Gradient creation

[Antonio Lambe]

Apologies if this question has already been submitted.  In a rectangle, or, better, a polygon at the top of a dawn photo for the portal of a website I want to implement a lightening gradient to set off the site's logo.  Any fool-proof instructions for how to accomplish this will be deeply appreciated.  Thank you.

[frio]

Make a black & white gradient-filled shape on a separate layer and set the layer blend mode to Additive, Color Dodge, Lighten or Screen to create a lightening effect.

 

To make a basic linear or radial gradient in a shape, use the gradient tool to draw the desired gradient and then select the shape you want on it, invert the selection and delete the parts outside. A simple linear gradient cut to an angled rectangle in color dodge mode:

 

 

To create a gradient conforming to a shape specifically, you could try TR's Contour Filler (simple, not so accurate) or G'MIC Rendering->Gradient (custom shape) (more complex, more accurate). Star shapes filled with G'MIC, original on top left, other blend modes in the order mentioned above.

 

 

[Antonio Lambe]

Many thanks, Frio, for the prompt and promising reply.  But you have generously assumed I know a lot more than I do.  I presume one must first go to Layers > Add New Layer which I have apparently done.  To "Make a black & white gradient-filled shape on [this] separate layer" must I then use the Rectangle Select or Lasso Select tool?  Below is the result although the lasso seems to have disappeared.

 

As for the further instructions, I'm afraid that without step-by-step novice instructions I haven't a clue how to proceed.  And perhaps this is too much to hope for.

 

 

[Antonio Lambe]

My efforts with Paint.Net, below, to lighten the sky have proved very clumsy and the transition looks so artificial.  Any simple pointers for achieving that effect would be much appreciated.  Thank you.

 

[Tactilis]

@Antonio Lambe it would make it easier for people help you if you posted:

 

1. The image of your logo.

2. A version of your original photo with the logo overlaid so we can see the size and positioning you are aiming for. Don't worry about the gradient at this stage.

[Welsh Yellow Cheddar]

 

@Antonio Lambe There are probably many methods of achieving this. I would just reduce the opacity of your image and add a white layer below it. To keep the dark trees I would create a mask and place it at the top. You can also tint the sky with a color gradient of your choice on a layer with multiply mode.

 

I hope this helps.

 

[Ego Eram Reputo]

On 9/20/2024 at 10:32 AM, Antonio Lambe said:

My efforts with Paint.Net, below, to lighten the sky have proved very clumsy and the transition looks so artificial.  Any simple pointers for achieving that effect would be much appreciated.  Thank you.

 

1. Open the image
2. Activate the Magic Wand tool
3. Hold down the Shift key and click once on the very dark foreground trees. This should select all of the trees in one go.
4. Press Ctrl + I to invert the selection.
5. Press Ctrl + Shift + U to open the Hue/Saturation dialog.
6. Increase the Lightness slider to lighten the sky to your liking.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 22 by Tactilis
Change mention of Ctrl key (which is wrong) in step 3 to Shift key to do Global mode select

[Antonio Lambe]

Belated thanks - no notifications sent - to 'Touchable', 'Welsh Yellow Cheddar' and 'I was thinking' for your feedback.  May such contributions ultimately lead to ego vincere.

 

As requested by Tactilis, here is the website logo being contemplated:  ('Las Oropéndolas' or The Weaverbirds is the name of the land my small Portuguese NGO is reforesting in Costa Rica.)  In a 2nd version, I'll add colour to beaks and tails.  Comments, criticism welcome.

 

 

As for location, satisfying this site's size restriction has proved impossible.  Even a 100kB png is spurned.  Regardless, the horizontally-centred logo would occupy roughly half the width in the image's top 5th.

 

Welsh Yellow Cheddar's paled image is very promising.  But I would like that paling to begin only in the top third of the sky.  Will try to achieve that and report back.

 

Ego Eram Reputo's foreground forest suggestion is no less valuable.  For, as in the 'pre-portal' and portal to our other site, TerraSeixe, https://www.terraseixe.org/  I am hoping to transition the all-black profile to pale pre-dawn greens.

 

My sincere thanks to each one of you.

 

 

[Tactilis]

3 hours ago, Antonio Lambe said:

satisfying this site's size restriction has proved impossible.

The easiest thing to do is to post a link to an externally hosted copy of your image.

Many of us use PostImages for this.

1. Go to https://postimages.org/  (you don't need to sign up)

2. Choose your image to upload, or just copy & paste it.

3. When the upload is complete, copy the 'Direct link' line (click the copy button at the end of the line), eg:

4. Paste the link in your forum reply. The image will be displayed.
5. Say ego vincere   😉

 

 

 

 

[Antonio Lambe]

Gosh, Tactilis, thank you so much for your information about the previously unknown Postimages resource and for the clear description to use it.  I was delighted by instruction nº 5 and, as you may see:

 

I can indeed declare: ego vincere!

 

You may also see that I was unable to remove the logo's white background. If you can tell me how to manage this I'll be even more grateful.

[Antonio Lambe]

Sincere thanks, also, to Ego Eram Reputo for your equally clear instructions.

 

1. Open the image
2. Activate the Magic Wand tool
3. Hold down the Shift key and click once on the very dark foreground trees. This should select all of the trees in one go.
    

Excellent.  For I aim to do something similar with just the trees and hoped "Move Selected Pixels" would allow copying the dark profile to create a new graphic.  But was told the clipboard contains no image.  Please, I'm sure PaintNet can do this; but how?
 

1. [4.] Press Ctrl + I to invert the selection.
2. [5.] Press Ctrl + Shift + U to open the Hue/Saturation dialog.
3. [6.] Increase the Lightness slider to lighten the sky to your liking.
    

Fine so far.  However, that lightens the whole sky uniformly and a lightness gradient is sought.  Please, is this possible?  Theoretically one could accomplish that effect by repeating the process many times with horizontal slivers, each one slightly lighter.  But this, of course, would prove very onerous.

 

 

 

[Tactilis]

1 hour ago, Antonio Lambe said:

I was unable to remove the logo's white background.

1. Open your logo image.
2. Activate the Magic Wand tool.
3. Hold down Shift and click in the white area to Global select of all white pixels. You may need to change the Tolerance (in the toolbar) to ensure you get a clean selection where the logo transitions from black to white.
4. Edit > Erase Selection (or press the Delete key) to delete the selected pixels (make them transparent).
5. Paste the logo as a new layer Edit > Paste into New Layer (Ctrl+Shift+V) and resize as needed.

 

 

 

NOTE: In his earlier posts, @Ego Eram Reputo mistakenly said to hold down the Ctrl key when clicking with the Magic Wand to do a Global select. In fact you should use the Shift key for Global mode. I have edited the earlier posts to correct this slip.
 

 

@Antonio Lambe

If you haven't studied them yet, I'd advise having a good read of the Documentation here: https://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/index.html  (or click the icon top right in paint.net)

The Magic Wand is described here https://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/MagicWand.html (note the use of the Shift key).
Also read about using Layers.



 

[Ego Eram Reputo]

13 hours ago, Tactilis said:

NOTE: In his earlier posts, @Ego Eram Reputo mistakenly said to hold down the Ctrl key when clicking with the Magic Wand to do a Global select. In fact you should use the Shift key for Global mode. I have edited the earlier posts to correct this slip.

Thanks @Tactilis!

[Antonio Lambe]

Thank you Tactilis and Ego Eram Reputo for your further thoughts.  These days have been very fulll but.  Will respond a.s.a.p.

[Antonio Lambe]

Thank you very much again, Tactilis, for the 22.9 instructions on removing the logo's white background.  After considerable trial & error I thought I had finally succeeded when obtaining the 1st result attached.  But when applied to the dawn image, attached in  

following your welcome advice, the chequered erased white actually returns or can become an even less desired black.  I despair.

There are numerous gradient submissions in the Paint.Net link you thoughtfully sent.  l hope at least a few may explain with fool-proof step-by-step instructions how I should proceed.

 

 

[Tactilis]

Antonio, here is your logo.

Only parts of the background are transparent.

 

Using the Magic Wand, at Step 3 you Shift clicked on a white pixel but you did not adjust the Tolerance so that all the nearly white pixels were also included in the selection.

 

So, at Step 4, you only Erased (i.e made transparent) the pure white pixels.

 

Please try again, but observe the effect on the selection of the white area of gradually adjusting the Tolerance.

 

 

 

Here is your composite image:

 

At Step 5 you just pasted the logo onto the same layer as your background image so some of the pixels in the logo area are now transparent.

 

You needed to Paste into a New Layer (i.e above the background) as per the instructions.

 

3 hours ago, Antonio Lambe said:

the chequered erased white actually returns or can become an even less desired black.

 

That's because you made parts of your background image transparent and you can see through it to whatever is the background colour of the page your image is displayed on.

 

Happy to keep helping but I suggest that you ignore your quest for a gradient (at the moment) and take a little time to learn about using Layers.

See https://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/LayersWindow.html and https://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/WorkingWithLayers.html

[Antonio Lambe]

My heartfelt thanks, Tactilis, for your latest contribution in which you noted:

 

Quote

Only parts of the background are transparent.

 

Yes, the chequered parts, presumably.

 

Quote

Using the Magic Wand, at Step 3 you Shift clicked on a white pixel but you did not adjust the Tolerance so that all the nearly white pixels were also included in the selection.

 

Ugh, the image was not as B&W or contrasting as intended.  You don´t suggest increasing contrast is needed, only that the tolerance be adjusted so will try doing so.

 

Quote

So, at Step 4, you only Erased (i.e made transparent) the pure white pixels.

 

I understand.

 

Quote

Please try again, but observe the effect on the selection of the white area of gradually adjusting the Tolerance.

 

Yes, will try that, and also heed, if I get that far, your layer advice.  Fingers crossed!

 

 

[Antonio Lambe]

Dear Tactilis, Contrary to all expectations I have managed with your invaluable instructions to do +/- what I wanted.  Paint.Net's format wasn't allowed so the png below has been "flattened"; i.e. the 2 layers have become 1.  Now I must learn how to gradient.  Thank you SO much.