Quick links to procedures on this page:

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Smearing, smudging, and blending colors

You can smear, smudge, or blend the paint in an image. Smearing produces a similar effect to dragging across wet paint. Smudging has the same effect as rubbing across a pastel drawing. Blending softens the transition between colors or hard edges. You can smear, smudge, or blend the colors in an entire image or in an editable area you define. For more information about defining an editable area, see “Working with masks.”

Photo Paint ret smearimage Smearing, smudging, and blending colors

The Smear tool was used to alter the shapes surrounding the star.


To smear, smudge, or blend colors in an image

Photo Paint btnbacktotop Smearing, smudging, and blending colors
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In the toolbox, click the Effect tool Photo Paint pgx effect tool Smearing, smudging, and blending colors.
2.
 
On the property bar, open the Effect tools picker, and click one of the following tools:
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Smear Photo Paint pgx smear tool Smearing, smudging, and blending colors
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Smudge Photo Paint pgx smudge tool Smearing, smudging, and blending colors
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Blend Photo Paint pgx blend tool Smearing, smudging, and blending colors
3.
 
Choose a brush from the Brush type list box on the property bar.
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Choose a nib from the Nib shape picker.
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Type a value in the Size box to specify the nib size.
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Drag in the image window.

You can also
Increase the effect of the brush across an area without clicking over the area multiple times
Click the Cumulative button Photo Paint pgx cumulative button Smearing, smudging, and blending colors on the Stroke attributes bar that displays in the Brush settings docker. This option is available only for some of the Effect tools and the Clone tool. If the Brush settings docker is not open, click Window Photo Paint onestep Smearing, smudging, and blending colors Dockers Photo Paint onestep Smearing, smudging, and blending colors Brush settings.
Apply the effect to an object and the background simultaneously
Click the Merge source button Photo Paint pgx merged source Smearing, smudging, and blending colors on the Dab attributes bar that displays in the Brush settings docker. This option is only available when the Cumulative button is disabled.

Photo Paint tip Smearing, smudging, and blending colors

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You can quickly choose a square or round brush shape by clicking the Round nib button Photo Paint pgx round nib button Smearing, smudging, and blending colors or the Square nib button Photo Paint pgx square nib button Smearing, smudging, and blending colors on the property bar.

Smearing, smudging, and blending colors