Foundation
Understanding Opacity
Every layer exists on a spectrum from fully transparent to completely opaque. The velum — that thin membrane — teaches us that power often lies in what we allow to show through.
Key Principles
- Transparency creates depth without weight
- Opacity anchors and defines boundaries
- Translucency bridges the two extremes
- Layer order determines visual hierarchy
Foundation
Stacking Order & Hierarchy
The sequence in which layers are arranged determines not just visual outcome but meaning. What sits atop speaks loudest; what lies beneath provides context.
Stack Strategies
- Base layers establish tone and temperature
- Middle layers build texture and complexity
- Top layers add focus and finishing detail
- Adjustment layers modify without destroying
Intermediate
Blend Modes & Interaction
Where layers meet, they can ignore, replace, or dance with each other. Blend modes define this relationship — the mathematics of how colors converse.
Mode Categories
- Darken: Multiply, Color Burn, Darker Color
- Lighten: Screen, Color Dodge, Lighter Color
- Contrast: Overlay, Soft Light, Hard Light
- Inversion: Difference, Exclusion
Intermediate
Masking & Selective Reveal
The veil can be lifted selectively. Masks allow layers to appear only where intended — precision control over what the viewer sees and what remains hidden.
Mask Types
- Layer masks: pixel-based, paintable
- Vector masks: shape-based, scalable
- Clipping masks: contained by layer below
- Luminosity masks: based on brightness values
Foundation
Color Relationships
Colors don't exist in isolation. When layered, they mix optically, shift temperature, and create new harmonies. Understanding color theory turns chaos into intention.
Core Concepts
- Hue, saturation, and lightness as controls
- Complementary pairs create vibration
- Analogous ranges build cohesion
- Value contrast drives visual weight
Advanced
Compositional Balance
Layers exist within a frame. How elements are positioned — their visual weight, negative space, and focal flow — determines whether the composition breathes or suffocates.
Balance Principles
- Rule of thirds guides focal placement
- Negative space provides rest and emphasis
- Leading lines direct the viewer's eye
- Symmetry vs. asymmetry sets the mood
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