The one layer blend mode that made my stuff finally pop

I spent like 3 years just using normal layers and maybe some opacity changes. Then a guy in a discord told me to try 'multiply' on my shadows and 'screen' on my highlights. It took maybe 10 minutes to redo an old piece and it looked way better than the 3 hours I spent hand-painting the shadows before. Has anyone else had that moment where one simple trick made you feel like you wasted a bunch of time?

3 comments

3 Comments

jones.anna18d ago

That "wasted a bunch of time" feeling hit me hard too. I was always fighting with shadows until I gave multiply a shot and saw how quick it was.

leelewis18d ago

That's definitely one of those "why didn't I try this sooner" moments. Gotta point out though, multiply works best on certain layers and blending modes, not every shadow situation. Some people jump right in thinking it's a magic fix for everything and end up with blown out highlights instead. It really depends on what you're working with whether it's a solid fix or just another tool in the box. Have you tried using it with a soft light layer on top to tame it a bit?

willow_morgan17d ago

Used to roll my eyes at people talking about blend modes honestly, thought it was just hype. Tried multiply on a sketch layer last week and yeah, I get it now. Really changes how things come together without all the extra work.