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Makin' Gradients
Pick a technique: CMD's method | Nitebyrd's method
Paint.NET Tutorials - Gradients - Crazy Man Dan Explains the Universe
Alright, this method has pretty much been depricated, but I keep it around 'cause someone may get some use out of it. Instead of this method, I'd suggest Rick's revision of nitebyrd's method. It's better. Anyway, on to my now-useless tutorial!
Example Gradient
This is the gradient I'll explain how to make:
It was made using Paint.NET, and required only three layers and one built-in effect. This example will walk you through how to re-create this image.
Example 1 - Let's Get Started
Making a basic 3-stage gradient
First things first, you'll need Paint.NET open. Since I usually don't create full-page gradients, I always start by creating a new image at a much smaller size. The one for this example was 200 pixels wide by 50 pixels high.
The key to this gradient method is multiple layers. Create as many new layers as you'll need for the individual colors. Each new color needs it's own layer. This example used three total layers, including the "Background" layer.
Fill the background layer with your first color. In this example, the first color was straight red, or hex code #FF0000. This color will be the main background color. It is a good idea to fill the entire layer with the color because you never know how far the fade of the second color will go, and you don't want your supporting color to cut out underneath your fade.
In your second layer, draw a rectangular selection starting at about 1/3 of the way from the top, and continuing on until the bottom. Fill this selection with your second color. In this case, it was orange, hex code #FF8800.
In the third layer, draw a rectangular selection starting at about 2/3 of the way from the top, and continuing on until the bottom. Fill this selection with your third color. In this case, it was yellow, hex code #F6FF00.
After all that, you should have something that looks something like this:
Now, all that's left to do is blur the layers. Under the "Effects" menu, select "Blur..." Set the slider to whatever blur radius you feel is appropriate. In this example, I used a radius of 16 pixels for a smooth gradient. After blurring each layer, your image should resemble this:
And that's a gradient! For this example, I flattened the image and repeated the blur on the now-combined "Background" layer so that each color blended into the next as smoothly as possible.
That's how you can make a basic gradient with Paint.NET! Using the same basic techniques, you can create even more complex gradients, like this one:
Well, I hope you'll be able to take what you've learned here and make your Paint.NET experience even more full and exciting! I'll be updating this tutorial with more examples in the near future, but I've been talking about this for so long, I just wanted to get something up here. Keep checking back for more ways to enhance your PDN skills!