Tutorial: AKVIS MultiBrush

Blend by Brightness

The Layers' Blending Options are arranged in two groups of parameters: General and Blend by Brightness (advanced).

Blend by Brightness is used to control the visibility of pixels on the active layer (This Layer) and the lower layer (Underlying Layer) based on their brightness. Each scale has two sliders. At the leftmost slider a pixel has a brightness of 0 (black); at the extreme right a brightness of 255.

Those pixels whose brightness falls within the values between the two sliders will be displayed (for the upper layer) and hidden (for the lower layer). Sliders hide pixels without removing them.

If a slider is moved while holding down Ctrl, the slider will be divided into two parts, which can then be moved independently of one another. Divided sliders set the tonal range between visible and invisible pixels, so you can achieve a more subtle effect with a soft color change.

Actions on the active layer (This Layer):

Upper Layer Lower Layer

Upper (This) Layer Lower Layer

Hiding the dark pixels of the active layer Position of the sliders

Active layer:
Hidden 0-170
Visible 170-255

Moving the slider to the left hides dark pixels with lower brightness

Hiding the bright pixels of the active layer Position of the sliders

Active layer:
Visible 0-170
Transition 170-238
Hidden 238-255

Moving the slider to the right hides bright pixels with higher brightness

Hiding the brightest and darkest pixels on the active layer Position of the sliders

Active layer:
Hidden 0-170
Visible 170-191
Hidden 191-255

Moving the sliders to the middle reveals only pixels
with brightness values within the range between the sliders

Actions on the lower layer (Underlying Layer):

Upper Layer Lower Layer

Upper Layer Lower Layer

Revealing the bright pixels of the lower layer Position of the sliders

Lower Layer:
Visible 0-119
Hidden 119-255

Moving the slider to the left makes the darker pixels of the lower layer visible on the upper layer
if their brightness is less than the specified value

Revealing lighter pixels of the lower layer Position of the sliders

Lower Layer:
Hidden 0-91
Transition 91-137
Visible 137-255

Moving the slider to the right makes the brighter pixels of the lower layer
visible on the upper layer, if their values are brighter than the specified value

Revealing light pixels of the lower layer Position of the sliders

Lower layer:
Visible 0-63
Transition 63-72
Hidden 72-120
Transition 120-200
Visible 200-255

Moving the sliders to the center makes pixels from the lower layer visible on the upper layer
whose brightness values fall outside the range marked by the sliders