transform your black brush strokes to White. It turns your entire canvas white.

Setting up a Digital Scalpel Pattern

(5)Hit Edit/Define Pattern and set your new pattern up as Scalpel_1. (Try different patterns with slightly tweaked brush work.)

Setting up a Digital Scalpel Pattern

(6)Hover over the Tools Bar and hit right click (secondary click) at the Stamp tool. Choose Pattern Stamp tool.

Setting up a Digital Scalpel Pattern

(7)Pick the Scalpel_1 pattern you want to use. Note that newly set patterns always end up at the bottom of the pattern list.

Setting up a Digital Scalpel Pattern

(8)Go to the Layers Panel, and with the Damage layer active, lock the transparent pixels by hitting the first tab on the Lock Menu.

Setting up a Digital Scalpel Pattern

(9)Make sure Aligned is deactivated on the Tools Panel. Use the pattern by painting separate strokes over the damage.