Gradient on paper. Gradient Wash - Basic Watercolor Technique

A gradient is a smooth transition from one value to another. In this case, the value of a physical quantity can be anything, from temperature and speed to color and transparency (if used in Photoshop). It should be noted that this smooth transition can be carried out at different speeds, in different space and time. The main thing is that there are no sharp jumps.

What is the meaning of a gradient in Photoshop? I will say without exaggeration - huge. After all, it is using the gradient tool that we create in Photoshop a smooth transition between two or more colors, change the illumination, or simply put, we make our work natural, naturalized.

You can apply a gradient both to the contents of the layer, and using a new layer, let's call it "gradient fill". In this case, the gradient will be on its own "gradient fill" layer and have a layer mask property that masks the image pixels of the main layer.

Photoshop is the most popular raster graphics image processing program. The number of her fans is increasing daily. Therefore, it makes sense to tell where the gradient is in Photoshop. Even though the Gradient Tool is one of Photoshop's essential tools, the unknowing person won't find it right away. So where is the gradient in Photoshop located?
The gradient tool is selected by right-clicking on the group with the tool "Fill" (Paint Bucker) (1) on the toolbar. When opening an additional window, by clicking the left mouse button directly on the icon "gradient tool" (2), we switch to the mode of working with gradients. Also, to switch to the gradient mode, you can use the G key, or Shift + G, to switch between the tools of the group.

In this case, the following will appear on the properties panel: the gradient image in the active tool window (3), the current gradient window (4) and the gradient type selection buttons (6-10).

Select the type of gradient depending on the planned work using the buttons on the options bar (6-10).

The linear gradient (6) is designed to fill the layer with a gradient of color or transparency in a straight line, along the direction we specified (enabled by default).

Radial gradient (7) defines the transition of color or transparency evenly in all directions from the point you set.

A cone-shaped gradient (8) involves the transition of color or transparency in a spiral, forming a cone-shaped shape.

The specular gradient (9) sets the transition of color or transparency in a straight line with a mirror image. It is essentially two linear gradients propagating in opposite directions from the starting point of the gradient.

The diamond-shaped gradient (10) allows you to set the transition of color or transparency along the diagonals of the diamond from its center. Or in other words - four linear gradients radiating from one point at an angle of 90 degrees relative to each other.

In the rectangular window (4) we see the current version of the gradient. If you left-click on the arrow (5) located next to it, then we will open the gradient palette. It remains for us to select the desired gradient by clicking on it with the left mouse button.

When you click on the arrow (11), we will open a menu divided into several submenus. Using the submenu (12) we can customize the appearance of the gradient palette. In another submenu (13) there are gradient sets available to us, with which we can replace the set of gradients presented in the gradient palette.

In addition to the gradient properties already listed above, on the properties panel we will see: "Mode" (14), "Opacity" (15), "Invert" (16), "Dither" (17) and "Transparency" (18).

At the same time, using the "Opacity" property of the gradient, we adjust the level of opacity of the entire gradient. Set either by numbers in the window, or by moving the slider along the scale called by pressing the triangular arrow to the right of the window.

The "Invert" property reverses the order of the colors in the gradient. "Dithering" prevents banding. "Transparency" applies a transparency mask to the gradient (enables or disables the transparency gradient as part of the overall gradient). Enabling (disabling) these properties of the gradient is done by checking (unchecking) the checkbox in their box.

The "Mode" property of the gradient gives us a wide range of gradient blending modes. It is enough to click on the triangular arrow to the right of the window of the current gradient overlay mode and a menu of gradient overlay modes will open in front of us. By using the same gradient but with different blending modes, you can achieve the desired effect. Experiment with modes on the same image to see what effects they give. Do not forget that we first select the mode, and only then we apply the gradient.

If we left-click on the gradient window (4), the gradient editor will open, which we will use to edit existing and create new Photoshop gradients.

How to make a gradient

We will learn how to make a color gradient and a transparent gradient with you. I think you have already noticed that the top edge has a greater transparency than the entire gradient.

So let's start:

1. We enter Photoshop, select the "Gradient" tool - right-click on the toolbar (palette) where the "Fill" tool is located. Left click on the Gradient tool. Then left-click on the gradient swatch window in the Properties panel (indicated by the red arrow in the figure).

The gradient editor window will open, where we will see:

A) Sets (Presets) - contains the gradients supplied with the program. The gradients of the active gradient set are displayed.
b) Name (Name) - the name of the selected gradient, which we can change as it is convenient for us to use. Just highlight the name and enter your own. In this case, we have "Custom" on the skinshot, a gradient with custom settings.
c) Gradient Type. By clicking on the arrow we will see two options: Continuous (Solid) and Noise (Noise)
d) Smoothness (Smoothness) - the softness of the transition of colors in the gradient. We can also change if needed.
e) Color bar with sliders (sliders) at the top and bottom. The sliders locate the color (blue arrows) and opacity (red arrows) control points. In the center of the window is a sample of the selected gradient.

When one of the color or opacity sliders is activated, we will also see the "color midpoint" or "opacity midpoint", respectively, located between the sliders.

2. Now let's click with the left mouse button on the lower left slider (1), the triangle above it will become colored, which means that the slider has become active. This is also indicated by the color window (2), which became active and turned into the color of the slider.

3. Click on the "Color" window with the left mouse button and an additional window "Select a color" will open. Here we will select the color of the beginning of the gradient by clicking on the color field (3). If you want to choose a color from a different color range, then move the slider (5) on the color scale to the range you need. Or just click on the color bar in the right place. If you have a color number, then enter it in the box (4). After choosing a color, click "OK" to save it. If you want to make a gradient from the base color to the background, then click on the black arrow to the right of the "Color" box (2). An additional window will open where we can select "Main Color", "Background" or "Custom". The foreground color and background match the color and background set on the toolbar.

We do the same with the lower right slider - set the final color of the gradient. For simplicity, let's take the color of the same color range, but darker. The result is a linear color gradient from light to dark.

4. In order for us to understand what role the position of the sliders plays, let's move them 10% from the edges while holding down the left mouse button. Or enter the digital values ​​"10" - for the left slider and "90" - for the right slider in the "Position" window (6). Don't forget to activate the corresponding sliders first. Digital values ​​of extreme control points: 0% - left and 100% - right. We see that the color remaining outside the sliders is not processed by the gradient.

5. Click with the left mouse button in any free space between the sliders. A new slider will appear. It can also be moved and adjusted. The slider is moved with the mouse, or by entering a numeric value in the Location field. If we want to create a control point similar in color value to the existing one, then we simply copy the selected point by dragging it with the left mouse button while pressing the "Alt" button.
If we want to remove the unwanted control point, we simply drag it outside the color bar. Or activate it and press the "Delete" button on the dialog box. It is also possible to use the Delete and Backspace buttons.

6. Similarly, create another color control point (Fig. 7) and set it to a darker shade of color (see paragraph 3 of this article).

7. To further explore the gradient functionality, let's move one of the midpoints of the color. To do this, activate one of the nearest sliders. A dot of light color will appear between them. Let's click on it. The color will change to black, which means it has become active. Moving the middle point of the color is done in the same way as the sliders (see item 4).

8. Now let's experiment with opacity, another gradient functionality. Our actions are the same as in working with color. Only now we activate the top sliders and change their settings.

9. To consolidate the skills of creating control points, we will set one for opacity. We carry out the actions already familiar to us according to paragraph 5. It immediately becomes clear that the opacity gradient is formed only between those control points, the value of which is not equal in opacity.

10. The gradient is ready. Apply the created gradient and see what we got:

11. This is not the end of my lesson on how to make a gradient in Photoshop. We already know how to work with the gradient tools, now let's see how our gradient will change when we change the "Smoothness" function. Notice how the gradient has changed:

12. Now apply the gradient function "Noise". Here we open up new vistas. We can change the smoothness, color model, channel values ​​and other gradient parameters.

13. I think it's time to remember my promise to tell you how to make a transparency gradient. Now it will not be difficult for you. Using the knowledge you've just gained, try making your own transparency gradient. I'm posting a screenshot for a hint. We make the color control points the same. For the opacity control points, set different values, depending on the purpose of the gradient.

We are finishing our Photoshop lesson "How to make a gradient". Further development of the properties of the gradient, with the knowledge you now have, will not be difficult.

A smooth transition from one color to another is called color stretching. The presence of several colors distinguishes our heroine from tonal. Tonal can be done with one paint. What is it for? It is impossible to imagine painting without mastering this technique. Color overflows underlie most of the paintings. Let's learn how to make it with two dissimilar colors.

Color stretch watercolor

To learn well how to make the finest changes in color, you need to practice a lot. For this, simple exercises on filling gradient tables are intended. At first, it is better to try to make tonal stretch marks in one color. Then you can gradually switch to multi-color exercises. Let's look at one of the simple exercises in stages:

1. Take a blank sheet of drawing paper and draw 4 long rectangles on it one under the other.
2. Divide each strip into 8 equal parts.
3. Now take watercolor and a brush. Wet the brush heavily with water and pick up black paint. Fill the entire top rectangle with it.
4. Fill the next strip with blue paint.
5. Next red.
6. Last yellow.
7. After the first coat is dry, apply the second coats in rectangles with the same colors, again heavily diluted with water. Only this time it is not necessary to fill in the entire rectangle, but only seven of its parts. We leave one part of the same color and tone.
8. According to this principle, we do until all parts of our strips run out.

As a result, you will have a tonal grid of all primary colors, and a black rectangle will clearly show how the overlay of a new watercolor layer affects the tone. Now let's move on to our heroine, how to make her in watercolor. To do this, you can use the principle of the previous lesson. Only now we paint over the rectangles with two different colors towards each other. We start the first layer with five parts. As a result, at the junction of colors, we will get a color transition from one color scheme to another.

After a simple one, you can move on to a more complex one. For example, we work with watercolor on wet. Dampen the paper with water, and then stroke one color and next to the other so that they can connect on the wet paper. For such classes, you can come up with different topics to make it more interesting to do the work. For example, to come up with compositions for association with some word or event.

Color stretching with gouache

Never stop practicing with watercolor if you want to master this material well, but do not forget about other paints. Gouache is very different from watercolor, so stretching with the same methods will not work here. Let's do the first exercise from the watercolor school, but with gouache:

1. We repeat the first two points. We draw rectangles in the same way as for the watercolor exercise.
2. We paint over the first of the eight parts in each strip with a solid color. The top is black, below it is blue, even lower is red, the last is yellow.
3. We add a little white to the pure color, paint over the following parts.
4. We repeat the operation with the addition of white and painting over the following parts until we write down all the cells. The main thing in this process is to add more and more white for new squares.

Soon you will understand how white affects the change in tone and color. After that, you can start color stretching. By adding one paint to another, you will learn to determine how they interact when mixed. Try to draw a multi-colored spectrum with gouache. Color compositions develop color flair very well. Take three or four colors, then try to create a fantastic landscape in one color scheme. Such exercises train the imagination well, help to master the technique of writing with gouache. In any case, your efforts will not go in vain. The more you draw, the faster you will master all the secrets of color stretching. Applying skills in practice, you will be able to achieve a realistic transfer of not only volume, color, space. Even the mood will become subject to you with the help of the ability to influence the viewer with color.

First of all, draw the outlines of the square on paper, then choose a darker shade of paint to make it easier to see the transitions of the paint to light colors. Dilute a little paint of medium saturation (30-50%) and blot the brush with it. On a blank part of your palette, dilute the other watercolor mixture to about half the saturation of the original mixture. The author used a 1 ½" (381mm) Winsor & Newton 965 series brush and watercolors from the same company Cobalt Blue (cobalt blue paint) on paper from Arches #140 CP.
Dip your brush into the darker paint (more saturated) and starting from the top left corner, touch the paper with your brush gently draw a straight line towards the top right corner.

Bright hues

Wipe off any paint residue from your brush with a sponge or paper towel, then dip it into the less saturated (lighter) paint you thinned on the polish. Start your second stroke by applying paint to the bottom of the previous line. Note that the left side of the line has already smudged along with the top line. Let gravity do its job.


Even lighter.

Rinse the brush in water, dry it with a sponge or paper towel, and dip it again into the less saturated (lighter) paint on your palette. Draw an additional line, like the previous one.


Rinse your brush well again, and dipping it into the lightest shade of paint on your palette draw another extra line.


Tip: 1
If your brush is making "broken" strokes i.e. streaks or you have uneven smudges, dip the brush again into the paint and immediately continue to draw a line.

Clean edge.

Rinse the brush again in clean water, and without drying, draw the last line along the edge of the previous stroke, then squeeze out all the moisture from your brush to collect any splashes and paint residues from the bottom of the paper, drawing them along the edge of the square for the last stroke.


All is ready!

Minor smudges in shades will be smoothed out before the paint dries.

This is one example of how to give some grain to your work. You used cobalt blue ink, and it creates a rough and heavy hue, thus emphasizing the structure of the paper.

Tip: 2
Practice painting with different colors and saturation levels. Each color has its own physical qualities, which are expressed in the way the paint flows down and falls on the paper.

Tip: 3
Try using different colors in hue transitions to create interesting multi-color effects.

original
translation: wienta

Color stretch is a smooth transition from one

color to another, such as green to blue.

Tone stretch - this is when a smooth transition goes from a light tone to a dark tone, most often of the same color, for example, from light green to dark green. Or vice versa from dark to light.

Stretch marks are sometimes referred to as gradient fills or gradient hillshades.

Color stretching can bemake from any two or more colors. Why do I say more colors, yeah

because smooth color transitions from one to another can consist of three,

four or five colors...

This stretch usedonly two colors: blue and green

And in this one there are already three colors: red, yellow and green.

it seems that color flows :-).

I hope the theory is clear. Let's move on to practice.

Exercise

For exercises we need A4 paper (landscape sheet size), gouache

and a synthetic brush for gouache, watercolor and a soft kolinsky or squirrel brush for

watercolors.

Divide the sheet into four parts, like this:

Let's make two stretch marks (in the upper rectangles) using gouache, and two

(bottom) using watercolor technique

the application of these paints is slightly different.

Let's start with gouache

Choose two colors for the first stretch. I chose purple and

white, this will be a tone color stretch.

Laying out on a palettea little purple paint and diluted with water to the consistency of sour cream,

put some white on the palette next to it. Now we draw on the brush

purple paint and draw a strip along the edge of the paper in the first

small rectangle. After that in purple paint on the palette

add quite a bit of white, mix, you get a little color

lighter than it was. With this new shade we draw the next strip,

literally capturing the previous strip by a millimeter. After that again

add more white to the purple mixture, mix and spend again

strip. And so on until the rectangle ends.

It should look something like this:

Now select two other colors, and stretch them in the same way.

principle.

I stretched from blue to red to orange, and this is what happened:

Now let's stretch with watercolor

In the same way as with gouache, hover over

palette separately two selected colors.

I'll take yellow and green. Dye

on the palette should look like two colored puddles.

Before applying watercolor, cover the rectangle with clean water without paint.

When the water is soaked up that the paper is damp but not wet, you can

start applying paint. We apply yellow paint first, after each

application, add a little green to the yellow paint, mix and again

put on a stripe. It is necessary to do this in such a way that the edges of the strokes do not

dried up, then the color transition will be smoother and more delicate.

And the last exercise is the transition from white to any color in watercolor.

How to do it if whitewashed in watercolor

can't be used?

Very simply, for the white color we take the sheet itself, that is, the first page

we will write with ordinary clean water, and then we will be a little bit to the water

add the selected color. If, on the contrary, a stretch from color is required

to white, then we point the desired color on the palette and after each application on

paper, slightly dilute the color with water.

If the watercolor stretch is applied in stripes, and you cannot achieve smooth transitions, then most likely you have thin paper that absorbs paint quickly. Then moisten the paper with a soft brush, wait until the water is absorbed, and the paper will be damp but not wet (no puddles) and stretch on the wet paper, and on another gradient fill.

Lesson "Color stretching for the sky and dunes"

What can the ability to stretch color be useful for?

It's long and boring to explain, better let me show you on

example.

After completing this exercise, you will immediately understand why

you need to learn how to stretch :-).

For the exercise, we need watercolor paper (the denser the better),

watercolor and soft kolinsky or squirrel brush.

Attach a sheet of paper to the easel or table with pins (or masking tape),

to keep the paper from curling when it gets wet.

Now imagine a desert with dunes.

With light (without pressure) pencil lines, apply

wavy lines. First define the horizon line, and then

draw a desert with dunes.

According to the rules of linear perspective, how

Let's paint the sky

The sky is always lighter near the horizon than overhead.

Wet the paper first so that the paint lays down more evenly and

spread more easily. Dip the brush in water and wet it with a damp

brush the entire area of ​​​​the sky to the horizon. Wait a few seconds, please

so that moisture penetrates the paper, i.e. the puddles disappeared, and the paper

became just damp, not wet in appearance. After that, take

on the brush of blue paint, stir on the palette and apply a horizontal stripe along

the top edge of the paper.

Now, we must work quickly, not allowing the strokes to dry out at the edges,

to form a smooth transition from a bright blue color to a transparent almost white color.

Just dip (do not wash, namely dip the tip of the brush in water,

so that water is added to the paint remaining on the brush) and

draw a new horizontal stripe with a more diluted color

a little lower. But draw each new horizontal line like this,

so that it captures the previous one a little,

so that they merge into a single space.

We draw dunes

When the sky dries up, draw the desert in the same way.

We wet the distant dunes, and do

stretching yellow or orange, ocher or red

colors if you like Martian landscapes :-).

Only not as we wrote the sky from dark to light, but vice versa from light

tones to dark. We make the first smear with slightly colored water (very

diluted paint), and in each subsequent stroke we add

a little color.

Having painted the dunes on the horizon, let them dry, and

we wet the next row of dunes and write them again with

by stretching from light to dark tone.

We continue to write each

the next row of dune hills.

Don't Forget the Rules of Aerial Perspective: That,

what is closer to us we prescribe more clearly, what is farther from us

write with less clarity, so to speak, do not worry if

the paint is a little spread, this will only enhance the picturesqueness

paintings.

Here's what we should get.

Beautiful, but not entirely believable. We forgot about shadows.

For example, if the sun shines on the left, then the shadows will be on the right sides.

dune hills.

I remind you again about the rules of aerial perspective, then what

in the foreground is more contrasting, which is in the far

less contrast, that is, in the background the shadows are softer, on

front are sharper)

I have never been in the desert, but now I understand

that in bright sun the shadows should be much darker than I drew :)

I won't fix it :)

With the help of a kolinsky brush No. 2 - outline the footprints in the sand, and

a few vertical strokes will create the effect of a distant

caravan.

Instead of a caravan, you can draw a cactus, or a lizard, or something else.

And if you want to draw your own paintings, and not copy someone else's master classes, then in our online school for adults "EVERYONE can draw!" there are courses for beginners with a systematic step-by-step training in drawing their own paintings:

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Mila Naumova