Like many tools have the option of doing, you can try and use blend modes for applying the tool. This will determine how the tool ‘reacts with' the light of the layers beneath it.

Changing blending modes here causes you to add or subtract light each time that you use the gradient tool. Try swiping it on the diamond gradient on some different blend modes.

The darken modes will often turn to black real soon b/c you're adding dark each time you swipe.
This is a little beyond what you need to know for basics training but it's always good to know.  Each tool has more to it than meets the eye.  When you start adding things up, Photoshop has infinite possibilities and mostly all of the tools you will need to know are covered in the Photoshop CS tutorials on DVD

Remember that all this gradient swiping I'm doing right now is done on its own layer. You can easily hide that layer or throw it in the oscar grouchy trash bin.

Create a new blank layer (layer: new: layer is the menu way) and choose another gradient. You'll note that the first two upper left gradients will always reflect the colors (foreground and background) that are chosen in the color chooser in the toolbar.

By toggling (D,X or clicking on the arrow) these you can see the gradient foreground color switch to the white to black in this case.

But here I am choosing the third which is loaded as a default (or make sure black is the foreground color).

Now give a diagonal swipe on the new blank layer to fill that layer with the gradient.

You can see the nice fade with the linear gradient tool.

Whatever your chosen foreground color is (in the color chooser), the second option will always be Background to Transparent so you see White to Transparent.

This means a swipe will start with white and the rest will be invisible leaving the rest of the layer untouched and everything else visible below it. This is an important concept to understand. I actually use foreground to transparent much more often than foreground to background (where you just get the color fill of those two colors). I explain how in detail in the TutorialKey video tutorials for Photoshop CS program.

Alt backspace is the easiest way to fill a layer (or selection) with your foreground color.

Create another blank layer and choose black as your foreground color and foreground to transparent gradient. Hide the other layers so you can see the effect you're doing.

Just swipe on down with a medium stroke. You can hold the Shift key to get a perfect straight line while using the tool.

Here you can see the nice fade it creates. Try this in your Photoshop.

Choose another color from any of the color selection methods (here the Color Picker)

and note again how your colors apply to the gradient dialog box.

Choose foreground to transparent and swipe again (on a new layer). With foreground to transparent, it is more natural to work in or ‘build up' around an area when you start combining say the radial after using the linear. I do this all the time.

In the TutorialKey training program for Photoshop CS/CS2, I show you how to ‘erase' pixels like the best of the best do for instant professional results; USING this tool. One of the most important keys to quality graphic design.

Copyright TutorialsTraining.com & TutorialKey Solutions 2005