Best way to replicate Photoshop Mixer Brush

[Vrk3ds]

Hello,

I’m new to Photo and am trying to replicate my current retouching workflow from Photoshop where I use a median based frequency seperation, and then use photoshops Mixer brush to blend out things such as wrinkles, blemishes, tonal differences in skin, etc on the low frequency layer instead of just bluring it.

I was able to get the seperation done with apply image, but can’t quite get the same smoothing/blending that I am used to with the Mixer brush in Photoshop? Does anyone have settings, tools, workflow suggestions that can best replicate Photoshop’s  Mixer brush? I’ve tried using the Median Brush but it pretty much does nothing? I have also tried the “paint Mixer brush” with 0% opacity and it sort of works but is just not the same.

I’ve also scoured YouTube and the web for any tutorials on the use of both the median brush, and paint Mixer brush, and haven’t found much help?

hopefully someone here much smarter than me has figured this out

thanks,

 

 

[DM1]

Have you tried the Smudge brush?

[Vrk3ds]

Yes I have. It works but still not the same as the Photoshop Mixer-Brush.

[Gabe]

Hi @Vrk3ds,

Welcome to the forums. 

Have you tried changing the mode while using the Paint Mixer Brush? 

Thanks,

Gabe. 

[Vrk3ds]

25 minutes ago, GabrielM said:

Hi @Vrk3ds,

Welcome to the forums. 

Have you tried changing the mode while using the Paint Mixer Brush? 

Thanks,

Gabe. 

Just did and that doesn't work either.

I guess I just don't understand all the settings in Photo for the brushes like I do in Photoshop?

when using the paint-mixer brush, it keeps introducing colors into the blend that aren't natural or any combination of the areas I'm trying to blend?

[Gabe]

You might not have auto-load active. 

 

The Paint Mixer Brush is ideal for digitally simulating the mixing of wet paint applied to a canvas. As you drag the Paint Mixer Brush across the page, the colour currently on the brush blends with the colour on the page, smudging and mixing them together.

Settings

The following settings can be adjusted from the context toolbar:

• Width—the brush (stroke) size in pixels. Type directly in the text box or drag the pop-up slider to set the value.
• Flow—how fast the brush effect is applied (1% is very slow, 100% is immediate). Type directly in the text box or drag the pop-up slider to set the value.
• More—click to display the Brushes dialog to access advanced brush settings.
• Force pressure to control size—Click to control brush size with pressure if using a pressure-sensitive device. This overrides brush defaults.
• Strength—defines the extent to the smudging. Type directly in the text box or drag the pop-up slider to set the value.
• Load Brush—removes the mixed colour currently on the brush and replaces it with the Colour 1 swatch colour set on the Colour panel.
• Auto Load Brush—when selected, each new stroke will automatically Load Brush as described above before pixels are applied to the page.
• Clean Brush—removes the mixed colour currently on the brush, leaving a brush with no initial colour applied to it.
• Model—selects a different colour model for use with the brush. RYB is a historical subtractive colour model based on red, yellow and blue as primary colours.

[Vrk3ds]

8 minutes ago, GabrielM said:

You might not have auto-load active. 

 

The Paint Mixer Brush is ideal for digitally simulating the mixing of wet paint applied to a canvas. As you drag the Paint Mixer Brush across the page, the colour currently on the brush blends with the colour on the page, smudging and mixing them together.

Settings

The following settings can be adjusted from the context toolbar:

• Width—the brush (stroke) size in pixels. Type directly in the text box or drag the pop-up slider to set the value.
• Flow—how fast the brush effect is applied (1% is very slow, 100% is immediate). Type directly in the text box or drag the pop-up slider to set the value.
• More—click to display the Brushes dialog to access advanced brush settings.
• Force pressure to control size—Click to control brush size with pressure if using a pressure-sensitive device. This overrides brush defaults.
• Strength—defines the extent to the smudging. Type directly in the text box or drag the pop-up slider to set the value.
• Load Brush—removes the mixed colour currently on the brush and replaces it with the Colour 1 swatch colour set on the Colour panel.
• Auto Load Brush—when selected, each new stroke will automatically Load Brush as described above before pixels are applied to the page.
• Clean Brush—removes the mixed colour currently on the brush, leaving a brush with no initial colour applied to it.
• Model—selects a different colour model for use with the brush. RYB is a historical subtractive colour model based on red, yellow and blue as primary colours.

So the way I use the mixer-brush in photoshop is by setting the color/clean brush to a null color (basically cleans brush after each stroke) that way it becomes a blender for smoothing out or mixing colors together . Think of the smudge brush on steroids. Then I can control the amount of blending using the flow and mix settings. Does Photo's Paint Mixer Brush have any setting that would clean after each stroke? I think that might be the challenge I am having with it?

Thank You for the brush settings explanation, that helps!

 

[Gabe]

Yes it does. 

• Auto Load Brush—when selected, each new stroke will automatically Load Brush as described above before pixels are applied to the page.
• Clean Brush—removes the mixed colour currently on the brush, leaving a brush with no initial colour applied to it.

[Vrk3ds]

ok but it doesn't stay clean?

Anyway to keep it clean without having to hit "c" after each stroke?

I must be doing something wrong :-)

BTW, does the associate brush dropdown cause the current brush to take on the selected brush's settings?

Thank You for all of your help

[Gabe]

No. It does not stay clean by default. Auto-load will load the colour from your foreground colour palette. If you want to clean it, you would have to press C when you need so. 

[Massi]

On 8/31/2018 at 4:50 PM, Vrk3ds said:

ok but it doesn't stay clean?

Anyway to keep it clean without having to hit "c" after each stroke?

I must be doing something wrong :-)

BTW, does the associate brush dropdown cause the current brush to take on the selected brush's settings?

Thank You for all of your help

I understand your frustration cause I'm probably used to the same workflow as yours, I found really obvious that a auto-clean feature to check was necessary. i.e. When you skin retouching you make tons of quick and precise strokes (mainly in low frequency for me) in order to even the skin tones; so having to click Clean every time is just nuts.

On 8/31/2018 at 4:55 PM, GabrielM said:

No. It does not stay clean by default. Auto-load will load the colour from your foreground colour palette. If you want to clean it, you would have to press C when you need so. 

It's actually a part of a regular gesture in a retoucher/photographer workflow, I feel like something important is really missing and would be good to have it, it would make a big difference.  

[Massi]

It looks like we should open another thread in order to be answered by a person who actually understand the problem here...

[Alfred]

22 minutes ago, Massi said:

It looks like we should open another thread in order to be answered by a person who actually understand the problem here...

How would a separate thread be helpful? It would simply mean that users would need to be pointed to this thread for the background to any further discussion.

The problem is quite clear. @Vrk3ds asked

On 8/31/2018 at 3:32 PM, Vrk3ds said:

Does Photo's Paint Mixer Brush have any setting that would clean after each stroke?

and @GabrielM replied

On 8/31/2018 at 3:44 PM, GabrielM said:

Yes it does. 

• Auto Load Brush—when selected, each new stroke will automatically Load Brush as described above before pixels are applied to the page.
• Clean Brush—removes the mixed colour currently on the brush, leaving a brush with no initial colour applied to it.

apparently misunderstanding that what the OP was looking for is not just a ‘Clean Brush’ option but an ‘Auto Clean Brush’ option.

[Massi]

No answers at all after 2 years, problem is still there. Is getting frustrating and annoying exposing any issue to this forum and having zero replies from support.

[Gabe]

32 minutes ago, Massi said:

No answers at all after 2 years, problem is still there

This is because technically, it's not a problem. The "Auto Clean Brush" is a feature you would like us to have, we don't have it. We have no ETA on implementing feature requests I'm afraid. 

[Massi]

1 minute ago, Gabe said:

This is because technically, it's not a problem. 

 Technically, it's a real problem. Theoretically, you can believe it's not if you find it useful. We don't. If you don't see it as a problem, it's because you never retouch on real life situations or used this tool. You probably shouldn't be answering before doing that. Being able to build a photo software doesn't include by default being aware of what's useful or not for a photographer, that's the reason of a forum.

 

6 minutes ago, Gabe said:

The "Auto Clean Brush" is a feature you would like us to have, we don't have it.

It's not ME, it's just a bunch of retouchers and photographers with more experience than the makers of this software, who are clearly simply requesting for something basic to be included because it's just weird not to have it, like programmers don't understand why is important. If you don't see it basic, it's because, again, you possibly have no experience at all in retouching. "We don't have it"...well.....I can see it and you should't brag about it.

 

17 minutes ago, Gabe said:

We have no ETA on implementing feature requests I'm afraid. 

You should def listen to what people is listing here as missing features; through the whole forum the response to these issues is actually zero or, as in your case, mods are answering from a closed point of view "we do it like this and that's what it is".....looks to me like the Apple philosophy, take it or leave it.

 

Was not this all Serif thing about making a change in software market and create a better relationship with customers? So naive right...

 

Over and Out buddy 

 

[Somroth.R]

Hi guys,

Not sure if this will help but here is how I use Affinity Photo mixer brush the same way we use it in photoshop for skin retouching in a low frequency sep.

To make the brush act just like photoshop mixer brush I use the follwoing setting:

• Flow: set it to what's working for you. I use 13% for skin in photoshop and 3% in affinity seem to be roughly the equivalent.
• Under more: set wet edges to "Set wet edges 'on'"
• UNTICK auto load brush as this will continuously load the brush with the first color set on your color swatch. And make sure to clean the brush by clicking on clean brush.
• That way your brush will sample and mix colors base on each initial brush stroke.
• Strength 80% or to your liking.

 

[leets]

Hi Guys,

For those doing skin retouching, have you guys found your solution? If not, please read on. I might have what you want without having to go crazy pressing the "Clean Brush" button before every stroke.

Just turn on the "Auto Load Brush" button, then set the color you are using to 0% opacity. There, your blender brush is clean and still works pushing the pixels around on your canvas without having to bother with the "Clean Brush" option. Hope this helps.

 

Regards,

Henry

Edited November 20, 2020 by leets

[leets]

Hi Guys,

To add to the above, another even easier solution is to simply just set the brush to 0% opacity. No need to bother even with the "Auto Load Brush". Seems to behave exactly the same way. Thanks.

Regards,

Henry

[kofi asamoah]

On 11/19/2020 at 10:46 PM, leets said:

Hi Guys,

For those doing skin retouching, have you guys found your solution? If not, please read on. I might have what you want without having to go crazy pressing the "Clean Brush" button before every stroke.

Just turn on the "Auto Load Brush" button, then set the color you are using to 0% opacity. There, your blender brush is clean and still works pushing the pixels around on your canvas without having to bother with the "Clean Brush" option. Hope this helps.

 

Regards,

Henry

 

On 11/19/2020 at 10:46 PM, leets said:

Hi Guys,

For those doing skin retouching, have you guys found your solution? If not, please read on. I might have what you want without having to go crazy pressing the "Clean Brush" button before every stroke.

Just turn on the "Auto Load Brush" button, then set the color you are using to 0% opacity. There, your blender brush is clean and still works pushing the pixels around on your canvas without having to bother with the "Clean Brush" option. Hope this helps.

 

Regards,

Henry

Thanks for your post. Can you provide more details? It doesn’t seem to work for me. Thanks 

[leets]

Hi Kofi,

I don't exactly know which part you don't understand but you simply have to select the Paint Mixer Brush, then go to the Color Tab on the right of the interface and locate the Opacity Slider and drag it to 0%. You now have a brush that behaves very similar to the Smudge Tool but with a much softer touch to it. Go and try on some photograph and try to make one of the nostrils of the person bigger, for example, and you could see for yourself if the difference in feel and look mimics the Photoshop Mixer Brush that all the posters above are talking about. Thanks.

Regards,

Henry

[Danny blvck]

23 hours ago, leets said:

Hi Kofi,

I don't exactly know which part you don't understand but you simply have to select the Paint Mixer Brush, then go to the Color Tab on the right of the interface and locate the Opacity Slider and drag it to 0%. You now have a brush that behaves very similar to the Smudge Tool but with a much softer touch to it. Go and try on some photograph and try to make one of the nostrils of the person bigger, for example, and you could see for yourself if the difference in feel and look mimics the Photoshop Mixer Brush that all the posters above are talking about. Thanks.

Regards,

Henry

Tried it. It doesn’t even come close to what they are asking. I diagram would have been better for him but it doesn’t work anyway but we do appreciate the help. As a retoucher this would make Adobe obsolete among retouchers or damn near. It seems like just cares about cutouts and placing people and objects in photos. But a lot of us really want to go all in but we can’t because if this one little thing. Now I still worked around it but went back to Adobe because it so much easier to retouch and high end retouch with Adobe. But like I said thank you anyway or I could be missing something 

[mrpresident]

On 2/4/2021 at 8:10 PM, Danny blvck said:

Tried it. It doesn’t even come close to what they are asking. I diagram would have been better for him but it doesn’t work anyway but we do appreciate the help. As a retoucher this would make Adobe obsolete among retouchers or damn near. It seems like just cares about cutouts and placing people and objects in photos. But a lot of us really want to go all in but we can’t because if this one little thing. Now I still worked around it but went back to Adobe because it so much easier to retouch and high end retouch with Adobe. But like I said thank you anyway or I could be missing something 

It's really frustrating. I think I have to get Adobe too. 

[mrpresident]

On 2/3/2021 at 8:03 PM, leets said:

Hi Kofi,

I don't exactly know which part you don't understand but you simply have to select the Paint Mixer Brush, then go to the Color Tab on the right of the interface and locate the Opacity Slider and drag it to 0%. You now have a brush that behaves very similar to the Smudge Tool but with a much softer touch to it. Go and try on some photograph and try to make one of the nostrils of the person bigger, for example, and you could see for yourself if the difference in feel and look mimics the Photoshop Mixer Brush that all the posters above are talking about. Thanks.

Regards,

Henry

Hi Henry,

 

Does this work in low frequency separation? Setting Opacity to 0 for any color turns it into a white color brush. Can you kindly post all your settings from strength, flow, blend mode, and wet edges. I'm willing to pay somebody to teach me how they make this work. Thank you. 

[Massi]

On 6/5/2020 at 4:21 AM, Somroth.R said:

Hi guys,

Not sure if this will help but here is how I use Affinity Photo mixer brush the same way we use it in photoshop for skin retouching in a low frequency sep.

To make the brush act just like photoshop mixer brush I use the follwoing setting:

• Flow: set it to what's working for you. I use 13% for skin in photoshop and 3% in affinity seem to be roughly the equivalent.
• Under more: set wet edges to "Set wet edges 'on'"
• UNTICK auto load brush as this will continuously load the brush with the first color set on your color swatch. And make sure to clean the brush by clicking on clean brush.
• That way your brush will sample and mix colors base on each initial brush stroke.
• Strength 80% or to your liking.

 

 

On 11/20/2020 at 5:46 AM, leets said:

Hi Guys,

For those doing skin retouching, have you guys found your solution? If not, please read on. I might have what you want without having to go crazy pressing the "Clean Brush" button before every stroke.

Just turn on the "Auto Load Brush" button, then set the color you are using to 0% opacity. There, your blender brush is clean and still works pushing the pixels around on your canvas without having to bother with the "Clean Brush" option. Hope this helps.

 

Regards,

Henry

Thanks guys I just updated to 1.9 and came back to this old thread to see if any solution was found. I'll try your methods this next days but it looks like is not really mirroring what PS does, or at least you're not happy with it.  I'm on AP for 3 years now and specific important things like these are not really considered by Affinity, IDK why they just don't care.  

 

23 hours ago, mrpresident said:

It's really frustrating. I think I have to get Adobe too.