A gradient is a smooth, continuous transition from one color (or tone) to another — or from full color to transparent. Gradients are one of the things airbrushes do better than almost any other painting tool, and mastering them is fundamental to realistic shading and highlighting.
Types:
- Value gradient: Dark to light (or light to dark) — used for shadows and highlights.
- Color gradient: One hue blending into another — used for atmospheric effects, sunsets, skin tones.
- Transparency gradient: Full opacity fading to transparent — used for vignettes and soft-edge effects.
How to create:
- Load your first color, spray the area where coverage is fullest.
- Move your airbrush toward the transition zone, reducing trigger pull progressively.
- If blending to a second color, clean the airbrush, load the second color, and spray from the opposite direction.
- Make multiple light passes — don’t try to achieve the gradient in one heavy pass.
Related: Trigger Control · Opacity · Color Modulation