Articles and Tutorials

  • Color Burn

    Color Burn darkens the base layer while increasing contrast and intensifying its colors. It is based on the traditional darkroom technique of “burning,” where additional exposure is used to make selected…

  • Subtract

    Subtract darkens the base layer by subtracting the colors of the blending layer from it. The result can be dramatically darker, with strong color shifts when the two layers contain different…

  • Lighten

    Lighten compares the colors you are painting with to the layer underneath and keeps the lighter color without blending them together. The Math The colors of the Lighten layer are compared…

  • Screen

    Lighten compares the colors you are painting with to the layer underneath and keeps the lighter color without blending them together. The Math The colors of the Lighten layer are compared…

  • Darken

    Darken compares the colors you are painting with to the layer underneath and keeps the darker color without blending them together. The Math The colors of the Darken layer are compared…

  • Multiply

    Multiply combines the colors you are painting with the layer underneath, resulting in a darker color. It is one of the most commonly recommended blending modes for painting shadows. The Math…

  • Linear Burn

    Linear Burn darkens the base layer by decreasing its brightness based on the color of the blending layer. It is mathematically similar to Multiply, but produces a deeper, more direct darkening…

  • Color Dodge

    Color Dodge brightens the base layer based on the color of the blending layer, reducing contrast while dramatically increasing the intensity of brighter colors. It can create intense, glowing effects that…

  • Glow Dodge

    Glow Dodge creates a stronger, more luminous effect than Color Dodge. It brightens the base layer while dramatically increasing color intensity, making it particularly useful for creating glowing light and intense…

  • Add

    Add increases brightness by adding the color values of the blending layer to the base layer. The brighter the colors you add, the brighter the result becomes, making it useful for…