Transparency using brushes

[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

[Acorn]

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]]

handrawn, you can drill into the Opacity mask group > Opacity mask > Line and with the Shape tool adjust the Line, live as it were.

Acorn

[handrawn]

always good to add to acorn's experience, as it's usually the other way round

drilling into the mask is one way in which vector is flexible: it is manipulative after the event and those manipulations themselves are editable; whereas raster is usually only corrective as in ctrl+z and do it again, or carry on and rework over if possible

have to say, for me, there is no substitute for seeing the result immediately as you draw, that feedback is part of the art, it 'tells-you-where-to-go-next-in-real-time' assuming you already have the necessary experience to visualise it as you go along

and of course if you edit in a group in xara you lose all context as you cannot the see the rest of the drawing, which I find less than helpful

[Acorn]

always good to add to acorn's experience, as it's usually the other way round
drilling into the mask is one way in which vector is flexible: it is manipulative after the event and those manipulations themselves are editable; whereas raster is usually only corrective as in ctrl+z and do it again, or carry on and rework over if possible
have to say, for me, there is no substitute for seeing the result immediately as you draw, that real-time feedback is part of the art, it 'tells-you-where-to-go-next-in-real-time' assuming you already have the necessary experience to visualise it as you go along
and of course if you edit in a group in xara you lose all context as you cannot the see the rest of the drawing, which I find less than helpful

handrawn, I fine the fun I get from using Xara is the total freedom to experiment. I have control over the brush. I could use double-deckers as the brush and set up random aspects but in viewing the final product, I can tweak or add to the pattern.

Acorn

[Magicdesign]

Thank you for everyone's feedback. I will try these techniques.

[handrawn]

@ acorn

I have total control of a graphite pencil...

more to the point maybe, we all work in our own ways and do what gives us pleasure and satisfaction as well as a result

[handrawn]

Thank you for everyone's feedback. I will try these techniques.

you are welcome

[Marco D]

I wrote this last night:


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

My suggestion was just to indicate another possible approach to the problem. The solution through the Opacity Mask is certainly the preferred one because it does not modify the original image and makes everything more easily editable, as Acorn also mentioned.