How to Paint a Gradient
A color gradient comes from blending one color into another color. This can be a shift in value (color becomes lighter or darker) or a shift in hue (i.e., yellow blends into green). An example of a gradient is the sky on a sunny day; the sky generally shifts from dark blue high in the sky to a lighter blue near the horizon. Gradients can be created with paint, such as watercolor, and with computers, using applications such as Photoshop, Corel Draw and Gimp, a free, open-source image editor available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Things You'll Need
- Graphics editor
- Watercolor paper
- Watercolor paints
- Wide, flat paintbrush
Instructions
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Gradient in Gimp
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Open the Gimp image editor. Create a new image by clicking "New" from the "File" menu. Set the height and width, and then click "OK."
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Set the foreground color and background color. Double-click the foreground color on the color palette -- the black square on the toolbox -- and then choose a color from the color chooser dialogue box. Click "OK." Then, double-click the background color -- the white square on the toolbox -- and choose another color to blend with the first color you chose. Click "OK."
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Click the gradient tool -- the square icon filled with a gradient -- on the toolbox. Click the box after the word "Gradient" in the resulting dialogue box to select the gradient type.
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Click and drag your mouse across the canvas -- the blank document you have opened -- and then release your mouse button. (Hold down "Shift" as you drag to constrain the line angle to a multiple of 45 degrees.) A gradient is created on your canvas.
Gradient in Photoshop
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Open Photoshop. Create a new image by clicking "New" from the "File" menu. Set the height and width, and then click "OK."
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Select the gradient tool from the toolbox. To pick a preset gradient fill, click the triangle next to the gradient sample. To view the Gradient Editor, click inside the gradient sample. Then, create a new gradient fill or select a preset gradient fill and then click "OK."
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Select an option such as "Linear Fill" from the options bar to choose your preferred gradient type.
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Place your pointer in the image at the place where you want the gradient to start, and then drag to the place it should end. (Hold down "Shift" as you drag to constrain the line angle to a multiple of 45 degrees.) A gradient is created on your canvas.
Gradients (Fountain Fills) in Corel Draw
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Open Corel Draw. Click the "Fill" tool, and then select "Fountain Fill Dialog," the second icon from the left in the resulting dialog. Choose a fill type, such as linear.
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Choose the color of your gradient. Click the radio button next to "Two color," and then select a "From" color and "To" color. Or, click the radio button next to "Custom color" and double-click the slider bar to place a new color in the gradient. Select a new color from the palette.
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Click and drag in the preview window to move the center point, or adjust the angle of your gradient. Click "OK." Your gradient fills in the window.
Gradient Wash with Watercolor
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Mix water with the color of paint you have chosen to create a value of about 50 percent. That is, add enough water to the paint to dilute it so it is a much lighter color than the original paint. Note that darker hues can be seen more easily than lighter hues.
Create another mixture with the same color. Mix more water into this mixture to create a lighter color to blend with your darker color.
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Dip your paintbrush into the darker paint. Paint a straight line across the top of your watercolor paper.
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Dab your paintbrush on a paper towel, and then dip it into the lighter paint. Paint another line directly under the darker line, allowing the top edge of the brush to touch the bottom edge of the darker line to create a smooth, even gradient. Repeat this step until you have reached the bottom of your page, creating a gradient from dark to light.
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References
- Photo Credit gradient image by Dave from Fotolia.com
