How to paint colour gradient???

[Denisa]

Please, help! I would like to paint the sky at sunset and tried watercolor, airbrush, palette knife, gradient stencil but it still looks bad and patchy... The color should go from orange through pale blue to dark blue without visible transitions. Thank you for any suggestions!

[Someonesane]

If you're using ArtRage Studio, you could use the Blur Panel. Just use a tool (I recommend the Ink Pen) to make the different color lines across the screen, then open the Blur Panel (Edit > Blur Layer...) and apply however much blur is required to meet your needs. If you think it needs more then a 100px blur, then apply the blur, and open the panel again to blur it some more (shown in the image below). For more information on how to do this (along with step by step image instructions), you may want to read through this thread (if the link doesn't jump you down to it, you'll my post towards the middle of thread). The only difference is you won't need to use the transparency lock, since you're painting the entire canvas area.

[barnburner]

You can use oils, and streak colors as far as they will go against the contrasting background, then use the eraser with very low pressure settings 3 to 5%, and medium to wide coverage, to blend any spots that need it. Takes a bit of work because you are barely removing anything on each stroke, but that's what makes it work.
Here's a couple I've done that way.

[Denisa]

Thank you very much Someonesane and Barnburner for your advices. That's exactly what I was looking for!!! Now I will need a loooot of practice to achieve such a result...

D.

[Denisa]

Hi, I have just tried to do the blur but found out that I have no Blur Layer feature under Edit And I also did not find the Lock transparency button (???), I am using ArtRage Studio... so I don't understand...

[Chuckart]

Blur Layer should be in Edit Menu, but try Ctrl+B

For Lock transparency, move cursor over to Layer panel you should see a Circle with a checker board top right, (Transparency) hover over that and after a short while the "Lock transparecy" will appear.

Click to lock, click to unlock transparency.

[Someonesane]

Oh... Sorry about this. I sometimes forget which features are in the normal Studio version of ArtRage. I guess the Blur panel is only offered in the Pro version.

[Chuckart]

Oh yer, the Demo version has limitations, why that is i'm not sure as it may give those trying Artrage Studio Pro out the wrong impression due to limited functions and presets being available.

[Denisa]

I don't have Demo version, I just don't have Pro... Do you know any other way to make a smooth sky in ArtRage? Otherwise I'm stuck...

[~Alena~]

Denisa, Here such my decision
(attachments 1)
1. Probably it is your sketch.