Blend Mode Fundamentals

In this chapter, we will cover one of the most confusing and misunderstood concepts in digital art, the idea of blend modes. Blend modes are present in every type of digital art: photo editing, vector illustration, and even programs such as video production and 3D creation. While this topic can be daunting, it really does not have to be if you understand what the blend mode is trying to tell you and you let go of some of your expectations. To explain this concept, I want to frame the conversation in the right context by giving you a few fundamental rules to make sure you approach this topic correctly.

But for those that want to effectively and quickly edit, I offer up the following three principles:

• You will never know every blend mode, and you will develop a few that you know and love for your work. No one cares whether you know what each one does; they care what you make with them.
• There is no perfect blend mode for every application. When we...