I can't blend colors — the transition always looks muddy or striped

Why this happens

Muddy blends come from using the smudge tool, which physically mixes colors and creates grey-brown for most combinations. Striped blends come from a hard brush at full opacity.

FIX IT NOW

1. Stop using the smudge tool for blending. It produces mud
2. Instead: identify the midpoint color you want between your two colors and pick it manually from the color wheel. Paint it between the two colors with a soft brush at 30–40% opacity. Build up in multiple passes
3. For smooth gradients: soft airbrush, opacity at 15–20%, paint back and forth over the transition area. Many light passes, not one heavy one
4. For a painterly blend that isn't smooth: use a textured brush and alternate between the two colors with short strokes all going the same direction. The eye blends them optically at normal viewing distance