Glazing controls

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There are multiple ways to control the opacity of the paint deposited with a brush. Glazing (Window Brush Control Panels Brush Media Glazing) lets you specify the maximum level of opacity in a brushstroke.

Glazing allows you to work with very high levels of transparency and paint with light, semi-transparent brushstrokes.

Glazing brushes were used in this painting by Melissa Gallo.

Glazing is different from Brush opacity (Window Brush Control Panels Brush Media Opacity), which controls the opacity of each dab (or bristle for other brush types.) If you set Glazing to 20%, the opacity in a single brushstroke will never exceed 20%. Within that 20% range, you can specify the opacity of each dab from 1% to 100%. For example, if you set dab opacity to 100%, the paint that a brushstroke will deposit will still be only 20% of the selected color. Brush opacity allows you to gradually build up to the selected color and Glazing determines what that color is. The lower the Brush opacity, the slower you build up to the color specified by Glazing in a single brushstroke.

(Left) 100% Brush opacity, 100% Glazing; (middle) 100% Brush opacity, 20% Glazing. Color does not build up when you brush over the same area in a single brushstroke; (right) 20% Brush opacity, 100% Glazing. Color builds up when you brush over the same area in a single brushstroke.

Glazing brushes can help you fill an area with long continuous strokes that have a very soft gradation from the beginning of the mark to the end.

Glazing brushes create a nice smooth blend between colors; there are no artifacts in the areas where the dabs overlap.

You can add grain to Glazing brushes, however, you will see overlaps.

A single brushstroke with 100% Glazing and (top) 100% Grain, (bottom) 50% Grain

Glazing is available to all stamp-based brushes and can be linked to specific stylus or mouse movements. For more information, see Expression settings.

Glazing works well with the following dab types: (from top to bottom) Captured, Circular, Computed Circular, Static Bristle

You can use merge modes to control how brushstrokes interact with the underlying colors on the active layer or the canvas.

For a list of sample Glazing brushstrokes, see Glazing brushes.

To adjust Glazing properties

You can also

 

To	Do the following
Link brushstroke opacity to an expression such as pressure, tilt, direction to vary the opacity in a brushstroke	Choose an option from the Expression list box.
Reverse the effect of an Expression setting	Click the Invert Glazing Expression button .
Link brushstroke opacity to audio expression	Click the Audio Expression button .
Set the minimum level of opacity in a brushstroke	Move the Min Glazing slider. The Min Glazing setting represents a percentage of the Glazing setting and it must be linked to an expression to have an effect. For example, if you choose the Pressure expression, set Glazing to 100%, and set the Min Glazing to 10%, the opacity will vary from 10% to 100% every time you apply pressure in a brushstroke. A brushstroke with Glazing set to 100%, (top) Min Glazing set to 80%, and (bottom) Min Glazing set to 20%
Set the range of opacity variability in a brushstroke	Move the Glazing Jitter slider. Move the slider to the right to randomly vary the opacity of a brushstroke. A brushstroke with (left) Glazing Jitter set to 95%, and (right) Glazing Jitter set to 20%
Smooth the jitter in a brushstroke	Move the Smoothness slider. A brushstroke with Glazing Jitter set to 100%, (top) Smoothness set to 100%, and (bottom) Smoothness set to 10%
Specify the angle at which a brushstroke changes opacity	Move the Direction slider.

Glazing brushes work only with the Glazing stroke type. For more information, see General controls: Stroke types. The controls on the Glazing panel are grayed out when you select a stroke type that is not supported, such as Single, Multi, Rake, and Hose.

If there are unwanted overlaps in your Glazing brush, try the following: