Transparency using brushes

[handrawn]

know what you maen, easy to do in photoshop, or PTSAI and probably gimp too as I recall, but xara brushes don't work that way afaik

[PhilM]

You could use a speckled brush to paint into the mask channel of an opacity mask group.

Sorry, I don't have time to work up an example now but hopefully someone will pick up the challenge!

[handrawn]

interesting idea Phll....

[handrawn]

sort of:



using a brush with values graduating between black/white should give partial transparency for those values

[Marco D]

Another way possible is this:

Step 1
Choose a brush you like, you could also create your own

Step 2
Select it and convert the line of the brush into editable shape

Step 3
Select the image and the brush and Subtract Shape (ctrl+2)

[PhilM]

Very nice, handrawn,

If the speckle brush was semi transparent the speckles would build up darkness where they overlap each other and so you'd get varying levels of transparency in the opacity mask.

Then the more you scribble over the edge, the more it becomes wiped out.

[handrawn]

yes I see the potential, not really used opaciy masks that much up to now

personally, it is always the trade off between a raster way and a vector way - the vector way can be more manipulative but it suffers from not being able to see the actual result as you go along [ie not until you apply the mask[s]]

[Acorn]

Looking at soft erase, it looks like it just roughs the edge slightly. I am looking to create an irregular speckled effect where some is transparent, and some isn't. Like a spray can edge. I can upload an image of what I achieved in the other product, but in the mean time, instead of the brush adding colour, it adds transparency (if you get what I mean)

I wrote this last night:

Yes, it would be useful to have a viewing.

You could create a Scatter Brush along the lines of Novelty > Coarse Spray and make the Line quite wide.
I have no idea if you want a box shape but this handles any shape as well as allowing Transparency of the spray.

I hadn't though of using an Opacity Mask and I came up with Marco's approach.
I stopped at that point as once you Subtract, you are stuck with a fixed shape.

Thank you both @PhilM & @handrawn as your approach retains the means to edit and experiment.
Another arrow for my quiver.

Acorn

[bwood]

That’s awesome @marcod. I was looking for something grunge too.