Smooth transitions. They’re the essence of continuous-tone images. In most cases, you want to preserve them. On occasion, you want to modify them. Sometimes, you want to create them. While gradients can be extremely complex and yield highly sophisticated results, once the basic principle behind them is firmly grasped, they’re simple to create and use. Using the Gradient tool, a gradient is created between the start (where you click first) and end points (where you drag to). The start and end points may be placed anywhere on the canvas. Gradients can be drawn for any length at any angle.