Menu Mode

This menu is a list of the different paint modes. Commonly whenever you draw with the first color (drawing with left mouse button) the mode you have chosen here will be used. This mode also affects drawing primitives like lines, rectangles, circles...
Whenever possible the right mouse button uses an inverse operation like darken if the mode is Brighten.
Some paint modes do color calculations. Because there are only 256 colors that can be used the quality of the result may be poor if your palette does not contain proper entries. The more colors of different kind your color palette contains the better the results will be.

Some modes can be scaled, e.g. setting up a strength value. If this is the case then a corresponding edit field appears at the label of the currently selected paint mode.

The scale can also be applied with pen pressure.

Besides selecting a paint mode from this menu you can use the shortcuts as displayed for every menu entry. Hit the same key again to switch back to the previously used mode.

Paint

Paints with current brush as it is. That means the brush is simply stamped down.

Erase

Uses the transparent color for painting if there is no alpha plane. If alpha is enabled then the left mouse button reduces the opacity by the given value where the right mouse button draws fully transparent.
If project has simple or no transparency then any mouse button draws with transparent color if the layer is transparent.
If project has alpha transparency left mouse button decreases alpha by selected opacity and right mouse button applies zero alpha.

Selection

Instead of modifying pixels this mode will modify the selection. This way you can apply the drawing selection easily using any drawing tool. The left mouse button includes to selection and the right excludes from selection.
Hold the E key to have a temporary selection mode.

Halftone

Uses the currently selected halftone pattern for drawing. It will use the selected first and second color with the pattern.

Brightness

Brightens image colors with left mouse button and darkens with the right. You can set the strength of brightening as described at the beginning of the page.

Tint

Tints image colors with brush colors. That means the brightness of each image pixel is taken and the color from the corresponding brush pixel. Both are mixed together and the result is a pixel with the brush pixel color and the image pixel brightness.

Inc/Dec Hue

Takes the Hue (color model HSV) of the image pixels and rotates it (0..360°). You can set the strength of brightening as described at the beginning of the page.

Inc/Dec Saturation

Increments/decrements the Saturation(color model HSV) of the image pixel colors. You can set the strength of brightening as described at the beginning of the page.

Invert

Simply inverts the image colors using the RGB-color model. A Red value of f.e. 40 will then be 215 (=255-40). The mode will try to find the best matching inverse color in the palette.

Difference

Uses difference values between image and brush colors for painting (RGB color model).

Translucent

Mixes image and brush colors. You can define a proportional weighting for this mode. That means the result color is calculated by x% of the image color and y% of the brush color and x+y=100%. You can set the strength of brightening as described at the beginning of the page.

Color Cycle

Uses the colors of the current gradient one after another. If the last gradient color is passed the first one is used again.

Gray

Reduces the image colors to gray levels.

Rub Through

When drawing with this mode the image that resides in the Spare Frame (see descriptions for menu Frame) becomes visible. You "rub through" to the spare frame.

Shade

Shifts the image colors which are part of the current gradient. So for each color the next or previous color within the currently selected gradient will be used depending on left or right click. This way you can shade objects to emphasize their structure, to create different color effects or to smooth edges.

Multi Shade

Works the same as Shade but uses more than a single gradient at a time. It only works for gradients that are set up for multi shade paint mode. Because you might want to have gradients that are not touched by the multi shade you must enable a gradient that may be used. Just go to the gradient editor and activate multi shade paint mode for the gradients that may be used for this paint mode.

Paint single Color

Draws using current first color regardless if the brush has more than one color.

Replace

Draws with the current brush but without transparency. Instead, it is stamped down as is.

Smear

Smears the colors in the drawing direction. Only use with continuous painting or continuous line modes.

Blend

Smears the colors in the drawing direction and applies smoothing. Only use with continuous painting or continuous line modes.

Formula

This mode can be used to modify pixels using different types of mathematical formulas. See Settings for further information.

High Pass

Increases brightness contrasts.

Soften

Softens color contrasts and makes the image blurry.

Soften more

Stronger soften mode.

Light Edges SE

Emphasizes edges that are nearly parallel to south, east or south-east direction.

Light Edges NW

Emphasizes edges that are nearly parallel to west, north or north-west direction.

Emboss I

Puts dark-colored areas into the "background". So the objects look embossed.

Emboss II

Puts light colored areas into the "background".

Related topics

Alpha Primer
Formula Editor
Gradient Editor
Halftone Painting Primer
Contents
Menu Brush
Menu Frame
Paint Mode Settings
Toolbox

Last modified: 29 January 2023